2010Dec 31, 2009
Dec 13, 2009
Dec 9, 2009
[ Five thousand years ago.]
Five thousand years ago in the magnificent Himalayas, one of the greatest sages of India, Srila Vyasadeva wrote down the Vedas for the first time, this included a branch which is called Ayurveda: "The science of Life" (Ayur means life and Veda means science).
The Vedas came from an oral tradition that reached back into antiquity. Srila Vyasadev entrusted the original copies of the texts with his most erudite and enlightened disciples, who, along with other great sages, inaugurated a very long sacrificial ceremony for hundreds of years for the purification and blessings of the entire world. Remember people lived for one to two thousand years back then. During that time, they studied and discussed these ancient texts with their own disciples, who wrote commentaries, and expanded and developed these original and eternal truths without ever altering them.
During the years after the conclusion of this sacrifice, copies of this perfect Vedic texts were placed in various temples and libraries throughout India. They were written down in the original Sanskrit language for the benefit of the general population. (Sanskrit is the father of Latin and most of the world languages).
As far as the science of life was concerned - Ayurveda - volumes of wisdom poured forth like the rains during the monsoon season. Beside Vyasadeva's information about hundreds of herbal drugs in the Vedas, there were descriptions later on, by other sages like Sushruta, Charaka, etc. on how to perform prosthetic surgery to replace limbs, cosmetic surgery on the nose and elsewhere, caesarean section, and even brain surgery!
Everything was described in great detail and archaeological research has uncovered evidence that proves that some of these operations were performed successfully between 3,000 and 5,000 years ago. The great sage Charaka has given information in Ayurveda about the development of the child within the womb week by week, month by month, limb by limb, from conception to birth, that equals our modern medical texts in accuracy.
There is information about atomic energy, gynecology, pediatrics, surgery, anatomy, herbal drugs, Ayurvedic dieting and nutrition. All are described in the most simple and profound manner so as to make it easy enough for any person to have a basic working knowledge of this great science of life - Ayurveda. I know this sounds incredible and you may be wondering, "How is it possible to have one system embrace all systems" How would it be applied? The answer is simple. The first step is to ascertain the individual's "Biological Mode" , and than to treat the person accordingly.
Prakruti - The Unique Genetic Code of an Individual
Everyone knows that there are no two fingerprints alike. No two voice modulations and no two genetic codes are exactly alike. What makes anyone think we all have the same liver, lungs, kidneys, or anything else the same as the next person. Therefore to propose that we all eat the same foods, take the same drugs when we are ill, or perform the same exercise is more than ludicrous. It is unscientific! Ayurveda uses a system of historical analysis and physical examination done almost entirely by observation (with the exception of pulse reading), to ascertain one's original nature and current imbalances.
A diet and health plan are given to the individual according to the needs to correct the imbalance. The basis for all other concepts in Ayurveda is Sankhya (the analytical study of the elements that comprise the universe). Although the modern physicist would delineate well over one hundred elements, Sankhya states there are twenty-four, of which five are the foundation of the gross world: Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether.
Dr. Robert Svoboda compares earth to everything which is solid in the table of the elements. Water is everything liquid, and air is everything gaseous. Ether is the field in quantum mechanics upon which everything rests, and fire is the transformer of one thing to another.
These five elements, when joined in different combinations, make up the three "doshas" or "biological modes" which are the "Prakruti" or nature of an individual and the nature of all things.
The combination of air and ether gives us Vata or the Kinetic Biological Mode. Vata is that which is electric in the body and causes all movement in and out of the system (breathing, urination, defecation, menstruation, etc.)
The combination of fire and water gives us Pitta or the Transformative Biological Mode. Pitta is that which mutates or transforms the outside elements of the macrocosm into the inside elements of the body (the microcosm). Pitta governs the digestion of physical, mental, and emotional elements.
Finally, the combination of earth and water gives us Kapha or the Structive Biological mode. Kapha is that which makes for both lubrication (mucus, synovial fluid) and structure (bones, muscles, fat, joints, etc).
Generally speaking most people are a combination of two modes. One is the primary and the other is the secondary. But there are those who are purely dominated by one mode, and in rare cases, those who are a mixture of all three. This elemental theory broken down into divisions of modes identifies not only body types for humans, but also for animals, vegetables, plants, herbs, geographical locations, times of day, seasons of the years, and activities performed.
Everything in the universe is categorized by this system. Ascertaining one's Prakruti (nature of constitution) and imbalances is the service rendered by the Ayurvedic analysis using the processes stated earlier. Then the Ayurvedic practitioner constructs a diet and recommends herbs which would be helpful to regain balance with one's original nature.
In Ayurveda different people with the same disease sometimes receive different diet and herb plans. The constitution, the imbalance, and the various nuances of the development of the disease in each individual must be studied to determine the nature of the imbalance whether Vata, Pitta, or Kapha for that disease.
For example: Two people have a history of weak lungs and chronic coughing. One is dominated by a Vata constitution with a Vata imbalance. The other is dominated by a Kapha constitution with a Kapha imbalance. The Vata has a tendency towards a dry hacking cough in which no mucus or phlegm is present or being expelled. The Kapha has a less frequent, but heavy wet cough which expels large quantities of mucus and phlegm.
For the Kapha dry, hot, spicy herbs and foods are what is necessary for burning up and drying up the excess mucus. Dry ginger, and long pepper are useful while all dairy, fruit juices, and cold food in general are to be avoided. But for the dry Vata cough, hot milk with turmeric is a great healer to soothe and calm the cough, while disinfecting and moistening the dry, hot lungs. Fresh curd with unleavened whole wheat bread (chapatis) and cooling fruit juices are also useful. So a cough is not just a cough according to ayurveda. But according to the constitution and imbalance, "One man's food is another man's poison".
Unfortunately people will give up trying holistic health practices because good food was given to the wrong person. The secret of understanding the dynamics of food and which food is for whom is in the taste, therefore, the appropriate tastes with their elements will correct the imbalance of elements in one's constitution if taken correctly.
The proof is in the tasting.
There are six taste according to Ayurveda: Sweet, Sour, Salty, Pungent, Bitter, and Astringent. Each is comprised of two elements:
Sweet (earth and water) examples: wheat, sugar, milk, rice, dates;
Sour (earth and fire) examples: yogurt, lemon, tamarind;
Salty (water and fire) examples: sea salt, rock salt, kelp;
Pungent (fire and air) examples: onion, radish, ginger, chilly;
Bitter (air and ether) examples: dandelion root, rhubarb root, bitter melon;
Astringent (air and earth) examples: plantain, pomegranate, apples;
There are two other considerations in Ayurveda. First, whether a foods action is heating or cooling. The taste sweet, bitter, and astringent are cooling. Sour, salty, and pungent are all heating. The second is the post-digestive effect or how the foods "taste" to the tissues during and after assimilation. Sweet and salty are sweet in post-digestive effect. Sour is sour, and pungent, bitter, and astringent are pungent.
Taste, action, and post-digestive effect are known is Sanskrit as rasa, virya, and vipack respectively in Ayurveda. They are the keys to understanding food and herbs. With this knowledge, one can unlock the mysteries of the energetic dynamics of food and be able to make the right choices for oneself.
Raw Foods According To Ayurveda
Raw foods and juices are magnificent in that they are cleansing and energizing. Sprouts are especially wonderful because they contain large amounts of enzymes and nourishment which help with digestion and assimilation of nutrients. Some of the spicier sprouts help to destroy and eliminate toxins in the system known as ama in Ayurveda.
Fenugreek sprouts can even help in cases of seminal debility. But in general, raw food is very cold and hard to digest in the Vedic sense as it releases its Prana or nourishing life giving energy in the upper portion of the body between the mouth and the stomach. This gives quick, short-term energy, but not long-term tissue building nourishment. This is good for pittas, and some raw foods are good for kaphas, but this is not very good for vatas.
Cooking Foods According to Ayurveda
Well cooked grains, beans, and vegetables release their Prana in the colon. This provides long-term tissue building energy. However, these energies cannot be released from complex carbohydrates without the assistance of enzymes. A Clean intestinal tract is also essential for proper absorption.This coincides with two of the modern holistic health theories of colon cleansing and enzyme consumption. But the Ayurvedic approach again is practical and individualized. Which herbs for which constitution will produce the best colon cleansing varies. Therefore, some people find some of the standard colon cleansing products ineffectual or difficult for their bodies to tolerate.
Triphala ("the three fruits"), used in Ayurveda, is one of the best colon cleansers because it strengthens and tones the muscle action of the colon. It does not cause laxative dependency by doing the work for the colon. Similarly, the consumption of enzyme tablets will cause the digestive organs natural ability to produce enzymes for digestion to become suppressed and lazy and possibly lose their ability to function all together. Ayurvedic cooking uses certain herbs and spices to help stimulate the body to produce its own digestive enzymes.
The Secret of spices in Ayurvedic Cooking
I can hear the sighs now as you read the subtitle and you are asking yourself, "Is he going to advocate eating that hot Indian restaurant style food?" Absolutely not! That is, unfortunately, only a bastardization of the original system. Spices used in small to moderate proportions according to the food being prepared and the person's constitution will stimulate all the digestive organs to produce the enzymes required for total absorption and assimilation. This lets your organs do their work through nourishment without "putting them in a wheelchair" while the chemicals do it. Thus cooked food and spices are better for the poor digestion of kaphas and vatas. Pittas should use only mild spicing, as their "fire of digestion" is generally strong.
As you can see there is no good or bad food, just which food is your food. Once you understand your body type, you can structure a diet for yourself that will really work to make you feel totally balanced and harmonized. How soon you feel balanced, depends on how much you have abused yourself in the past. Generally, it takes month of healing for every year of abuse. That's why the Ayurvedic practitioner asks many questions about your health history. It is very important to ascertain when the problem began and what emotional and mental imbalances preceded it, so that your diet and health plan can solve your health problem by going to the source.
Consciousness and Food
This is probably the most important aspect of Ayurveda: Your state of consciousness when you eat and when you cook. One of the great sages of India, Rupa Goswami wrote: "If you eat food prepared by the wicked, you will become wicked". I' m not calling anyone wicked, but rather I'm pointing out that if the person who is cooking has fears, insecurities, anger, jealousy, greed or any of many emotions we experience everyday, the chef will infuse that preparation with that emotion.
This is important to remember in eating - at home or away - that the consciousness of the cook is in the food. And the consciousness of the animal or vegetable one is eating is in there as well. So in Ayurveda, food preparation is considered a sacred act. Animal food is generally not recommended because of the extreme pain, agony, suffering, fear, anger and terror the animal experiences has gone into the food. Add the highly toxic chemical contamination of modern factory farming like hormones, steroids, antibiotics, pesticides, etc., and you have a prescription for death not life.
Vegetables have life also and they also feel pain and discomfort at being eaten. The great scientist Jagadish Chandra Bose showed through extensive research that plants are living, feeling beings that experience emotions like humans on their own level. The Vedas teach that each living being, from the king to the bacteria, has a soul and is therefore sacred. The kitchen is considered the extension of the altar in Vedic culture. In early Christianity, the people would bring their crops and lay them at the altar for sacrifice and blessing.
This was done much earlier in Ancient India, only there everything was prepared in the kitchen according to the principles of taste and elemental energetics and then offered with great devotion to the deities: Lakshmi-Narayana, Sita-Rama, Radha-Krishna and others. Therefore, the act of cooking, the place of preparation, the act of offering, and the offering place were all sacred. The consciousness of the cooks was focused on how all the foods were to be prepared in elemental balance.
Knowing that they were also made of these same elements and the ability to balance them and prepare them were direct gifts from God, they offered back those elements and abilities to the Lord, and through spiritual consciousness cleansed the vegetarian foodstuff of all negative karma by bathing it in love and devotion.
You can do this at home by preparing your food with love according to Ayurvedic energetic principles and offering prayers and meditations of thanks and love to God. You will transform food into prasad or God's mercy. Thus you will raise your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health to the highest possible levels. There is no greater nourishment than this in all the world.
The Right Food for the Right Person
As I think back to the 1985 Whole Life Expo, I can still see the bewildered looks of the crowd. I hope this article helps put things in proper perspective for the confused public. All foods are good, but not all foods are good for all people. You must eat the proper foods for your constitution in the proper consciousness if you want the best nourishment and optimum physical and spiritual health.
The Three Doshas: VATA
A Vata's frame is usually tall or short, and always thin and low in weight with prominent bones and joints. They have thin skin which is rough and dry with a tendency to tan or be dark, with prominent veins and cold to the touch. They will have curly, kinky, coarse, dry hair that's dark brown or blackish. Their teeth will usually be large, crooked and protrude. Both their head and eyes will be small, quick and unsteady. The eyes will also be dark brown or black, dry, thin and dull.
Vatas have variable and scanty appetites. They will be thin as children and have troubles gaining weight. They like sweet, salty and sour foods like cake, crackers, and pickles. Their thirst varies and they will nurse hot drinks to keep them warm. Their bowels are usually hard and dry, or constipated. They are hyperactive and can exhaust easily with restless minds that fantasize. They are extremely creative, artistic, and often musical, with extreme moods of joyfulness and fear, accomplishment and insecurity, and often anxious.
They are erratic and always unpredictable. Their faith is changed easily. Their memory is good if they study the night before the test. But a week later they will have forgotten everything. If they remember dreams at all, they usually are running, jumping and flying, or a nightmare full of fear. They are light sleepers with scanty, interrupted sleep patterns.
They usually speak in a high pitched voice faster than they think. They think and fantasize about sex often, but perform poorly having already expended their energy mentally. They generally spend money impulsively and so stay relatively poor. Their pulse is thin and feeble, and threads like a snake.
PITTA
Pitta stands with medium build, height, and bone structure, with soft, oily skin, that's warm to the touch. They have fair complexions, burning easily. The have a reddish or yellowish hue. Their hair is soft and oily and will bald and gray early. Until then it will generally be reddish or yellow-blonde. They have moderate size, yellowish teeth with soft gums that bleed easily. Their eyes are green or hazel, with a sharp, penetrating, lustrous look, set below a large forehead.
They have strong appetites and need large meals to be satisfied, but will not snack. They like sweet, bitter and astringent foods, like candy, green salads and bananas. This is washed down all day long with cold drinks. They have frequent bowel movements with soft, oily, loose, discharges. They must evacuate immediately when they feel the urge. They are moderately active, but with intensely competitive spirits.
They can be overly aggressive and assertive, highly intelligent and organized, with nearly photographic memories. They become teachers, doctors, lawyers, politicians, - and angry when not fed on time! They are easily irritated and can be dangerous when jealous, which happens often. They are fanatical about their faith.
They sleep short and deep, with fiery dreams of war and violence, or long conversations with exchanges of money. It's always an epic. They are good orators, but can be sharp and cutting with their speech. They know how to save, but usually for the purchase of luxuries, that make a statement about their position in life and enhance their ego. When not too busy trying to organize the world, they can be roused to passion and perform competently. Their pulse is moderate, and jumps like a frog.
KAPHA
Kaphas are large, thick, big boned and strong. They stand not too tall, but often as the foundation of society. They have a tendency to be overweight and can become heavy by just looking at food! Their skin is thick, smooth, oily, and cool, with a tendency to be pale.
Their hair is thick, wavy, oily, dark black or light blonde with strong even white teeth. They seldom get a cavity. Their eyes are large and well formed with ample whites showing and deep blue irises, decorated with thick, long lashes. These are called the lotus eyes in India because they look like lotus petals and because they adorn the lotus face of the supreme Lord Krishna.
Kaphas have small appetites and eat slowly - many small meals a day - the big snackers of society.They like pungent, bitter, and astringent foods like spicy dishes, green salads, and pomegranates. But they especially like dry, crispy things. They rarely drink, and have one full and heavy bowel movement daily.
They are not very active and must study repeatedly to understand, but will never forget once they learn. Therefore they often prefer repetitious jobs where little innovation is necessary. They make good bankers, insurance agents, or factory workers. Kapha people in general are slow, steady and reliable.
They are good with money which they know how to conserve to an extreme. They can become overly greedy and attached. But they are extremely compassionate, forgiving, loving, and patient, becoming nurses, social workers, and the clergy of different religions. They have a deep, steady faith and highly developed spiritual feelings.
They sleep deep and long, dreaming of romantic settings by lakes and rivers, or swimming. They speak slowly in a monotonous voice, and are not sexually aroused easily, but perform most admirably once inclined. Their pulse is broad and slow like the swan.
More Reading Material: http://www.investindia.com/newsite/medicine/ayurveda.htm
The Vedas came from an oral tradition that reached back into antiquity. Srila Vyasadev entrusted the original copies of the texts with his most erudite and enlightened disciples, who, along with other great sages, inaugurated a very long sacrificial ceremony for hundreds of years for the purification and blessings of the entire world. Remember people lived for one to two thousand years back then. During that time, they studied and discussed these ancient texts with their own disciples, who wrote commentaries, and expanded and developed these original and eternal truths without ever altering them.
During the years after the conclusion of this sacrifice, copies of this perfect Vedic texts were placed in various temples and libraries throughout India. They were written down in the original Sanskrit language for the benefit of the general population. (Sanskrit is the father of Latin and most of the world languages).
As far as the science of life was concerned - Ayurveda - volumes of wisdom poured forth like the rains during the monsoon season. Beside Vyasadeva's information about hundreds of herbal drugs in the Vedas, there were descriptions later on, by other sages like Sushruta, Charaka, etc. on how to perform prosthetic surgery to replace limbs, cosmetic surgery on the nose and elsewhere, caesarean section, and even brain surgery!
Everything was described in great detail and archaeological research has uncovered evidence that proves that some of these operations were performed successfully between 3,000 and 5,000 years ago. The great sage Charaka has given information in Ayurveda about the development of the child within the womb week by week, month by month, limb by limb, from conception to birth, that equals our modern medical texts in accuracy.
There is information about atomic energy, gynecology, pediatrics, surgery, anatomy, herbal drugs, Ayurvedic dieting and nutrition. All are described in the most simple and profound manner so as to make it easy enough for any person to have a basic working knowledge of this great science of life - Ayurveda. I know this sounds incredible and you may be wondering, "How is it possible to have one system embrace all systems" How would it be applied? The answer is simple. The first step is to ascertain the individual's "Biological Mode" , and than to treat the person accordingly.
Prakruti - The Unique Genetic Code of an Individual
Everyone knows that there are no two fingerprints alike. No two voice modulations and no two genetic codes are exactly alike. What makes anyone think we all have the same liver, lungs, kidneys, or anything else the same as the next person. Therefore to propose that we all eat the same foods, take the same drugs when we are ill, or perform the same exercise is more than ludicrous. It is unscientific! Ayurveda uses a system of historical analysis and physical examination done almost entirely by observation (with the exception of pulse reading), to ascertain one's original nature and current imbalances.
A diet and health plan are given to the individual according to the needs to correct the imbalance. The basis for all other concepts in Ayurveda is Sankhya (the analytical study of the elements that comprise the universe). Although the modern physicist would delineate well over one hundred elements, Sankhya states there are twenty-four, of which five are the foundation of the gross world: Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether.
Dr. Robert Svoboda compares earth to everything which is solid in the table of the elements. Water is everything liquid, and air is everything gaseous. Ether is the field in quantum mechanics upon which everything rests, and fire is the transformer of one thing to another.
These five elements, when joined in different combinations, make up the three "doshas" or "biological modes" which are the "Prakruti" or nature of an individual and the nature of all things.
The combination of air and ether gives us Vata or the Kinetic Biological Mode. Vata is that which is electric in the body and causes all movement in and out of the system (breathing, urination, defecation, menstruation, etc.)
The combination of fire and water gives us Pitta or the Transformative Biological Mode. Pitta is that which mutates or transforms the outside elements of the macrocosm into the inside elements of the body (the microcosm). Pitta governs the digestion of physical, mental, and emotional elements.
Finally, the combination of earth and water gives us Kapha or the Structive Biological mode. Kapha is that which makes for both lubrication (mucus, synovial fluid) and structure (bones, muscles, fat, joints, etc).
Generally speaking most people are a combination of two modes. One is the primary and the other is the secondary. But there are those who are purely dominated by one mode, and in rare cases, those who are a mixture of all three. This elemental theory broken down into divisions of modes identifies not only body types for humans, but also for animals, vegetables, plants, herbs, geographical locations, times of day, seasons of the years, and activities performed.
Everything in the universe is categorized by this system. Ascertaining one's Prakruti (nature of constitution) and imbalances is the service rendered by the Ayurvedic analysis using the processes stated earlier. Then the Ayurvedic practitioner constructs a diet and recommends herbs which would be helpful to regain balance with one's original nature.
In Ayurveda different people with the same disease sometimes receive different diet and herb plans. The constitution, the imbalance, and the various nuances of the development of the disease in each individual must be studied to determine the nature of the imbalance whether Vata, Pitta, or Kapha for that disease.
For example: Two people have a history of weak lungs and chronic coughing. One is dominated by a Vata constitution with a Vata imbalance. The other is dominated by a Kapha constitution with a Kapha imbalance. The Vata has a tendency towards a dry hacking cough in which no mucus or phlegm is present or being expelled. The Kapha has a less frequent, but heavy wet cough which expels large quantities of mucus and phlegm.
For the Kapha dry, hot, spicy herbs and foods are what is necessary for burning up and drying up the excess mucus. Dry ginger, and long pepper are useful while all dairy, fruit juices, and cold food in general are to be avoided. But for the dry Vata cough, hot milk with turmeric is a great healer to soothe and calm the cough, while disinfecting and moistening the dry, hot lungs. Fresh curd with unleavened whole wheat bread (chapatis) and cooling fruit juices are also useful. So a cough is not just a cough according to ayurveda. But according to the constitution and imbalance, "One man's food is another man's poison".
Unfortunately people will give up trying holistic health practices because good food was given to the wrong person. The secret of understanding the dynamics of food and which food is for whom is in the taste, therefore, the appropriate tastes with their elements will correct the imbalance of elements in one's constitution if taken correctly.
The proof is in the tasting.
There are six taste according to Ayurveda: Sweet, Sour, Salty, Pungent, Bitter, and Astringent. Each is comprised of two elements:
Sweet (earth and water) examples: wheat, sugar, milk, rice, dates;
Sour (earth and fire) examples: yogurt, lemon, tamarind;
Salty (water and fire) examples: sea salt, rock salt, kelp;
Pungent (fire and air) examples: onion, radish, ginger, chilly;
Bitter (air and ether) examples: dandelion root, rhubarb root, bitter melon;
Astringent (air and earth) examples: plantain, pomegranate, apples;
There are two other considerations in Ayurveda. First, whether a foods action is heating or cooling. The taste sweet, bitter, and astringent are cooling. Sour, salty, and pungent are all heating. The second is the post-digestive effect or how the foods "taste" to the tissues during and after assimilation. Sweet and salty are sweet in post-digestive effect. Sour is sour, and pungent, bitter, and astringent are pungent.
Taste, action, and post-digestive effect are known is Sanskrit as rasa, virya, and vipack respectively in Ayurveda. They are the keys to understanding food and herbs. With this knowledge, one can unlock the mysteries of the energetic dynamics of food and be able to make the right choices for oneself.
Raw Foods According To Ayurveda
Raw foods and juices are magnificent in that they are cleansing and energizing. Sprouts are especially wonderful because they contain large amounts of enzymes and nourishment which help with digestion and assimilation of nutrients. Some of the spicier sprouts help to destroy and eliminate toxins in the system known as ama in Ayurveda.
Fenugreek sprouts can even help in cases of seminal debility. But in general, raw food is very cold and hard to digest in the Vedic sense as it releases its Prana or nourishing life giving energy in the upper portion of the body between the mouth and the stomach. This gives quick, short-term energy, but not long-term tissue building nourishment. This is good for pittas, and some raw foods are good for kaphas, but this is not very good for vatas.
Cooking Foods According to Ayurveda
Well cooked grains, beans, and vegetables release their Prana in the colon. This provides long-term tissue building energy. However, these energies cannot be released from complex carbohydrates without the assistance of enzymes. A Clean intestinal tract is also essential for proper absorption.This coincides with two of the modern holistic health theories of colon cleansing and enzyme consumption. But the Ayurvedic approach again is practical and individualized. Which herbs for which constitution will produce the best colon cleansing varies. Therefore, some people find some of the standard colon cleansing products ineffectual or difficult for their bodies to tolerate.
Triphala ("the three fruits"), used in Ayurveda, is one of the best colon cleansers because it strengthens and tones the muscle action of the colon. It does not cause laxative dependency by doing the work for the colon. Similarly, the consumption of enzyme tablets will cause the digestive organs natural ability to produce enzymes for digestion to become suppressed and lazy and possibly lose their ability to function all together. Ayurvedic cooking uses certain herbs and spices to help stimulate the body to produce its own digestive enzymes.
The Secret of spices in Ayurvedic Cooking
I can hear the sighs now as you read the subtitle and you are asking yourself, "Is he going to advocate eating that hot Indian restaurant style food?" Absolutely not! That is, unfortunately, only a bastardization of the original system. Spices used in small to moderate proportions according to the food being prepared and the person's constitution will stimulate all the digestive organs to produce the enzymes required for total absorption and assimilation. This lets your organs do their work through nourishment without "putting them in a wheelchair" while the chemicals do it. Thus cooked food and spices are better for the poor digestion of kaphas and vatas. Pittas should use only mild spicing, as their "fire of digestion" is generally strong.
As you can see there is no good or bad food, just which food is your food. Once you understand your body type, you can structure a diet for yourself that will really work to make you feel totally balanced and harmonized. How soon you feel balanced, depends on how much you have abused yourself in the past. Generally, it takes month of healing for every year of abuse. That's why the Ayurvedic practitioner asks many questions about your health history. It is very important to ascertain when the problem began and what emotional and mental imbalances preceded it, so that your diet and health plan can solve your health problem by going to the source.
Consciousness and Food
This is probably the most important aspect of Ayurveda: Your state of consciousness when you eat and when you cook. One of the great sages of India, Rupa Goswami wrote: "If you eat food prepared by the wicked, you will become wicked". I' m not calling anyone wicked, but rather I'm pointing out that if the person who is cooking has fears, insecurities, anger, jealousy, greed or any of many emotions we experience everyday, the chef will infuse that preparation with that emotion.
This is important to remember in eating - at home or away - that the consciousness of the cook is in the food. And the consciousness of the animal or vegetable one is eating is in there as well. So in Ayurveda, food preparation is considered a sacred act. Animal food is generally not recommended because of the extreme pain, agony, suffering, fear, anger and terror the animal experiences has gone into the food. Add the highly toxic chemical contamination of modern factory farming like hormones, steroids, antibiotics, pesticides, etc., and you have a prescription for death not life.
Vegetables have life also and they also feel pain and discomfort at being eaten. The great scientist Jagadish Chandra Bose showed through extensive research that plants are living, feeling beings that experience emotions like humans on their own level. The Vedas teach that each living being, from the king to the bacteria, has a soul and is therefore sacred. The kitchen is considered the extension of the altar in Vedic culture. In early Christianity, the people would bring their crops and lay them at the altar for sacrifice and blessing.
This was done much earlier in Ancient India, only there everything was prepared in the kitchen according to the principles of taste and elemental energetics and then offered with great devotion to the deities: Lakshmi-Narayana, Sita-Rama, Radha-Krishna and others. Therefore, the act of cooking, the place of preparation, the act of offering, and the offering place were all sacred. The consciousness of the cooks was focused on how all the foods were to be prepared in elemental balance.
Knowing that they were also made of these same elements and the ability to balance them and prepare them were direct gifts from God, they offered back those elements and abilities to the Lord, and through spiritual consciousness cleansed the vegetarian foodstuff of all negative karma by bathing it in love and devotion.
You can do this at home by preparing your food with love according to Ayurvedic energetic principles and offering prayers and meditations of thanks and love to God. You will transform food into prasad or God's mercy. Thus you will raise your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health to the highest possible levels. There is no greater nourishment than this in all the world.
The Right Food for the Right Person
As I think back to the 1985 Whole Life Expo, I can still see the bewildered looks of the crowd. I hope this article helps put things in proper perspective for the confused public. All foods are good, but not all foods are good for all people. You must eat the proper foods for your constitution in the proper consciousness if you want the best nourishment and optimum physical and spiritual health.
The Three Doshas: VATA
A Vata's frame is usually tall or short, and always thin and low in weight with prominent bones and joints. They have thin skin which is rough and dry with a tendency to tan or be dark, with prominent veins and cold to the touch. They will have curly, kinky, coarse, dry hair that's dark brown or blackish. Their teeth will usually be large, crooked and protrude. Both their head and eyes will be small, quick and unsteady. The eyes will also be dark brown or black, dry, thin and dull.
Vatas have variable and scanty appetites. They will be thin as children and have troubles gaining weight. They like sweet, salty and sour foods like cake, crackers, and pickles. Their thirst varies and they will nurse hot drinks to keep them warm. Their bowels are usually hard and dry, or constipated. They are hyperactive and can exhaust easily with restless minds that fantasize. They are extremely creative, artistic, and often musical, with extreme moods of joyfulness and fear, accomplishment and insecurity, and often anxious.
They are erratic and always unpredictable. Their faith is changed easily. Their memory is good if they study the night before the test. But a week later they will have forgotten everything. If they remember dreams at all, they usually are running, jumping and flying, or a nightmare full of fear. They are light sleepers with scanty, interrupted sleep patterns.
They usually speak in a high pitched voice faster than they think. They think and fantasize about sex often, but perform poorly having already expended their energy mentally. They generally spend money impulsively and so stay relatively poor. Their pulse is thin and feeble, and threads like a snake.
PITTA
Pitta stands with medium build, height, and bone structure, with soft, oily skin, that's warm to the touch. They have fair complexions, burning easily. The have a reddish or yellowish hue. Their hair is soft and oily and will bald and gray early. Until then it will generally be reddish or yellow-blonde. They have moderate size, yellowish teeth with soft gums that bleed easily. Their eyes are green or hazel, with a sharp, penetrating, lustrous look, set below a large forehead.
They have strong appetites and need large meals to be satisfied, but will not snack. They like sweet, bitter and astringent foods, like candy, green salads and bananas. This is washed down all day long with cold drinks. They have frequent bowel movements with soft, oily, loose, discharges. They must evacuate immediately when they feel the urge. They are moderately active, but with intensely competitive spirits.
They can be overly aggressive and assertive, highly intelligent and organized, with nearly photographic memories. They become teachers, doctors, lawyers, politicians, - and angry when not fed on time! They are easily irritated and can be dangerous when jealous, which happens often. They are fanatical about their faith.
They sleep short and deep, with fiery dreams of war and violence, or long conversations with exchanges of money. It's always an epic. They are good orators, but can be sharp and cutting with their speech. They know how to save, but usually for the purchase of luxuries, that make a statement about their position in life and enhance their ego. When not too busy trying to organize the world, they can be roused to passion and perform competently. Their pulse is moderate, and jumps like a frog.
KAPHA
Kaphas are large, thick, big boned and strong. They stand not too tall, but often as the foundation of society. They have a tendency to be overweight and can become heavy by just looking at food! Their skin is thick, smooth, oily, and cool, with a tendency to be pale.
Their hair is thick, wavy, oily, dark black or light blonde with strong even white teeth. They seldom get a cavity. Their eyes are large and well formed with ample whites showing and deep blue irises, decorated with thick, long lashes. These are called the lotus eyes in India because they look like lotus petals and because they adorn the lotus face of the supreme Lord Krishna.
Kaphas have small appetites and eat slowly - many small meals a day - the big snackers of society.They like pungent, bitter, and astringent foods like spicy dishes, green salads, and pomegranates. But they especially like dry, crispy things. They rarely drink, and have one full and heavy bowel movement daily.
They are not very active and must study repeatedly to understand, but will never forget once they learn. Therefore they often prefer repetitious jobs where little innovation is necessary. They make good bankers, insurance agents, or factory workers. Kapha people in general are slow, steady and reliable.
They are good with money which they know how to conserve to an extreme. They can become overly greedy and attached. But they are extremely compassionate, forgiving, loving, and patient, becoming nurses, social workers, and the clergy of different religions. They have a deep, steady faith and highly developed spiritual feelings.
They sleep deep and long, dreaming of romantic settings by lakes and rivers, or swimming. They speak slowly in a monotonous voice, and are not sexually aroused easily, but perform most admirably once inclined. Their pulse is broad and slow like the swan.
More Reading Material: http://www.investindia.com/newsite/medicine/ayurveda.htm
Dec 8, 2009
Dec 6, 2009
Dec 1, 2009
[ Lunch with God.]
A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with a bag of potato chips and a six-pack of root beer and started his journey.
When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old woman. She was sitting in the park, just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old lady looked hungry, so he offered her some chips. She gratefully accepted it and smiled at him.
Her smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered her a root beer. Again, she smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat
There all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.
As twilight approached, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave; but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old woman, and gave her a hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever.
When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you do today that made you so happy?" He replied, "I had lunch with God." But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? She's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!"
Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face and he asked, "Mother, what did you do today that made you so happy?" She replied! "I ate potato chips in the park with God." However, before her son responded, she added, "You know, he's much younger than I expected."
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of
Which have the potential to turn a life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime! Embrace all equally!
Nov 13, 2009
[ Every Dog has its Day.]
Relationships are funny. You never know what works for some people. Maybe your best friend is with someone that you can't stand. Maybe the only thing holding you back from meeting the perfect someone is the fact that they like peanut butter and you can't stand it. Maybe we spend so much time debating it and going over the rights and wrongs in our heads that we have lost sight of the things that are really important. What do we want from our life partner? What basic needs do we have out of a relationship? Is your nitpicking going to hinder your approach to love?
A lot of people want to know how to find love. A lot of people are sure that if they just stumble upon the perfect someone, everything will go according to plan. This is not true. For one thing, there is no such thing as the perfect person, just someone who is perfect for you. For another, it takes a lot of work to keep a relationship healthy and happy. So, the tips I'm going to offer today work as guidelines towards finding your special someone, but bearing in mind that these things take time. Disclaimer in place, let's begin.1) Examine your life: If you've been single for a really long time, you begin to wonder what it is you're doing wrong. How come everyone else is happy and content, getting married all around you and you're all alone? Relax. It's got nothing to do with you as a person and everything to do with your habits. As human beings, we like the safe and the secure. We're comfortable in familiar environments. Your familiar environment might be the group of friends you've had since school, or the couples you befriended from work, or just people you have known for a very long time. And in this secure setting, your safe place you aren't going to meet anyone new. In order to find Mr/Ms Right, you need to explore the places he or she might be. If you're very, very lucky, he or she is one of your best friends. But like it or not, life is not a movie and this doesn't happen to most people. Get out of your comfort zones, asap, start accepting invitations from random people, go to a party by yourself maybe, or even do something as simple as talk to someone you've been wanting to speak to for a long time. You'll be surprised how therapeutic this can be and how it can really pave the way for you to open your mind to new experiences.
2) Have a check-list: By now you probably have a pretty good idea of what the perfect person should be like. Make a note of it in your head. What are your deal breakers? Are you a non-smoker? A vegetarian? Need someone who loves to travel? Whatever your essentials are, make sure that the other person has them. These are things that don't change much with time, so give up trying to mould someone else. Be sure you know what you want before you go out for it.
3) Destroy your check-list: Not everything can be brought down to a simple list. Okay, sure, so some things are non-negotiable. But relationships are also about compromise and you don't want to load someone else down with the weight of all your expectations. Keep it simple and maybe you'll learn to love the things they love too. You'll never know till you try.
4) Learn to love yourself: This may sound cliché, but I cannot emphasise too much how important this is. People take cues from other people. Chances are, if you play yourself as an unassuming, self-deprecatory person, other people will view you as that too. Now, I'm not saying be a show off. But be confident and embrace your flaws and your good qualities equally. Nothing is as sexy as someone with confidence and that's what you should be, to draw other people to you.
5) Stop obsessing: And finally, stop having all these rules for your life. Okay so that hot girl never called you back. It's not a big deal. At the end of the day, you should be with someone who wants to be with you as much as you want to be with them. Someone who respects who you are and loves you for it. If you keep thinking to yourself, 'Oh, I should be married by the time I'm thirty' I can guarantee you that you will wind up 'settling' for someone instead of waiting for the perfect person. And they're out there. It just needs a little patience.
Good luck to you in your search for love.
I am having my day now.(:
Nov 10, 2009
[ The Golden Temple of INDIA.]
Golden Temple, informally referred to as The Golden Temple or Temple of God, is culturally the most significant place of worship of the Sikhs and one of the oldest Sikh gurdwaras. It is located in the city of Amritsar, which was established by Guru Ram Das Ji, the fourth guru of the Sikhs, and is, also due to the shrine, known as Guru Di Nagri meaning city of the Guru.
The Harmandir Sahib is considered the most holiest shrine by Sikhs. The 11th and eternal Guru Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is present inside it. It is moved to the Sri Akal Takhat Sahib at around 10 PM and then moved back from there to Sri Harmandir Sahib at 4.45 AM, site contains the time schedule, please note that there might be changes in the timing as per the season. Its construction was mainly intended as a place of worship for men and women from all walks of life and all religions to come and worship God equally. The Sri Guru Granth Sahib is the holiest literature in the Sikh religion, the tenth Guru of Sikhs, Sri Guru Gobind Singh on 7 October 1708 made it the eternal Sikh Guru and the leader of Sikhism. Anywhere in the world where the Guru Granth Sahib is present is equally holy and precious to Sikhs. Harmandir Sahib was built with four doors to show that every religion or faith is allowed to go in to meditate or just listen to the prayers for peace.
The fourth Guru of Sikhism, Guru Ram Das, excavated a tank in 1577 which subsequently became known as Amritsar (meaning: Pool of the Nectar of Immortality), giving its name to the city that grew around it. In due course, a splendid Sikh edifice, the Harmandir Sahib (Temple of God) was constructed in the middle of this tank which became the supreme centre of Sikhism. Its sanctum came to house the Adi Granth comprising compositions, Sikh values, philosophies and teachings of the Sikh Gurus and other saints of Guru Nanak's time, e.g. Ravidas a Hindu Guru, Baba Farid a Sufi Sant (Saint) and Kabir, all of whom the Sikhs refer to as the Bhagats.
The compilation of the Adi Granth was started by the fifth Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Arjun Dev.
Amritsar is located in the Majha region of the Punjab. Majha is also known as the Bari Doab, since it is the Doab (Do = two, ab = rivers) or the (fluvial) tract of land which lies between two of the five great rivers of the province, the Ravi and the Beas. As such, Majha lies in the heart of the ancient Punjab region, comprising Gurdaspur, Batala and Tarn Taran Sahib as well as Amritsar. Amritsar is also known as "Sifti Da Ghar" or Adorable Abode.
[
Harmandir Sahib at nightOriginally built during AD 1574, the site of the temple was surrounded by a small lake in a thin forest. The third of the six grand Mughals, emperor Akbar, who visited the third Sikh Guru, Guru Amar Das, at the neighbouring town of Goindval was so impressed by the way of life in the town that he gave a jagir (the land and the revenues of several villages in the vicinity) to the Guru's daughter Bhani as a gift on her marriage to Bhai Jetha, who later became the fourth Sikh Guru, Guru Ram Das. Guru Ram Das enlarged the lake and built a small township around it. The town was named after Guru Ram Das as "Guru Ka Chak", "Chak Ram Das" or "Ram Das Pura".
During the leadership of the fifth Guru, Guru Arjan Dev Ji (1581-1606), the full-fledged Temple was built. In December 1588 the great Muslim Sufi saint of Lahore, Hazrat Mian Mir, a close friend of Guru Arjan Dev Ji, was asked to lay the corner stone (December 1588) The story has been told that a mason then straightened the stone, to which Guru Arjan said, as you have just undone the work of such a holy man, who knows what disaster might come to the Harmandir Sahib. This story has been used to offer a reason why the temple has been attacked so many times by the Afghans and Mughals and even the Indian Army in 1984, during Operation Bluestar, which laid the foundation stone of Khalistan, the proposed rebellious Sikh Homeland.
The temple was completed in 1604. Guru Arjan Dev Ji, installed the Adi Granth in it and appointed Baba Buddha Ji as the first Granthi (Reader) of the temple on August 1604. In the mid 18th century it was attacked by the Afghans, by one of Ahmed Shah Abdali's Generals, Jahan Khan, and had to be substantially rebuilt in the 1760s. However, in response a Sikh Army was sent to hunt down the Afghan force. They were under orders to show no mercy and historical evidence suggests none was shown. Both forces met each other 5 miles outside Amritsar where Jahan Khan's army was destroyed. He himself was decapitated by commander Sardar Dayal Singh. This is beautiful INDIA.
Nov 9, 2009
[ What is ALFCD.]
----- Original Message -----
From: Chitra Jha
Sent: Monday, November 09, 2009 11:49 AM
Subject: [Trainers Forum] Alkalize your body
In this very revealing and thought-provoking article, Dr. Young helps us to to take a clear-eyed look at how illogical current medical thinking is about diagnosis of symptoms, naming diseases, and then prescribing drug treatments. If you want to know the real CAUSE of some common dis-ease conditions, read on! It's a great way to stay healthy - Alkalize your body!
"Disease or should we say Dis-ease names like cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis are misleading and misinform patients about dis-ease prevention.
There is a curious tendency in conventional medicine to name a set of symptoms a disease. I was recently at a compounding pharmacy having my bone mineral density measured to update my health stats. I spotted a poster touting a new drug for osteoporosis. It was written by a drug company and it said exactly this: 'Osteoporosis is a disease that causes weak and fragile bones.' Then, the poster went on to say that you need a particular drug to counteract this 'disease.'
Yet the language is all backwards. Osteoporosis isn't a disease that causes weak bones, osteoporosis is the name given to a diagnosis of weak bones. In other words, the weak bones are the result of excess acidity, and then the diagnosis of osteoporosis follows.
The drug poster makes it sound like osteoporosis strikes first, and then you get weak bones. The cause and effect is all backwards. And that's how drug companies want people to think about diseases and symptoms: first you 'get' the dis-ease,
and then you are 'diagnosed' just in time to take a new drug for the rest of your life.
But it's all an illuision. There is no such disease as osteoporosis. It's just a made-up name given to a pattern of symptoms that indicates you are over-acid which causes your bones to become fragile.
As another example, when a person follows an unhealthy lifestyle that results in a symptom such as high blood pressure, that symptom is actually being assumed to be a disease all by itself and it will be given a disease name. What disease? The dis-ease is, of course, 'hypertension' or 'high blood pressure.' Doctors throw this phrase around as if it were an actual dis-ease and not merely descriptive of patient physiology.
This may all seem silly, right? But there's actually a very important point to all this.
When we look at symptoms and give them disease names, we automatically distort the selection of available treatments for such a dis-ease. If the dis-ease is, by itself, hypercholesterolemia or high cholesterol, then the cure for the dis-ease must be nothing other than lowering the high cholesterol. And that's how we end up with all these pharmaceuticals treating high cholesterol in order to 'prevent' this dis-ease and lower the levels of LDL cholesterol in the human patient.
By lowering only the cholesterol, the doctor can rest assured that he is, in fact, treating this 'disease,' since the definition of this 'disease' is hypercholesterolemia or high cholesterol and nothing else.
But there is a fatal flaw in this approach to disease treatment: the symptom is not the cause of the dis-ease. There is another cause, and this deeper cause is routinely ignored by conventional medicine, doctors, drug companies, and even patients.
Let's take a closer look at hypertension or high blood pressure. What actually causes high blood pressure? Many doctors would say high blood pressure is caused by a specific, measurable interaction between circulating chemicals in the human body. Thus, the ill-behaved chemical compounds are the cause of the high blood pressure, and therefore the solution is to regulate these chemicals. That's exactly what pharmaceuticals do -- they attempt to manipulate the chemicals in the body to adjust the symptoms of high blood pressure. Thus, they only treat the symptoms, not the root cause.
Or take a look at high cholesterol. The conventional medicine approach says that high cholesterol is caused by a chemical imbalance in the liver, which is the organ that produces cholesterol. Thus the treatment for high cholesterol is a prescription
drug that inhibits the liver's production of cholesterol (statin drugs). Upon taking these drugs, the high cholesterol (the 'disease')
is regulated, but what was causing the liver to overproduce cholesterol in the first place? That causative factor remains ignored.
The root cause of high cholesterol, as it turns out, is primarily an over acidic lifestyle and diet. A person lives an acidic life or who eats foods that are acidic will inevitably cause the body to go into preservation mode and produce more cholesterol to neutralize the excess acid thus showing the symptoms of this so-called dis-ease of high cholesterol. Its simple cause and effect. Eat the wrong foods and don't exercise, and you'll produce too much acid which will cause the body to release cholesterol from the liver to bind up that acid which can be detected and diagnosed by conventional medical procedures. You see it is not the cholesterol that is bad it is the acid producing food we eat and the lack of exercise that is bad. Reduce the acid producing foods like beef, chicken, pork, dairy, coffee, tea, soda pops, etc., and start exercising every day and you will reduce the protective cholesterol
that is saving your life from acids that are not being elimnated from an acidic lifestyle and diet.
Yet the root cause of all this is actually poor lifestyle and food choice, not some bizarre behavior by the liver. If the disease were to be accurately named, then, it would be called Acidic Lifestyle and Food Choice Dis-Ease, or simply ALFCD.
ALFCD would be a far more accurate name that would make sense to people. If it's an acidic lifestyle and foods choice dis-ease, then it seems that the obvious solution to the dis-ease would be to choose a lifestyle and foods that aren't so acidic. Of course that may be a bit of simplification since you have to distinguish between healthy alkaline lifestyles and foods and unhealthy acidic lifestyle and foods. But at least the name ALFCD gives clients or patients a better idea of what's actually going on rather than naming the dis-ease after a symptom, such as high cholesterol. You see, the symptom is not the dis-ease, but conventional medicine insists on calling the symptom the dis-ease because that way it can treat the symptom and claim success without actually addressing the underlying cause, which remains a mystery to modern medicine.
But let's move on to some other dis-eases so you get a clearer picture of how this actually works. Another dis-ease that's caused by poor lifestyle and acidic food choice is diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is the natural physiological and metabolic result of a person consuming refined carbohydrates and added sugars in large quantities, undigested proteins from beef, chicken, and pork without
engaging in regular physical exercise that would compensate for such dietary practices.
The name 'diabetes' is meaningless to the average person. The disease should be called Excessive Acid Dis-Ease, or EAD. If it were called Excessive Acid Dis-ease, the solution to it would be rather apparent; simply eat less sugar, eliminate all animal proteins, eggs, dairy, drink fewer soft drinks, exercise and so on. But of course that would be far too simple for the medical community, so the dis-ease must be given a complex name such as diabetes that puts its solution out of reach of the average patient.
Another dis-ease that is named after its symptom is cancer. In fact, to this day, most doctors and many patients still believe that cancer is a physical thing: a tumor. In reality, a tumor is the solution of cancer, not its cause. A tumor is simply a physical manifestation of bound up acidic cells so they do not spoil other healthy cells. The tumor is the solution to cells damaged by acids not the problem. The truth is cancer is not a cell but an acidic liquid. When a person 'has cancer,' what they really have is cancerous tissues or latent tissue acidosis. They are absorbing their own acidic urine. It would be a far better named for the dis-ease: Cancerous Tissue Dis-Ease(CTD) or Latent Tissue Acidosis or LTA.
If cancer were actually called Latent Tissue Acidosis, it would seem ridiculous to try to cure cancer by cutting out tumors through surgery and by destroying the immune system with chemotherapy. And yet these are precisely the most popular treatments for cancer offered by conventional medicine. These treatments do absolutely nothing to support the patient's immune system and prevent the build up of acids in the tissues. That's exactly why most people who undergo chemotherapy or the removal of tumors through surgical procedures end up with yet more cancer a few months or a few years later. It's also another reason why survival rates of cancer have barely budged over the last twenty years. (In other words, conventional medicine's treatments for cancer simply don't work.) The main reason is current medical science wrongly perceives cancer as a cell when in reality cancer is an acidic liquid, like lactic acid.
This whole situation stems from the fact that the dis-ease is misnamed. It isn't cancer, it isn't a tumor and it certainly isn't a dis-ease caused by having too strong of an immune system that needs to be destroyed through chemotherapy. It is simply latent tissue acidosis. And if it were called latent tissue acidosis dis-ease or urine in the tissues dis-ease, the effective treatment for
cancer would be apparent.
The kidneys are responsible for eliminating acids out of the blood and recycling alkalinity back into the blood. When we have an over-acidic lifestyle and diet this puts stress on the kidneys which can cause them to breakdown. The result is kidney dis-ease caused by circulatory acids. If acids are not eliminated out of the blood they will then be thrown out into the tissues leading to
latent tissue acidosis and eventual cancerous tissue. Medical science uses dialysis to purify the blood from acidity and prevent latent tissue acidosis. If one will stop their acidic lifestyle and diet and begin to alkalize the blood and tissues this will support the kidneys and prevent kidney disease and the need for dialysis.
There are many other dis-eases that are given misleading names by western medicine. But if you look around the world and take a look at how dis-eases are named elsewhere, you will find many countries have dis-ease names that actually make sense.
For example, in Chinese medicine, Alzheimer's dis-ease is given a name that means, when translated, 'feeble mind disease.' In Chinese medicine, the name of the dis-ease more accurately describes the actual cause of the dis-ease which is caused by acids or urine in the brain, whereas in western medicine, the name of the dis-ease seems to be intended to obscure the root cause of the dis-ease, thereby making all dis-eases sound far more complex and mysterious than they really are.
This is one way in which doctors and practitioners of western medicine keep medical treatments out of the reach of the average citizen. Because, by God, they sure don't want people thinking for themselves about the causes of dis-ease!
By creating a whole new vocabulary for medical conditions, they can speak their own secret language and make sure that people who aren't schooled in medicine don't understand what they're saying. That's a shame, because the treatments and cures for virtually all chronic dis-eases are actually quite simple and can be described in plain language, such as making different alkaline food choices, getting more natural sunlight, drinking more alkaline water, engaging in regular physical exercise, avoiding specific acidic foods, supplementing our diet with green foods and green drinks and alkalizing nutritional supplements and so on.
See, western medicine prefers to describe dis-eases in terms of chemistry. When you're depressed, you aren't suffering from a lack of natural sunlight; you are suffering from a 'brain chemistry imbalance' that can only be regulated, they claim, by ingesting toxic chemicals to alter your brain chemistry. When your bones are brittle, it's not acidic brittle bones dis-ease; it's called osteoporosis, something that sounds very technical and complicated. And to treat it, western doctors and physicians will give you prescriptions for expensive drugs that somehow claim to make your bones less brittle. But in fact, the real treatment for this can be described in plain language once again: regular physical exercise, vitamin D supplementation, mineral supplements that include calcium and strontium, natural sunlight, and avoidance of acidic foods such as soft drinks, white flour and added sugars.
In fact, virtually every dis-ease that's prominent in modern society -- diabetes, cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, clinical depression, irritable bowel syndrome and so on -- can be easily described in plain language without using complex terms at all. These dis-eases are simply misnamed. And I believe that they are intentionally misnamed to put the jargon out of reach of everyday citizens. As a result, there's a great deal of arrogance in the language of western medicine, and this arrogance furthers
the language of separation. Separation never results in healing. In order to effect healing, we must bring together the language of healers and patients using plain language that real people understand and that real people can act upon.
We need to start describing dis-eases in terms of their root causes, not in terms of their arcane, biochemical actions. When someone suffers from seasonal affective disorder or clinical depression, for example, let's call it what it is: Sunlight Deficiency Disorder. To treat it, the person simply needs to get more sunlight. This isn't rocket science, it's not complex, and it doesn't require a prescription.
If someone is suffering from osteoporosis, let's get realistic about the words we use to describe the condition: it's really Acidic Bones Dis-ease. And it should be treated with things that will enhance bone density, such as nutrition, physical exercise and avoidance of acidic foods and drinks that strip away bone mass from the human body to neutralize the excess acids in the blood and tissues.
All of this information, of course, is rather shocking to old-school doctors and practitioners of western medicine, and the bigger their egos are, the more they hate the idea of naming dis-eases in plain language that patients can actually comprehend. That's because if the simple truths about dis-eases and their causes were known, health would be more readily available to everyday
people, and that would lessen the importance of physicians and medical researchers.
There's a great deal of ego invested in the medical community, and they sure don't want to make sound health attainable to the average person without their expert advice. Many Doctors want to serve as the translators of 'truth' and will balk at any attempts to educate the public.
But in reality, health (and a connection with spirit) is attainable by every single person. Health is easy, it is straightforward, it is direct and, for the most part, it is available free of charge. A personal connection with our Creator is the same if we ask humbly in prayer for a relationship with Him, and guidance.
Don't believe the names of dis-eases given to you by your doctor. Those names are designed to obscure, not to inform. They are designed to separate you from self-healing, not to put you in touch with your own inner healer. And thus, they are nothing more
than bad medicine masquerading as modern medical practice."
THANK YOU DR. YOUNG! Alkalize your body!!!
Foods: are they Acid or Alkaline-forming?
Note that a food's acid or alkaline-forming tendency in the body has nothing to do with the actual pH of the food itself.
For example, lemons are very acidic, however the end-products they produce after digestion and assimilation are very alkaline so lemons are alkaline-forming in the body.
Likewise, meat will test alkaline before digestion but it leaves acidic residue in the body so, like nearly all animal products, meat is classified as acid-forming.
It is important that your daily dietary intake of food naturally acts to balance your body pH. To maintain health, the diet should consist of at least 60% alkaline forming foods and at the most 40% acid forming foods. To restore health, the diet should consist of 80% alkaline forming foods and 20% acid forming foods.
Chitra Jha
Life Skills Coach
Past Life Regression Therapist
http://mylife-mysuccess.blogspot.com
http://chitrabuddha.sulekha.com
E-Mail Sent By Mr.G.V.Swamy received with THANKS.
Nov 6, 2009
Nov 4, 2009
Nov 3, 2009
[ My Home - 10.]
This is not My Home but a Home I immensely liked when my son took me there.It is open to visitors.This Home of a Shipping Millionaire of second World War which is preserved as a Heritage site with Gardens of various Flowers and the Rose Garden is as far as your eye sight goes,It has a Kitchen which is in the same condition as it was when people lived there.Tables in Ball Room with Table Linen is even kept spot less white with Embroidered color threads.Every thing is big like the Country.It was interesting to see the Watch Room kept inside the Mansion ( it cannot be called a Home any more ).If you are in CA do visit " Fillola Gardens ".Oops I forgot to tell you that there was nothing to eat there or I did not notice which is unbelievable.Any way do take a Heavy Breakfast and start early.Carry water and as many Doughnuts as you need.The side bar at left is from that place.
Oct 27, 2009
[ De Stress.]
52 PROVEN STRESS REDUCERS
1. Get up fifteen minutes earlier in the morning. The inevitable morning mishaps will be less stressful.
2. Prepare for the morning the evening before. Set the breakfast table. Make lunches. Put out the clothes you plan to wear, etc.
3. Don't rely on your memory. Write down appointment times, when to pick up the laundry, when library books are due, etc. ("The palest ink is better than the most retentive memory."- Old Chinese Proverb)
4. Do nothing you have to lie about later.
5. Make copies of all keys. Bury a house key in a secret spot in the garden. Carry a duplicate car key in your wallet, apart from your key ring.
6. Practice preventive maintenance. Your car, appliances, home and relationships will be less likely to break down "at the worst possible moment."
7. Be prepared to wait. A paperback book can make a wait in a post office line almost pleasant.
8. Procrastination is stressful. Whatever you want to do tomorrow, do today; whatever you want to do today, do it now.
9. Plan ahead. Don't let the gas tank get below onequarter full, keep a well- stocked "emergency shelf'' of home staples, don't wait until you're down to your last bus token or postage stamp to buy more, etc.
10. Don't put up with something that doesn't work right. If your alarm clock wallet, shoe laces, windshield wipers-whatever- are a constant aggravation, get them fixed or get new ones.
11. Allow 15 minutes of extra time to get to appointments. Plan to arrive at an airport one hour before domestic departures.
12. Eliminate (or restrict) the amount of caffeine in your diet.
13. Always set up contingency plans, "just in case." ("If for some reason either of us is delayed, here's what we'll do..." Or, "If we get split up in the shopping center, here's where we'll meet.")
14. Relax your standards. The world will not end if the grass doesn't get mowed this weekend.
15. Pollyanna-Power! For every one thing that goes wrong, there are probably 10 or 50 or 100 blessings. Count 'em!
16. Ask questions. Taking a few moments to repeat back the directions that someone expects of you, etc., can save hours. (The old "the hurrieder I go, the behinder I get" idea.)
17. Say "No!" Saying no to extra projects, social activities and invitations you know you don't have the time or energy for takes practice, self-respect and a belief that everyone, everyday, needs quiet time to relax and to be alone.
18. Unplug your phone. Want to take a long bath, meditate, sleep or read without interruption? Drum up the courage to temporarily disconnect.
(The possibility of there being a terrible emergency in the next hour or so is almost nil.)
19. Turn "needs" into preferences. Our basic physical needs translate into food, water, and keeping warm. Everything else is a preference. Don't get attached to preferences.
20. Simplify, simplify, simplify.
21. Make friends with non worriers. Chronic worrywarts are contagious.
22. Take many stretch breaks when you sit a lot.
23. If you can't find quiet at home, wear earplugs.
24. Get enough sleep. Set your alarm for bedtime.
25. Organize! A place for everything and everything in its place. Losing things is stressful.
26. Monitor your body for stress signs. If your stomach muscles are knotted and your breathing is shallow, relax your muscles and take some deep, slow breaths.
27. Write your thoughts and feelings down on paper. It can help you clarify and give you a renewed perspective.
28. Do this yoga exercise when you need to relax: Inhale through your nose to the count of eight. Pucker your lips and exhale slowly to the count of 16. Concentrate on the long sighing sound and feel the tension dissolve. Repeat 10 times.
29. Visualize success before any experience you fear. Take time to go over every part of the event in your mind. Imagine how great you will look, and how well you will present yourself.
30. If the stress of deadlines gets in the way of doing a job, use diversion. Take your mind off the task and you will focus better when you're on task.
31. Talk out your problems with a friend. It helps to relieve confusion.
32. Avoid people and places that don't fit your personal needs and desires. If you hate politics, don't spend time with politically excited people.
33. Learn to live one day at a time.
34. Everyday, do something you really enjoy.
35. Add an ounce of love to everything you do.
36. Take a bath or shower to relieve tension.
37. Do a favor for someone every day.
38. Focus on understanding rather than on being understood, on loving rather than on being loved.
39. Looking good makes you feel better.
40. Take more time between tasks to relax. Schedule a realistic day.
41. Be flexible. Some things are not worth perfection.
42. Stop negative self-talk: "I'm too fat, too old, etc..."
43. Change pace on weekends. If your week was slow, be active. If you felt nothing was accomplished during the week, do a weekend project.
44. "Worry about the pennies, and the dollars will take care of themselves." Pay attention to the details in front of you.
45. Do one thing at a time. When you are working on one thing, don't think about everything else you have to do.
46. Allow time every day for privacy, quiet and thinking.
47. Do unpleasant tasks early and enjoy the rest of the day.
48. Delegate responsibility to capable people.
49. Take lunch breaks. Get away from your work in body and in mind.
50. Count to 1,000, not 10, before you say something that could make matters worse.
51. Forgive people and events. Accept that we live in an imperfect world.
52. Have an optimistic view of the world. Most people do the best they can.
1. Get up fifteen minutes earlier in the morning. The inevitable morning mishaps will be less stressful.
2. Prepare for the morning the evening before. Set the breakfast table. Make lunches. Put out the clothes you plan to wear, etc.
3. Don't rely on your memory. Write down appointment times, when to pick up the laundry, when library books are due, etc. ("The palest ink is better than the most retentive memory."- Old Chinese Proverb)
4. Do nothing you have to lie about later.
5. Make copies of all keys. Bury a house key in a secret spot in the garden. Carry a duplicate car key in your wallet, apart from your key ring.
6. Practice preventive maintenance. Your car, appliances, home and relationships will be less likely to break down "at the worst possible moment."
7. Be prepared to wait. A paperback book can make a wait in a post office line almost pleasant.
8. Procrastination is stressful. Whatever you want to do tomorrow, do today; whatever you want to do today, do it now.
9. Plan ahead. Don't let the gas tank get below onequarter full, keep a well- stocked "emergency shelf'' of home staples, don't wait until you're down to your last bus token or postage stamp to buy more, etc.
10. Don't put up with something that doesn't work right. If your alarm clock wallet, shoe laces, windshield wipers-whatever- are a constant aggravation, get them fixed or get new ones.
11. Allow 15 minutes of extra time to get to appointments. Plan to arrive at an airport one hour before domestic departures.
12. Eliminate (or restrict) the amount of caffeine in your diet.
13. Always set up contingency plans, "just in case." ("If for some reason either of us is delayed, here's what we'll do..." Or, "If we get split up in the shopping center, here's where we'll meet.")
14. Relax your standards. The world will not end if the grass doesn't get mowed this weekend.
15. Pollyanna-Power! For every one thing that goes wrong, there are probably 10 or 50 or 100 blessings. Count 'em!
16. Ask questions. Taking a few moments to repeat back the directions that someone expects of you, etc., can save hours. (The old "the hurrieder I go, the behinder I get" idea.)
17. Say "No!" Saying no to extra projects, social activities and invitations you know you don't have the time or energy for takes practice, self-respect and a belief that everyone, everyday, needs quiet time to relax and to be alone.
18. Unplug your phone. Want to take a long bath, meditate, sleep or read without interruption? Drum up the courage to temporarily disconnect.
(The possibility of there being a terrible emergency in the next hour or so is almost nil.)
19. Turn "needs" into preferences. Our basic physical needs translate into food, water, and keeping warm. Everything else is a preference. Don't get attached to preferences.
20. Simplify, simplify, simplify.
21. Make friends with non worriers. Chronic worrywarts are contagious.
22. Take many stretch breaks when you sit a lot.
23. If you can't find quiet at home, wear earplugs.
24. Get enough sleep. Set your alarm for bedtime.
25. Organize! A place for everything and everything in its place. Losing things is stressful.
26. Monitor your body for stress signs. If your stomach muscles are knotted and your breathing is shallow, relax your muscles and take some deep, slow breaths.
27. Write your thoughts and feelings down on paper. It can help you clarify and give you a renewed perspective.
28. Do this yoga exercise when you need to relax: Inhale through your nose to the count of eight. Pucker your lips and exhale slowly to the count of 16. Concentrate on the long sighing sound and feel the tension dissolve. Repeat 10 times.
29. Visualize success before any experience you fear. Take time to go over every part of the event in your mind. Imagine how great you will look, and how well you will present yourself.
30. If the stress of deadlines gets in the way of doing a job, use diversion. Take your mind off the task and you will focus better when you're on task.
31. Talk out your problems with a friend. It helps to relieve confusion.
32. Avoid people and places that don't fit your personal needs and desires. If you hate politics, don't spend time with politically excited people.
33. Learn to live one day at a time.
34. Everyday, do something you really enjoy.
35. Add an ounce of love to everything you do.
36. Take a bath or shower to relieve tension.
37. Do a favor for someone every day.
38. Focus on understanding rather than on being understood, on loving rather than on being loved.
39. Looking good makes you feel better.
40. Take more time between tasks to relax. Schedule a realistic day.
41. Be flexible. Some things are not worth perfection.
42. Stop negative self-talk: "I'm too fat, too old, etc..."
43. Change pace on weekends. If your week was slow, be active. If you felt nothing was accomplished during the week, do a weekend project.
44. "Worry about the pennies, and the dollars will take care of themselves." Pay attention to the details in front of you.
45. Do one thing at a time. When you are working on one thing, don't think about everything else you have to do.
46. Allow time every day for privacy, quiet and thinking.
47. Do unpleasant tasks early and enjoy the rest of the day.
48. Delegate responsibility to capable people.
49. Take lunch breaks. Get away from your work in body and in mind.
50. Count to 1,000, not 10, before you say something that could make matters worse.
51. Forgive people and events. Accept that we live in an imperfect world.
52. Have an optimistic view of the world. Most people do the best they can.
Oct 9, 2009
Oct 3, 2009
[ I asked GOD.]
I told GOD: Let all my friends be healthy and happy forever...!
GOD said: But for 4 days only....!
I said: Yes, let them be a Spring Day, Summer Day, Autumn Day, and Winter Day.
GOD said: 3 days.
I said: Yes, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.
GOD said: No, 2 days!
I said: Yes, a Bright Day (Daytime) and Dark Day (Night-time).
GOD said: No, just 1 day!
I said: Yes!
GOD asked: Which day?
I said: Every Day in the living years of all my friends!
GOD laughed, and said: All your friends will be healthy and happy Every Day!
Send this to your friends and bless them with good health and happiness...
Pass on the warmth despite the ever-changing weather....
P.S. GOD said Good friends must keep in contact!
GOD said: But for 4 days only....!
I said: Yes, let them be a Spring Day, Summer Day, Autumn Day, and Winter Day.
GOD said: 3 days.
I said: Yes, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.
GOD said: No, 2 days!
I said: Yes, a Bright Day (Daytime) and Dark Day (Night-time).
GOD said: No, just 1 day!
I said: Yes!
GOD asked: Which day?
I said: Every Day in the living years of all my friends!
GOD laughed, and said: All your friends will be healthy and happy Every Day!
Send this to your friends and bless them with good health and happiness...
Pass on the warmth despite the ever-changing weather....
P.S. GOD said Good friends must keep in contact!
Sep 29, 2009
Sep 26, 2009
Sep 24, 2009
Sep 21, 2009
Sep 19, 2009
Sep 17, 2009
[ THE KASHMIR STORY-FIRST PERSON BY FM MANEKSHAW.]
This eye witness account by Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw M C, of the accession of Kashmir and the subsequent half way cease fire, before the objective was acheived, ( The root cause of the Kashmir problem,ever since ) will interest you a great deal.
'Jawaharlal, do you want Kashmir,
or do you want to give it away?'
Sam ManekshawSam Manekshaw, the first field marshal in the Indian army, was at the ringside of events when Independent India was being formed. Then a colonel, he was chosen to accompany V P Menon on his historic mission to Kashmir. This is his version of that journey and its aftermath, as recorded in an interview with Prem Shankar Jha.
At about 2.30 in the afternoon, General Sir Roy Bucher walked into my room and said, 'Eh, you, go and pick up your toothbrush. You are going to Srinagar with V P Menon. The flight will take off at about 4 o'clock'. I said, 'why me, sir?'
'Because we are worried about the military situation...
V P Menon is going there to get the accession from the Maharaja and Mahajan.' I flew in with V P Menon in a Dakota. Wing Commander Dewan, who was then squadron leader Dewan, was also there. But his job did not have anything to with assessing the military situation. He was sent by the Air Force because it was the Air Force which was flying us in.'
Since I was in the Directorate of Military Operations, and was responsible for current operations all over India, West Frontier, the Punjab, and elsewhere, I knew what the situation in Kashmir was. I knew that the tribesmen had come in - initially only the tribesmen - supported by the Pakistanis.
Fortunately for us, and for Kashmir, they were busy raiding, raping all along. In Baramulla they killed Colonel D O T Dykes.. Dykes and I were of the same seniority. We did our first year's attachment with the Royal Scots in Lahore, way back in 1934-5. Tom went to the Sikh regiment. I went to the Frontier Force regiment. We'd lost contact with each other. He'd become a lieutenant colonel. I'd become a full colonel.
Tom and his wife were holidaying in Baramulla when the tribesmen killed them.
The Maharaja's forces were 50 per cent Muslim and 50 per cent Dogra.
The Muslim elements had revolted and joined the Pakistani forces. This was the broad military situation. The tribesmen were believed to be about 7 to 9 kilometers from Srinagar. I was sent in to get the precise military situation. The army knew that if we had to send soldiers, we would have to fly them in. Therefore, a few days before, we had made arrangements for aircraft and for soldiers to be ready.
But we couldn't fly them in until the state of Kashmir had acceded to India. From the political side, Sardar Patel and V P Menon had been dealing with Mahajan and the Maharaja, and the idea was that V.P Menon would get the Accession, I would bring back the military appreciation and report to the government. The troops were already at the airport, ready to be flown in. Air Marshall Elmhurst was the air chief and he had made arrangements for the aircraft from civil and military sources.
Anyway, we were flown in. We went to Srinagar. We went to the palace. I have never seen such disorganisation in my life. The Maharaja was running about from one room to the other. I have never seen so much jewellery in my life --- pearl necklaces, ruby things, lying in one room; packing here, there, everywhere. There was a convoy of vehicles.
Jawaharlal Nehru
The Maharaja was coming out of one room, and going into another saying, 'Alright, if India doesn't help, I will go and join my troops and fight (it) out'.
I couldn't restrain myself, and said, 'That will raise their morale sir'. Eventually, I also got the military situation from everybody around us, asking what the hell was happening, and discovered that the tribesmen were about seven or nine kilometres from what was then that horrible little airfield.
V P Menon was in the meantime discussing with Mahajan and the Maharaja.Eventually the Maharaja signed the accession papers and we flew back in the Dakota late at night. There were no night facilities, and the people who were helping us to fly back, to light the airfield, were Sheikh Abdullah, Kasimsahib, Sadiqsahib, Bakshi Ghulam Mohammed, D P Dhar with pine torches, and we flew back to Delhi. I can't remember the exact time. It must have been 3 o'clock or 4 o'clock in the morning.
(On arriving at Delhi) the first thing I did was to go and report to Sir Roy Bucher. He said, 'Eh, you, go and shave and clean up. There is a cabinet meeting at 9 o'clock. I will pick you up and take you there.' So I went home, shaved, dressed, etc. and Roy Bucher picked me up, and we went to the cabinet meeting.
The cabinet meeting was presided by Mountbatten. There was Jawaharlal Nehru, there wasSardar Patel, there was Sardar Baldev Singh. There were other ministers whom I did not know and did not want to know, because I had nothing to do with them. Sardar Baldev Singh I knew because he was the minister for defence, and I knew Sardar Patel, because Patel would insist that V P Menon take me with him to the various states.
Sardar PatelAlmost every morning the Sardar would sent for V P, H M Patel and myself.While Maniben (Patel's daughter and de facto secretary) would sit cross-legged with a Parker fountain pen taking notes, Patel would say, 'V P, I want Baroda. Take him with you.' I was the bogeyman. So I got to know the Sardar very well.
At the morning meeting he handed over the (Accession) thing. Mountbatten turned around and said, ' come on Manekji (He called me Manekji instead of Manekshaw), what is the military situation?' I gave him the military situation, and told him that unless we flew in troops immediately, we would have lost Srinagar, because going by road would take days, and once the tribesmen got to the airport and Srinagar, we couldn't fly troops in.
Everything was ready at the airport.
As usual Nehru talked about the United Nations, Russia, Africa, God almighty, everybody, until Sardar Patel lost his temper. He said, 'Jawaharlal, do you want Kashmir, or do you want to give it away'. He (Nehru) said,' Of course, I want Kashmir (emphasis in original). Then he (Patel) said 'Please give your orders'. And before he could say anything Sardar Patel turned to me and said, 'You have got your orders'.
I walked out, and we started flying in troops at about 11 o'clock or 12 o'clock. I think it was the Sikh regiment under Ranjit Rai that was the first lot to be flown in. And then we continued flying troops in. That is all I know about what happened. Then all the fighting took place. I became a brigadier, and became director of military operations and also if you will see the first signal to be signed ordering the cease-fire on 1 January (1949) had been signed by Colonel Manekshaw on behalf of C-in-C India, General Sir Roy Bucher. That must be lying in the Military Operations Directorate.
Excerpted from Kashmir 1947, Rival Versions of History, by Prem Shankar Jha,Oxford University Press,1996,Rs 275.
'Jawaharlal, do you want Kashmir,
or do you want to give it away?'
Sam ManekshawSam Manekshaw, the first field marshal in the Indian army, was at the ringside of events when Independent India was being formed. Then a colonel, he was chosen to accompany V P Menon on his historic mission to Kashmir. This is his version of that journey and its aftermath, as recorded in an interview with Prem Shankar Jha.
At about 2.30 in the afternoon, General Sir Roy Bucher walked into my room and said, 'Eh, you, go and pick up your toothbrush. You are going to Srinagar with V P Menon. The flight will take off at about 4 o'clock'. I said, 'why me, sir?'
'Because we are worried about the military situation...
V P Menon is going there to get the accession from the Maharaja and Mahajan.' I flew in with V P Menon in a Dakota. Wing Commander Dewan, who was then squadron leader Dewan, was also there. But his job did not have anything to with assessing the military situation. He was sent by the Air Force because it was the Air Force which was flying us in.'
Since I was in the Directorate of Military Operations, and was responsible for current operations all over India, West Frontier, the Punjab, and elsewhere, I knew what the situation in Kashmir was. I knew that the tribesmen had come in - initially only the tribesmen - supported by the Pakistanis.
Fortunately for us, and for Kashmir, they were busy raiding, raping all along. In Baramulla they killed Colonel D O T Dykes.. Dykes and I were of the same seniority. We did our first year's attachment with the Royal Scots in Lahore, way back in 1934-5. Tom went to the Sikh regiment. I went to the Frontier Force regiment. We'd lost contact with each other. He'd become a lieutenant colonel. I'd become a full colonel.
Tom and his wife were holidaying in Baramulla when the tribesmen killed them.
The Maharaja's forces were 50 per cent Muslim and 50 per cent Dogra.
The Muslim elements had revolted and joined the Pakistani forces. This was the broad military situation. The tribesmen were believed to be about 7 to 9 kilometers from Srinagar. I was sent in to get the precise military situation. The army knew that if we had to send soldiers, we would have to fly them in. Therefore, a few days before, we had made arrangements for aircraft and for soldiers to be ready.
But we couldn't fly them in until the state of Kashmir had acceded to India. From the political side, Sardar Patel and V P Menon had been dealing with Mahajan and the Maharaja, and the idea was that V.P Menon would get the Accession, I would bring back the military appreciation and report to the government. The troops were already at the airport, ready to be flown in. Air Marshall Elmhurst was the air chief and he had made arrangements for the aircraft from civil and military sources.
Anyway, we were flown in. We went to Srinagar. We went to the palace. I have never seen such disorganisation in my life. The Maharaja was running about from one room to the other. I have never seen so much jewellery in my life --- pearl necklaces, ruby things, lying in one room; packing here, there, everywhere. There was a convoy of vehicles.
Jawaharlal Nehru
The Maharaja was coming out of one room, and going into another saying, 'Alright, if India doesn't help, I will go and join my troops and fight (it) out'.
I couldn't restrain myself, and said, 'That will raise their morale sir'. Eventually, I also got the military situation from everybody around us, asking what the hell was happening, and discovered that the tribesmen were about seven or nine kilometres from what was then that horrible little airfield.
V P Menon was in the meantime discussing with Mahajan and the Maharaja.Eventually the Maharaja signed the accession papers and we flew back in the Dakota late at night. There were no night facilities, and the people who were helping us to fly back, to light the airfield, were Sheikh Abdullah, Kasimsahib, Sadiqsahib, Bakshi Ghulam Mohammed, D P Dhar with pine torches, and we flew back to Delhi. I can't remember the exact time. It must have been 3 o'clock or 4 o'clock in the morning.
(On arriving at Delhi) the first thing I did was to go and report to Sir Roy Bucher. He said, 'Eh, you, go and shave and clean up. There is a cabinet meeting at 9 o'clock. I will pick you up and take you there.' So I went home, shaved, dressed, etc. and Roy Bucher picked me up, and we went to the cabinet meeting.
The cabinet meeting was presided by Mountbatten. There was Jawaharlal Nehru, there wasSardar Patel, there was Sardar Baldev Singh. There were other ministers whom I did not know and did not want to know, because I had nothing to do with them. Sardar Baldev Singh I knew because he was the minister for defence, and I knew Sardar Patel, because Patel would insist that V P Menon take me with him to the various states.
Sardar PatelAlmost every morning the Sardar would sent for V P, H M Patel and myself.While Maniben (Patel's daughter and de facto secretary) would sit cross-legged with a Parker fountain pen taking notes, Patel would say, 'V P, I want Baroda. Take him with you.' I was the bogeyman. So I got to know the Sardar very well.
At the morning meeting he handed over the (Accession) thing. Mountbatten turned around and said, ' come on Manekji (He called me Manekji instead of Manekshaw), what is the military situation?' I gave him the military situation, and told him that unless we flew in troops immediately, we would have lost Srinagar, because going by road would take days, and once the tribesmen got to the airport and Srinagar, we couldn't fly troops in.
Everything was ready at the airport.
As usual Nehru talked about the United Nations, Russia, Africa, God almighty, everybody, until Sardar Patel lost his temper. He said, 'Jawaharlal, do you want Kashmir, or do you want to give it away'. He (Nehru) said,' Of course, I want Kashmir (emphasis in original). Then he (Patel) said 'Please give your orders'. And before he could say anything Sardar Patel turned to me and said, 'You have got your orders'.
I walked out, and we started flying in troops at about 11 o'clock or 12 o'clock. I think it was the Sikh regiment under Ranjit Rai that was the first lot to be flown in. And then we continued flying troops in. That is all I know about what happened. Then all the fighting took place. I became a brigadier, and became director of military operations and also if you will see the first signal to be signed ordering the cease-fire on 1 January (1949) had been signed by Colonel Manekshaw on behalf of C-in-C India, General Sir Roy Bucher. That must be lying in the Military Operations Directorate.
Excerpted from Kashmir 1947, Rival Versions of History, by Prem Shankar Jha,Oxford University Press,1996,Rs 275.
Sep 1, 2009
Aug 24, 2009
Aug 22, 2009
Aug 20, 2009
[ Chiquitita.]
Chiquitita, tell me what's wrong
You're enchained by your own sorrow
In your eyes there is no hope for tomorrow
How I hate to see you like this
There is no way you can deny it
I can see that you're oh so sad, so quiet
Chiquitita, tell me the truth
I'm a shoulder you can cry on
Your best friend, I'm the one you must rely on
You were always sure of yourself
Now I see you've broken a feather
I hope we can patch it up together
Chiquitita, you and I know
How the heartaches come and they go and the scars they're leavin'
You'll be dancin' once again and the pain will end
You will have no time for grievin'
Chiquitita, you and I cry
But the sun is still in the sky and shining above you
Let me hear you sing once more like you did before
Sing a new song, Chiquitita
Try once more like you did before
Sing a new song, Chiquitita
So the walls came tumblin' down
And your love's a blown out candle
All is gone and it seems too hard to handle
Chiquitita, tell me the truth
There is no way you can deny it
I see that you're oh so sad, so quiet
Chiquitita, you and I know
How the heartaches come and they go and the scars they're leavin'
You'll be dancin' once again and the pain will end
You will have no time for grievin'
Chiquitita, you and I cry
But the sun is still in the sky and shining above you
Let me hear you sing once more like you did before
Sing a new song, Chiquitita
Try once more like you did before
Sing a new song, Chiquitita
Try once more like you did before
Sing a new song, Chiquitita
Aug 16, 2009
[ Quotes I like whatever.]
Destiny is not a matter of chance,It's a matter of choice; It's not a thing to be waited for,It's a thing to be achieved. ~William Jennings Bryan
When you know what you want, and you want it badly enough, you'll find a way to get it. ~Jim Rohn
In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity. ~ Albert Einstein
The only limits are, as always, those of vision. ~James Broughton
Someone once asked me why do you always insist on taking the hard road? And I replied why do you assume I see two roads?
Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it. ~ Henry David Thoreau
Argue for your limitations and sure enough they are yours.~ Richard Bach
Adversity cause some men to break; others to break records.
Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go. ~ William Feather
A man can succeed at almost anything for which he has unlimited enthusiasm. ~ Charles Schwab
Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful. ~ Joshua J. Marine
The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen. ~ Frank Lloyd Wright
I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it. ~ Thomas Jefferson
He is the most unfortunate who's today is not better than yesterday. ~Muhammad (PBUH)
Success can never be controlled, but performance always can. ~John F. Murray
If you are not big enough to lose, you are not big enough to win. ~Walter Reuther
Never stand begging for what you have the power to earn.
There are two ways of meeting difficulties: you alter the difficulties, or you alter yourself to meet them. ~Phyllis Bottome
Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom.
You always pass failure on the way to success. ~Mickey Rooney
Whenever I hear, 'It can't be done,' I know I'm close to success ~ Michael Flatley
Without a sense of urgency, desire loses its value. ~ Jim Rohn
God gives every bird it's food, but does not always drop it into the nest.
Kites rise highest against the wind not with it ~ Sir Winston Churchill
To make yourself exceptional is the biggest achievement of your life.
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
When you know what you want, and you want it badly enough, you'll find a way to get it. ~Jim Rohn
In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity. ~ Albert Einstein
The only limits are, as always, those of vision. ~James Broughton
Someone once asked me why do you always insist on taking the hard road? And I replied why do you assume I see two roads?
Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it. ~ Henry David Thoreau
Argue for your limitations and sure enough they are yours.~ Richard Bach
Adversity cause some men to break; others to break records.
Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go. ~ William Feather
A man can succeed at almost anything for which he has unlimited enthusiasm. ~ Charles Schwab
Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful. ~ Joshua J. Marine
The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen. ~ Frank Lloyd Wright
I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it. ~ Thomas Jefferson
He is the most unfortunate who's today is not better than yesterday. ~Muhammad (PBUH)
Success can never be controlled, but performance always can. ~John F. Murray
If you are not big enough to lose, you are not big enough to win. ~Walter Reuther
Never stand begging for what you have the power to earn.
There are two ways of meeting difficulties: you alter the difficulties, or you alter yourself to meet them. ~Phyllis Bottome
Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom.
You always pass failure on the way to success. ~Mickey Rooney
Whenever I hear, 'It can't be done,' I know I'm close to success ~ Michael Flatley
Without a sense of urgency, desire loses its value. ~ Jim Rohn
God gives every bird it's food, but does not always drop it into the nest.
Kites rise highest against the wind not with it ~ Sir Winston Churchill
To make yourself exceptional is the biggest achievement of your life.
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
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