Amazing Grace

You Are A Masterpiece!

2010-11-30T00:49:00.003+05:30

A plum once said, "Just because a banana lover came by, I converted myself into a banana. Unfortunately, his taste changed after a few months and so I became an orange. When he said I was bitter I became an apple, but he went in search of grapes. Yielding to the opinions of so many people, I have changed so many times that I no more know who I am. How I wish I had remained a plum and waited for a plum lover."

Just because a group of people do not accept you as you are, there is no necessity for you to strip yourself of your originality. You need to think good of yourself, for the world takes you at your own estimate. Never stoop down in order to gain recognition. Never let go of your true self to win a relationship. In the long run, you will regret that you traded your greatest glory - your uniqueness, for momentary validation. Even Gandhi was not accepted by many people. The group that does not accept you as you is not your world.

There is a world for each one of you, where you shall reign as king /queen by just being yourself. Find that world... in fact, that world will find you.

What water can do, gasoline cannot and what copper can, gold cannot. The fragility of the ant enables it to move and the rigidity of the tree enables it to stay rooted. Everything and everybody has been designed with a proportion of uniqueness to serve a purpose that we can fulfill only by being our unique self. You as you alone can serve your purpose and I as I alone can serve my purpose. You are here to be you... just you.

There was a time in this world when a Krishna was required and he was sent; a time when a Christ was required and he was sent; a time when a Mahatma was required and he was sent; a time when a J.R.D.Tata was required and he was sent. There came a time when you were required on this planet and hence you were sent. Let us be the best we can be. Don't miss yourself and let the world not miss you.

In the history of the universe, there has been nobody like you and to the infinite of time to come, there will be no one like you. Existence should have loved you so much that it broke the mould after making you, so that another of your kind will never get repeated. You are original. You are rare. You are unique. You are a wonder. You are a masterpiece... your Master's piece. Celebrate your Uniqueness.

-- Sri Sri

Jai Gurudev!

Seva!

2010-05-15T00:15:00.001+05:30

Five Types of Seva

There are five types of seva.

The first type of seva is when you
do not even know that you are doing seva. You do not recognize it as
seva because it is your very nature - you cannot but do it!

The second type of seva is what you do because it is needed in that
situation.

You do the third type of seva because it gives you
joy.

The fourth type is done out of your desire for merit - you
do seva expecting some benefit in the future.

And the fifth type is when you do seva just to show off, to improve
your image and to gain social or political recognition. Such seva is
simply exhausting, while the first type does not bring any tiredness at
all!

To improve the quality of your seva, regardless of where you start,
you must move up to higher levels of seva.

-Sri Sri

Jai Gurudev!!

Shruthi

Bharat Anokha Raag Hai!

2010-04-18T20:22:00.008+05:30

Wonderful composition!

Amazing lyrics!...

Watch it!

Jai Gurudev!

Love,
Shruthi

Relaxing n Refreshing!

2010-02-15T21:57:00.028+05:30

We spent the weekend in the most relaxing n refreshing way. Had been on a one-day trip to Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary and Mysore.
We set off early in the morning...It was quite foggy, but pleasant.

It was such a great feeling to watch the sunrise! - a perfect break from the monotonous life.
After satiating our tummies with a sumptuous breakfast on the way, we set off towards Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary.After an hour n a half's drive, we reached the sanctuary. It's a small island on the banks of river Kaveri and is rich in flora and fauna. A place where all bird lovers would love to be. The sanctuary is a nesting and breeding center for all kinds of birds. The sanctuary owes its existence to the world famous ornithologist Dr. Salim Ali who convinced the Maharaja of Mysore in 1940 to declare it as a protected area.

We began walking alongside the huge n tall trees, bamboo groves and chirping sounds of brids, wishing that we could treat our eyes, watching the numerous colorful birds!. It reminded me of the Nature walks we have on AMC's. The first of the birds we noticed were the lil cute sparrows (Gubbachhi in Kannada), which are hardly found in cities these days.

As we walked down further we caught a glimpse of the islets housing the exotic species of birds like ormorants, darters, white ibis, spoon billed storks, open billed storks, painted storks, white necked storks, egrets, herons, terns, swallows, kingfishers, sandpiper and also fruit bats. It's a sight to watch!.

We spent rest of the time getting a closer view of the birds through the camera's eye...

... and there was one crocodile 'as dead as a rock'...

After enjoying Nature's magical treat, we journeyed towards 'The City of Kings' - Mysore.
Our first visit - The Mysore Palace. It's a 'priceless treasure' and the 'pride of the city'.

I was stunned looking at the intricate designs of the palace's interiors..
The 'Kalyana Mantapa' - Marriage Hall looks magnificent with the stained glass decorated ceiling and the walls around adorned with beautiful murals. A huge chandelier dropping from the ceiling adds to the beauty of the 'mantapa'.
The 'Durbar Hall' is designed with brilliance and grandeur.
Such symmetry and uniformity in the design makes it an epitome of perfection.
Another attraction of the palace is the 'Ambavilasa', where the cabinet meetings were being held.
It looks splendid with the intricate wooden carving; worth spending time over.

The palace is an 'Architectural Wonder'!!...

We later visited the Karanji Lake...known for it's 'Walk through aviary' and a 'Butterfly park'

Got a close up view of magnificent peacocks!..

and few cute Egrets, Herons and Hornbills..

The butterfly park has around 45 species of butterflies.
Overall, we had an awesome weekend!

Jai Gurudev!

Love,

Shruthi

Maha Shivratri

2010-02-12T00:32:00.002+05:30

Shivaratri is the day of Lord Shiva. Shiva is the lord of meditation and therefore the lord of awakening. Shiva Tatva means to be awakened. Shivratri is thus an occasion to awaken one’s self from all sorts of slumber. Shivaratri is not a night to be slept over. One should try and be up through the night. It signifies being aware of everything you have and being grateful about it. Be grateful for the happiness which leads to growth, and also for sadness which gives a depth to life. This is the right way of observing Shivaratri.

For the pious, the following method of Shiva worship is advisable – sit down in lotus posture, do some Pranayam to stabilize your breath, then indulge in Dhyana, followed by chanting of ‘Om Namah Shivaya’. It is the greatest mantra and the devout should drown himself in its Kirtan.

Shivaratri worship leads to fulfillment of a devotee’s wishes. There are certain days and time frames in a year that enhance one’s mental and spiritual faculties. In such times, whatever one wishes, materializes. Shivaratri is one such day. All this is very scientific.

Going to temples on this day is ok but you should remember that Shiva is everywhere. The meaning of Kailasa (legendary abode of Shiva in Himalayas) is celebration. So where there is happiness and celebration, Shiva is present. Whether in Sanyasa or Sansara, you can’t escape Shiva. Feeling his presence all the time is the essence of Shivaratri. That is the real Sanyasa.

No worship is complete without offering something to the deity. Shiva is a very simple lord, he is innocent – Bholanath. One just needs to offer 'bilva patra' to him. But in this simplicity is a deep message. Bel-patra offerings signify the surrender of all three aspects of one’s nature – Tamas, Rajas and Sattva.

You have to surrender the positives and negatives of your life to Shiva and become carefree! The greatest offering is your self. To offer one’s self is the key to happiness in life.

After all, why do you get sad? It is mainly because you are not able to achieve something in life. At such times you should surrender everything to the all knowing God. The greatest power is in surrender to the divine. It’s like a drop owning the ocean. If a drop remains separate, it will perish. But when it becomes the ocean, it is eternal!

-Sri Sri

Hopeline!

2010-02-12T00:16:00.005+05:30

Mumbai and Poona have seen a sudden increase in teen suicides. As the two cities struggle with the tragedies, Art of Living has swung into action by launching a helpline in association with Just Dial. Only, we called it the HopeLine. It’s for anyone who needs to talk, but doesn’t have any one they can talk to about anything they wish to.

Please spread the word and let many people know about this. You may just save a life!!

Jai Gurudev!

-Shruthi

Apt one!

2010-02-06T20:52:00.009+05:30

FORGIVING OR PUNISHING . . . .

Forgiving or punishing

the terrorists

is left to God.

But,

fixing their appointment

with God

is our responsibility

- Indian Army

Updated statement for this in S/w industry...
. . .

. . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . .

Forgiving or punishing

the Developer

is left to Manager.

But,

fixing their appointment

with Manager

is our responsibility

-Tester

We all knew that..... but this one is damn good..

. . .

. . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . .

Forgiving or punishing

the Manager

is left to Client.

But,

fixing their appointment

with Client

is our responsibility

- Developer

Simple n Yummy!

2010-01-24T20:23:00.007+05:30

Hi all,

I was in a cooking mood today.
My parents were not at home and I had all the time to experiment.
I thought it would be a surprise for them as well, particularly my mother (who thinks I can never cook!)

Just tried out her recipe of making dal.
It's the easiest and healthiest food I can think of.
You just need some yellow dal, coriander/curry leaves, tomatoes, chilli(optional).

Pressure cook the dal with some turmeric powder.
While that's cooking, cut the tomatoes into small pieces and heat two spoons of oil in a kadai
Temper it with few mustard seeds and some asafoetida.
Add in green Chillies and chopped tomato too.

Now, add in the cooked dal. Add salt as per taste. Mix it thoroughly. Cook for about 3-4 minutes and turn off the heat. You can serve the hot, steaming dal with rice and lil ghee.

Total cooking time : 30 minutes
Vanishes within 10 minutes!...trust me~~

Jai Gurudev!

Love,

Shruthi

Merry Christmas n A Happy New Year!!

2009-12-24T23:31:00.014+05:30

Love,

Jai Gurudev!

-Shruthi

Foggy-The Loyal One!

2009-12-20T17:45:00.005+05:30

'Foggy', cutely called 'Fogs' is my cousin's lovable dog.
He's a Labrador..as naughty as possible.
He's the darling of the family..pampered by all.

A few months ago, Fogs went out for his usual morning walk and never returned home.
May be he had plans of going on an adventure!!!
Everyone in the family missed him a lot and wished that he came back..
Nobody could forget him.

It had been months since he had disappeared...everyone had lost hope of seeing him again
...and then a miracle happened(I know who did it!...)
One of our cousin's friends found him wandering along one of the streets..
Little did he know that his 'adventure' had come to end!..
To everyone's joy Fogs was brought back home...
Like all fairy-tale endings....all lived happily

Here's Foggy's pic..

To end with..here's a joke for you..

Two women are arguing whose dog is smarter:
First woman : My dog is so smart. Every morning he waits for a paper boy to come around and then he takes a newspaper and brings it to me.
Second woman : I know.
First one : How?
Second one : My dog told me.

Jai Gurudev!
Love,
-Shruthi

Awaken!

2009-11-12T00:09:00.003+05:30

Q: I was delighted as a young man when Einstein said that we were only using 10 percentage of our potential and there was a possibility that we could develop our full potential. So of course the search was on. Having him say that, it was kind of like intellectual greatness was that potential and I looked around and realized that there were a lot of other qualities that are great: compassion, courage, happiness and responsibilities. It made me realize that, at least made me think that our full potential wasn't just intellectual greatness, it was other greatness that is part of our full potential. I was wondering if you could describe the qualities of a person who is really living their full potential.

Sri Sri:You know, the energy in an atom is something you can not measure. Similar to the human potential, you can not see how much is full potential. The ancient saying goes that nature of a human being is very similar to that of an atom.

In an atom, the central part of the atom is positive and the negatively charged particle is only on the circumference, the ion. Similarly, all the negativity of a person is not his true nature; its only on the circumference. So when someone is centered, it means to be calm, steady, pleasant and violence is not there as part of his or her nature. Violence is an indication of violation of the domain a human has.

If you ask me, how we can be more energetic, yes, because every atom releases energy in our body!
God also is a field not as a person or an object. And whether the knowledge we have is correct or not, how do we know? There are so many methods to know about the knowledge we have - is correct or not correct? That's why, even 10000 years ago, 15000 years ago, people knew there are 12 moons to the Jupiter, without any telescope or anything. And the subjective way of knowing things, is using the intuition within you, quieting your mind from all the thoughts and the mind becomes calm like a space, like sleeping but you are not sleeping.

You are totally alert inside, and then an intention is taken. And with that intention, intuition comes, knowledge comes, inspiration comes from within. Using this method they calculated all the bending eclipses happening and then all the mathematics was derived.

Today even the almanac calendar, says exactly at what time, which minute the eclipse is going to happen. And or when the moon is transiting the sun, the whole of astrology, astronomy is derived at. And it was always said, the sun is the center of the solar system, and all the planets
are going around, this is an ancient system that has been coming out. People have been used to this thought. And also, which herb is good for what, to treat in their medicines. The ayurveda system was developed that way.

So I see that the methodologies they used, is to awaken the intuitive awareness inside you, in which you feel every cell in your body is alive now, fully alive, and mind is quiet. And you call that Samadhi.

Samadhi is the function of the body. I feel that if we take some time, two or three days in a year and those three days we take silence and observing the watchfulness of our own thoughts and observing our own emotions, then we are able to get a sense of what is the quietness that is inside, how we can be quiet. You know the freedom from the jugglery of thoughts, is the basis of intuition. And intuition is part of innovation. What do you say? Correct?

Global Warming...What are we doing about it!!?

2009-10-12T01:51:00.010+05:30

Every person on this planet is aware about Global warming.
We are obviously concerned, but are we actually doing anything about it?!..
This is a question all of us need to keep asking ourselves and ponder over..and not just that..think about what we can do to fight it..
There is ample amount of information about it available on the internet.

Firstly, find out your Ecological footprint..

Easy way to counter Global Warming : Go Veg!

Folks, this is the first step we can take and the least we can do to save the planet!...
Eating non veg food is connected to global warming in many ways.
By just changing your diet, you can save the planet.

If you disagree with me, these facts are for you..

Source:http://www.flex.com/~jai/articles/101.html

PEOPLE

Every year in the UK we feed our livestock enough food to feed 250,000,000 people while in the world 30,000,000 people die of starvation
20 vegetarians can live off the land required by one meat eater
Every 3 seconds a child dies of starvation somewhere in the world
If Americans reduced their meat consumption by 10% it would free 12,000,000 tons of grain - enough to feed 60,000,000 people (the population of Great Britain)
If all Americans became vegetarian, it would free enough grain to feed 600,000,000 people (the population of India)
Intensification in animal farming has displaced 1,000,000's of people from their traditional lands - eg. indigenous people in south & central America, native Americans in north America & crofters in Great Britain - this is continuing today
People displaced from their lands into cities succumb to dietary deficiency, diseases, parasites & opportunistic diseases
In third world countries 1 in 10 babies die before their first birthday
The UK imports �46,000,000 worth of grain from third world countries to feed our livestock
Due to overgrazing 850,000,000 people live on land threatened by desertification & over 230,000,000 already live on land so severely desertified that they are unable to sustain their existence & face imminent starvation
1,000,000,000 people in the west gorging on meat & dairy leave 1,000,000,000 to waste away & 3,500,000,000 teeter on the brink

LAND
If they continue to clear American forests to raise cattle at the present rate, in 50 years there will be none left
1 acre yields 165 lbs of beef or 20,000 lbs of potatoes
8/10 of cultivated land in the UK is used to grow food for animals (14,732,000 hectares)
It takes 16lbs of high protein soya to produce 1 lb of beef
Since 1945 in the UK we have lost 95% of flower meadows, 50% of ancient woodlands, 40% of heathland, 50% of wet lands & 224,000 km of hedgerows all due to animal farming
Pressure on land due to meat farming leads to soil erosion 6billion tons/year in the USA
If everyone went vegetarian up to 90% of land used for animal farming could be taken out of production & used to replant woodlands, leisure activities etc.
25% of Central America's forests have been destroyed for cattle grazing since 1960
Between 1966-1983 38% of the Amazon rain forest was destroyed for cattle grazing
90% of cattle ranches established on cleared forest land go bankrupt in less than 8 years as the land becomes barren due to nutrient loss & overgrazing
Overgrazing by cattle is destroying the land & increasing desertification, nearly 430 million acres in the USA alone has suffered a 25-50% reduction in yield since first grazed
An inch of topsoil takes 200-1000 years to develop - yet in the USA they have lost around 1/3 of their prime topsoil in 200 years (around 7 inches) due to animal farming
Land will be lost due to rises in sea level due to global warming due to animal farming

AIR
The destruction of the rain forest by cattle farmers is destroying the lungs of the planet & reducing the worlds capacity to replenish our oxygen supply
The 1,300,000,000 cattle in the world emit 60,000,000 tons of methane per year (methane is a greenhouse gas & leads to global warming)
Burning of forests, grasslands & agricultural waste associated with animal farming releases 50-100,000,000 tons of methane per year
Combining these figures, 25% of methane emissions are due to animal farming (not including the billions of sheep, pigs & poultry so the real figure is much higher)
Fertilizer used to grow crops to feed to animals releases nitrous oxide - thought to account for 6% of the greenhouse effect
Fertilizer, weedkiller & pesticides sprayed on crops enter the atmosphere creating a noxious carcinogenic cocktail
CFC's are released into the air from refrigeration units used to store decomposing flesh (meat), milk & butter - CFC's are destroy the ozone layer
Ammonia from animal urine also pollutes the atmosphere
CO2 is released by burning oil & petrol in lorries, ships, abattoirs, dairies, factories etc. associated with meat & dairy production
Emissions from large chemical plants which produce fertilizer, weedkiller & other agricultural chemicals are also poisoning our air

WATER
25 gallons of water to produce 1lb of wheat & 2500 gallons to produce 1lb of meat
UK farm animals produce 200,000,000 tonnes of slurry (liquid excrement) every year, the majority of which ends up in our rivers
Bloody waste water from abattoirs ends up in our rivers
In the USA every second humans produce 12,000 lbs of effluent while farmed animals produce 250,000 lbs
Nitrates & pesticides used on crops grown to feed livestock end up in our rivers
Meat & dairy farming uses 70 liters of water per day per animal in the UK or 159,250,000,000 liters per year in total
The water used to produce 10 lbs of steak is equivalent to the average consumption of water for an entire household for an entire year
Depletion of groundwater reserves to grow crops for animals & to supply abattoirs will lead to greater water shortages
Aquifers (stores of underground water) in the San Joaquin valley in the USA are being drained at the rate of 500,000,000,000 gallons/year to produce meat
18% of all agricultural land in the world is irrigated & as global warming increases (partly due to animal farming) it will cost $200,000,000 to keep these systems going
The water used to produce a 1000 lb beef steer is enough to float a Destroyer battleship
The liquid waste from the various parts of the meat & dairy industry flow into the rivers & from there into the seas polluting them & encouraging huge algal blooms to grow

EFFICIENCY
To produce 1calorie of energy from meat takes 60 calories of petrol, whereas growing grains & legumes to directly feed people produces 20 calories for each calorie of fuel used ( that's 1200 times more efficient)
Meat & dairy farming uses billions of gallons of oil to run tractors, fuel ships & lorries (to move animal feed & animals), pump billions of gallons of water to irrigate fields & run slaughterhouses, power refrigeration units to prevent the corpses from decomposing & to power sewage plants to clean up some of the pollution produced
Cattle convert only 6% of their energy intake (mainly grains & soya) into flesh, the remaining 94% is wasted as heat, movement (which is why they keep many animals in very close confinement), hair, bones, faeces etc
1lb of beef takes 1 gallon of petrol to produce
A family of four eating beef for a year uses enough petrol to run a car for 6 months (obviously depending on how far you drive!)
If the full ecological cost of meat was passed onto the consumer - the price would be quadrupled (at least)
The EC spends �100,000,000's to subsidize animal production resulting in lakes of unwanted milk & mountains of unwanted meat & butter. This money could be better spent encouraging organic fruit, vegetable & grain production
In the USA in 1979 145,000,000 tons of crops were fed to cattle resulting in only 21million tons of animal bodies - the cost of the wasted crops was $20,000,000,000
Between 1950 & 1985 grain production in Europe & the USA increased massively but 2/3 was fed to animals
70% of all grain is fed to animals
Eating vast quantities of animal flesh, eggs, milk & butter is a luxury that most of the planet can not afford

ANIMALS
Fishing with drift (and other modern) nets weakens & destroys ecosystems by indiscriminately killing billions of sea creatures & disrupting the sea bed
Fisherman's nets kill 10 times as many other animals as the fish they are hoping to catch
Fish caught in nets die an agonizing slow death of suffocation
Each year 15,000,000,000 land animals are slaughtered for food & an unknown but much larger number of sea creatures (including 1000's of dolphins caught accidentally)
Chickens are crammed into battery cages with up to 3 other birds, they are unable to even spread their wings & many can not even stand up
Unwanted male chicks (because they can't lay eggs) are gassed or pulped while their sisters go to the battery sheds
Chicks are de-beaked without anesthetic to prevent them injuring each other in the unnaturally confined conditions they are kept in - this is equivalent to having your fingernails pulled out without anesthetic
Modern farming methods using growth hormones & artificial lighting mean that many chickens out grow their bones, resulting in fractured & broken legs
Sows are kept tethered in stalls 1.3 x 1 meter on concrete or slatted floors - they can not even turn around
Poultry raised for meat are kept in windowless broiler sheds, with around 20-30,000 in each shed, they live in an area of 10-20 cm square - fighting due to overcrowding is common & like battery hens they commonly suffer from suppurating bed sores
Broiler sheds are artificially lit 23 hours a day to produce rapid growth
Animals travel between farms & to slaughter in overcrowded transporters with no food or water - resulting in stress, injuries & deaths - legal requirements are widely ignored
95% of poultry suffer injuries before being killed & 30% suffer broken bones
Problems with stunning practices mean that many animals have their throats slit while still conscious (around 6% of cattle or 200,000 per year) & are then dipped in tanks of scalding water (to loosen feathers, bristles etc.) again while fully conscious
4000 animals die spurting their blood out every minute in a British slaughterhouse
Calf leather comes from animals killed at just 2 weeks old
Cows were fed on the ground up remains of other cows & sheep - the result is thought to be BSE (mad cow disease) in the USA cattle are fed partly on recycled plastic pellets
Cows only give milk for 10 months after they have a calf - so they are routinely artificially inseminated (ie. mechanically raped) to keep them pregnant & milking - their calves are taken away (usually at 12 hours old) for meat or export to veal crates
Cows would naturally live up to 20 years but are slaughtered after 5-7 years when their milk production begins to fall
In the UK animals are killed by first being stunned with electricity or a captive bolt gun (ie. a bolt is fired into their heads) before having their throats slit & being plunged into boiling water - all this happens on a production line with the animals being hung upside down from a moving conveyor belt - this is factory farming
"Animals are those unfortunate slaves & victims of the most brutal part of mankind" - John Stewart Mill (philosopher)
Veal calves are confined in stalls in the dark, unable to move & are fed on pigs blood , chocolate & dried milk (we are drinking the rich fresh milk of their mothers)
Cows naturally produce 5 liters of milk per day for their calves - under the intensified systems of modern farming they produce 25-40 liters per day - resulting in swollen & inflamed udders - at this rate they are soon worn out
Large areas of land are under monoculture to grow crops to feed to animals - these areas are wildlife deserts supporting fewer & fewer species.

HEALTH
Vegetarians have a 20% lower rate of mortality from all causes (ie. they live longer & don't get sick as often)
Meat is full of traces of antibiotics, hormones, toxins produced by stress & pesticide residues that become concentrated from all the crops they have eaten
Fish contain heavy metals & other pollutants -many of which originated on farms
The world health organization recommends a diet low in saturated fat, sugar, salt & with plenty of fiber - exactly what you get on a vegan/vegetarian diet
Farmed animals contain up to 50% saturated fat in their bodies
Vegetarians have 24% reduced risk of getting heart disease & Vegans a 57% reduction (heart disease is the biggest killer in the UK accounting for 50% of deaths)
Obesity is rare in vegetarians, obesity is related to many diseases
Vegans & vegetarians have lower blood pressure & cholesterol levels - high levels are associated with heart disease, strokes & kidney failure
Vegetarians have a 50% reduced risk of dying of diabetes
Vegetarians have a 40% reduced level of cancer than the general population thought to be because they have a higher intake of vitamins A,C & E
Vegetarians have a reduced risk of developing gall & kidney stones
80% of food poisoning is due to infected meat (faeces, bacteria etc.) after all meat is decomposing flesh - most of the rest is due to salmonella in eggs
Osteoporosis due to calcium loss from bones is mainly due to the sulphur content in meat & casein protein in milk that cause calcium to be lost in the urine - the countries with the highest meat & dairy consumption are those with the highest levels of brittle bones
50% of people do not have the enzyme to digest milk properly & milk allergy is related to asthma & eczema
Meat eaters have double the rate of Alzheimer's disease as Vegans & Vegetarians - some people also think that Parkinson's disease is also linked to meat eating
Egg yolk is a dense concentration of saturated fat & the white is high in albumin protein associated with leaching calcium into your urine. Butter is 80% saturated fat, cream is 40% saturated fat & cheese is 25-40% saturated fat
Meat eaters are two and a half times more likely to get bowel cancer than Vegetarians
The cling film used to wrap meat in supermarkets & butchers contains chemicals linked to falling sperm counts in men
Chinese people (living mainly on a vegetarian diet) consume 20% more calories than Americans but Americans are 20% fatter
Of 2,100,000 deaths in the USA in 1987, 1,500,000 were related to diet (ie. meat & dairy)

AND I COULD GO ON !

If you've read this far, I hope that you are beginning to see that the Meat & Dairy industry is a major contributor to misery on this planet. It is destroying the health of people in rich countries, starving those in poor countries, it is torturing & killing billions of animals every year and in the meantime it is one of the major factors in the destruction of the environment - so what does the meat & dairy industry have to say in it's defence?

Well their only real point is usually "Meat is tasty" - fair enough a lot of people enjoy the taste of meat - but there are plenty of delicious alternatives (just consider the huge range of vegetarian dishes in Indian cooking - one of the oldest & most sophisticated cuisines in the world) and if you really crave meat & dairy, nowadays there are plenty of healthy non animal alternatives - just look in the supermarket & health food shop. So I hope you will agree it's pretty pathetic to consider all the evidence & then say "well I know you're right about the environment & health & the animals - but I just love my meat"

Go Veg!..Save the planet!!

Jai Gurudev!

Love,

Shruthi

Creative Ads!

2009-09-21T19:52:00.005+05:30

It's been long since I posted anything...
Wish to post more often..
Meanwhile, to keep the blog alive, here are some really funny and creative advertisements...:-)

Jai Gurudev!

Love,

-Shruthi

It's hidden!

2009-08-14T20:49:00.005+05:30

You must be wondering what it's all about.
Well, I'm talking about stereo-grams. Stereo-grams are 3D images hidden within another picture. I've always been fascinated by them. I found them so entrancing, ever since I managed to see one.

I'm eager to learn about how to create one.

I haven't posted any stereo-grams here as they are copyrighted. You can find loads n loads of them on the web. Check it out and you'll be captivated for quite some time.
Initially it might take a lil bit of patience to view them, but it's simpler and fun, once you get the knack of it!.

Jai Gurudev

Love,

Shruthi

YES!+

2009-07-30T00:32:00.006+05:30

Seven days of Masti, Knowledge, Singing, Dancing, Sharing and Smiling! :-)
That's a glimpse of the YES!+ workshop for you. 25 youth participated in the YES!+ Workshop, held recently. It was one of the most fabulous experiences!. YES!+ is a dynamic workshop, specially designed for the students and working professionals. It brings in profound changes in every individual!.

The workshop led by our brilliant teachers, Shailendra bhaiya and Anant anna was exhilarating, with power-driven Yoga sessions, interesting Q n A sessions, lots of fun with group activities, engrossing session with our Dear Bawa n Dinesh bhaiya..:-)

It's so pleasing to see a few blessed souls just blossom ;-) ;-) ;-)

"Welcome to a New World, just a Few Breaths away!".
Join us on this beautiful journey :-)
The next YES!+ Workshop is from Aug 24th-30th! :-)
Check out http://yesplus.org....

Jai Gurudev

Love,

Shruthi

Bliss! Bliss!! Bliss!!!...

2009-07-17T01:45:00.019+05:30

I'm back in Bangalore from the Advanced course with our Dearest Chayanna, in Kamalashile.
Feeling totally refreshed and euphoric.
While traveling back to Bangalore, I was just struck by this idea about starting a blog.
"Why not pen down something that sounds interesting?"...and lo here's my first post..
The past one week spent there has been a totally blissful experience.
Kamalashile is located at a distance of 35 km from Kundapura in Udupi district.
The place has its own charm, covered with lush greenery, flowing Kubja river, waterfalls...in the midst of all this is the Divine mother's temple.
A cave where the Devi incarnated is an added attraction.

We reached there for the Gurupoornima celebrations.
Every soul present there would surely agree with me that it was a heavenly experience, in Guruji's grace and blessings, and Chayanna's presence.
Bliss! Bliss! Bliss and nothing else.
It was like seeing Lord Shiva himself while Chayanna was performing the Homa. Purity in it's ultimate form!. The Vedic chantings and Bhajans let us all experience deep meditation.

The course started off on the very next day.
A great start, early in the morning with Prashanth anna's fantastic sessions-
Om Namah Shivaya chanting, Yoga, Pranayama, and Sudarshan Kriya to keep us in high spirits throughout the day.This was followed by deliciously cooked breakfast and later we were off to do Seva. The day continued with superb and inspiring sessions with Chayanna. Special thanks to the volunteers team for the excellent organizing. Each and every detail was taken care of to ensure that we were comfortable.

Evening time meant Satsang time, which each one us eagerly awaited.
"Satsang was soaking in Bliss of the divine abode".
The Satsang team is unmatchable, with Chayanna, Sudarshan anna, Mridula akka, Krishna, Jayanth and Appanna on the Dholak.
Every Bhajan was rejoiced to the peak, with everyone singing, dancing and meditating.

Nature walks in the evening made us feel like we were in paradise.
The angelic Waterfalls, the mysterious Cave, and the natural lush green beauty of the surroundings are a treat for the eyes!.

The course went on with all of us bubbling with the same zeal and enthusiasm.
On the last day, Chayanna asked us to visit Kollur.
That trip back and forth with Vaidyaji, Pattu Maami, Jayanth, and Amma was mind-blowing..:-) It was more a roller coaster ride :-) :-)
The Satsang, that evening went on for more than three hours and Chayanna was the cynosure of all eyes as he danced along with all of us.

That night, bunch of us youngsters - Sudhi anna, Mridula akka, Sheetal, Jayanth, Jyoti, Rani, Priyanka, Hrishikesh, Pooja, and Uthra had an amazing time together- clicking snaps, singing, cracking jokes with Shenoy mama and Krishna anna. Guys, miss you all :(. It was early in the morning when we bid tearful goodbye and were off to bed.
Those memories still remain afresh in my mind.

Photo Credits: Anuj

Guys n Gals, who've not yet done the Adv course there, pack your bags and land up for the next course starting 30th Jul, 2009.

Jai Gurudev

Love,

Shruthi