Ayurveda and interesting study - an article on the net

Quest for good health and long life is probably as old as human existence itself. Human beings have always believed that they are entitled to die of old age rather than disease. Towards this goal they have striven at spiritual as well as material level. Evil spirits were sought to be driven off through charms, incantation and magic , with appeal made to the Creator to be the Saviour and Healer also. At the same time, recourse was taken to medication also. The premise that disease has a cause and efforts need to be made to remove it eventually led to the establishment of a health care system.

The beginnings of medical science in India are contained in the Vedic literature itself. The Rgveda describes the Asvins, Varuna and Rudra as bhisaj, physicians (Macdonell & Keith 1912 II:104) . By bhesaj is meant "remedy", incorporating charms, magic, incantation, etc.. This concept goes back to the era of Indo-Iranian commonality because equivalent terms occur in the Avestan literature as well: manthra baesaza [mantra bhesaj] and haoma baesazya [soma bhesajya] ( Bloomfield 1899:58). At the same time , the Vedic literature is familiar with osadhi, that is plants with medicinal properties. As time progressed, the domain of osadhi expanded at the expense of bhesaj, and osadhi itself transcended plants. The discipline of Ayurveda was born as an affiliate of the Atharvaveda.

Made up of two Sanskrit words Ayuh (life) and Veda (knowledge), Ayurveda can be defined as an ancient Indian health care system, comprising both practice and theory, and devoted to a systematized quest for a long, healthy, vigorous and happy life. It comprises two distinct traditions: botanical and the metallurgical ("rasa"). The botanical is the older. The metallurgical with emphasis on mercury constitutes the Siddha system.

That these two streams have always been perceived as distinct can be seen from the fact that they are linked to different divinities: the botanical to the Asvins and Indra, and the metallurgical to Rudra/Siva (Ramachandra Rao 1985 I:62,80}. There are eight divisions (anga) in Ayurveda : salya-tantra (surgery); salakya-tantra (diseases of head and neck); kaya-cikitsa (general medicine); bhuta-vidya ( dealing with evil spirits, etc.); kaumara-bhrtya (paediatrics) ; agada-tantra (toxicology) ; rasayana-tantra; and vajikarana-tantra (dealing with aphrodisiacs, etc.)..

There is a vast literature on the subject, spread over a long span of time. To be able to critically examine the issues pertaining to the origins and evolution of Ayurveda, we must first review the nature, content and limitations of the extant source material. Here, our emphasis will be on the botanical Ayurveda

Source material

The Vedic texts because of their sanctity were preserved in their original form. In the case of the Puranas and the epics, additions were made but not deletions. In contrast, scientific texts such as dealing in healthcare and astronomy generally underwent both deletion and addition. All the well known historical limitations of an oral tradition apply to Ayurveda also. Once an influential text appeared on the scene, contributing and lesser texts were forgotten. We learn about their existence from stray references in survived texts. As befit a field science, Ayurvedic classics were often redacted. We know only about the final or the latest recension. There is often confusion about names. It is not always possible to distinguish between persons of the same name but belonging to different eras. Many names remain shadowy, even though in their own time they would have been held in high esteem. Lesser authors are known to name their work after past celebrities so as to enhance their own work.

Chronology remains a serious problem , made worse by non-rigorous research's passing off wild guesses as firm dates. It should always be borne in mind that in most cases, it is not possible to assign any date to an author or a text. In some cases, because of reference in texts or authors whose dates are independently known, useful time brackets can be assigned. Some times reference in dated literature from outside India gives a firm upper time limit. In short, it is not possible to construct a connected evolutionary history of Ayurveda.

Influential texts

The two basic texts are Caraka-samhita, dealing with inner medicine or therapeutics (kaya-cikitsa) , and Susruta-samhita, dedicated to surgery (salya). We discuss below these and other major Ayurvedic texts. They all essentially deal with botanical Ayurveda. Use of metals as medication along with the philosophy thereof constitutes a special tradition with its own literature.

Caraka-samhita , Susruta-samhita and Vagbhata's Astanga-samgraha (5^th century AD) have been termed Ayurveda's great triad ( brihat-trayi) or ancient triad (vrddha-trayi) , while three later texts , Madhava-nidana (7^th / 8^th cent. AD), Sarngadhara- samhita (AD 1226) and Bhava-prakasa (16^th cent. AD) have been called the three minor classics (laghu-trayi) .In the following we review some of the influential Ayurvedic texts

Caraka-samhita (?-? cent. AD) . Atreya ( son or descendent of Atri) is mentioned as a pioneer in medicine, and Dhanvantari in surgery. Assumed historical , both are of great but uncertain antiquity. Six pupils of Atreya are named : Agnivesa, Jatukarna, Bhela (also spelt Bheda), Harita, Ksirapani ( or Ksarapani) and Parasara). All of them are believed to have composed their own texts based on their Guru's teachings, but only two have reached us. Bhela-samhita became a dead end, but it is historically valuable because it remains in its original form , unlike Agnivesa-tantra which led to greater things, but lost its own identity in the process. It was redacted by Caraka who, on the basis of his widely accepted association with Kanishka can be place in second century AD.

Even Caraka's work did not survive in its original form. With time , one third of it was lost and the remainder became inadequate. The missing parts were supplied and the whole redacted by Drdhabala, an inhabitant of Panchanada-pura, in Kashmir, at the confluence of Indus and Jhelum, identified with present-day Panjor or Panchpanor ( Ramachandra Rao 1985 I:56). Unfortunately, he cannot be dated with any certainty, except that he cannot be earlier than 4^th century AD ( See Navanitaka, below). It is his edition that we now know as Caraka-samhita.

Susruta-samhita (?-2 cent. AD). The surgery classic Susruta-samhita follows the same broad pattern as the Caraka-samhita , in the sense that it is also three-layered, but less details are known. The original text was codified by Susruta, of great but uncertain antiquity, on the basis of teachings of Dhanvantari. Devoted exclusively to surgery , it carried the name Sausruta-tantra. Later, a supplement was added with the tell tale title Uttar-tantra( later treatise), " which treated all subjects unnoticed" by the main text, no doubt to make the text self-contained. To give the whole text an appearance of thematic unity, the anonymous author of Uttar-tantra has also been dubbed Susruta ( so that we have Susruta I and Susruta II).The whole text was redacted by Nagarjuna under the present-day title Susruta-samhita. From the extant text it is not possible to isolate the original Sausruta-tantra from the extant Susruta-samhita. It has been suggested [ by Dalhan see below] that Nagarjuna himself is Susruta II. Nagarjuna is very likely the great Mahayana master and alchemist , who is associated with King Kanishka, and therefore placed in first/second century AD ( Ramachandra Rao 1985 I:95). (There are later persons with the same name also.) It has even been suggested that as with Caraka, Susruta ( meaning famous) should be seen as a personification rather than a person. It thus appears that the final version of Susruta-samhita and the Caraka redaction of Caraka-samhita came into being at about the same time , of Kanishka.

Navanitaka, Bower manuscript (4^th cent. AD). Authentic written information on where Indian medicine stood in fourth century AD comes from an unexpected source, a birch-bark manuscript from Kucha ( also called Kuchar) in eastern Turkistan, on an ancient silk route. (Kucha is now the seat of a county in the Aksu prefecture, Xinjiang, China.) Buddhism was introduced in Kucha in first century AD and by the third/fourth century AD it was a major Buddhist centre with numerous monasteries.

An important part of the Bower manuscript , so-called after its purchaser, Lieut. Hamilton Bower, is the digest called Navnitaka ( "cream churned from curd"), which lists useful medical formulae culled from the then available sources. The digest is merely a copy , probably second hand, of a still older original. On paleographical grounds the manuscript has been dated about AD 350. Its contents must be somewhat earlier.

The listed formulae span a wide range: from hair wash and medicated oils to treatment of childless women. Interestingly , no source is cited in many cases: they mostly turn out to be standard treatises which presumably were expected to be well-known. A comparative study reveals that twenty nine formulae are copied from the pre-Drdhabala portion of Caraka-samhita, suggesting that his own redaction was still in the future. Another fifteen come from Bhela-samhita. Three more formulae , dealing with atisara (diarrhea),are taken verbatim from Bhela-samhita. These three figure in Susruta-samhita' s Uttar-tantra also , but in a different wording. We thus learn that Bhela was a source for Uttar-tantra. The older part of Susruta-samhita lends three formulae.

In case of some of the formulae, however, the authors are named. To the extent they can be identified, they are from the archives (Atreya and his four lesser pupils and others like Jivaka and Dhanvantari) . As befits a scientific work, latest scholarship was considered more important than old masters.

Astanga-samgraha ( 6^th cent. AD). The two classics, the Caraka and the Susruta, "are to an extent rambling and discursive" (Ramachandra Rao 1985 I:24).Their essential details have been "neatly collected" in the voluminous and comprehensive medical treatise Astanga-samgraha, prepared by Vagbhata, who is probably also the author of Astanga-hrdya- samhita, based on the former. ( Like the astronomer Aryabhata, Vagbhata also has a single `t' in his name.) Astanga-samgraha is the first medical text to incorporate astrological concepts. It is claimed that diseases which originate during different stellar (naksatra) conjunctions follow different courses. One wonders if Vagbhata's source on matters astrological was Varahamihira 6^th cent. AD), because Varahamihira quotes a verse on rasayana from Astanga-samhita (Rama Rao 1992:216). This would suggest that Vagbhata was a contemporary of Varahamihira and therefore lived in the sixth century AD. This date would be broadly consistent with the well known fact that the Chinese Buddhist monk I-tsing who was in India during AD 673-685 seems to implicitly refer to Astanga-samgraha.

Madhava-nidana (7^th / 8^th cent. AD). An outstanding work on diagnosis of diseases has been Rog-viniscaya ( or Rug-viniscaya) authored by Madhava-kara , a native of Silahrada in Bengal and placed in the seventh/eighth century AD. The work is better known after him as Madhava-nidana. Madhava draws heavily on Caraka-samhita, Susruta-samhita, Astanga-hrdya- samhita and to a lesser degree on others including Astanga-samgraha. Some parts seem to have been Madhava's own contribution unless they are borrowed from texts no more extant. All matter has been integrated and arranged in a coherent and systematic manner. No wonder then that Madhava-nidana itself has been the subject of a large number of commentaries (Meulenbeld 1992:243-246) . It has continued to be "an indispensable aid to physicians for over a thousand years". With Vagbhata and Madhava-kara, "Ayurveda became highly systematized, its pharmacopoeia expanded, and treatment procedures got refined" ( Ramachandra Rao 1985 I:9). Madhava-nidana was translated into Arabic during the 9th century and into Italian in 1913-14.

Ayurveda-dipika (11^th cent. AD ). An influential commentary on Caraka-samhita, "widely relied upon by Indian physicians" is Caraka-tatparya- tika, better known as Ayurveda-dipika, composed by Cakrapani-datta (11^th century AD), a native of Bengal. The Caraka we know is the Caraka constructed by Drdhabala and Cakrapani-datta. The latter also wrote an incomplete commentary on Susruta-samhita, called Bhanumati.

Nibandha-samgraha (12^th cent. AD ) . The most celebrated commentary on Susruta-samhita, called Nibandha-samgraha, was composed by Dalhana ( also spelt Dallana), who lived in 12^th century AD, at a place called Ankola near Mathura. Dalhana was a practising physician, who travelled extensively to acquaint himself with popular knowledge about plants and details of their medicinal use. He incorporated local health care knowledge into formal texts by Sanskritizing many local plant names. In addition, he was a widely-read scholar. His justly famous commentary provides a wealth of other information as well.

Sarngadhara- samhita (AD 1226) . A "short but solid text-book" is Sarngadhara- samhita, composed in AD 1226 by Sarngadhara. Prescriptions are copied from earlier works , but diseases are dealt with more elaborately Pulse examination ( nadi-pariksha) for diagnostic purposes appears here for the first time. " This is the oldest work in which calcinations and similar metallurgical techniques are dealt with."

Bhava-prakasa (16^th cent. AD). The most famous of the later texts is Bhava Misra's Bhava-prakasa, the oldest manuscript of which ( now in Tubingen) is dated AD 1558. The text "repeats earlier accounts and formulae" but also adds new diseases and cures. Small pox (masurika) is described as "possession by the goddess Sitala", and an invocation to her included among the remedies . Notably, it is the first Indian text to describe syphilis , which is called phiranga ("foreigner" ), and attributed to physical contact with the Portuguese.

Bhava-prakasa has a celebrated pharmacological supplement, called Bhava-prakasa- nighantu. It describes drugs ( herbs, metals, foodstuffs, honey, etc.).It mentions use of Chopa-chini (dvipantara- vacha) to cure syphilis (firanga-roga) .

Materia Medica

While the theoretical framework of Ayurveda has remained more or less the same, the knowledge about drugs has expanded. New things were learnt about old drugs, and incorporated into the texts by coinage of new terms and synonyms. Iksuraka was dubbed Kokilaksaka to denote "the colour and shape of seeds .(Raghunathan & Dube:393). Kunkuma had been called Bahlika after its source of supply. Vagbhata called it Kasmiraja, to convey the important information that it grew in Kashmir also.

It was a common practice to prepare a drug directory-cum- handbook as an aid to the physician. When prepared as a stand-alone, it was called Nighantu, the term being borrowed from the Vedic literature.

The Vedic corpus names about 260 herbs. Kautilya'a Artha-sastra 330.The number increases to 385 in Susruta-samhita and to 500 in Caraka-samhita. The celebrated Bhava-prakasa- nighantu (16^th century, referred to above) provides information on about 500 plant products of which about 400 are of actual drug value. There have been more recent compilations as well. Most of the physicians work with about 600 Ayurvedic drugs. (Ramachandra Rao 1985 :75)

(Paper presented at Seminar on "Science and Technology in India's Past", organized by Aligarh Historians Society at Delhi University, during the 68^th Indian History Congress, 29-30 December 2007.)

References

Bloomfield, M.(1899)The Atharvaveda (Strasbourg: Trubner) [Reprint New Delhi : Asian Publication Services,1976]

Chattopadhyaya, D.P. (!977) Science and Society in Ancient India , Reprint 1979.( Calcutta : Research India Publication)

Kutumbiah, P. (1969) Ancient Indian Medicine, 2^nd ed. (Bombay: Orient Longman)

Macdonell, A.A. and Keith, A.B. (1912) Vedic Index of Names and Subjects, 2 vols.( Reprinted , Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1982)

Meulenbeld, G.J.(1992) Madhava's work on Nidana and Cikitsa. In: Sharma (1992), pp.243-258

Mukhopadhyaya, Girindranath (1922-1929) History of Indian Medicine, three volumes.( Calcutta: Calcutta University) [Reprinted, Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal,2003]

Raghunathan, K. and Dube, S.D. (1992) Dravyaguna (Pharmacology) .In ; Sharma(1992) ,pp. 391-397

Ramachandra Rao, S.K. (1985) Encyclopaedia of Indian Medicine, Vol. I : Historical Perspective. Reprint 1998 (Mumbai: Popular Prakashan)

Rama Rao, B. (1992) Vagbhata. In : Sharma (1992),pp205- 222

Sharma, Priya Vrata (1982) (ed.) Dalhana and His Comments on Drugs (Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal)

Sharma, Priya Vrata (1992) (ed.) History of Medicine in India : From Antiquity to 1000 AD ( New Delhi : Indian National Science Academy)//

Hinduism and Practises

Why do we regard trees and plants as sacred?

From ancient times, Hindus have worshipped trees and regarded all
flora and fauna as sacred. This is not an old fashioned or uncivilized
practice. It reveals the sensitivity, foresight and refinement of Hindu Culture.
While modern man often works to "conquer" Mother nature, ancient Hindus
"worshipped" her.

The Lord, the life in us, prevades all living beings be they plants or
animals. Hence, they all regarded as sacred. Human life on earth
depends on plants and animals. They give us the vital factors that make life
possible on earth : food, oxygen, clothing, shelter, medicines etc. They lend
beauty to our surroundings. They serve man without expectation and sacrifice
themselves to sustain us. They epitomise sacrifice. If a stone is
thrown on a fruit-laden tree, the tree in turn gives fruit!

In fact, the flora and fauna owned the earth before man appeared on
it. Presently, the world is seriously threatened by the destruction of the
forest lands and the extinction of many species of vegetation due to
man's callous attitude towards them. We protect only what we value. Hence,
in Hinduism, we are taught to regard trees and plants as sacred.
Naturally, we will then protect them.

Hindu scriptures tell us to plant ten tress if, for any reason, we
have cut one. We are advised to use arts of the trees and plants only as much
as is needed for food, fuel, shelter etc. We also urged to apologize to a
plant or tree before cutting it to avoid incurring a specific sin named soona.
In our childhood, we are told stories of the sacrifice and service done by
plants and trees and also about our duty to plant and nourish them. Certain
trees and plants like tulsi, peepal etc. which have tremendous beneficial
qualities, are worshipped till today.

It is believed that divine beings manifest as trees and plants, and
many people worship them to fulfill their desires or to please the God.


Why do we fast?


Most devout Indians fast regularly or on special occasions like
festivals. On such days they do not eat at all, eat once or make do with fruits
or a special diet of simple food. Some undertake rigorous fasts when they
do not even drink water the whole day! Fasting is done for many reasons- to
please the Lord, to discipline oneself and even to protest. Mahatma Gandhi
fasted to protest against the British rule.

Fasting in Sanskrit is called upavaasa. Upa means near + vaasa means
to stay. Upavaasa therefore means staying near (The Lord), meaning the
attainment of close mental proximity with the Lord. Then what has
upavaasa to do with food?

A lot of our time and energy is spent in procuring food items,
preparing, cooking, eating and digesting food. Certain food types make our mind
dull and agitated. Hence on certain days man decides to save time and
conserve energy by eating either simple, light food or totally abstaining from
eating so that his mind becomes alert and pure. The mind, otherwise pre-
occupied by the thought of food, now entertains noble thoughts and stays with the
Lord. Since it is a self-imposed form of discipline it is usually adhered
to with joy.

Also every system needs a break and an overhaul to work at its best.
Rest and a change of diet during fasting is very good for the digestive
system and the entire body.

The more you indulge the senses, the more they make their demands.
Fasting helps us to cultivate control over our senses, sublimate our desires
and guide our minds to be poised and at peace.

Fasting should not make us weak, irritable or create an urge to
indulge later. This happens when there is no noble goal behind fasting. Some
fast, rather they diet, merely to reduce weight. Others fast as a vow to
please the Lord or to fulfill their desires, some to develop will power,
control the senses, some as a form of austerity and so on. The Bhagavad Geeta
urges us to eat appropriately- neither too less nor too much yukta-aahaara
and to eat simple, pure and healthy food (a saatvik diet ) even when not
fasting

Why do we ring the bell in the temple?

In most temples there are one or more bells hung from the top, near
the entrance. The devotee rings the bell as soon as he enters, thereafter
proceeding for darshan of the Lord and prayers. Children love jumping
up or being carried high in order to reach the bell.

Is it to wake up the Lord? But the Lord never sleeps. Is it to let
the Lord know we have come? He does not need to be told, as He is all knowing.
Is it a form of seeking permission to enter His precinct? It is a
homecoming and therefore entry needs no permission. The Lord welcomes us at all
times. Then why do we ring the bell?

The ringing of the bell produces what is regarded as an auspicious
sound. It produces the sound Om, the universal name of the Lord. There should be
auspiciousness within and without, to gain the vision of the Lord who
is all-auspiciousness.

Even while doing the ritualistic aarti, we ring the bell. It is
sometimes accompanied by the auspicious sounds of the conch and other musical
instruments. An added significance of ringing the bell, conch and
other instruments is that they help drown any in-auspicious or irrelevant
noises and comments that might disturb or distract the worshipper/s in their
devotional ardour (dedication) , concentration and inner peace.


Why do we worship the kalash?

A kalash is a brass, mud or copper pot filled with water. Mango
leaves are placed in the mouth of the pot and a coconut is placed over it. A red
or white thread is tied around its neck or sometimes all around it in an
intricate diamond-shaped pattern. The pot may be decorated with
designs. When the pot is filled with water or rice, it is known as purnakumbha
representing the inert body which when filled with the divine life
force gains power to do all the wonderful things that makes life what it is.

A kalash is placed with due rituals on all important occasions like
the traditional house warming (grhapravesh), wedding, daily worship etc.
It is placed near the entrance as a sign of welcome. It is also used in a
traditional manner while receiving holy personages.

Before the creation came into being, Lord Vishnu was reclining on His
snakebed in the milky ocean. From His navel emerged a lotus from which
appeared Lord Brahma, the Creator, who thereafter created this world.
The water in the kalash symbolises the primodial water from which the
entire creation emerged. It is the giver of life to all and has the
potential of creating innumerable names and forms, the inert objects and the
sentient beings and all that is auspicious in the world from the energy behind
the universe. The leaves and coconut represent creation. the thread
represents the love that "binds" all in creation. The kalash is therefore
considered auspicious and worshipped.

The waters from all the holy rivers, the knowledge of all the vedas
and the blessings of all the deities are invoked in the kalash and its water
is thereafter used for all the rituals, including the abhisheka. The
consecration (kumbhaabhisheka) of a temple is done in a grand manner
with elaborate rituals including the pouring of one or more kalash of holy
water on the top of the temple.

When the asurs and the devas churned the milky ocean, the Lord
appeared bearing the pot of nectar which blessed one with everlasting life.
Thus the kalash also symbolises immortality.

Men of wisdom are full and complete as they identify the infinite
truth (poornatvam. They brim with joy and love and represent all that is
auspicious. We greet them with a purnakumbha ("full pot")
acknowledging their greatness ands as a sign of respectful reverential welcome,
with a "full heart".

Why do we worship tulsi?

Either in the front, back or central courtyard of most Indian homes
there is a tulsi-matham an altar bearing a tulsi plant. In the present day
apartments too, many maintain a potted tulsi plant. The lady of the house lights
a lamp waters the plant, worships and circumambulates it. The stem, leaves,
seeds, and even the soil, which provides it a base, are considered holy. A
tulsi leaf is always placed in the food offered to the Lord. It is also
offered to the Lord during poojas especially to Lord Vishnu and His incarnations.

In Sanskrit, tulanaa naasti athaiva tulsi - that which is
incomparable (in its qualities) is the tulsi. For Hindus, it is one of the most sacred
plants. In fact it is known to be the only thing used in worship
which, once used, can be washed and reused in pooja - as it is regarded so
self-purifying.

As one story goes, Tulsi was the devoted wife of Shankhachuda,
celestial being. She believed that Lord Kirshna tricked her into sinning. So she
cursed Him to become a stone (shaaligraama). Seeing her devotion and
adherence to righteousness, the Lord blessed her saying that she would
become the worshipped plant, tulsi that would adorn His head. Also
that all offerings would be incomplete without the tulsi leaf - hence the
worship of tulsi.

She also symbolises Goddess Lakshmi, the consort of Lord Vishnu.
Those who wish to be righteous and have a happy family worship the tulsi. Tulsi
is married to the Lord with all pomp ans how as in any wedding. This is
because according to another legend, the Lord blessed her to be His consort.

Satyabhama once weighed Lord Krishna against all her legendary
wealth. The scales did not balance till a single tulsi leaf was placed along with
the wealth on the scale by Rukmini with devotion. Thus the tulsi played
the vital role of demonstrating to the world that even a small object
offered with devotion means more to the Lord than all the wealth in the world.

The tulsi leaf has great medicinal value and is used to cure various
ailments, including the common cold.

Why do we consider the lotus as special?

The Lotus is India's national flower and rightly so. Not long ago,
the lakes and ponds of India were full of many hued lotuses.

The lotus is the symbol of truth, auspiciousness and beauty (satyam,
shivam, sundaram). The Lord is also that nature and therefore, His various
aspects are compared to a lotus (ie. lots-eyes, lotus feet, lotus hands, the
lotus of heart etc.). Our scriptures ans ancient literature extols the
beauty of the lotus.Art and architecture also portray the lotus in various
decorative motifs and paintings. Many people have names of or related to the
lotus: Padma, Pankaja, Kamal, Kamala, Kamalakshni etc. The Goddess of wealth,
Lakshni, sits on a lotus and carries one in her hand. the lotus blooms with the rising sun and closes at night. Similarly, our minds open up and expand with the light of knowledge. The lotus grows even in slushy areas. It remains beautiful and untainted despite its
surroundings, reminding us that we too can and should strive to
remain pure and beautiful within, under all circumstances. The lotus leaf never
gets wet although it is always in water. It symbolises the man of wisdom
(gyani who remains ever joyous, unaffected by the world of sorrow and change.
The lotus posture, padmaasana is recommended when one sits for meditation.

A lotus emerged from the navel of Lord Vishnu. Lord Bhrahma
originated from it to create the world. Hence, the lotus symbolises the link between
the creator and the supreme Cause. It also symbolises Brahmaloka, the
abode of Lord Brahma.

The auspicious sign of the swastika is said to have evolved from the
lotus.

From the above, we can well appreciate why the lotus in India's
national flower and so special to Hindus.

Why do we blow the conch?

In temples or at homes, the conch is blown once or several times
before ritualistic worship (pooja). It is sometimes blown whilst during
aarti or to mark an auspicious occasion. It is blown before a battle starts or to
announce the victory of an army. It is also placed in the altar and
worshipped

When the conch is blown, the primordial sound of Om eminates. Om is an
auspicious sound that was chanted by the Lord before creating the
world. It represents the world and the truth behind it.

As the story goes, the demon shankhaasura defeated the devas, stole
the vedas and went to the bottom of the ocean. The devas appealed to Lord
Vishnu for help. He incarnated as matsya avataar - the "fish incarnation",
and killed shankhaasura. The Lord blew the conch - shaped bone of his ear
and head. the Om sound emanated, from which emerged the vedas. All
knowledge enshrined in the vedas is an ellobration of Om. The conch therefore
is known as shankh after shankhaasura. The conch blown by the Lord is called
paanchajany. He carries it all times, in one of his four hands. It
represents dharma or righteousness that is one of the four goals
(purushaarthas) of life. The sound of the conch is thus also the
victory call of good over evil. If we place a conch close to our ears, we
hear the sound of the waves of the ocean.

Another well known purpose of blowing the conch and other
instruments, known traditionally to produce auspicious sounds is to drown or mask the
negative comments or noises that may disturb or upset the atmosphere or the
minds of the worshippers.

Ancient India lived in her villages. Each village was presided over
by a primary temple and several smaller ones. During the aarti performed
after all important poojas and on sacred occasions, the conch used to be
blown. Since, villages were generally small; the sound of the conch would be
heard all over the village. People, who could not make it to the temple,
were reminded to stop whatever they were doing, at least for a few
seconds, and mentally bow to the Lord. The conch sound served to briefly elevate
people's minds to a prayerful attitude even in the middle of their busy daily
routine.

The conch is placed at the altar in temples and homes next to the
Lord as a symbol of naada brahma (truth), the vedas, Om, dharma, victory and
auspiciousness. It is often used to offer devotees tirth (sanctified
water) to raise their minds to the highest truth.


Why do we say Shaanti thrice?

Shaanti, meaning 'peace', is a natural state of being. Disturbances
are created either by others or us. For example, peace already exists in a place
until someone made noise. Therefore, peace underlies all our agitations.
When agitations end, peace is naturally experienced since it is
already there. Where there is peace, there is happiness. Therefore, everyone
without exception desires peace in his/her life. However, peace within or
without seems very hard to attain because it is covered by our own
agitations. A rare few manage to remain peaceful within even in the midst of
external agitation and troubles. To invoke peace, we chant prayers. By chanting
prayers, troubles end and peace is experienced internally, irrespective of
the external disturbances. All such prayers end by the chanting shaanti
thrice.

It is believed that trivaram satyam - that which is said thrice comes
true. For emphasizing a point we repeat a thing thrice. In the court of law
also, on who takes the witness stand says, "I shall speak the truth, the
whole truth and nothing but the truth".

We chant shaanti thrice to emphasize our intense desire for peace.

All obstacles, problems and sorrows originate three sources:

1. Aadhidaivika: The unseen divine forces over which we have
little or no control like earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions etc.

2. Aadhibautika: the known factors around us like accidents,
human contacts, pollution, crime etc.

3. Aadhyaatmika: Problems of our bodies and minds like diseases,
anger, frustrations etc.

We sincerely pray to the Lord that at least while we undertake
special tasks or even in our daily lives, there are no problems or that, problems
are minimized from the three sources written about above. May peace alone
prevail? Hence shaanti is chanted thrice.

It is chanted aloud the first time, addressing the unseen forces. It
is chanted softer the second time, directed to our immediate
surroundings and those around, and softest the last time as it is addressed to oneself.

Why do we offer coconut?

In India one of the most common offerings in a temple is a coconut,
it is also offered on occasions like weddings, festivals, the use of a new
vehicle, bridge, house etc. a pot (kalash) full of water adorned with
mango leaves and a coconut on top is worshiped on important occasions and
used to receive revered guests.

It is offered in the sacrificial fire while performing hom. The
coconut is broken and placed before the Lord. It is later distributed as prasad.
It is offered to please the Lord or to fulfill our desires.

There was a time when animal sacrifice (bali) was practiced,
symbolizing the offering of our animalistic tendencies to the Lord. Slowly this
practice faded and the coconut was offered instead. The fibre covering of the
fried coconut is removed except for the tuft on the top. The marks on the
coconut make it look like the head of a human being. The coconut is broken,
symbolizing the breaking of the ego. The juice within representing
the inner tendencies (vaasanas) if offered along with the white kernel - the
mind, to the Lord. A mind thus purified by the touch of the Lord is used as
prasad (a holy offering).

In the traditional, abhishekh ritual done in all temples and many
homes, several materials are poured over the deity like milk, curd, honey,
tender coconut water, sandal paste, holy ash etc. Each material has a
specific significance of bestowing certain benefits on worshippers. Tender
coconut water is used since it is believed to bestow spiritual growth on the
seeker.

The coconut also symbolizes selfless service. Every part of the
coconut tree - the truck, leaves, fruit, coir etc. is used in innumerable ways like
thatches, mats, tasty dishes, oil etc. It takes in salty water and
converts it into sweet nutritive water that is especially beneficial to the
sick people. It is also used in the preparation of many ayurvedic
medicines and applications.

The marks on the coconut are even thought to represent the three-eyed
Lord Shiva and therefore it is considered to be a means to fulfill our
desires.

Why do we chant Om?

Om is one of the most chanted sound symbols in Hinduism. It has a
profound effect on the body and mind of the one who chants and also on the
surroundings. Most mantras and Vedic prayers start with Om. All
auspicious actions begin with Om. It is even used as a greeting - Om, Hari Om
etc. it is repeated as a mantra or meditated upon. Its form is worshipped,
contemplated upon or used as an auspicious sign.

Om is the universal name of the Lord. The sound emerging from the
vocal chords starts from the base of the throat as 'A' with the coming
together of the lips, 'U' is formed and when the lips are closed, all sound ends
with 'M'. The three letters symbolize the three states (waking, dream and
deep sleep) the three Lords (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva), the three Vedas
(Rig, Yajur and Sama) the three worlds (Bhuh, Bhuvah and Suvah) etc. The
Lord is all these and beyond. The formless, attribute-less Lord is
represented by the silence between two Om chants. Om is also called pranav that
means "that (symbol or sound) by which the Lord is praised". The entire essence
of the Vedas is enshrined in the word Om.

It is said that the Lord started creating the world after chanting Om
and atha. Hence it sound is considered to create an auspicious beginning
for any task that we undertake.

The Om chant should have the resounding sound of a bell. It fills the
mind with peace, makes it focused and replete with subtle sound. People
mediate on its meaning and attain realization.

Om is written in different ways in different places, and its
symbolizesLord Ganesh.

Thus Om symbolizes everything - the means and the goal of life, the
world and the Truth behind it, the material and the sacred, all forms and
the formless.

Why do we aarti?

Towards the end of every ritualistic worship (pooja or bhajan) of the
Lord or to welcome an honoured guest or saint, we perform the aarti. This
is always accompanied by the ringing of the bell and sometimes by
singing, playing of musical instruments and clapping.

It is one of the sixteen steps (shodasha upachaara) of the pooja
ritual. It is referred to as the auspicious light (mangala niraajanam). Holding
the lighted lamp in the right hand, we wave the flame in clockwise
direction to light the entire form of the Lord. Each part is revealed individually
and also the entire form of the Lord. As the light is moved we either do
mental or loud chanting of prayers or simply behold the beautiful form of
the Lord, illuminated by the lamp. We experience an added intensity in our
prayers and the Lord's image seems to manifest a special beauty at that time. At
the end of the aarti we place our hands over the flame and then gently touch
our eyes and the top of the head.

We have seen and participated in this ritual from our childhood.

Let us find why we do the aarti?

Having worshiped the Lord with love - performing abhishekh,
decorating the
image and offering fruits and delicacies, we see the beauty of the
Lord in all His glory. Our minds are focused on each limn of the Lord as it
is lit up by the lamp. It is akinto silent open-eyed meditation on His
beauty. The singing, clapping ringing of the bell etc. denotes the joy and
auspiciousness, which accompanies the vision of the Lord.

Aarti is often performed with camphor. This holds a telling spiritual
significance. Camphor when lit burns itself out completely without
leaving a trace of it. Camphor represents our inherent tendencies
(vaasanas).when lit by the fire of knowledge which illuminates the Lord (truth), our
vaasanas thereafter burn themselves out completely, not leaving a trace of the
ego which creates in us a sense of individuality that keeps us separate
from the Lord. Also while camphor burns to reveal the glory of the Lord it
emits a pleasant smell even while it sacrifices itself. In our spiritual
progress, even as we serve the guru and society, we should willingly sacrifice
ourselves and all we have, to spread the perfume of love to all.

We often wait a long while to see the illumined Lord but when the
aarti is actually performed; our eyes close automatically as if to look
within. This is to signify that each of us is the temple of the Lord - we hold the
divinity within. Just as the priest reveals the form of the Lord clearly
with the aarti flame, so too the guru clearly reveals to us the
divinity within each of us with help of the 'flame' of knowledge. At the end
of the aarti, we place our hands over the flame and then touch our eyes and
top of the head. It means - may the light that illuminated the Lord light up
my vision, may my vision be divine and my thoughts noble and beautiful.

The philosophical meaning of aarti extends further. The sun, moon,
stars, lighting and fire are the natural sources of light. The Lord is the
source of all these wondrous phenomena of the universe. It is due to Him
alone that else exist and shine. As we turn our attention to the very source of
all light which symbolizes knowledge and life.

Also the sun is the presiding deity of the intellect, the moon that
of the mind, and fire, that of speech. The Lord is the supreme consciousness
that illumines all of them. Without Him the intellect cannot think, nor
can the mind feel nor the tongue speak. The Lord is beyond the mind,
intellect and speech.

Hinduism and Worship

Hinduism and worship has different style of worship compared to other religions.

Some of the things were OK for olden times, but do have value now.

Here are few things which we do and why we do

Why do we light a lamp?

In almost every Indian home a lamp is lit daily before the altar
of theLord. In some houses it is lit at dawn, in some, twice a day at
dawn
and dusk- and in a few it is maintained continuously (akhanda deepa).
All
auspicious functions and moments like daily worship, rituals and
festivals and even many social occasions like inaugurations commence
with the
lighting of the lamp, which is often maintained right through the
occasion.

Light symbolizes knowledge, and darkness ignorance. The Lord is the
"Knowledge Principle" (Chaitanya) who is the source, the enlivener
and the illuminator of all knowledge. Hence light is worshiped as the
Lord
Himself.

Knowledge removes ignorance just as light removes darkness. Also
knowledge is a lasting inner wealth by which all outer achievements
can be accomplished. Hence we light the lamp to bow down to knowledge as the
greatest of all forms of wealth. Knowledge backs all our actions
whether good or bad. We therefore keep a lamp lit during all
auspicious
occasion as a witness to our thoughts and actions.

Why not light a bulb or tube light then? That too would remove
darkness.
But thetraditional oil lamp has a further spiritual significance. The
oil or ghee in the lamp symbolizes our "vaasnas" or negative tendencies and
the wick,the ego. When lit by spiritual knowledge, the "vaasnas" get
slowly exhaustedand the ego too finally perishes. The flame of a lamp always
burns upwards.Similarly, we should acquire such knowledge as to take us
towards higher ideals.

A single lamp can light hundreds more just as a man of knowledge can
give it to many more. The brilliance of the light does not diminish
despite its repeated use to light many more lamps. So too knowledge does not
lessen when shared with or imparted to others. On the contrary it
increases in clarity and conviction on giving. It benefits both the receiver and
the giver.

Obviously for poor, the cooking fire is as good as above. Same cause.

Why do we have a prayer room?

Most Hindu homes have a prayer room or altar. A lamp is lit
and the Lord worshipped each day. Other spiritual practices like
"japa" (repetition of the Lord's name), meditation, "paaraayana" (reading of
the scriptures), prayers, devotional singing etc. is also done here.
Special worship is done on auspicious occasions like birthdays,
anniversaries, festivals and the like. Each member of the family - young or old -
communes with and worships the Divine here.

The Lord is the owner of the entire creation. He is therefore the
true owner of the house we live in too. The prayer room is the master
room of the house. This notion rids us of false pride and possessiveness.

The ideal attitude to take is to regard the Lord as the true owner of
our homes and ourselves as the caretakers of His home. But if this
rather difficult, we could at least think of Him as a very welcome guest.
Just as we would house an important guest in the best comfort, so, too
we felicitate the Lord's presence in our homes by having a prayer room or
altar, which is, at all times, kept clean and well decorated.

Also the Lord is all pervading. To remind us that He resides in our
home with us, we have prayer rooms. Without the grace of the Lord, no task
can be successfully or easily accomplished. We invoke His grace by
communing with Him in the prayer room each day and on special occasions.

Each room in a house is dedicated to a specific function like bedroom
for resting and sleeping, the drawing room to receive guests, the
kitchen for cooking etc. the furniture, décor and the atmosphere of each
room are made conductive to the purpose it serves. So too for the purpose of
meditation, worship and prayer, we should have a conductive atmosphere
- hence the need for a prayer room.

Sacred thoughts and sound vibrations pervade the place and influence
the minds of those who spend time there. Spiritual thoughts and
vibrations accumulated through regular meditation, worship and chanting done
there pervade the prayer room. Even when we are tired or agitated, by
just sitting in the prayer room for a while, we feel calm, rejuvenated and
spiritually uplifted.

For poor people who live ina hut or a singel room house, find a corner, and place any pictures or Idols East Facing (Ganesha only preferred, due to education and medication).

In the night, before sleep make sure you cover them with cloth for mental happiness.

Why do we do namaste?

Hindus greet each other with "namaste". The two palms are
placed together in front of the chest and the head bows while saying
the word "namaste". This greeting is for all - people younger than us, of our
own age, those older than us, friends and even strangers.

Namaste could be just a casual or formal greeting, a cultural
convention or an act of worship. However there is much more to it than
meets the eye.

In Sanskrit namah + te = namaste. It means - I bow to you - my
greetings, salutations or prostration to you.

Namaha can also be literally interpreted as "na ma" (not mine). It
has a spiritual significance of negating or reducing one's ego in the
presence of another.

The real meeting between people is the meeting of their minds. When
we greet another, we do so with namaste, which means, "may our minds
meet" indicated by the folded palms placed before the chest. The bowing down
of the head is a gracious form of extending friendship in love and humility.

The spiritual meaning is even deeper. The life force, the divinity,
the Self or the Lord in me is the same in all. Recognizing this oneness with
the meeting of the palms, we salute with head bowed the Divinity in
the person we meet. That is why sometimes, we close our eyes as we namaste
to a revered person or the Lord as it to look within. The gesture is often
accompanied by words like "Ram Ram", "Jai Shri Krishna", "Jai Siya
Ram", "Om Shanthi Om" etc. - indicating the recognition of this divinity.

When we know this significance, our greeting does not remain just a
superficial gesture or word but paves the way for a deeper communion
with another in an atmosphere of love and respect.

A simple Hello or Hi in the modern times, gives the same respect as above.

Why do we prostrate before parents & elders?

Hindus prostrate to their parents, elders, teachers and
noble souls by touching their feet. The elders in turn bless by
placing his/her hand on or over our heads. Prostration is done daily, when we meet
elders and particularly on important occasions like the beginning of a new task,
birthdays, festivals etc. In certain traditional circles, prostration
is accompanied by "abhivaadana" which serves to introduce oneself,
announce one's family and social stature.

Man stands on his feet. Touching the feet in prostration is a sign of
respect for the age, maturity, nobility and divinity that our elders
personify. It symbolizes our recognition of their selfless love for
us and the sacrifices that they have made for our welfare. It is a way
of humbly acknowledging the greatness of another. This tradition reflects
the strong family ties which has been of India's enduring strengths.

The good wishes (sankalpa) and the blessings (aashirvaada) of elders
are highly valued in India. We prostrate to seek them. Good thoughts
create positive vibrations. Good wishes springing from a heart full of
love, divinity and nobility have a tremendous strength. When we prostrate
with humility and respect, we invoke good wishes and blessings of
elders which flow in the form of positive energy to envelop us. This is why
the posture assumed whether it is in the standing or prone position,
enables the entire body to receive the energy.

The different forms of showing respect are :

* Pratuthana - rising to welcome a person.

* Namaskaara - paying homage in the form of namaste.

* Upasangrahan - touching the feet of elders or teachers.

* Shaashtaanga - prostrating fully with the full body
touching the ground in front of the elder.

* Pratyabivaadana - returning a greeting.

Rules are prescribed in our scripture as to who should prostrate to
whom. Wealth, family name, age, moral strength and spiritual knowledge in
ascending order of importance qualified men to receive respect. This
is why a king though a ruler of the land would prostrate before a spiritual
master. Epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata have many stories highlighting
this aspect.

The above applies for able bodied people only and those who are not sick.

Why do we wear marks on the forehead?

Most religious Indians, especially married women wear a tilak or
pottu on the forehead. It is applied daily after the bath and on
special occasions, before or after ritualistic worship or visit to the temple.
In many communities, it is enjoined upon married women to sport a kum kum on
their foreheads at all times. The orthodox put it on with due rituals.
The tilak is applied on saints and images of the Lord as a form of worship
and in many parts of North India as a respectful form of welcome, to
honour guests orwhen bidding farewell to a son or husband about to embark on
an journey. The tilak varies in colour and form.

This custom was not prevalent in the Vedic period. it gained
popularity in the Pauranic period. Some believe that it originated in
South India.

The tilak or pottu invokes a feeling of sanctity in the wearer and
others. It is recognised as a religious mark. It form and colour vary
according to one's caste, religious sect or the form of the Lord
worshiped.

In earlier times, the four castes (based on verna or color) -
Braahmana,Kshatriya,Vaishya and Sudra - applied marks differently. The
brahmin applied a white chandan (sandalwood paste) mark signifying
purity as his profession was of a priestly or academic nature. The
Kshatriya applied a red kum kum mark signifying valour as he belonged to the
warrior races. The Vaishya wore yellow kesar or termeric mark signifying
properity as he was a business man or trader devotted to creation of wealth. The sudra
applied a black bhasma, kasturi or charcoal mark signifying service as
he support the work of the other three divisions. Also Lord Vishnu
worshipers apply a chandan tilak of the shape of "U", Lord Shiva worshipers applied a
tripundra bhasma, Devi worshippers applied red dot of kum kum.

The chandan, kum kum or bhasma which is offered to the Lord is taken
back as prasad and applied on foreheads. The tilak covers the spot
between the eye brows, which the seat of memory and thinking. It is known as
the aajna chakra in the language of yoga. The tilak is applied with the prayer -
"May i remember the Lord. May this pious feeling pervade all my
activities. May I be righteous in my deeds". Even when we temporarily forget this
prayerful attitude the mark on another reminds us of our resolve. The tilak is
thus a blessing of the Lord and protection against wrong tendencies
and forces.

The entire body emanates energy in the form of electro-magnetic
waves - the forehead and the subtle spot between the eye brows
especially so.
That is why worry generates heat and causes a headache. The tilak or
pottu cools the forehead, protects us and prevents energy loss. Sometimes,
the entire forehead is covered with chandan or bhasma. Using plastic
reusable 'stick bindis' is not very beneficial, even though it serves
the purpose of decoration.

This unique to Indians and helps to easily identify us anywhere.

But, I personally know the case of Dotheads (those who wear bindis or marks on heads) beign shot in the head in the USA, by the ever terror KKK, Klu Klux Klan who promote, the mass hysteria of white supremacy, still active in Many parts of the world.

So beware, other than your own country dont wear, or amongst countrymen, you can wear.

Why do we not touch papers, books and people with the feet?

In Indian homes, we are taught from a very young age, never to touch
papers, books and people with our feet. Of the feet accidentally touch
papers, books, musical instruments or any other educational equipment,
children are told to reverentially touch what was stamped with their
hands and then touch their eyes as a mark of apology.

To Indians, knowledge is sacred and divine. So it must be given
respect at all times. Nowadays we separate subjects as sacred and
secular. But in ancient India every subject - academic or spiritual was considered
divine and taught by the guru in the gurukul.

The custom of not stepping on educational tools is a frequent
reminder of the high position accorded to knowledge in the Indian
culture. From an early age this wisdom fosters in us a deep reverence for books and
education. This is also the reason why we worship books, vehicles and
instruments once a year on Saraswathi Pooja or Ayudha Pooja day, dedicated to the
Goddess of Learning.

Children are also strongly discouraged from touching people with
their feet. Even if this happens accidentally, we touch the person and
bring the fingers to our eyes as a mark of apology. Even when elders touch a
younger person inadvertently with their feet, they immediately apologize.

To touch another person with feet is considered an act of misdemeanor
because: man is regarded as the most beautiful, living, breathing
temple of the lord! Therefore touching another person with feet is
akin to disrespecting the divinity within him or her. This calls for an
immediate apology, which is offered with reverence and humility

Thus, many of our customs are designed to be simple but powerful
reminders or pointers of profound philosophical truths. This is one of
the factors that have kept Indian culture alive across centuries.

But again, for people without hands, who are taught to learn to write with feet & toes are exempted.

Why do we apply holy ash?

The ash of any burnt object is not regarded as holy ash. Bhasma (the
holy ash) is the ash from the homa (sacrificial fire) where special
wood along with ghee and other herbs is offered by pouring ash as abhisheka
and is then distributed as Bhasma. (Bhaspa)

Bhasma is generally applied on the forehead. Some apply it on certain
parts of the body, like the upper arms, chest etc. Some ascetics rub
it all over the body. Many consume a pinch of it each time they receive it.

The word Bhasma means "that by which our sins are destroyed and the
Lord is remembered". Bha implies bhartsanam ("to destroy") and sma
implies smaranam("to remember"). The application of Bhasma therefore signifies
destruction of the evil and remembrance of the divine. Bhasma is
called vibhuti (which means "glory") as it gives glory to one who applies and raksha
(which means a source of protection) as it protects the wearer from ill
health and evil,by purifying him or her.

Homa (offering of oblations into the fire with sacred mantras)
signifies the offering or surrender of the ego and egocentric desires
into the flame of knowledge or a noble and selfless cause. The consequent ash
signifies the purity of the mind which results from such actions. Also the fire
of knowledge burns the oblation and wood signifying ignorance and inertia
respectively. The ash we apply indicates that we should burn false
identification with body and become free of the limitations of birth
and death.

The application of ash also reminds us that body is perishable and
shall one day be reduced to ashes. We should therefore not get too
attached to it. Death can come at any moment and this awareness must increase our
drive to make the best use of time. This is not to be misconstructed
as a morose reminder of death but as a powerful pointer towards the fact
that time and tide wait for none.

Bhasma is specially associated with Lord Shiva who applies it all
over his body. lord Shiva devotees apply bhasma as a tripiundra. When
applied with a red spot in the centre, the mark symbolizes Shiva-Shakti (the
unity of energy and matter that creates the entire seen and un-seen universe)

Ash is what remains when all the wood is burnt away and it does not
decay. Similarly, the Lord is the imperishable Truth that remains when
the entire creation if innumerable names and forms is dissolved.

Bhasma has medicinal value and is used in many ayurvedic medicines. It
absorbs excess moisture from the body and prevents colds and
headaches. The Upanishads say that the famous Mrityunjaya mantra
should be chanted while applying ash on the forehead.

But please make sure, you buy it from a good vendor. If you dont get any, for just applying sake, you can keep some unscented talc or baby powder in front of God pictures/idols in Puja Room, to fixate the Cosmic energy on them, before using as Bhasma / Bhaspa / Vibuthi.

Why do we offer food to the Lord before eating it?

In western tradition food is partaken after a thanks giving prayer -
grace. Indians make an offering of it to the Lord and later partake of
it as prasad- a holy gift from the Lord. in temples and in many homes, the
cooked food is first offered to the Lord each day. The offered food is mixed
with the rest of the food and then served as prasad. In our daily
ritualistic worship (pooja) too we offer naivedyam (food to the Lord)

This is done because: The Lord is omnipotent and omniscient. Man is a
part, while the Lord is the totality. All that we do is by his
strength and knowledge alone. Hence what we receive in life as a result of our
actions is really his alone. We acknowledge this thru the act of
offering food to him.
This is exemplified by the Hindi words "Tera tujko arpan from the
aarti "Jai Jagdesh Hare" - I offer what is yours to you. Thereafter it
is akin to his gift to us, graced by his divine touch.

Knowing this, our entire attitude to food and the act of eating
changes. The food offered will naturally be pure and the best. We
share what we get with others before consuming it. We do not demand, complain or
criticize the quality of the food we get. We do not waste or reject it. We eat
it with cheerful acceptance (prasad buddhi). When we become established
in this attitude, this goes beyond the pre-view of food and pervades our
entire life. We are then able to cheerfully accept all we get in life
as his prasad.

Before we partake daily meals we first sprinkle water around the
plate as an act of purification. Five morsels of food are placed on
the side of the table acknowledging the debt owed by us to the:

* Divine forces (devta runa) for their benign grace and
protection.
* Our ancestors (pitru runa) for giving us their lineage and
the family culture.
* The sages (rishi runa) as our religion and culture have been
"realized" maintained and handed down to us by them.
* Our fellow beings (manushya runa) who constitute society
without the support of which we could not live as we do and
* Other living beings (bhuta runa) for serving us selflessly.

There after the Lord, the life force, who is also within us as the
five life- giving physiological functions, is offered the food. The
five life- giving functions are praanaaya (respiratory), apaanaaya
(extretory),vyaanaaya (circulatory), udaanaaya (reversal) and samaanaaya (digestive). After offering the food thus, it is eaten as prasad - blessed food.

Also, make sure whomsoever gives these prasad, is not having any forms of disease, and healthy.

Why do we do pradakshina ?

When we visit a temple. after offering prayers, we circumambulate the
santum sanctorum. This is called pradakshina.

We cannot draw a circle without a centre point. The Lord is the
centre, source and essence of our lives. Recognising Him as the focal
point in out lives, we go about doing our daily chores. This is the
significance of pradakshina

Also every point on the circumference of a circle is equidistant from
the centre. This means that wherever or whoever we may be, we are
equally close to the Lord. His grace flows towards us without partiality.

The pradakshina is always down only in clockwise manner because, as
we do pradakshina the Lord is always on our right. In Hinduism, the
right side symbolises auspiciousness. It is a telling fact that even in the
English language it is called the "right" side and not the wrong one!
So as we circumambulate the sanctum sanctorum we remind ourselves to lead an
auspicious life of righteousness, with the Lord to lead an auspicious
life of righteousness, with the Lord who is the indispensable source
of help and strength, as our guide - the "right hand" - the dharma aspect
of our lives.

We thereby overcome our wrong tendencies and avoid repeating the sins
of the past.

Indian scriptures enjoin - matrudevo bhava, pitrudevo bhava,
acharyadevo bhava. Meaning : May you consider your parents and
teachers as you would the Lord. With this in mind we also do pradakshina around our
parents and divine personages. The story of Lord Ganesh circumambulating his
parents is a well known one.

After the completion of traditional worship (pooja), we customarily do
pradakshina around ourselves. In this way we recognise and remember
the supreme divinity within us, which alone is idolised in the form of
the Lord that we worship outside.

This is important for people to gain the cosmic energy into their body, unique to a given temple. If you dotn have time, or for want of time, if you are in a tour, you can stand in fron of the temple door, and rotate once in the clockwise direction, that gives the same effect.

Why do we give offerings in form of money?

Usualy for Brahmins who do pujas, they have to earn as much as possible during festivals etc.

People do not offer during famine, and it is customary to give as much as possible.

Hence these rules of offering, Hundi are written and kept. Nowadays government ensures good collection.

Other than temple maintenance expense, the amount is spent back on people.

Tirupathi Devasthanam is one good org, in terms of running Universities, Colleges, and Schools. Provides Healthcare. Also gives prasad at a subsidiary cost. One laddu costs Rs 25/. when I type this, but sold at Rs 10/-. A small prasad while comign out is also given, along with food coupon, that is normally given to poor standing outside, who might sell it in turn.

BUTTERFLY

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could, and it could go no further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon.

The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.

What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. If God allowed us to go through our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. We could never fly!

My niece was a bit confused so, I gave her an example of her life. “There is a right time for everything”, I said. She started to crawl before she started walking. She learn't alphabets before she started reading and writing. She added that it was all because of people who was with her that helped her to know so many things.

After putting her to bed I thought how true she was. We have so many expectations from life. When we start doing something we expect everything to fall into place. What we do not realize is that behind the success we have the blessings of the Almighty and our elders, the help of our friends, the trust of the innocent youngsters and our own efforts.

The year end is nearing and things would look better by March 2009 in the economy.

Good bye 2008 and Welcome 2009 should start now!

God Bless you all!

Female Horoscope

Q; I am a student of Astrology over three years. I seek your good time to tell me is there any special identifications - apart from male horoscopes - in female charts to be seen. I request your guidelines.

Ans: Yes there are many points should be considered in a female horoscope not to be found in men horoscopes.

In “Poorva Paracharyam”, a compiled chapters quoting various slokas from ‘Sripathi Paddathi’, ‘Saravallee’, ‘ Jathaka Parijatha’ and ‘Bruhath jathaka’ will help us to find these important details in a female chart.
“STHREENAM DVADESA RASIBEDHAA UCHCHAYYANTHE” CH 3 SL: 105 AND FURTHER SLOKAS.In a lady’s horoscope :
Lagna (1) - Body, health and personality, 2nd House : Prosperity and wealth; 3rd House - Brothers and Sisters; 4th House - Mother; 5th House - Father; 6th house - Enemies; 7th house - Progeny; 8th House - Comfort and death; 9th House - Service and gifts to humanity; 10th House - Service and livelihood; 11th House - Profit; 12th House expenses.
Further, the 5th House in a lady’s horoscope is said to indicate the gains in wealth for her. When the 5th Lord is house in 2nd House from Lagna, her husband will enjoy rides on vehicles; If the Lord of 2 nd house positioned in 1,2,4,7 or 10 from lagna, She will have many vehicles all her life.

In a girl’s birth chart, if the 11th Lord is in exalted in the 2nd house from Lagna, or the Lord of 2nd House is housed in the 11th house of the birth chart, she will be rich and have many vehicles in her life. If the Lord of the 11 house from Lagna in a woman’s chart posited in 1,2,4, 7, 10 or 11th house, her husband will have great prosperity and won many vehicles.
7th house in a girl’s chart is reckoned as the house to see the birth of child for her.
If the Lord of the 7th house from Lagna, is a benefic or exalted, or housed in that seventh house, or that Lord has the ‘Drusti’ - vision - from such a Planet, during the Desa Period (Vimshothri Desa) or Bukti Period of a favorable Planet to that Planet, she will beget more children.

If both Boy and Girl has similar Planets (Malefic or Benefic or friendly) in the 7th house of each one of them, they would marry in the same cast without much difficulties. If the 7th house is occupied by Jupiter or Venus or both, in ether of the birth charts, they are born in a religious and strict principled families. If it is not so and occupied by other Planets they would have born in other than strict religious families. This contention is referred to even when the 7th house was in aspect of said Planets.

In a girl’s birth chart, lord of the 7th House or ‘Kalathra Sthanathi Pathi’ is posited in his own house, or in exalted position, or in the house friendly or temporarily friendly Planet owned house, or positioned in the 7th Lord is posited in the 11th house from the position of Venus the husband will very long, healthy and wealthy all his life.

This continues to be a lengthy article, and has many intrigue details for deep study in a woman’s horoscope, including her periods, women related sickness, compatibility, morale etc, to be covered here.

Blessings.

Jupiter Transit into Capricorn, December 2008

Jupiter enters Capricorn (Makara) on 09 December 2008 at 19:11:37 hrs at Greenwich 0° 0’ 0” E 51°29’0’’ North. and moves to Aquarius (Kumbha) on 19th December 2009 at 19:45:05 Hrs. GMT after degradation.

The first stage of our discussion below will be from 09 December 2008 at 19:11:37 to 1st May 2009 Jupiter enters Aquarius at 14:10:50 hrs GMT that day Jupiter transits in the Star Zone of UTHRASHADA Pada 2,3, and Four From 9th December 2008 at 19:11:37 (Greenwich Time) to 22d January 14:15:10 Hrs.

The total forward transit days is 122 Days. Then, Jupiter enter in Aquarius (Kumba) and Retrograde to re-enter into Capricorn (Makara) Jupiter moves into Aquarius in the FIRST forward motion from Capricorn on 1st May 2008 at 14:10:50 GMT Hours.The total 122 days of forward movement of Jupiter during FIRST Transit to enter in Aquarius .Jupiter and Rahu will be in same line to Earth at 20:00:37 Hours GMT on 11th February 2009, at 14°45’33” in Shravana 2nd Pada ;

Sun in 29° 14’47 in Dhanishta (2); Mars 11° 34’06” in Shravana (1);

Mercury 03° 15’15” Uttarashada (2).

Jupiter’s ‘Fall degree’ (Neecha) is the first 5°, and Mars ‘Exaltation’ (Uncha) is 28°

For both these planets in Capricorn.

Moon and Saturn are ‘Maraka’ for Capricorn.

Fortunately none of these Planets, who occupy the Capricorn at the time Rahu Meets Jupiter, on line with earth, is in ‘Combust’ - very close to Sun- (Mars should be within 17°,

Mercury to be 13°,Jupiter to be 11°). No ‘Combust’ position for Rahu as it is not a Planet.

Defined results when Rahu passes through Capricorn when Moon (in Birth Chart) is in Leo, the following could be the results at this time to be effected. ( these will result when Rahu is passing entire space of Capricorn )

1. Rahu gives good results generally.

2. Native (born in the Stars of Leo - Makha, Purva Phalguni, Uthara Phalguni 1 Pada -) gets money from many sources.

3. The Native gets relieved from all worries; Will become comfortable from his commitment, worries and other liabilities.

4. Enemies will be subdued, court cases will reach a stage of satisfaction. Native will gain upper hand in litigations.

5. He will gain through acquaintance through a lady speaking language other than his own. Likely to get pleasure and profit through her.

6. The native will command respect and honor.

7. If his maternal uncle was not favorable to him ( a hindrance to his progress or desire) will turn favorable to him.When Jupiter passes through the 6th house form the position of Moon (in Birth Chart as above)

1. Jupiter gives bad only.

2. He / She be forced to leave to a place unwanted or to an comfortable position in office,work or in family.

3. His paternal member of his family could have wounds over body.

4. The Native could suffer with windy diseases, dysentery, digestive disorders, etc

5. There will be quarrels between the ‘spouses’.

6. Unwanted mental fear could invade him. He will be pessimistic.

7. He /she will put up a face of bad temper and anger

Now the second stage....

At this time Saturn ( R) is in Leo ( Simha) 26°16’13” with Moon 28° 47’24” in Uttar Phalguni - to cause ‘Punarphoo Dhosha’

The Moon moves to Leo on 16/12/2008 a 22.15.22 Hrs GMT When Saturn is in Leo at 27°15’22”. Moon travels through Leo and enters Virgo on 19^th December 2008 at 3:17:49 Hrs.

In the above period the ‘Punarpoo Dhosa’ prevails ( Saturn and Moon in Leo) and this will delay in decisions for some to cause to be caught unaware of events to happen.

However, immediately after this period some firm decisions will be taken by concerned to cause conflict to cause heavy damages to properties, fight between parties and consequent confusion.

Jupiter moves into Aquarius in the FIRST forward motion from Capricorn on 1^st May 2009 at 14:10:50 GMT Hours. Jupiter continues its movement forward in Aquarius , till 15^th June 2009:: 9:57’25” Hrs GMT at 3°01’27” in Danita (3^rd Pada), before it Retrogrades to reach Capricorn again, The total 46 days of FORWARD into in Aquarius.

Jupiter Retrogrades from 15^th June 2009 to 30^th July 2009 :: 14: 17:26 Hrs. GMT Enters into Capricorn Zone again in Dhanishta 2. The Total days of this return retrograded movement is another 45 days.

The total period of ‘Sanchara in Dhanishta 3 in Aquarius (to and fro) will be 90 days .

During this period Jupiter has very less power to effect the results to Natal, and those person had negative experiences during the first transit in Capricorn will have gain and recovery from those loses or disappointments, while these could not be listed as ‘excellent‘. However, this period would satisfy many.

Jupiter gains forward motion in Capricorn on 13^th October 2009 at 04:31:06 hrs GMT in 23°10’06” Sharavana (4^th Pada). Jupiter crosses Capricorn finally on 19^TH December 2009 19:45:05 Hrs GMT and enters Aquarius.

While Jupiter enters into the Star Zone of Shravana at 14:15:04 Hours GMT on 22^nd January 2009.

At that time Sun will be at 8°44’13” Uthrashada (4)

Mercury ( R) 4° 14’ 33” Uthrashada (3)

Rahu 15° 49’ 49” Shravana (2)

Jupiter enters into the star Zone of Dhanishta at 20:12:05 Hours GMT on 22 March 2009: while, the Moon on that day will be 23 ° 09’ 49” in Shravana (4) which is Moon star as well; while Rahu on that day will be 12°41’31’ Shravana (1) again a Moon star.

Jupiter, in the same line of Moon at 23:49:05 Hours GMT in Purvashada Star Zone (2 Pada) - Wednesday the 25.March.2009, to Earth.

Jupiter and Mars will be on line with earth on 17^th February 2009 - Tuesday

(Mars day) 16:27:07 GMT at 16°07’07” in Capricorn in the star zone of Shravana (2 Pada)

Mercury will be in the same line of Jupiter at 6:52:21 Hours in Sharavana (3) at 17°37’ 40” on 24^th Feb 2009, to Earth.

Sun will be in the same line of Jupiter at 5:44:06 Hours in Shravana (1) at 10° 22’ 58” on 24^th January 2009, to Earth.

I am expecting an international conflict (war) could break causing many human loss during the above periods. Heavy lose in finance is seen in natal charts.

Those who would like to have ready reference on ‘combust’ positions of Planets from Sun is given below:

(1) Mars 17 Degrees; (2) Mercury 13 Degrees; (3) Jupiter 11 Degrees

(4) Venus 9 Degrees (5) Saturn 15 Degrees.

Grahana Yoga

Here is an explanation of grahana yoga or gulping of planets is all about...

As per mythology rahu and ketu are demons who are famous to deceive and devoid the native of the reality which is positively termed as causing maya and moksha. also as per mythology, rahu gulps sun and ketu gulps moon.

So this explanation hold good for believers only.

As per astronomy, these are two intersection points of the moon's orbit and ecliptic beacuse they cause temporary obstruction of light thereby causing an eclipse. since the light of sun and moon are essesntial and their eclipse is felt by all sentient beings on the earth.

Be it mythology or astronomy, in the following cases ecliptic affect is felt in a native, in their order:

1. conjunction of sun and rahu
2. conjunction of sun and ketu
3. conjunction of moon and rahu
4. conjunction of moon and ketu
5. rahu in sun's sign leo
6. ketu in sun's sign leo
7. rahu in moon's sign cancer
8. ketu in moon's sign cancer
9. sun in rahu's nakshatra
10. sun in ketu's nakshatra
11. moon in rahu's nakshatra
12. moon in ketu's nakshatra

Negative affects of grahana yoga are felt more in the mahadasa and anatardasas of rahu and ketu akin to similar affects in KSY.

The worst a native can imagine is the combination of grahana yoga and sampoorn kalasarpa yoga viz. sun+rahu and ketu+moon and all planets hemmed one side of the axis. this is supposed to be thousand times more powerful than the ordinary KSY.

Since rahu and ketu have drunk the amrut (nectar) and have become immortal and were granted devata status by the gods and are worshipped equally with all other seven planets in navagrahapoojas and navagraha homams and since rahu and ketu are allotted the stars equally and have dasha periods akin to other planets, their role in humans is of vital importance.

Due to the changed desha, kala, vartamana situations, rahu is presented positively because if rahu is powerful in a chart, that native is adept in making strategies (deceiving others) and get his things done.

Similarly several traits of rahu and ketu are seen positively due to the changed perception and requirements of the changed world. Hence Astrologers started telling customers that if you want this or that trait of rahu or ketu, in that way rahu and ketu are good for you. the most positive influence of rahu is seen when natives ask about foreign travel, foreign job and forein settlement. This shows to astrologers that you have some money to spend on geting visa, PR etc.

This is where they suggest, with parihara's an make a killing.

This guess by them that you are rich and charge you 100 times more money for a simple Rs 100/- rudraksha.

I personally know a case, where two rudraksha were glued, to tell that it is 12 faced, where actually it was 6 faced x 2 only. This is the world.

The simple parihara would be to visit a temple on a saturday, and go around the NavaGraha 9 times and offer someone, at least 1 rupee, other than a beggar.

If it works for you send me an email or post a comment, if you benefit and if you wish to donate some money to me for a worthy cause, if you feel like, let me know.

The Law of the Garbage Truck

One day I hopped into a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us.


My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean he was really friendly. So I asked, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!"


This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call "The Law of the Garbage Truck." He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you.


Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the street. The bottom line is that successful people don't let garbage trucks take over their day.


Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so…
"Love the people who treat you right. Forgive the ones who don't."


Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it! Good Day!

Words of Osho

Words of Osho........ .......
============ ========= ========= ===
My effort is to give you the dignity of being a master. And unless
each of my sannyasins is a master unto himself, he is going to remain
in different kinds of slaveries, consciously or unconsciously.
Nobody in the whole history of man has tried to give man his dignity.
Yes, Jesus says to people, "You are my sheep, I am your shepherd."
And I sometimes wonder: not a single man stood up to say, "Shut up,
please! I am also a shepherd."
Gautam Buddha's story is that he was born while his mother was
standing under a saal tree. It is a strange way of being born, and
not only that, he stood directly on the earth coming out of the womb.
Ordinarily the head comes first. Once in a while the feet also come
first, but nobody has ever heard that a just-born child stands on the
earth and walks seven feet and declares to the world, "I am the most
enlightened person in the whole existence."

My problem is that for twenty-five centuries nobody has criticized
this man, what kind of nonsense... we have become so enslaved that we
have lost the courage. Even when we see absolutely patent nonsense,
we don't raise a question. We simply accept it. We are left in such a
situation that we have lost all our intelligence. And the profit goes
certainly to the vested interests; they would like you to remain in
the same situation.
I would like you, Amrito, just to forget all about spiritual growth.
Forget all about spiritual goals. Existence has no goal; existence is
simply a tremendous playfulness of energy, not going anywhere.
Rejoice in this dance, be part of this dance, and flowers of
tremendous bliss will shower on you.
Nobody has to lead you and nobody has to save you. All those people
were nothing but very subtle egoists. They have dominated humanity up
to now, and this is the result that we see all over the world -- just
misery. People go on living, because what else to do. They go on
dragging themselves knowing perfectly well that in the end is the
grave. Hoping, dreaming, imagining, but not living.
I teach you life, and life is now and here.
It is always now and always here and except drowning yourself into
life in all its dimensions, in all its colors, there is no paradise.
There is nothing else but this sheer dance.
People go on changing their illusions.
When they are young somebody has the illusion of love; perhaps love
will open the doors of all the mysteries. It opens the doors, not of
the mysteries, but of the miseries. Somebody is running after money.
And a man like Henry Ford, when asked, "You have earned more money
than anybody else in the world. Now, at the top, how do you feel?"
said, "Utterly frustrated, because at the top there is nothing. All
that I have learned in my whole life is climbing ladders. I went on
climbing hoping that on the next rung may be the fulfillment. .. but
the fulfillment never comes."

I have said to Amrito that when people are finished with their
worldly hopes, illusions, dreams, then they change and they start
hoping about spiritual growth, about God, about paradise. These are
the same people and this is the same mind which has not learned
anything at all.
Unless you are completely disillusioned -- that means now you don't
think of tomorrow at all -- you will not know the pure truth of
existence, which just exists in this moment. You will not fall in
tune with it. You are always moving away, postponing. You are going,
you are always on the go.
It is time for you to be completely disillusioned -- of worldly
illusions, of otherworldly illusions, of love, of money, of
enlightenment. Just simply be whatever you are, and you have arrived
home.
In fact you have never left it.

You have always been here.

Just to bring you back to your senses....

Grandma Faginbaum, out walking her dog, goes into the local
supermarket and leaves the dog tied to the railing outside.
Immediately, the dog is surrounded by all the neighborhood dogs who
come to sniff.
A cop, standing close by, watches this and calls to the old
woman, "Lady, you can't leave your dog alone like that, she's in
heat."
"Eat?" says Grandma Faginbaum. "She'll eat anything."
"No, no!" shouts the cop. "The dog should be bred."
"Bread, cake, biscuits," calls out Grandma, "she'll eat anything you
give her."
Becoming frustrated, the cop yells out, "Your dog should be screwed!"
"So screw her," calls back Grandma. "I always wanted a police dog."

Okay, Maneesha?
Yes, Beloved Master.

THE END.

Can This Black Box See Into the Future

Can This Black Box See Into the Future?

Posted on: Friday, 11 February 2005, 00:00 CST

DEEP in the basement of a dusty university library in Edinburgh lies a small black box, roughly the size of two cigarette packets side by side, that churns out random numbers in an endless stream.

At first glance it is an unremarkable piece of equipment. Encased in metal, it contains at its heart a microchip no more complex than the ones found in modern pocket calculators.

But, according to a growing band of top scientists, this box has quite extraordinary powers. It is, they claim, the 'eye' of a machine that appears capable of peering into the future and predicting major world events.

The machine apparently sensed the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center four hours before they happened - but in the fevered mood of conspiracy theories of the time, the claims were swiftly knocked back by skeptics. But last December, it also appeared to forewarn of the Asian tsunami just before the deep sea earthquake that precipitated the epic tragedy.

Now, even the doubters are acknowledging that here is a small box with apparently inexplicable powers.

'It's Earth-shattering stuff,' says Dr Roger Nelson, emeritus researcher at Princeton University in the United States, who is heading the research project behind the 'black box' phenomenon.

'We're very early on in the process of trying to figure out what's going on here. At the moment we're stabbing in the dark.' Dr Nelson's investigations, called the Global Consciousness Project, were originally hosted by Princeton University and are centred on one of the most extraordinary experiments of all time. Its aim is to detect whether all of humanity shares a single subconscious mind that we can all tap into without realising.

And machines like the Edinburgh black box have thrown up a tantalising possibility: that scientists may have unwittingly discovered a way of predicting the future.

Although many would consider the project's aims to be little more than fools' gold, it has still attracted a roster of 75 respected scientists from 41 different nations. Researchers from Princeton - where Einstein spent much of his career - work alongside scientists from universities in Britain, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany. The project is also the most rigorous and longest-running investigation ever into the potential powers of the paranormal.

'Very often paranormal phenomena evaporate if you study them for long enough,' says physicist Dick Bierman of the University of Amsterdam. 'But this is not happening with the Global Consciousness Project. The effect is real. The only dispute is about what it means.' The project has its roots in the extraordinary work of Professor Robert Jahn of Princeton University during the late 1970s. He was one of the first modern scientists to take paranormal phenomena seriously. Intrigued by such things as telepathy, telekinesis - the supposed psychic power to move objects without the use of physical force - and extrasensory perception, he was determined to study the phenomena using the most up-to-date technology available.

One of these new technologies was a humble-looking black box known was a Random Event Generator (REG). This used computer technology to generate two numbers - a one and a zero - in a totally random sequence, rather like an electronic coin-flipper.

The pattern of ones and naughts - 'heads' and 'tails' as it were - could then be printed out as a graph. The laws of chance dictate that the generators should churn out equal numbers of ones and zeros - which would be represented by a nearly flat line on the graph. Any deviation from this equal number shows up as a gently rising curve.

During the late 1970s, Prof John decided to investigate whether the power of human thought alone could interfere in some way with the machine's usual readings. He hauled strangers off the street and asked them to concentrate their minds on his number generator. In effect, he was asking them to try to make it flip more heads than tails.

It was a preposterous idea at the time. The results, however, were stunning and have never been satisfactorily explained.

Again and again, entirely ordinary people proved that their minds could influence the machine and produce significant fluctuations on the graph, 'forcing it' to produce unequal numbers of 'heads' or 'tails'.

According to all of the known laws of science, this should not have happened - but it did. And it kept on happening.

Dr Nelson, also working at Princeton University, then extended Prof John's work by taking random number machines to group meditations, which were very popular in America at the time. Again, the results were eye popping. The groups were collectively able to cause dramatic shifts in the patterns of numbers.

From then on, Dr Nelson was hooked.

Using the internet, he connected up 40 random event generators from all over the world to his laboratory computer in Princeton. These ran constantly, day in day out, generating millions of different pieces of data. Most of the time, the resulting graph on his computer looked more or less like a flat line.

But then on September 6, 1997, something quite extraordinary happened: the graph shot upwards, recording a sudden and massive shift in the number sequence as his machines around the world started reporting huge deviations from the norm. The day was of historic importance for another reason, too.

For it was the same day that an estimated one billion people around the world watched the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales at Westminster Abbey.

Dr Nelson was convinced that the two events must be related in some way.

Could he have detected a totally new phenomena? Could the concentrated emotional outpouring of millions of people be able to influence the output of his REGs. If so, how?

Dr Nelson was at a loss to explain it.

So, in 1998, he gathered together scientists from all over the world to analyze his findings. They, too, were stumped and resolved to extend and deepen the work of Prof Jahn and Dr Nelson. The Global Consciousness Project was born.

Since then, the project has expanded massively. A total of 65 Eggs (as the generators have been named) in 41 countries have now been recruited to act as the 'eyes' of the project.

And the results have been startling and inexplicable in equal measure.

For during the course of the experiment, the Eggs have 'sensed' a whole series of major world events as they were happening, from the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia to the Kurdish submarine tragedy to America's hung election of 2000.

The Eggs also regularly detect huge global celebrations, such as New Year's Eve.

But the project threw up its greatest enigma on September 11, 2001.

As the world stood still and watched the horror of the terrorist attacks unfold across New York, something strange was happening to the Eggs.

Not only had they registered the attacks as they actually happened, but the characteristic shift in the pattern of numbers had begun four hours before the two planes even hit the Twin Towers.

They had, it appeared, detected that an event of historic importance was about to take place before the terrorists had even boarded their fateful flights. The implications, not least for the West's security services who constantly monitor electronic 'chatter', are clearly enormous.

'I knew then that we had a great deal of work ahead of us,' says Dr Nelson.

What could be happening? Was it a freak occurrence, perhaps?

Apparently not. For in the closing weeks of December last year, the machines went wild once more.

Twenty-four hours later, an earthquake deep beneath the Indian Ocean triggered the tsunami which devastated South-East Asia, and claimed the lives of an estimated quarter of a million people.

So could the Global Consciousness Project really be forecasting the future?

Cynics will quite rightly point out that there is always some global event that could be used to 'explain' the times when the Egg machines behaved erratically. After all, our world is full of wars, disasters and terrorist outrages, as well as the occasional global celebration. Are the scientists simply trying too hard to detect patterns in their raw data?

The team behind the project insist not. They claim that by using rigorous scientific techniques and powerful mathematics it is possible to exclude any such random connections.

'We're perfectly willing to discover that we've made mistakes,' says Dr Nelson. 'But we haven't been able to find any, and neither has anyone else.

Our data shows clearly that the chances of getting these results by fluke are one million to one against.

That's hugely significant. ' But many remain skeptical.

Professor Chris French, a psychologist and noted skeptic at Goldsmiths College in London, says: 'The Global Consciousness Project has generated some very intriguing results that cannot be readily dismissed. I'm involved in similar work to see if we get the same results. We haven't managed to do so yet but it's only an early experiment. The jury's still out.' Strange as it may seem, though, there's nothing in the laws of physics that precludes the possibility of foreseeing the future.

It is possible - in theory - that time may not just move forwards but backwards, too. And if time ebbs and flows like the tides in the sea, it might just be possible to foretell major world events. We would, in effect, be 'remembering' things that had taken place in our future.

'There's plenty of evidence that time may run backwards,' says Prof Bierman at the University of Amsterdam.

'And if it's possible for it to happen in physics, then it can happen in our minds, too.' In other words, Prof Bierman believes that we are all capable of looking into the future, if only we could tap into the hidden power of our minds. And there is a tantalization body of evidence to support this theory.

Dr John Hartwell, working at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands, was the first to uncover evidence that people could sense the future. In the mid-1970s he hooked people up to hospital scanning machines so that he could study their brainwave patterns.

He began by showing them a sequence of provocative cartoon drawings.

When the pictures were shown, the machines registered the subject's brainwaves as they reacted strongly to the images before them. This was to be expected.

Far less easy to explain was the fact that in many cases, these dramatic patterns began to register a few seconds before each of the pictures were even flashed up.

It was as though Dr Hartwell's case studies were somehow seeing into the future, and detecting when the next shocking image would be shown next.

It was extraordinary - and seemingly inexplicable.

But it was to be another 15 years before anyone else took Dr Hartwell's work further when Dean Radin, a researcher working in America, connected people up to a machine that measured their skin's resistance to electricity. This is known to fluctuate in tandem with our moods - indeed, it's this principle that underlies many lie detectors.

Radin repeated Dr Hartwell's 'image response' experiments while measuring skin resistance. Again, people began reacting a few seconds before they were shown the provocative pictures. This was clearly impossible, or so he thought, so he kept on repeating the experiments. And he kept getting the same results.

'I didn't believe it either,' says Prof Bierman. 'So I also repeated the experiment myself and got the same results. I was shocked. After this I started to think more deeply about the nature of time.' To make matters even more intriguing, Prof Bierman says that other mainstream labs have now produced similar results but are yet to go public.

'They don't want to be ridiculed so they won't release their findings,' he says. 'So I'm trying to persuade all of them to release their results at the same time. That would at least spread the ridicule a little more thinly!' If Prof Bierman is right, though, then the experiments are no laughing matter.

They might help provide a solid scientific grounding for such strange phenomena as 'deja vu', intuition and a host of other curiosities that we have all experienced from time to time.

They may also open up a far more interesting possibility - that one day we might be able to enhance psychic powers using machines that can 'tune in' to our subconscious mind, machines like the little black box in Edinburgh.

Just as we have built mechanical engines to replace muscle power, could we one day build a device to enhance and interpret our hidden psychic abilities?

Dr Nelson is optimistic - but not for the short term. 'We may be able to predict that a major world event is going to happen. But we won't know exactly what will happen or where it's going to happen,' he says.

'Put it this way - we haven't yet got a machine we could sell to the CIA.'

But for Dr Nelson, talk of such psychic machines - with the potential to detect global catastrophes or terrorist outrages - is of far less importance than the implications of his work in terms of the human race.

For what his experiments appear to demonstrate is that while we may all operate as individuals, we also appear to share something far, far greater - a global consciousness. Some might call it the mind of God.

'We're taught to be individualistic monsters,' he says. 'We're driven by society to separate ourselves from each other. That's not right.

We may be connected together far more intimately than we realise.'

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Global Consciousness Project