Robert Rabbin
When there is no noise around, we open to life and life opens to us, life reaches towards us and touches us in the centre of our heart
From the time i was 11 years old, i needed to know one thing above and before all else: Who am i? I travelled for a long time and throughout the world in search of answers. One day, as if i had lived alone for many years in the deep desert, i was taken by a stunning stillness, and without resistance i disappeared into Silence. It was more than an epiphany, more than grace, more than mystical union: It was my soul’s homecoming, my heart’s overflowing love, and my mind's eternal peace. In Silence, i felt my core identity, my essential nature, as a unity-in-love with all creation. I experienced freedom clarity, and joy as my true Self. I realised i was of time and eternity in equal measure. I was composed of physical matter and spiritual energy in equal measure. I was born in New York City at the same instant i appeared 20 billion years ago, unfathomably and impossibly far away as a sibling to trillions of suns. This Self, this Silence, belongs to all of us — it is who we are; it is what we are. If we are to experience and embody authentic peace and love, if we are going to bring true healing to our wildly violent and endangered world, we are going to have to learn to live within this essence which joins us together as brothers and sisters. Please remember the Silence beyond words, the Silence of mystery and magic, the Silence of the soul, of the heart, the Silence in which lovers give themselves to a greater loving, a selfless loving, the Silence which knows only this moment, this present moment, this incredible instant of pure life when time suddenly stops, when we breathe the high-altitude air we call love. I want to remind you of these ways of Silence knowing and being, which you know, which you are. Silence is within our very genes. It winds around and binds together the strands of our DNA. It is the essence of who we are. It is within our breath. It is there like music between our thoughts. It is the light within our eyes. It is the high arc of birds we long to follow home to their secret nests. It is in the rhythm of waves, the innocence of children, the deep feelings within the heart that have no cause, when the heart is pierced without warning and our eyes fill with teas. It is within the kindness of one person to another. It is within the stillness of nights, and peace of early mornings. It is there when you see the one you love coming towards you, and your pulse pounds and races with delight and you move with her in a twilight not of this world, but of the spirit world, the world of our deeper knowing. In Silence, we open to life and life opens to us, life reaches towards us and touches us in the centre of our heart. Our heart breaks open and another heart is revealed. This is the true heart, the one that knows how to meet life with open arms. Silence knows that thoughts about life are not life itself. If we touch life through Silence, life touches us back, intimately, sensually, erotically. We become one with life itself, abandoning all thoughts about life. And then the mystery of life, the wonder of life, the beauty of life, the sanctity of life, become our life. Everything but wonderment falls away; the anger and fear and violence disappear as if they never existed. Knowing Silence is knowing ourselves for the first time; we see the world for the first time. We only have to be still, to be still, until that Silence comes forth from within us, to surround us, to illuminate us. This Silence is the real teacher, the real teaching, the real path. This Silence is what we seek above all else, for it is who we are. It is our own Self. It is restores us to love and redeems us in love. Knowing Silence is knowing your Self. Knowing your Self is freedom. In Silence, you are the very embodiment of joy, the very expression of love. All this is true right now, in this moment. Just enter your Self fully and deeply. You will find this Silence, and in Silence you will know your own beauty, your own power, your own magnificence — it is the same for all! As the embodiment of Silence you are perfection itself. You are a treasure to the world, a treasure to the world which the world needs now, right now, right now, not later or tomorrow, but right now the world needs you to be your true Self, the world needs the healing power of your heart, and of your Silence.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
A TRIBUTE TO MAHARISHI Mahesh Yogi
Deepak Chopra
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was what his name implied — a great sage, a knower and teacher of reality.
It was in 1985, two years after a trip to Rishikesh, that i got an opportunity to meet Maharashi. A young psychologist at Harvard, who was doing a study on the benefits of Transcendental Meditation for older people, told me about Maharishi’s visit to America for a conference after several years. My wife, Rita and i decided to attend it. It was a dark auditorium with over five hundred people and we, with great difficulty, managed to get a glimpse of the Maharishi. He was on the stage, dressed in white silk and seated in the lotus position on a divan. He rarely stirred, and even from a distance, one could see the immaculate stillness in him. As he talked, he gestured with a flower in his hand. His voice was unusually varied, rising and falling, often breaking out in a laugh. He spent several hours discussing the revival of Ayurveda with various doctors and Indian pundits. It sounded interesting, but we had a plane to catch. As discreetly as we could, Rita and i walked out. On our way out, we stopped for a glass of water, then began to make our way through the lobby. At that moment, the doors to the hall opened and out came Maharishi. He walked fast and a group of people trailed behind him, but without warning he veered away from where they were going, towards the elevator and walked right up to Rita and me. He picked out a long-stemmed red rose from the flower bouquet he was holding and handed it to Rita, then picked another and handed it to me. “Can you come up?” he asked us. Feeling a little dazed, i looked over at Rita. We were both thinking about our flight home half an hour later. I didn’t know what to say. “We have a plane to catch, Maharishi,” i said. He laughed. “Oh, can’t you come up?” he said again. We decided to go and upstairs we found ourselves in a conference room decorated from floor to ceiling in pink. We sat on overstuffed pink chairs; Maharishi sat in lotus position on a white divan, the only non-pink furniture in the room. Rita and I had seen his picture many times, so he seemed familiar to us already, except that his untrimmed monk’s beard now had a wider ribbon of white in the middle. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi is a name that suggests a story. Like kabir, maharishi, is a word. It combines maha or “great” and rishi or “sage’’. The part of the name that we would call a given name is Mahesh. And yogi means “in union.”
A man named Mahesh has attained union and become a great sage. As he chatted with us, i could not even think of paying attention to anyone else. Without any effort, my mind had fallen silent. No thoughts moved through it, and there wasn’t the usual ricochet of stray impressions — just silence. This seemed an extraordinary pleasant state to be in, because i felt completely unself. I felt no desire to look important or to impress Maharishi. I could have even sat sky-clad and not been embarrassed. M a h a r i s h i asked us about what we did and i said that i was a doctor and that i had practiced TM for four years. He then asked, “Do you know a lot about Ayurveda?” I shook my head. “You should learn,” he said, “because it is such a simple way of approaching medicine. Everything around us is change, but it all takes place against a background that is unchanging. Against everything in the relative world is a background of the absolute. Ayurveda says that behind mortality is the aspect of immortality. The goal of Ayurveda is to restore this multiplicity to that absolute, to unity.” Consciousness is our link back to the unchanging, he explained, because our consciousness rises from the absolute in the same way that plants, rocks, and all physical things arise. The raw material for everything in the universe is consciousness. “Nature thinks the way we do,” he said. Maharishi said, “Everything is orderly because everything is intelligence. Food is intelligence and the plants are intelligence. What we take in as nourishment we convert to our own intelligence. Sickness is interrupted intelligence, but we can bring it back into line. That’s all we do from our side. Nature takes care of it.”
Listening to Maharishi was a remarkable experience. He was stitching together, very simply and deftly, a new world. After a few hours our meeting came to an end. As a parting gesture he very carefully picked out two more roses. He must have scrutinised a dozen before he found the right ones. He asked us to give them to our children. We took one last glimpse of him in the pink room, and the next minute we were alone in the elevator. As happy as Rita and i felt, our thoughts turned to the plane that had taken off two hours earlier. On an impulse, we went to the airport anyway. There were no later flights, we were told, but by chance, all the earlier flights had been delayed on the eastern corridor, and our plane was still on the ground. We were lucky. As we headed home, i thought about Ayurveda and Maharishi’s desire for me to get involved in it. Now that i was away from him, my inner silence evaporated, and the buzzing of thoughts started up again. Over and over, a thought repeated itself: “Don’t become an outsider.” I was being asked to look outside science.
Perhaps Ayurveda would be the science of tomorrow, but what was it today? I thought about my standing as a doctor. Ayurveda is not licensed medicine in America. I wasn’t being asked to practise Ayurveda, but simply to look into it. A part of me said that i had a lot to lose. Another didn't have an opinion. I lay in bed thinking about Maharishi himself. The tradition of wisdom in India has been passed down from one person to another, from teacher to disciple. This may seem a more fragile way than written records, but in reality it has been much more durable. The teacher, or acharya, embodies the truth he talked about. If he can effectively teach it, his disciple becomes the next embodiment, and in that way, generation after generation the living links are forged.
The truth may sink from public light, but somewhere it is flowing through a sage. A mind that is truly enlightened does not think of the truth, it creates it. That is why a true acharya is very rare. I had no doubt, after practising his meditation, that Maharishi was anything less than his name implied. He was a great sage, a knower and teacher of reality. It wasn’t necessary for me to seek him out as a guru, because, by a stroke of genius, Maharishi had compressed the acharya and placed him inside every meditator. If we want to look for the one who will enlighten us, we do not have to go beyond our own doorstep.
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was what his name implied — a great sage, a knower and teacher of reality.
It was in 1985, two years after a trip to Rishikesh, that i got an opportunity to meet Maharashi. A young psychologist at Harvard, who was doing a study on the benefits of Transcendental Meditation for older people, told me about Maharishi’s visit to America for a conference after several years. My wife, Rita and i decided to attend it. It was a dark auditorium with over five hundred people and we, with great difficulty, managed to get a glimpse of the Maharishi. He was on the stage, dressed in white silk and seated in the lotus position on a divan. He rarely stirred, and even from a distance, one could see the immaculate stillness in him. As he talked, he gestured with a flower in his hand. His voice was unusually varied, rising and falling, often breaking out in a laugh. He spent several hours discussing the revival of Ayurveda with various doctors and Indian pundits. It sounded interesting, but we had a plane to catch. As discreetly as we could, Rita and i walked out. On our way out, we stopped for a glass of water, then began to make our way through the lobby. At that moment, the doors to the hall opened and out came Maharishi. He walked fast and a group of people trailed behind him, but without warning he veered away from where they were going, towards the elevator and walked right up to Rita and me. He picked out a long-stemmed red rose from the flower bouquet he was holding and handed it to Rita, then picked another and handed it to me. “Can you come up?” he asked us. Feeling a little dazed, i looked over at Rita. We were both thinking about our flight home half an hour later. I didn’t know what to say. “We have a plane to catch, Maharishi,” i said. He laughed. “Oh, can’t you come up?” he said again. We decided to go and upstairs we found ourselves in a conference room decorated from floor to ceiling in pink. We sat on overstuffed pink chairs; Maharishi sat in lotus position on a white divan, the only non-pink furniture in the room. Rita and I had seen his picture many times, so he seemed familiar to us already, except that his untrimmed monk’s beard now had a wider ribbon of white in the middle. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi is a name that suggests a story. Like kabir, maharishi, is a word. It combines maha or “great” and rishi or “sage’’. The part of the name that we would call a given name is Mahesh. And yogi means “in union.”
A man named Mahesh has attained union and become a great sage. As he chatted with us, i could not even think of paying attention to anyone else. Without any effort, my mind had fallen silent. No thoughts moved through it, and there wasn’t the usual ricochet of stray impressions — just silence. This seemed an extraordinary pleasant state to be in, because i felt completely unself. I felt no desire to look important or to impress Maharishi. I could have even sat sky-clad and not been embarrassed. M a h a r i s h i asked us about what we did and i said that i was a doctor and that i had practiced TM for four years. He then asked, “Do you know a lot about Ayurveda?” I shook my head. “You should learn,” he said, “because it is such a simple way of approaching medicine. Everything around us is change, but it all takes place against a background that is unchanging. Against everything in the relative world is a background of the absolute. Ayurveda says that behind mortality is the aspect of immortality. The goal of Ayurveda is to restore this multiplicity to that absolute, to unity.” Consciousness is our link back to the unchanging, he explained, because our consciousness rises from the absolute in the same way that plants, rocks, and all physical things arise. The raw material for everything in the universe is consciousness. “Nature thinks the way we do,” he said. Maharishi said, “Everything is orderly because everything is intelligence. Food is intelligence and the plants are intelligence. What we take in as nourishment we convert to our own intelligence. Sickness is interrupted intelligence, but we can bring it back into line. That’s all we do from our side. Nature takes care of it.”
Listening to Maharishi was a remarkable experience. He was stitching together, very simply and deftly, a new world. After a few hours our meeting came to an end. As a parting gesture he very carefully picked out two more roses. He must have scrutinised a dozen before he found the right ones. He asked us to give them to our children. We took one last glimpse of him in the pink room, and the next minute we were alone in the elevator. As happy as Rita and i felt, our thoughts turned to the plane that had taken off two hours earlier. On an impulse, we went to the airport anyway. There were no later flights, we were told, but by chance, all the earlier flights had been delayed on the eastern corridor, and our plane was still on the ground. We were lucky. As we headed home, i thought about Ayurveda and Maharishi’s desire for me to get involved in it. Now that i was away from him, my inner silence evaporated, and the buzzing of thoughts started up again. Over and over, a thought repeated itself: “Don’t become an outsider.” I was being asked to look outside science.
Perhaps Ayurveda would be the science of tomorrow, but what was it today? I thought about my standing as a doctor. Ayurveda is not licensed medicine in America. I wasn’t being asked to practise Ayurveda, but simply to look into it. A part of me said that i had a lot to lose. Another didn't have an opinion. I lay in bed thinking about Maharishi himself. The tradition of wisdom in India has been passed down from one person to another, from teacher to disciple. This may seem a more fragile way than written records, but in reality it has been much more durable. The teacher, or acharya, embodies the truth he talked about. If he can effectively teach it, his disciple becomes the next embodiment, and in that way, generation after generation the living links are forged.
The truth may sink from public light, but somewhere it is flowing through a sage. A mind that is truly enlightened does not think of the truth, it creates it. That is why a true acharya is very rare. I had no doubt, after practising his meditation, that Maharishi was anything less than his name implied. He was a great sage, a knower and teacher of reality. It wasn’t necessary for me to seek him out as a guru, because, by a stroke of genius, Maharishi had compressed the acharya and placed him inside every meditator. If we want to look for the one who will enlighten us, we do not have to go beyond our own doorstep.
The Universe is perfect
Toni La Motta
Everything has a reason and a season. There are never any accidents in our life. Everything is happening perfectly. Nothing happens randomly
When you really believe that the Universe is a friendly place and all of life is in Divine Order, you will never complain. When we complain, we are saying, something’s wrong here, this shouldn’t be happening. It shouldn’t be happening to me; it shouldn’t be happening this way. Life is unfair. The universe really is unfriendly and there is no order out here. Do you have something you are complaining about right now? I am noticing that i complain about contractors, about what is happening around my house. I decided to let that go and see the order in the universe. But, what if it never gets changed? The energy that we put into complaining is exhausting and it really is about not believing there’s a perfect order in the universe. It believes that somebody else did something to me. This is happening, and it is happening because somebody else is not living up to what they should be doing. I know how people should be living. I know how others should be running their lives and when they don’t and it interferes with my life. I think there is something wrong out there. Am i the only one that thinks this way? We know the drill. Life is unfair. We may not say it in those words. But notice the words you do use when you say, “I don’t want this to be happening right now.” When we decide to focus, instead, on the Divine Quality of order, we say things just don’t feel right. When they don’t feel right, and then i remember there is a perfect order in the universe, i can stop and say at that moment, “This really is perfect. Whatever this is.” I have a friend whose husband used to say all the time, “This is it. And i am happy.” Isn’t that a great line? “This is it. And i am happy." So, you can’t pay your bills? “This is it. And i am happy.” So, you have a headache, or you get a diagnosis you don’t like, “This is it. And i am happy.” So, you lose your job, a friend walks out on you, your love life ends, “This is it. And i am happy.” Have you had enough? But imagine living like that. We don’t believe in Divine Order. We think there is randomness in the universe and it’s happening to us. We live more in victim hood whenever we believe that things are happening to us. The reason this didn’t happen is because you did this. Those contractors. Oh, i have my conversations with contractors all over the country. I can get agreement for anything i want to complain about. And you will too. Notice that like attracts like. People say to me, “See, it’s true. All my friends say so.” Of course, your friends say so, because that’s what you say and life is a mirror. We are constantly bringing agreement into our life. If we don’t believe things are in order, the people in our lives won't either. Maybe you need some new people in your life that can start believing these principles with you. The Law of Attraction, like gravity, works whether you believe it or not. There is perfection in everything. Life will constantly hand us things to manage, things to experience, things to grapple with. When we accept the Quality of Order, what it does is present us with an opportunity to experience life as a series of opportunities to go beyond the senses. Go beyond appearances; go beyond what we are seeing and really recognise the truth behind everything. It’s the opportunity to move beyond the little self that only sees the surface and live in the consciousness of our higher self. Even though on some days you feel it is quite small, it really is whom you are. It really is your essence. I read somewhere, “Divine set-ups are purposeful events, choreographed by our soul to create the opportunity for us to wake up.” Divine set-ups? An interesting way to see life. Everything that is happening in life is by Divine set-up. We have chosen to have certain experiences. Everything has a reason; everything has a season. There’s a time for every purpose under heaven. There are never any accidents in our life. And i am talking about little things as well as the big ones. It’s all happening perfectly. Nothing happens randomly. There is a perfect order in the universe.
Everything has a reason and a season. There are never any accidents in our life. Everything is happening perfectly. Nothing happens randomly
When you really believe that the Universe is a friendly place and all of life is in Divine Order, you will never complain. When we complain, we are saying, something’s wrong here, this shouldn’t be happening. It shouldn’t be happening to me; it shouldn’t be happening this way. Life is unfair. The universe really is unfriendly and there is no order out here. Do you have something you are complaining about right now? I am noticing that i complain about contractors, about what is happening around my house. I decided to let that go and see the order in the universe. But, what if it never gets changed? The energy that we put into complaining is exhausting and it really is about not believing there’s a perfect order in the universe. It believes that somebody else did something to me. This is happening, and it is happening because somebody else is not living up to what they should be doing. I know how people should be living. I know how others should be running their lives and when they don’t and it interferes with my life. I think there is something wrong out there. Am i the only one that thinks this way? We know the drill. Life is unfair. We may not say it in those words. But notice the words you do use when you say, “I don’t want this to be happening right now.” When we decide to focus, instead, on the Divine Quality of order, we say things just don’t feel right. When they don’t feel right, and then i remember there is a perfect order in the universe, i can stop and say at that moment, “This really is perfect. Whatever this is.” I have a friend whose husband used to say all the time, “This is it. And i am happy.” Isn’t that a great line? “This is it. And i am happy." So, you can’t pay your bills? “This is it. And i am happy.” So, you have a headache, or you get a diagnosis you don’t like, “This is it. And i am happy.” So, you lose your job, a friend walks out on you, your love life ends, “This is it. And i am happy.” Have you had enough? But imagine living like that. We don’t believe in Divine Order. We think there is randomness in the universe and it’s happening to us. We live more in victim hood whenever we believe that things are happening to us. The reason this didn’t happen is because you did this. Those contractors. Oh, i have my conversations with contractors all over the country. I can get agreement for anything i want to complain about. And you will too. Notice that like attracts like. People say to me, “See, it’s true. All my friends say so.” Of course, your friends say so, because that’s what you say and life is a mirror. We are constantly bringing agreement into our life. If we don’t believe things are in order, the people in our lives won't either. Maybe you need some new people in your life that can start believing these principles with you. The Law of Attraction, like gravity, works whether you believe it or not. There is perfection in everything. Life will constantly hand us things to manage, things to experience, things to grapple with. When we accept the Quality of Order, what it does is present us with an opportunity to experience life as a series of opportunities to go beyond the senses. Go beyond appearances; go beyond what we are seeing and really recognise the truth behind everything. It’s the opportunity to move beyond the little self that only sees the surface and live in the consciousness of our higher self. Even though on some days you feel it is quite small, it really is whom you are. It really is your essence. I read somewhere, “Divine set-ups are purposeful events, choreographed by our soul to create the opportunity for us to wake up.” Divine set-ups? An interesting way to see life. Everything that is happening in life is by Divine set-up. We have chosen to have certain experiences. Everything has a reason; everything has a season. There’s a time for every purpose under heaven. There are never any accidents in our life. And i am talking about little things as well as the big ones. It’s all happening perfectly. Nothing happens randomly. There is a perfect order in the universe.
I AM
BAPPI LAHIRI
God is power. Whatever we are doing, whatever we have done and whatever we will be doing are all decided by the Almighty. One who is not spiritual can never be peaceful in his or her life. I have immense faith in the Higher Power and that’s why i doze off every night peacefully devoid of any stress. India is a country of wonderful traditions. Today, westerners are looking up to us and learning our kind of spirituality. We have so many religions that teach us beautiful things. It’s time we also looked within and respected our tradition. We should learn all the good things that every religion has to offer. I am an extremely religious and spiritual person. I respect and believe in all religions. I belong to a Bengali Brahmin family where a lot of importance is given to puja and rituals. My parents have taught me to be regular with rituals and i follow all festivals and ceremonies religiously. Whatever i think, talk and do is because of the influence of God. My music is a tribute to Him. Whenever i compose any music, i try to reach God. I would advice all the budding musicians to do the same and see the difference. Thanks to Him, i am what i am today. I take out time to visit religious places as often as possible. Every Saturday, i go to the Hanuman temple and read Hanuman chalisa. I pray to Him to make me as strong as He is. I left Kolkata 30 years ago and since then i have been living in Mumbai. While in Mumbai, i make sure i visit the Hanuman temple every Saturday. Other than that, i’m also a regular visitor to Siddhi Vinayak temple. Whenever i am abroad, i visit churches. I love the churches in Vatican City. I worship Ganpati Baba and i have his idols all over my home. I believe in wearing amulets and neckwear for luck. Why do you think i put on such heavy jewellery? All my accessories have some meaning to it. I have met almost all spiritual leaders all over the world except Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. I wish i could. He was a great human being. My guru ji is Satya Narayan, i respect him and follow his words religiously. My wife is a devotee like me and my entire family is very spiritual. I am a karmayogi and i think without God’s blessings no one can achieve anything in this world. (As told to S Shanthi)
God is power. Whatever we are doing, whatever we have done and whatever we will be doing are all decided by the Almighty. One who is not spiritual can never be peaceful in his or her life. I have immense faith in the Higher Power and that’s why i doze off every night peacefully devoid of any stress. India is a country of wonderful traditions. Today, westerners are looking up to us and learning our kind of spirituality. We have so many religions that teach us beautiful things. It’s time we also looked within and respected our tradition. We should learn all the good things that every religion has to offer. I am an extremely religious and spiritual person. I respect and believe in all religions. I belong to a Bengali Brahmin family where a lot of importance is given to puja and rituals. My parents have taught me to be regular with rituals and i follow all festivals and ceremonies religiously. Whatever i think, talk and do is because of the influence of God. My music is a tribute to Him. Whenever i compose any music, i try to reach God. I would advice all the budding musicians to do the same and see the difference. Thanks to Him, i am what i am today. I take out time to visit religious places as often as possible. Every Saturday, i go to the Hanuman temple and read Hanuman chalisa. I pray to Him to make me as strong as He is. I left Kolkata 30 years ago and since then i have been living in Mumbai. While in Mumbai, i make sure i visit the Hanuman temple every Saturday. Other than that, i’m also a regular visitor to Siddhi Vinayak temple. Whenever i am abroad, i visit churches. I love the churches in Vatican City. I worship Ganpati Baba and i have his idols all over my home. I believe in wearing amulets and neckwear for luck. Why do you think i put on such heavy jewellery? All my accessories have some meaning to it. I have met almost all spiritual leaders all over the world except Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. I wish i could. He was a great human being. My guru ji is Satya Narayan, i respect him and follow his words religiously. My wife is a devotee like me and my entire family is very spiritual. I am a karmayogi and i think without God’s blessings no one can achieve anything in this world. (As told to S Shanthi)
The biochemistry of Sudarshan Kriya
Manoj Jain
If we reduce the number of oxygen radicals, we improve the antioxidant status in our body and live longer
Ever wonder what causes us to age resulting in death of our body cells over the years, develop heart disease leading to plaque in the artery, or suffer from cancer causing cells to mutate and grow erratically? The answer may be simpler than we think. Some researchers say the common denominator in all these conditions is the antioxidant status — the level of chemical process that takes place in our cells and genes. Like we measure our cholesterol level, researchers argue, we can measure our antioxidant status and determine how vulnerable we are to diseases. In a pilot study, biochemists at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) studied the effect of Sudarshan Kriya on the antioxidant status of individuals. Sudarshan Kriya is a well known rhythmic breathing technique promoted by the Art of Living workshops. It is preceded by Ujjayi Pranayam or long and deep breaths with constriction at the base of throat and Bhastrika or fast and forceful breaths through the nose along with arm movements. Before we talk about their findings, let’s step back into our biochemistry class and understand what antioxidant status means. According to the free-radical theory, the cells in our body are being constantly damaged and destroyed by oxygen radicals, similar to what dirt and rust do to our cars. Oxygen radicals are different from oxygen gas in that they are molecules that are highly charged and detrimental byproducts of cell reactions. Our body has an antioxidant defense system that constantly searches and destroys these oxygen radicals, much like our immune system, which polices our body for foreign agents such as bacteria and viruses and eliminates them. If the antioxidant defense system of our body is weak, then the number of oxygen radicals increases, causing our cells to die quickly. This results in inflammation and plaque within our heart vessels or prompts the cells to mutate into cancer cells. On the other hand, if we reduce the number of oxygen radicals, we improve the antioxidant status in our body, and we live longer and lead a disease free life. It is important that we try to reduce the level of oxygen radicals and strengthen our defense system. We can increase our antioxidant levels through our diet. A healthy diet of vegetable and fruit increases our intake of important antioxidants such as Vitamins A, C, E, and beta carotene. Some initial studies have shown the benefit of higher antioxidants in our diet, but larger studies have not detected the benefit — so the jury is still out. Smoking, alcohol and chronic psycho-social problems, such as everyday work and family pressures, can increase oxidative stress. This stress affects our complex molecules and genes. Yoga and meditation can relieve this cellular oxidative stress. The question is whether Sudarshan Kriya would have a similar effect. A team lead by Dr Neeta Singh and Dr Vinod Kochupillai, former chief of IRCH and Head of Medical Oncology at IRCH ( Institute rotary cancer hospital) at AIIMS, tested the blood of 42 persons who were practicing Sudarshan Kriya for over 1 year and compared it with the blood of 42 healthy individuals who were not practicing any form of physical exercise or stress management techniques. What the researchers found was thought provoking. Clearly, the cellular activity between the two groups was different. The Kriya practitioners had a better antioxidant status at the enzyme and the gene level. Also they had less DNA damage and cell aging. It is difficult to know if this change will lead to longer life span, decrease rates of cancer, or lessen heart disease, but “we should practice some type of breathing technique once a day to reduce stress,” said Dr Neeta Singh, who herself is a big fan of the Kriya and does it twice everyday. Though biochemical science and spirituality may seem miles apart, it is heartening to see ancient practices and modern science converging in man’s endeavour to live a richer and healthier life. Dr Manoj Jain is an infectious disease physician working in Memphis (US) and Indore (MP)
If we reduce the number of oxygen radicals, we improve the antioxidant status in our body and live longer
Ever wonder what causes us to age resulting in death of our body cells over the years, develop heart disease leading to plaque in the artery, or suffer from cancer causing cells to mutate and grow erratically? The answer may be simpler than we think. Some researchers say the common denominator in all these conditions is the antioxidant status — the level of chemical process that takes place in our cells and genes. Like we measure our cholesterol level, researchers argue, we can measure our antioxidant status and determine how vulnerable we are to diseases. In a pilot study, biochemists at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) studied the effect of Sudarshan Kriya on the antioxidant status of individuals. Sudarshan Kriya is a well known rhythmic breathing technique promoted by the Art of Living workshops. It is preceded by Ujjayi Pranayam or long and deep breaths with constriction at the base of throat and Bhastrika or fast and forceful breaths through the nose along with arm movements. Before we talk about their findings, let’s step back into our biochemistry class and understand what antioxidant status means. According to the free-radical theory, the cells in our body are being constantly damaged and destroyed by oxygen radicals, similar to what dirt and rust do to our cars. Oxygen radicals are different from oxygen gas in that they are molecules that are highly charged and detrimental byproducts of cell reactions. Our body has an antioxidant defense system that constantly searches and destroys these oxygen radicals, much like our immune system, which polices our body for foreign agents such as bacteria and viruses and eliminates them. If the antioxidant defense system of our body is weak, then the number of oxygen radicals increases, causing our cells to die quickly. This results in inflammation and plaque within our heart vessels or prompts the cells to mutate into cancer cells. On the other hand, if we reduce the number of oxygen radicals, we improve the antioxidant status in our body, and we live longer and lead a disease free life. It is important that we try to reduce the level of oxygen radicals and strengthen our defense system. We can increase our antioxidant levels through our diet. A healthy diet of vegetable and fruit increases our intake of important antioxidants such as Vitamins A, C, E, and beta carotene. Some initial studies have shown the benefit of higher antioxidants in our diet, but larger studies have not detected the benefit — so the jury is still out. Smoking, alcohol and chronic psycho-social problems, such as everyday work and family pressures, can increase oxidative stress. This stress affects our complex molecules and genes. Yoga and meditation can relieve this cellular oxidative stress. The question is whether Sudarshan Kriya would have a similar effect. A team lead by Dr Neeta Singh and Dr Vinod Kochupillai, former chief of IRCH and Head of Medical Oncology at IRCH ( Institute rotary cancer hospital) at AIIMS, tested the blood of 42 persons who were practicing Sudarshan Kriya for over 1 year and compared it with the blood of 42 healthy individuals who were not practicing any form of physical exercise or stress management techniques. What the researchers found was thought provoking. Clearly, the cellular activity between the two groups was different. The Kriya practitioners had a better antioxidant status at the enzyme and the gene level. Also they had less DNA damage and cell aging. It is difficult to know if this change will lead to longer life span, decrease rates of cancer, or lessen heart disease, but “we should practice some type of breathing technique once a day to reduce stress,” said Dr Neeta Singh, who herself is a big fan of the Kriya and does it twice everyday. Though biochemical science and spirituality may seem miles apart, it is heartening to see ancient practices and modern science converging in man’s endeavour to live a richer and healthier life. Dr Manoj Jain is an infectious disease physician working in Memphis (US) and Indore (MP)
MIND SET - KNOW WHEN TO GIVE
Roy E Klienwachter
It is a lie to give when you do not feel like giving. It is the worst blasphemy as you are denying who you really are and your feelings, says Roy E Klienwachter
Giving is the greatest opportunity for you to express who you are and how you see yourself in relationship to others and your environment in the moment. When you walk by a beggar and ignore his outstretched hand-you are making a personal statement about yourself, how you feel about the beggar or what he is doing. We make judgments about the situation based on our own perceptions about the one asking for the handout. There are very few of us who could not give him something, if only a few words of encouragement. My own personal view is I would much rather teach a man to fish, than to feed him. In other words if there is the beggar, a volunteer who would go out and fish and give his catch to the beggar, and the one who would teach the man to fish — I’d rather give to the one who would teach. The beggar doesn’t give a damn about being taught how to fish, if his immediate need is to satisfy his hunger. So giving to the one who would teach is the least desirable course of action in the moment. Giving to the volunteer who would go out and fish and give away his catch does little for the immediate needs of the beggar who is hungry — now. Now giving money to the beggar may not resolve the hunger issue if the money is really needed to buy drugs or something else. Can you trust a beggar who has learned to lie and come up with unique stories to get your money-can he be trusted? Giving to the one who would go out and fish and give away his catch would seem to be a better solution. However, if there are beggars on the street starving, where is his catch going? How much of the donations going to him are being spent on his overhead and personal expenses-can he be trusted to use the money to return fish to the hungry? So maybe it is wiser to use your money to support the one who would do the most good in the first place. Give it to the one who would teach the beggars to fish, so they would no longer have to beg for food and be self sustaining. We all have heard about programs to help the hungry. Money donated to these groups or individuals is funnelled into their own pockets and the needy do not receive benefit from your donation. None of these people seem to be responsible. There is only one person who can be responsible, and it is you. If you see yourself as a giving or caring person in the moment, then it would be incumbent upon yourself to give when the opportunity comes up-not for the sake of the one who is in need, but because it is an opportunity for you to express yourself as caring or giving. All life declares itself as “this” or “that” in any particular moment. Guilt should never be part of the equation of giving. It is a lie to give when you do not feel liking giving. It is the worst blasphemy-you are denying who you really are and your feelings. In the true spirit of giving, you give to yourself-not to the other. You receive the greatest benefit from giving, if it is done from the heart and in the moment. You receive an immediate benefit in the act itself. It is only when your mind starts to contemplate your action do you feel anything else. If you give for yourself first, then it doesn't matter that your donation is going to be used to buy drugs or cigarettes, alcohol or anything else. Your giving was a true expression of how you felt in the moment-it is life expressing itself in all its glory. Over the last six years my web site has cost me thousands to operate and maintain. Three years ago I added a link for those who felt the desire to donate. When I started this site I was aware of the expense of maintaining it and the site survives. I added a link as a gift to those who could see value in the material and purpose of the site. I added it for their benefit, because they have realised the value and wanted to donate something of value in return. It was an opportunity to declare their value and appreciation. It was the greatest gift I could give to my visitors. If one appreciates value then one gives value back because they are aware of their own value. If one does not see value, they do not give value back-they see themselves as valueless in the moment. If you do not see yourself as having value, then you cannot give value. Value can only be experienced when it is given. The next time you are given the opportunity to give, respond to your intuition first and act on it immediately. Simply give or do not. But the most interesting thing, is to listen to your internal dialogue if you do not give. It will be a reminder of how connected or disconnected from spirit you really are. Who gives the greater gift, the one who is in need or the one who needs to give-the one in need of course? When you stop to think before giving, what you are doing is questioning your own value. This is neither a good thing nor a bad thing-it is a simple recognition of how you see yourself in the moment. When you give because it is your true nature to do so, you will always receive an immediate reward-recognition of self. It is the greatest gift anyone can receive-it is a gift of life. Life always seeks to declare itself as “I am”. The donations themselves become meaningless to you-once given, it is no longer yours-neither are any expectations. Donations are not donations if there is an expectationthey become payment in advance for something you seek later. Never miss the opportunity to give-you will always receive an immediate reward. If you want to feel good now, go out and look for someone to give to. Give to yourself first and others will benefit.
It is a lie to give when you do not feel like giving. It is the worst blasphemy as you are denying who you really are and your feelings, says Roy E Klienwachter
Giving is the greatest opportunity for you to express who you are and how you see yourself in relationship to others and your environment in the moment. When you walk by a beggar and ignore his outstretched hand-you are making a personal statement about yourself, how you feel about the beggar or what he is doing. We make judgments about the situation based on our own perceptions about the one asking for the handout. There are very few of us who could not give him something, if only a few words of encouragement. My own personal view is I would much rather teach a man to fish, than to feed him. In other words if there is the beggar, a volunteer who would go out and fish and give his catch to the beggar, and the one who would teach the man to fish — I’d rather give to the one who would teach. The beggar doesn’t give a damn about being taught how to fish, if his immediate need is to satisfy his hunger. So giving to the one who would teach is the least desirable course of action in the moment. Giving to the volunteer who would go out and fish and give away his catch does little for the immediate needs of the beggar who is hungry — now. Now giving money to the beggar may not resolve the hunger issue if the money is really needed to buy drugs or something else. Can you trust a beggar who has learned to lie and come up with unique stories to get your money-can he be trusted? Giving to the one who would go out and fish and give away his catch would seem to be a better solution. However, if there are beggars on the street starving, where is his catch going? How much of the donations going to him are being spent on his overhead and personal expenses-can he be trusted to use the money to return fish to the hungry? So maybe it is wiser to use your money to support the one who would do the most good in the first place. Give it to the one who would teach the beggars to fish, so they would no longer have to beg for food and be self sustaining. We all have heard about programs to help the hungry. Money donated to these groups or individuals is funnelled into their own pockets and the needy do not receive benefit from your donation. None of these people seem to be responsible. There is only one person who can be responsible, and it is you. If you see yourself as a giving or caring person in the moment, then it would be incumbent upon yourself to give when the opportunity comes up-not for the sake of the one who is in need, but because it is an opportunity for you to express yourself as caring or giving. All life declares itself as “this” or “that” in any particular moment. Guilt should never be part of the equation of giving. It is a lie to give when you do not feel liking giving. It is the worst blasphemy-you are denying who you really are and your feelings. In the true spirit of giving, you give to yourself-not to the other. You receive the greatest benefit from giving, if it is done from the heart and in the moment. You receive an immediate benefit in the act itself. It is only when your mind starts to contemplate your action do you feel anything else. If you give for yourself first, then it doesn't matter that your donation is going to be used to buy drugs or cigarettes, alcohol or anything else. Your giving was a true expression of how you felt in the moment-it is life expressing itself in all its glory. Over the last six years my web site has cost me thousands to operate and maintain. Three years ago I added a link for those who felt the desire to donate. When I started this site I was aware of the expense of maintaining it and the site survives. I added a link as a gift to those who could see value in the material and purpose of the site. I added it for their benefit, because they have realised the value and wanted to donate something of value in return. It was an opportunity to declare their value and appreciation. It was the greatest gift I could give to my visitors. If one appreciates value then one gives value back because they are aware of their own value. If one does not see value, they do not give value back-they see themselves as valueless in the moment. If you do not see yourself as having value, then you cannot give value. Value can only be experienced when it is given. The next time you are given the opportunity to give, respond to your intuition first and act on it immediately. Simply give or do not. But the most interesting thing, is to listen to your internal dialogue if you do not give. It will be a reminder of how connected or disconnected from spirit you really are. Who gives the greater gift, the one who is in need or the one who needs to give-the one in need of course? When you stop to think before giving, what you are doing is questioning your own value. This is neither a good thing nor a bad thing-it is a simple recognition of how you see yourself in the moment. When you give because it is your true nature to do so, you will always receive an immediate reward-recognition of self. It is the greatest gift anyone can receive-it is a gift of life. Life always seeks to declare itself as “I am”. The donations themselves become meaningless to you-once given, it is no longer yours-neither are any expectations. Donations are not donations if there is an expectationthey become payment in advance for something you seek later. Never miss the opportunity to give-you will always receive an immediate reward. If you want to feel good now, go out and look for someone to give to. Give to yourself first and others will benefit.
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