tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2926145779506975752024-03-19T00:30:24.987-07:00 Life and Spirituality In pursuit of a greener and happier planet with inspiration drawn from the Himalayas Ashok http://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.comBlogger499125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-5354995080430175542019-06-13T03:17:00.000-07:002019-06-13T03:20:36.065-07:00Me on Twitter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://twitter.com/dr_ashok_m/status/1139100083935481856?s=20. </span><br />
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Ashok http://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-76860418298140759442019-05-17T11:08:00.003-07:002019-05-17T11:21:57.678-07:00A Flag for Nando House<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pEDLQvA5JI4/XN74eSvgI8I/AAAAAAAALU0/PJs1Idipq1wjpBjIo9KJk93K3uWnJFvUQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/flag2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="540" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pEDLQvA5JI4/XN74eSvgI8I/AAAAAAAALU0/PJs1Idipq1wjpBjIo9KJk93K3uWnJFvUQCK4BGAYYCw/s640/flag2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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At the age of 41, fate and circumstance had willed that I be
a very wealthy person, much wealthier than most any I knew in my circles. Me
and my wife together enjoyed a huge bungalow surrounded by orchards in a green
Northern Himalayan town, an apartment that few of the wealthiest can afford in
New Delhi, all manner of household goods, servants, gold, silver or what have
you. The wealth had come to us through three sources, first were our own
wealthy families that had pampered us a lot and showered us with gifts,
secondly because we both worked and made the wise choice of going in for a
purchase of the apartment in Delhi when it was affordable, I had done some well
paid professional assignments, in fact five years of it abroad. I was a
competent and sought after professional not just in India but in other
countries too.</div>
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But the Lord above leads one he loves through mysterious
adventures in their journey through life. </div>
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All of a sudden in May of 1991 I became a near destitute.
How did that come about you may ask? Well my lovely wife had filed for divorce
in a surprise move out of the blues in the summer of 1988. We shall not go into
the reasons for that divorce here for this note is about a flag. The two
families met once again to discuss the matter, as they had to arrange our
marriage. It was concluded that if my wife wished for a divorce, filing for it
in an Indian Court would result in years of torment for all concerned, most of
all our two sweet daughters. If she remained adamant on divorce then the best
path forward was what is known as a mutually agreed divorce where both parties
agree to dissolve the marriage. The process may take a mere six months. The parties
could further discuss and agree upon the future upbringing of daughters until
they were adults. Both my daughters were under ten years of age then. The
mutual divorce petition was filed in a Jaipur family court. <br />
<br />
We were fortunate
that the Judge who oversaw the matter was a wise, compassionate and learned
one. He discussed the matter with both of us at length. The divorce that
should have happened in six months took around two years. At the end, it was
decided that I shall relinquish claim to both our homes along with everything
they contained in return for my former wife giving me considerable access to
children with even the possibility of me taking them under my full care if it was felt they were being neglected under hers. My giving up rights to all
properties and possessions was not an altruistic move. It was an attempt to do best by our lovely daughters as well as arrive at a one-time settlement on
all financial matters rather than a life long drag many a divorced couple
faces. </div>
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I was still young with pending offers of well paying jobs
abroad; it would not be difficult to earn enough for my own survival in the
years ahead. Moreover, my family was a wealthy one and there were prospects of
an inheritance ahead, plus. We were joint owners of a family home in New Delhi
that had been usurped by an occupant at the time. Litigation was on to get
it released. It was a losing property at that time but was not expected to
remain that way forever. </div>
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Thus in May of 1991 I was divorced with just about a
suitcase of possessions as would fit in a travel bag and a little money in bank
for my immediate needs. I had no job at the time of divorce because it had to
be given up abroad to focus on divorce and bring an end to that matter. </div>
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My financial woes began soon after. My father had had enough
of all this and said he would not like me to bring my daughters to his home and
my best future course was to forget about them and migrate off to America or
Canada. This was unacceptable to me. How could I forget my daughters. The need
arose to create a home of my own in India, a shelter with utmost urgency. </div>
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I held a piece of land on the then wild outskirts of Jaipur
city and rushed to examine it. The city had approved plans to convert the area into a
well developed residential neighbourhood in future but at that time it was just
abandoned farms of an era gone by with wild flowers, weeds and tall grasses as
far as the eye could see, with just a few scattered homes visible in the
distance in all four directions, but there were corner pillars to mark our
lots. I decided then and there that if this is what the Lord has willed for me,
this is the spot I would build a shelter. With the money I had then, I even
managed to construct one ramshackle room in a corner with a kitchenette and
bathroom.</div>
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By 1993, I had earned more money from a scientific
assignment in Canada to build a home on it. The entire family opposed it,
except one person, my mother. She encouraged me to go ahead and although she
could not provide any financial support towards it because father had ordered
her not to, she provided much moral support. By December 1993, I had a pretty
home standing on the spot. It was pretty to look at from outside but there was
no furniture or anything else that one needs to live inside at the time and no
more money left to buy some. That needed more work. My mother offered some of
her saris to make curtain off to begin with so that the space indoor would have
privacy and shade form the sun through its large windows.</div>
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My problems began soon after. My former wife who had given
me free access to the children until then suddenly changed her stance and
refused to provide me access. Therefore I stayed back in this home rather than
joining an assignment abroad from 1993 to 1998 to pursue access to children
through various means including the courts. This last attempt was not successful
because one needs money to pursue matters in court and I had none then. </div>
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It was the life of a hermit because there was little money
even for food leave alone things like a TV or phone that is a necessity. I had
become a pauper and leaves of weeds and trees my vegetables to survive.</div>
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However, there were positive outcomes to this apparently
hermit phase of my life. It was a stage of greatest spiritual development for
me. With my professional skills, I was also able to organize early settlers
into a development society that set a process in motion for this area to
develop bit by bit into none of the most modern ones of North Western India. I
gave names to dirt tracks, First Avenue, second avenue etc.</div>
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I returned to Professional work as a visiting Professor at
IIT Delhi in October of 1998. With my spiritual development of the hermit phase
of life I have been able to make a difference in many places around the world
as the very many posts of this blog will illustrate if one browsed through
them, not just for my children but also for thousands in distress in far way
places. One may wonder why most contributions started after 2007 and not
earlier. It was because I had taken to drinking soon after my mothers demise, a
habit that persisted until 2007.</div>
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In the years ahead, the Lord filled my home with all manners
of furniture and goods that any one might need in an urban home, But I did not
throw away those original sari curtains when new drapes were installed. They
were a gift of love and a precious possession. They were taken down, washed and
stored as a family heirloom. After my mother passed away in 1999, I named my
home after her – Nando House and some years later also put a flag up made with
one of her sari pieces, the green one, that she loved most to wear when it was
with her. </div>
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The original flag has disintegrated with time. Today I
climbed up to the highest point in my home and put up a new one from another
portion of the same Sari. It is a symbol of a mother’s love and when it
flutters in the wind it says,</div>
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Money can buy you some things but love can get you
everything.</div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></div>
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Ashok http://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-33153526146009666342019-04-22T21:50:00.000-07:002019-05-03T11:51:17.798-07:00About the novel- 2084 Babaji <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QF8-14YihJ8/XL6e0JuT8iI/AAAAAAAALR0/GZEejrphPqgtfVw25HMCKJLuCMspR9Z8gCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/DSC00930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QF8-14YihJ8/XL6e0JuT8iI/AAAAAAAALR0/GZEejrphPqgtfVw25HMCKJLuCMspR9Z8gCK4BGAYYCw/s640/DSC00930.JPG" width="568" /></a></div>
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My last blog post was about motivations for writing the
novel, Nude besides the Lake. Much before that, I had tried my hand at a
smaller work of fiction that was published as – Mystic and the Blossoms. </div>
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I began writing, Mystic and the Blossoms, in 1984 while
still a very busy professional teaching engineering at IIT Delhi and busy with
scientific publications. As a result, the book did not get beyond the first
draft then. It remained buried in my files for years. It was in summer of 1991,
I suddenly found time on my hands, free from professional work so I pulled it
out and got it printed from a small printer in the city of Jaipur as a
hardcover under imprint QUESST Publications. It is a small work and better
described as a novella rather than a novel. The idea then was not to make any
profit from it but share thoughts expressed through medium of fiction with
those interested and those who matter. The book had thoughts on how to improve
lives of some of the most backward parts of our world not just through
technology but also spiritual wisdom. </div>
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I shared that novella with some world leaders by sending a
copy by courier, Bill Clinton, Boris Yeltstin when they were Presidents of the
leading countries of our world and when they had visited Vancouver when I was
there at the time, as also the then Prime Minister of India, Shri Chandra
Shekhar, for it is these leaders that had the power to bring about change. I
did not hear anything from President Boris Yelstin but was delighted to receive
a Thank You card from Bill Clinton sent from the White House.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As regards PM Chandra Shekhar, the Lord
provided opportunities of several meetings and communications with him and
exchange of ideas.</div>
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In the years since, I polished the story and republished different
editions of it a few times. All that was easy to do since I had retained the
copyright all through. Not giving it to a business publisher meant that I would
not make a profit from it but that was not the idea of publishing this work in
the first place.</div>
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Around two years ago, when I returned to have another look
at the book I myself had evolved much in the interim. Therefore the changes were substantial and it was not appropriate to republish a fresh
edition with the same name. It was given a new one - 2084 Babaji – while mentioning
the original work from which it developed inside the cover. This book also contains an appendix of spiritual insights. The word Babaji was
used in the title because it was inspired by Babaji of Haidakhan, about whom I
have written much in another blog, as also because the central character of the
story is also a Babaji, albeit a fictional one.</div>
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Babaji of Haidakhan has also inspired my later novel, Nude
Besides the Lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have also combined the two earlier works of fiction, as also my experiences with Babaji of Haidakhan in
a combined work called, The Babaji Affair.</div>
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That friend is the summary of my fiction writing. There is
yet another partially written work of fiction called the ‘Butterfly Boy’ that
does not have a Babaji in it. It is a lovely story with deep knowledge of life
but sadly that too remains buried in files as a first draft. If the Lord wills,
someday I might get around to completing and publishing that as well.</div>
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<b>'2084 Babaji' can be found at Amazon and other online retailers, for example,</b><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/2084-Babaji-Ashok-Malhotra/dp/1544761104">https://www.amazon.com/2084-Babaji-Ashok-Malhotra/dp/1544761104</a><br />
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UPDATE: My life experiences are so different from many that when I write about them in a blog some think that I make them up. Therefore as an after thought, I just snapped pics of two old communications and have added to this post. The top one is a communication from President Clinton and the one below from Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar. The are pics of old photo copies. The originals are further away but these should suffice for the purpose at hand.<br />
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Ashok http://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-21862300306832281422019-04-18T23:55:00.001-07:002019-04-20T21:16:18.329-07:00About the novel - Nude besides the Lake<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BjYTNuxCE_E/XLlwi3RKwfI/AAAAAAAALRM/dOTdLh8MxUk3vuD7y5Iy4Fp1ifVrHNZ0QCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/novel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BjYTNuxCE_E/XLlwi3RKwfI/AAAAAAAALRM/dOTdLh8MxUk3vuD7y5Iy4Fp1ifVrHNZ0QCK4BGAYYCw/s320/novel.jpg" width="207" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1463529392/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1">https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1463529392</a></td></tr>
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I am not a professional novelist; rather I have been a
professor of engineering. In my spare time I wrote a couple of novels to
communicate thoughts and ideas that could not be conveyed through professional
publications but were best conveyed through fiction. Not being a novelist the
novels are different, far from perfect but nevertheless they have delighted
those who read them. </div>
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A few things about my novel –Nude besides the lake –
confounded many. First was the choice of word ‘besides’ instead of ‘beside’
that seemed more appropriate. Guess a lot of persons expect someone nude
sitting beside a lake, LOL. However the word used in the title phrase describes
the content better. The story is about nudity as found in some spiritual sects
in India and it is the story of a town that came up around a lake.</div>
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The second thing that surprised some was the choice of the
subject matter, nude. My other publications are on more serious subjects. I
left India for higher education in my youth and worked abroad for many years.
In my interactions with persons of host countries, there were criticisms about
many things in India, its poverty, cultural customs such as arranged marriages,
naked religious persons etc. In my first year or so of stay abroad, these
criticisms offended me and I tried to defend them. However, soon I realized
that defending leads to more adverse comments. Therefore I dropped that and laughed
it off. Humor often works best to change dynamics of a situation from disparaging to pleasant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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In recent years I have written about various matters that
arose in the criticisms in blogs and when it came to nudity that is found in
some religious sects of India since ancient times, a novel explaining the
reasons behind it from a spiritual perspective. It was a difficult topic to
write on because while nudity may have been common in some ancient societies and the roots of western civilization as in Athens or its religion in the garden of Eden, it no longer remains so. However instead of making
the content mostly academic, humor was incorporated at places. Overall the story is about good humans and human goodness.<br />
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Ashok http://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-28515079243872657042019-03-24T23:18:00.001-07:002019-03-24T23:45:29.346-07:00Touched by Mahindra Rise <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I was deeply touched today morning when a surprise
certificate of appreciation arrived in my Twitter feed from Mahindra Rise at</div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/MahindraRise/status/1110046810121404416">https://twitter.com/MahindraRise/status/1110046810121404416</a></div>
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I am deeply honored and perhaps there could be no better way
for it than through a tree. Readers of this blog would know about my love for
trees and my many posts on it, some of it shown on following search list,</div>
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<a href="https://someitemshave.blogspot.com/search?q=tree">https://someitemshave.blogspot.com/search?q=tree</a></div>
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<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">
<em><b><span style="background: white; color: #6a6a6a; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal;">Mahindra</span></b></em><span style="background: white; color: #545454; font-family: "arial";"> and </span><em><b><span style="background: white; color: #6a6a6a; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal;">Mahindra</span></b></em><span style="background: white; color: #545454; font-family: "arial";"> Ltd is a mulit
billion-dollar global enterprise headquartered in India with operations
spanning over 21 industries in more than 100 countries. Mahindra Rise is their
call to action to help improve planet and life of all that dwell upon it.
For more information see</span><br />
<a href="https://www.mahindra.com/">https://www.mahindra.com/</a></blockquote>
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Ashok http://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-61845095475649461902019-03-19T00:03:00.005-07:002019-03-19T00:22:45.338-07:00Ever Changing World<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BxkLlCnRUxY/XJCUOogqx-I/AAAAAAAALM8/kGZyAI6YkxkUWkZhe8kTSvbJkiiPCTwLwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/aerial-aerial-photography-aerial-shot-1743482.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BxkLlCnRUxY/XJCUOogqx-I/AAAAAAAALM8/kGZyAI6YkxkUWkZhe8kTSvbJkiiPCTwLwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/aerial-aerial-photography-aerial-shot-1743482.jpg" /></a></div>
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As a senior citizen and retired person, I have the leisure
to look back at life and wonder how the world changed over the last
half-century or so. Perhaps the greatest change has been in communication
technologies. As a child we had holders with nibs or pens to write. One dipped
the nib in an inkpot and then wrote on paper with the wet nib. There were
different colored inks, blue, royal blue, green, red and once in a rare while a
brown one too. I loved trying out the different colors. At times one
smudged the paper with a blob of ink and there were blotting papers to soak it
up.</div>
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After one wrote a letter, one made a trip to the post office
to get the envelope weighed, get stamps and then post the letter. It took a few
weeks to reach distant lands. The reply came back after several weeks. One
could make a phone call too if the recipient had a phone but one booked the
call through an operator and then waited a while before she called back if the
call was through to a different country. Oh dear! It was all so much fun.
Nothing like shooting off an email right away and getting the reply before one
can count to ten.</div>
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Technology has made life easier in many ways over the last
half century but life for most has not become easier. In fact it has become far
more complicated and difficult in many other ways. At the root of complexities
has been the ever-increasing greed of humans and arising from it use of tricks
and unethical practices that breed complexity. There is no such thing as going
and paying your phone bill at the end of the month anymore. There are plans,
and you have to choose one, all designed it seems to confound the hapless
customer so as to suck his last penny, and one does not go and just buy a
thing, there is an EMI so the greedy lot can suck the most out of you through
additional interest payments or come and threaten you in case you miss a
payment.</div>
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Aside from the greed side of it all, another factor that has
made life difficult for humans is the increasing population on the planet
and crowding of cities and roads because of it. Kids no longer have open
grounds with easy access to play in or ride on their little bicycles safely on
roads in very many places around the world. The air is no longer as pure to breathe and sunshine lacking. There is much noise pollution too.</div>
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All the changes that have taken place over my lifetime are
not cyclic in nature. Some are unprecedented. Human population on the planet
was never so huge and population of trees, wild life and insects never so
little except perhaps in the ice ages. Such changes are a source for concern
but I have faith in the Lord that created this Universe and do feel that he has
ways to correct it all, even if it takes an apocalypse for Him to do it.</div>
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Ashok http://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-25043810084138963502019-03-14T05:20:00.002-07:002019-03-14T05:22:28.909-07:00A Room for a Visitor<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DgJaiT0eta8/XIpHClH5TGI/AAAAAAAALMU/-oGjDqmsc64AQxsUMV5Poqhlt4IE-AeTgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DgJaiT0eta8/XIpHClH5TGI/AAAAAAAALMU/-oGjDqmsc64AQxsUMV5Poqhlt4IE-AeTgCK4BGAYYCw/s640/garden.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Sometimes one builds a large home when not so old to meet
various possible needs of a family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
one ages, parents depart and children grow up to pursue their own lives
visiting only in holidays. One is then left with a large home with a lot of
vacant space, most of the time, in old age.</div>
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Some old persons lock away parts of their homes most of the
year to reduce cleaning and maintenance chores. I too have been doing that for
the past several years. However, others have found an innovative
use for their homes. They let out a room or two to visitors, students or
tourists. It creates a homely facility for a tourist who might wish to skip the
hustle and bustle of a city hotel and save money; for a student from a foreign
land it is a great facility. I lived in one such all through my student years
at UBC in Canada at highly affordable rates. It was the home of a dear old lady
by the name of Mrs. Cuthbert. She not only gave me a furnished place to live in
but also provided all sorts of needed information during my stay with her.</div>
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With these thoughts in mind, recently, I too refurnished an
independent room with a small kitchen and bathroom attached to it for use by
tourists from the West. I have put up an ad about it on Craigslist in case
someone was looking for such an accommodation. Dear readers from US or Europe
or Down Under, if you were planning a vacation to India any time in the near
future, do look it up and get in touch.</div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial";"><a href="https://jaipur.craigslist.org/vac/d/vacation-in-india/6834548395.html"><span style="color: #3584ba; text-decoration: none;">https://jaipur.craigslist.org/vac/d/vacation-in-india/6834548395.html</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Ashok http://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-89266829259403921252019-01-23T20:56:00.000-08:002019-03-14T09:41:19.430-07:00Social Media and Socializing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8FxeHEjhrfY/XDlzYrdZAWI/AAAAAAAALAU/Xs-1kj_aAzIVp74Vknkjh9wfsjUGSWzlgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/pexels-photo-243057.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8FxeHEjhrfY/XDlzYrdZAWI/AAAAAAAALAU/Xs-1kj_aAzIVp74Vknkjh9wfsjUGSWzlgCK4BGAYYCw/s640/pexels-photo-243057.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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In villages across India, it is a common sight to see groups
of old men sitting around under a tree or in sunshine on jute string cots in winter, chatting, gossiping. They exchange news and pass their time in the
evenings of their lives. It is a time of reduced energies and reduced needs.
The children have grown up and can look after the farm now. Old women on the
other hand gather similarly in homes where they can keep an eye on
grandchildren too. The young on the other hand, get up early and rush for work
on their farms or elsewhere. Their time to socialize is in evenings.</div>
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However, there are some young who begin gossiping and
socializing right from dawn or sometime soon after when the sun is still up and
others are busy at work. They may be just bums or persons up to no good in
life.</div>
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The modern world has introduced the Internet so that it is
no longer necessary to gather physically in groups anywhere. One can do it
right from home, even one’s bed with a hand held device. Just as there is
possible harm from socializing right from early morning, there is possible harm
from getting on social media right in the morning too. It will easily distract
from work one may do during the day including urgent tasks that must be done. The time to relax or reflect for young, or gather at the pub is in the evenings when the sun is down.</div>
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Take care friends to organize your time wisely so that
social media brings joy in your life and not the reverse.</div>
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Ashok http://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-27749155546123248112019-01-22T04:03:00.004-08:002019-01-22T08:49:43.778-08:00A New Profile Image<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nPyZjOIahKc/XEcIDf1L2XI/AAAAAAAALEo/vZLNbHEotQUIfo-wYZ2VPKH6j7SDz1KEwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/profile5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nPyZjOIahKc/XEcIDf1L2XI/AAAAAAAALEo/vZLNbHEotQUIfo-wYZ2VPKH6j7SDz1KEwCK4BGAYYCw/s400/profile5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ashok Malhotra, January 20, 2019</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Our bodies are just a covering for our soul. The soul
inherits a body at birth in keeping with its karma from past lives. To a large
extent, this determines what a person would look like through life. </div>
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If you found a lovely kindly looking person who in fact was
evil, it is because the evil has entered the person’s life later in their
journey through life. The opposite may also be found often. The external appearance cannot fully reflect that change
yet. Some changes to one’s soul however reflect in a person’s appearance
even while in this body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Some ten years ago I had noticed a persistent blackish mark
had developed under my left eye. It was not very prominent but nevertheless
annoying every time I looked in the mirror. I trace this to some bad behavior
on my part in the past. In an earlier post I had mentioned how during the years
between 2000- 2007 I had taken to drinking, at times heavily. It was at such
times, when one is not fully in control that there were moments I did not
behave well. I regret that now. It was a black mark for an educated person who
loves the Lord. It is not surprising therefore that a physical mark of it
should appear on my face too. I gave up drinking more that ten years ago. </div>
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Recently I noticed that the black mark had all but vanished
from my face. It was an appropriate time to meet the ten-year challenge, snap a
new profile image and replace an older one on blogger and other places on the
net I frequent. A full size image is attached with post.</div>
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Dear friends, aside from the inner condition of our soul,
our emotional state also appears on our faces. While transient emotional
changes can be overcome to catch the right mood for a profile image, more
permanent lines that appear because of age or a frequent emotional state cannot
be hidden easily. Over the past years, as I have looked at events around the
world, there has been much concern at rising wars, conditions of children
affected by war or poverty, rising inequality, homelessness and more. This
concern and the feeling of compassion it invoked no doubt imprinted lines on my
face that appear to the discerning eye in the new image. On the other hand, the
image may also reflect a sense of peace because there has been much spiritual
engagement too and from that a sense of peace with the belief that in the end –
all shall be well.</div>
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Ashok http://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-47376976179865098852019-01-06T22:01:00.001-08:002019-01-08T08:51:35.976-08:00Years of shame, years of liberation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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In our journey through life, we encounter good days, months
and years and bad ones too. There are days when one is proud of one’s deeds and
achievements and days when one is ashamed and disgusted. I have experienced such changes in my life perhaps much more than many others.</div>
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Through life, there may be events such as loss of loved
one’s and trauma. In some cases the trauma can be severe. An older note in this
blog described how when a young girl faced one such trauma, her mother rushed
her to a psychiatrist. Thus began a regime of modern psychiatric drugs,
dependence on them, a compromised existence because of it, and years of loss
for a young productive life. Fortunately, on sound counsel, this lady has escaped
from this and returned to a bright active life, albeit with reduced energies for after effects of strong chemical agents can continue for some years. Some never do escape just as some
never recover from a dependence on opioids when they reported to a callous doc
for an episode of pain, often ending in the grave from an overdose. Thousands
die that way currently in America where the drug industry seemed to have gone
gaga over the opiod profits that rolled in. Just a nice drink of brandy and a
good sleep followed by some days of loving care or spending time in green
nature would have helped the young lady mentioned overcome her trauma in days
or weeks, just another non-addicting pain killer would have saved many of the
thousands of lives that are dropping like flies in America from opioid
overdoses.</div>
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In my own family, influenced by European customs, my mother
would encourage us at times to have a drink before going to bed to overcome the
sorrows, life can throw at one from time to time. Thus in my own life when I
faced some severe distress around the nineties I resorted to a drink often and
similarly around the year 2000 too. There is a dark side to treating distress
through alcoholic drinks. One may develop a habit, dependence, progressing to
addiction and finally end up under a truck on the roadside or in some other
trouble as a result of it. To prevent such sad outcomes, the family had rules –
never drink when alone, do not drink before dark, pour a drink from a measure,
limit the amount etc.<br />
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In parts of traditional India, the use of alcohol to
overcome distress and trauma has not been common but another herbal agent was
available easily – cannabis. It could be smoked or processed into a drink
called Bhang ghota that some took at such moments, went to sleep to wake for a
better day, for every new day is a new beginning with its own magic. However,
some decades ago under American pressure, India has made cannabis illegal. Now
some resort to alcohol, that too of a cheap quality, without the benefit of
education in its controlled use and may end up destroying their lives in many a
case. Some are averse to alcohol or it too is prohibited in their areas. A
rural Indian farmer that most Indians are then may commit suicide if
the distress is a severe one that they feel they cannot handle. Reports of this happening appear in media from time to time.</div>
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Returning to my own life, despite all my family and other
education I too did not escape evils of alcohol. Unfortunately, for seven years
from 2000 to 2007 its consumption increased gradually until a severe dependence
developed on it. Much alcohol can easily ruin one’s health, mind and behavior
and I too did not escape some of these effects. Some of the days of my worst
and riskiest behavior in life were under the influence, when one is not fully
in control of one’s mind and senses. If I was prevented from any grave harm as a result, it was only from the love of God. Fortunately my strong spiritual background
helped me drop the habit the moment I realized the damage it was doing more than 11 years ago , in September 2007. When I look back, I feel ashamed at those
moments. Nevertheless, there was much learning through this experience too that
I have been able to share with others and hopefully help them, even as I do in this
very note. It is through difficulties a human learns most.</div>
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Dear friends, all of us have our strengths and weaknesses. It
is the purpose of life and its experiences to weed out the weaknesses. This
begins with admitting to our self what these weaknesses are, not trying to
justify, rationalize or hide those weaknesses. It is only after we have
recognized our weaknesses that there is hope of overcoming them. Quiet
reflection helps in this process for it is only by being still that we may know
ourselves not by rushing around from one thing to another as some do. </div>
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One does not have to do anything special to strengthen one’s
good side. That automatically prevails when weaknesses are diminished for at
the very core of all life is a soul from God that is infinitely brilliant. To
reach that state is the goal of all life, whether it takes one life or many in
our journey through the universe.</div>
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Ashok http://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-50291044080864426842018-12-29T22:37:00.001-08:002018-12-29T22:46:16.003-08:00Floral Tea – Create your own<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4_HxG8rhhYw/XChnSozdVeI/AAAAAAAAK9c/Uhmiz-6GlZ8YERXpr9Y7m5fTrH9xl363wCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/pexels-photo-105896.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4_HxG8rhhYw/XChnSozdVeI/AAAAAAAAK9c/Uhmiz-6GlZ8YERXpr9Y7m5fTrH9xl363wCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/pexels-photo-105896.jpg" /></a></div>
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Recently when my daughters visited they informed that they
consume neither tea nor coffee anymore. However when I suggested a floral tea
they agreed. They loved the cuppa. I explained to them how to create their own.
This method is shared with all now in view of its usefulness. Dear reader you
could create your own wonderful floral tea for free or very little expense in
this manner</div>
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<b>Discovering suitable flowers:</b></div>
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The first step is to make a list of flowers that are
available in reasonable abundance in your area. These may be available in the
wild in due season or in your own garden. Some dry flowers may be available at
reasonable prices in your local market and you may add these to your list.
Flowers from some trees are also great. Trees produce these in great abundance
in season. Now note, not all flowers in your list will be suitable for tea.
Some may even be toxic as for example larkspur and oleander. Discovering what
flowers are suitable for a tea is the next step.</div>
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<b>Doing Your Research</b></div>
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Not all flowers are suitable for tea. Some are even toxic or
poisonous. Therefore the next step is research what flowers in your list are
edible and which are not. This can be done fairly quickly through a Google
search. A world of information is available out there on most known flowers.
Just type in the name of the flower in the search box and scan through the
results. You could also repeat the search by adding other words like edible or
medicinal uses. Any edible flower is a potential candidate for a good floral
tea mix. Choose edible flowers in your list and cross out the others that
either not edible or on which you have not been able to find any information,
you do not want to take any chance with your health and well being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may also check an <a href="https://someitemshave.blogspot.com/2015/12/floral-tea-tea-of-gods.html">older
post in this blog</a> for a list of some common edible flowers.</div>
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<b>Drying Fresh Flowers</b></div>
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Fresh flowers need to be collected and dried for a tea mix.
The best way to dry flowers for tea that one has collected is to spread them
out on a tray or paper sheets in a shaded part of your home. In a few days they shall
dry. You may then store these in a jar with a tight lid for use later. It is a
good idea to sun the dried flowers for five or six hours before storing.
Flowers that are dried for flower arrangements are collected with long stems,
tied up in bunches and hung upside down to dry but flowers for tea and medicine
are collected without stems and spread to dry.</div>
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<b>Leaves and Herbs</b></div>
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There are many useful leaves and herbs that can be mixed in
to a floral tea such as those of jasmine, holy basil or the white mulberry
tree. For this new leaves of the bush or tree are collected and dried
similarly. However there are many leaves that may have medicinal uses but are
not suitable for a nice delicate floral tea consumed regularly and it would be
best to skip these for creating your own floral tea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If one is not averse to traditional black or green tea then it is
great to mix in that into the floral tea mix as well.</div>
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<b>Preparing Your Mix</b></div>
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Once you have collected your dried flowers, you are ready to
create beautiful floral teas. At first do not mix the different flowers or
other ingredients you propose to use but mix them in different proportions at
the time of preparing a cup of tea. Once you have zeroed in on a mix you like
then one may pre-mix to save preparation time later. Use no more than four or
at the most five ingredients in a mix so as not to dilute individual effects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are other things that one can add in
the mix too. My favorite is cinnamon. If you add some to the mix, break the
stick into small pieces and mix in.</div>
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<b>Preparing the Tea</b></div>
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The final step is preparing your tea. For this, bring water
to a boil, add in about two teaspoons each per cup of tea, boil for another 10
seconds and then turn off the heat. Leave for a few minutes, less than five to
brew, and then strain directly into cups or a preheated teapot to serve to
others as well. You may sweeten the tea with a little sugar but the best is to
add a teaspoon of honey per cup for this elegant and exotic tea.</div>
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Once you have zeroed in on a mix, do research
again in more detail the four or five ingredients that you have chosen to know
the benefits you are getting from it. Remember with any food or drink, it must
smell and taste good too aside from being beneficial for mind, body and soul.
May the tea you so discover add beauty and happiness in your life.</div>
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<i><br /></i>
<i>Food feeds the body, beauty feeds the soul.<o:p></o:p></i><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z5WmWnVEAjw/XChnaClRkUI/AAAAAAAAK9k/9B_dAlHV360uhDE_GQJdazFTem7Uz421QCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/afternoon-beverage-break-1549706.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z5WmWnVEAjw/XChnaClRkUI/AAAAAAAAK9k/9B_dAlHV360uhDE_GQJdazFTem7Uz421QCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/afternoon-beverage-break-1549706.jpg" /></a></div>
Ashok http://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-87246272551496206662018-12-28T22:17:00.002-08:002018-12-28T22:35:27.782-08:00Greed out of Control<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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An older note in this blog (<a href="https://someitemshave.blogspot.com/2015/02/most-human-problems-are-because-of.html">here</a>)
described how greed is at the root of much evil in the world. Perhaps it has
always been so since the beginning of human civilization but its extent has
varied with time and place.</div>
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I am now well past sixty. During my lifetime I have
witnessed greed grow exponentially in the countries that I have lived and
worked in, especially over the last two decades. This greed is spread across
the spectrum of society from corporations, crime networks and even governments. Everywhere the story may be summarized in this somewhat silly ditty,<br />
<br />
<i>Gimme, gimme, more, more</i><br />
<i>gimme from shore to shore</i><br />
<i>In the gutter there is more</i><br />
<i>like a pig, my hunger grows</i><br />
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Many a corporation will use tricks and lies to trap customers into goods and
services that they do not need. It is an unethical practice and customers must
shun such corporations with all the contempt they deserve for when greed is
unchecked it grows. As regards governments, citizens of democratic countries
must be cautious to choose politicians that are more interested in public good
rather than their personal wealth. The two goals are often incompatible. A
check of the personal wealth of a politician and how it has grown over the past
is a good indicator of that.</div>
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Most humans will change only when their greed leads them to
disaster. The ones that survive shall than return to what leads to peace and
happiness – love, truth, simplicity and gratitude for what the Universe
provides with honest and reasonable effort, for greed uncontrolled and
unchecked shall just lead to more stress and misery, whether a country be rich
or whether it be poor. The wise shall shun greed even before a disaster occurs
and navigate in peace through the changes with the grace of the Lord, for He
protects all who seek His shelter.<br />
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<i>The world has enough for the needs of all but it does not have enough for even one gone sick with greed who forgot that humans die.</i></div>
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Ashok http://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-79058317334066561102018-12-23T23:31:00.001-08:002018-12-28T19:00:28.589-08:00Mother Earth has a Lovely Garden for all<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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My daughters took some time off from their busy jobs and
visited me with grand children.<br />
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As the kids went for an afternoon nap, I snapped a picture of my daughters
relaxing in the garden, enjoying the afternoon sun ever so pleasant in winters.</div>
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Then my younger daughter snapped a picture of me and the older daughter. I posted
some of these pictures on Facebook and friends commented that I have a lovely
garden. Yes truly nature has been kind. However my response was,<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #274e13;">Mother
earth has a lovely garden for all willing to help her a bit in some planting with
their hands and hearts. </span></blockquote>
My own hands have planted and watered all the plants
and trees in the picture.</div>
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Ashok http://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-45996999718726072682018-11-27T21:33:00.003-08:002018-11-28T01:31:44.341-08:00The Emerging New World<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydGNt0hE32Q/W_4oqj7ww8I/AAAAAAAAK5A/uFLMCYujX9QTq225Q9k2DJlhCfrX7RhVwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/beautiful-clouds-cottage-325963.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydGNt0hE32Q/W_4oqj7ww8I/AAAAAAAAK5A/uFLMCYujX9QTq225Q9k2DJlhCfrX7RhVwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/beautiful-clouds-cottage-325963.jpg" /></a></div>
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Over the last century, planet Earth and condition of all
life that dwells upon it has entered a completely new phase, vastly different
from any that existed in the past. </div>
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The first striking difference is the burgeoning population of
humans on the planet. They have crossed seven billion and are heading towards
ten billion strong in the coming decades. The invention of antibiotics and
vaccines has contributed to this increase. The increasing population of humans
and their needs has displaced not just much animal life on the planet but also
the green side of it so that many species have become extinct or are on the
verge of becoming so. </div>
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The second huge difference is emergence of technologies that
were once visualized only in fairy tales. Computers, television, mobile devices
and nuclear devices are all inventions over the last century. They have changed
human lives and behavior in drastic ways.</div>
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Thinkers and philosophers wonder where humans and the planet
they occupy are headed. There are both optimistic and pessimistic scenarios.
The optimistic one is that population will stabilize soon and with help of
increased communications and knowledge, humans will soon overcome problems such
as pollution and greedy exploitation of many by the few and enter a new more
evolved era. The pessimistic scenario is that humans will just blow themselves
apart sooner or later since they now have the power to do it with nuclear
devices. Whatever happens may be of huge significance to humans but our planet is just one of many in this infinite universe and to the universe as a whole it is not such an important issue surely.</div>
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No doubt whatever happens to humans shall depend not just on
technologies but inner emotional and character development, the spiritual side.
For this development humans need to refer to older spiritual knowledge for that
development among humans preceded technological development by some thousands
of years. No doubt there will be need to reject some of the old that exists
while accepting some of it, interpreting and developing it further. A common
method this author has used for this purpose is to accept readily what has been
common to different spiritual traditions across the world while viewing with
much discretion parts that contradict each other.</div>
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In the end the ultimate goal is to improve quality of life
on the planet. Sadly that does not seem to have improved for very many despite
technological advances but rather it has worsened. Improving quality of life also
means that humans would have to improve the quality of the green side of life,
plants and trees because that is a complimentary life form required for
existence of all life. </div>
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Within this mix, the condition of each individual on the
planet varies vastly. Some are considered successful. The majority considers
those who have earned much wealth, fame and power as successful. It is an
erroneous view because what use is wealth if a human suffers a continuous pain
in his lower end and turmoil in the upper? Ultimately, a human is successful if
he becomes more evolved in his or her journey through life for mystics say that
soul survives death and continues its journey through the universe in new
bodies, beginning where it left off. This author believes this too. The journey
may pass through difficult times but it reaches pleasant times if a human
is able to get up every morning and choose to do what pleases his or her soul through
the day, and arrive at sunsets in peace if not singing a song, and then
go to bed in peace for yet another new day.<br />
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Image with this post is public domain image from/with thanks to pexels.com</div>
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Ashok http://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-51015906255894138542018-11-17T22:09:00.001-08:002019-05-28T21:59:19.943-07:00On Separated Children<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Oli-aB9jgRg/W_EB754MywI/AAAAAAAAK3I/JbD8G6doc3wMLOeRVyRuMrVHscwhxpwSQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/Clipboard01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Oli-aB9jgRg/W_EB754MywI/AAAAAAAAK3I/JbD8G6doc3wMLOeRVyRuMrVHscwhxpwSQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/Clipboard01.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two little sisters in a fruit orchard and garden</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: x-large;">S</span>ubsequent to retiring from active professional work in
2010, this author has spent time in campaigning on various issues to improve
the planet and the life that dwells upon it. The issues have ranged from
environment to spirituality, life style to child welfare. It is true that no
one human can make a difference to the many challenges our world faces but all
can make a little difference even by just a small act of kindness or just
planting a tree anywhere they find ground for it. If one keeps at it, some of
these efforts can make a huge difference in lives of many as a few of the posts of
this blog have done including one encouraging a biscuit maker
in India to replace trans-fats in their biscuits with a healthier oil. It is
a biscuit that is consumed daily by millions of children across India because
of its low cost and easy availability.</div>
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On the issue of children, this author has personally
campaigned much on social media, for several years (<a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%40dr_ashok_m%20%23children&src=typd" target="_blank">for example see</a>). The most
recent matter was on the fate of separated children on American borders where
children had been take away from migrant parents against their will while they
were detained separately. Moved by the plight of these children, this author as also many others campaigned vigorously on the issue. Fortunately, President Trump has reversed this policy speedily and most of these children
have been returned to their parents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The apparent chief administrator of this policy in his administration
has been given the marching orders along with his copy of the Holy Bible. Praise the Lord.</div>
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Politics invariably enters any issue nowadays and some of
the responses this author received on twitter to defend the separation policy
said that the matter is not so serious as is being made out, that these are
only thousands of children while millions across America are separated because
of divorced parents. My answer was that in case of divorced parents, the child
is still under care of one of the parents with additional possible access in
varying amounts to the rest of the family whereas these children taken away on
border are separated from both parents and family and they face a chance of far
greater traumatic damage because of it. My concern was primarily for child first rather than parent even though a parent too faces deep anguish when a child is
separated. The parent however is a grown up and the damage would not likely
affect an adult for life, as it may adversely affect a child. Many adults even
mature because of periods of hardships and sorrow in adult life. That matter
now behind us, it is worthwhile to say a few words about children separated
from one of the parents in divorce based on the authors experience through
life. A reading of it will surely benefit any divorced parent or a child of
such parents.</div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><b>Children separated because of divorce</b></span></div>
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Healthy development of a child requires care and love of
both parents and even to some extent the rest of the family, especially grand
parents. This care is a part of normal human experience. When a child is
largely separated from one of the parents, he or she may not achieve full
potential in life and may also suffer serious setbacks. It is only in a
minority of cases that a child is better off with just one parent. These latter
cases include a parent who might be inhumane or evil in some way so as to be
harmful to a child. There may also be cases when there is serious
incompatibility between parents that creates hostility and/or quarrels at home
that can impact a child adversely and in this case too the child would be
better off if the parents live separately, preferably without divorcing so as
not to burden the child further. The family courts and legal systems of most
countries assign the primary care to one of the two, father or mother, subsequent to divorce
and varying amounts of access to the other parent so that the child may derive
benefit of both a father and mother to varying degrees, for example a stay in
holidays with a divorced parent. However in reality this access
gets compromised or even severely curtailed in very many cases around the world
for reasons described next.</div>
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The primary caregiver parent may be insecure that if they
give much access to the other parent they may lose the child at some stage in
life and thus deny access to the other parent. A common method is similar to
methods used by political parties to damn an opposing political party.
Selective information and misinformation is repeated to make the child hostile to the other
parent. The result is that the child himself or herself may refuse to go to the
other parent in a holiday. A parent may do this thinking that they are doing this in the best interest of the child they love. However, it is neither wise nor in the best interest of all concerned.<br />
<br />
More aggressive methods involve moving the child
around to unknown locations, in some cases, even other countries. This author
would like to tell divorced parents that this denial of access is not a wise
course. Unselfish love of a child is deeper and more durable through life. It requires that they give rightful access to the other parent too. In any case
the child shall not be with them forever. They will become adults and move away
through work or marriage.</div>
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A second more deplorable reason of a divorced parent to deny
access of a child to the other parent is to use the child as a means to extort
money from the other parent beyond what the courts provided for in the
settlement at the time of divorce. Human greed is limitless and this author is
witness to cases where a relatively rich parent who has custody of children
tries repeatedly to extort money from the other parent who may be much
financially deprived perhaps because of the settlement at the time of divorce.
This deplorable behavior is unfortunately not uncommon among divorced parents.
It is self-defeating. It hurts them as well as the children. An ethical human
will not give in to unethical extortion or may be unable to. The practice
produces little financial benefit for the greedy party while alienating the
child from the other parent. The parent being extorted is likely to hold back any
other financial help too he or she may have given voluntarily to the child from love and affection,
whenever feasible and as and when they came to live with him intermittently. It is a natural reaction of a parent to provide for a child under their care for brief or long periods.</div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><b>For Children of Divorced Parents</b></span></div>
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This author has a message for children of divorced parents
who have faced separation from one of the parents because of reasons discussed
in previous paragraphs. When you grow up reflect on the issue and attempt to
revive your relationship and affection with the other parent. Parental love is
a biological bond that can be revived even after years of separation and adults
can overcome political style family propaganda through quiet reflection. True,
that with long separation some estrangement takes place but it too can be overcome
beginning with small gradual steps, whereas making no effort would deepen it
further. It would only enrich your life, of your children whenever you have
them, and perhaps even land you an inheritance, big or small, that you may
otherwise miss. </div>
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<b>NOTE ADDED MAY 2019</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Dear reader this article is not just based on my experience of divorced parents around the world, but my own personal experience too, as you can see from a temporary notice i put on a pillar of a gate today. If necessary, I shall replace it with a permanent one in near future, but this picture here shall remain. best wishes to all,<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wv11K4TOX60/XO4RiXXxtzI/AAAAAAAALWI/UPz9eG45y-As2Jygn7Ul6fwY0s5t0-B6QCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/DSC00934-%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wv11K4TOX60/XO4RiXXxtzI/AAAAAAAALWI/UPz9eG45y-As2Jygn7Ul6fwY0s5t0-B6QCK4BGAYYCw/s640/DSC00934-%2B2.jpg" width="384" /></a></div>
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Tie love, truth and simplicity to your soul and all shall be well<br />
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Ashok http://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-69504436607609350222018-11-12T21:16:00.001-08:002019-04-02T02:24:19.877-07:00A Doll House for a Grandson<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A five-year-old god grandson of mine visits every month and
has a new request every time. Usually it is colored pencils, sharpeners and
eraser or little motorcars, a jeep or a tractor. He had also wanted a small
plastic bat and a ball and all of these things I have been able to get for him.
However last time he wanted a little dollhouse. Therefore I found a cardboard
box, stuck some wooden color wrapping paper on it that had been lying around,
cut a door and a window out from it. With a few stickers on it the house was
ready as shown in the picture. We put in a few tree leaves in an empty medicine
bottle to put in front because a home is scarcely pretty without one. The
result is shown in the picture. </div>
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The roof is a sloping one and removable. That makes placing
furniture inside easier. So far we have only placed two beds and a curtain
inside and are looking for more furniture. Another godson, Golu, described in some older posts of this blog is now ten years old. he lives in another city but on phone, I asked him what he wanted. Most times he says he has everything but at times he makes a request. Last on phone he said he wanted a bicycle because he has to walk to school and it is a bit far away. So I sent the money to his dad to get him one and he got a little blue bicycle last week and is quite thrilled with it.<br />
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With Christmas around, hope you have got in touch with your grandchildren or know of some others that are in need and just like them, if any, to ask them what they might want for Christmas. A hurriedly snapped picture of the five-year-old god grandson, the person in the shadow is his dad:</div>
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UPDATE: December 2018<br />
Yesterday my god grandson got his birthday gift, warm clothing for winter. It is his fifth birthday. Both the god grandsons described here are children of poor laborers from rural background who came to the city in search of work but it was my good fortune that I met them, for in adding joy in the life of a child who might have missed it otherwise is a huge blessing.<br />
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Ashok http://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-17902993803717138002018-11-09T22:13:00.005-08:002018-11-10T21:46:49.222-08:00Beautiful Lives<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">O</span>ur world has beautiful people and ugly people, beautiful
places and ugly places, people with lovely characters and people with foul
characters and the various mixes of it all. The beautiful people are not always
those with lovely characters and there are ugly people with lovely characters.
There are ugly people living lovely lives and lovely people living ugly ones.
Once in a while, through it all, one finds a beautiful person with a lovely
character living a beautiful life, but only rarely.</div>
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One need not travel far and wide to see it all nowadays
because of electronic media but when one does travel, one gets a better feel of
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My younger life was full of travel
around the country and around the world but after the age of fifty travels came
down rapidly. The urge to travel as well as the energy for it was exhausted.
Nevertheless, I still make brief trips every now and then as a recent one I
made by train through North India.</div>
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I met many people on the train and saw many places, both
beautiful ones and ugly ones. There was a group of students on one of the trips
who found my name and searched it on Google on their smart phones. They were
impressed with what they found. One said that there was a bright shine and aura
around my face. Perhaps one gets a bit from the Sun when one strives to spend time in doing good for the world rather than just one’s own self or family only. The Sun
does that for all life on our planet. Then they wanted selfies with me and had a lot
of questions. I suggested to them that through developing focus of mind on
whatever it is they do, they shall do well in their forthcoming exams but not
to worry whatever the result after one has done one’s bit. After all, some of
the most successful people in our world like Bill Gates are college dropouts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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One of the students asked me a little later what I was
thinking about. I told him I was just observing how people live in various
towns and villages that the train passed by. Perhaps I could have told him
more, that I was also thinking of how all the places I saw en-route could be
made more beautiful, for how to improve what exists has been a major occupation
through my life, both through my profession and now when I am retired from it.
Moreover, when one creates beauty around one, then one is restoring one’s own
soul.</div>
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In my blogs I have left a broader message for the wider
world. Life is ever changing and those with lovely lives now may face difficult
ones in future, those with difficult ones now will find lovely ones after some
time. Filling one’s heart with love, truth and simplicity and the mind with
humility and gratitude, while inculcating discipline, focus and order in one’s
activities and thoughts, those with beautiful lives shall not just be able to
sustain it but make it more beautiful while those with ugly lives shall enter
beautiful lives sooner.</div>
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In New Delhi, I stayed with a godson who came to work in New
Delhi because he found a really good and comfortable job. He stays in a tiny
one-room studio apartment because rents for larger spaces in the city are
steep. The room had a kitchen counter on one side and a single bed on the
other. He gave me the bed and spread a mattress for himself on the ground in
the middle of the room. I was quite amazed at how organized and comfortable he
had made even this tiny space. On return I applied my mind further to the
design and configuration of single room accommodations for single persons for
any future constructions of a similar nature for a similar need and came up
with the following design that occupies approximately 275 square feet of
covered area or less depending upon the width chosen for the central bedroom area. Anything between eight and twelve feet is feasible. The figure shown is a schematic with approximate dimensions. An
engineer or an architect would be able to make the right adjustments. To that end I
have enclosed some notes for them towards the end of this post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The design is also suitable for a one-room
cottage with a veranda added in front for a wilderness retreat. In this latter case one might consider expanding the kitchen width to seven feet to make room for a nice kitchen table and a kitchen cupboard to store rations. This blog has
several other designs for larger cottages in some of its posts if an interested
reader wished to search through.</div>
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<i>Notes for an architect or engineer</i>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Walls have been shown as one foot in
schematic in brick, external walls would be nine inches and internal ones 4 and
a half inches wide. The lintels may be kept at seven feet height from DPC and
the front one extended two feet into the room to create a roof for the closet
and ledges for storage in bathroom and kitchen. That way it shall also create
bedplates for the front portion of construction to strengthen corners. The
kitchen counter shown here is two feet wide but one and a half feet is
sufficient. The Back kitchen window can be changed into a back door to a
clothesline and backyard if desired. Since there are few openings in front the
construction is expandable in that direction.</div>
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Ashok http://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-15736426739493732912018-10-29T23:02:00.000-07:002018-10-29T23:10:40.743-07:00Shelters for Homeless – HISA<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">A</span>ll countries require shelters for homeless and destitute
people. In an <a href="https://someitemshave.blogspot.com/2013/01/designing-shelters-for-homeless_13.html">earlier
note here</a> this author had suggested a shelter concept known as HISA. In
view of its increasing importance, its essential features are summarized again
here,</div>
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1.</div>
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HISA centers are
shelters that provide a single bed and closet in partially enclosed beds in a
dorm type of setting to a person in need of shelter. A possible configuration
is shown in the figure. Sets of ten to sixteen beds in a dormitory are
connected to common bathroom, clothes washing, and toilet area on one end. At
the other end is the exit that has a boiling hot and cold drinking water spout in a
washbasin as well as trash bin.</div>
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2. </div>
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Dormitories are segregated into three types within a HISA
complex </div>
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that is a part of a school for children</div>
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3. </div>
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The HISA complex contains a common mess where free meals ( breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner) are
provided to all residents. Children and separated couples have an opportunity
to meet in the mess as well as in common parks.</div>
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4. </div>
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HISA complexes are set up on outskirts of city and a free
daily bus pass to city is available for all adults to visit and work part time
or full time in the city.</div>
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5. </div>
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Admission to a HISA center is given based on a contract that
says that if a resident has any income from pension, work etc. half of it is payable
to the center as expenses. Those who have none pay nothing.</div>
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6. </div>
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Old age persons unable to manage on their own may also stay
in a HISA center subject to signing a contract and will that anything they own
shall become property of the HISA center on their demise if they have stayed in
a HISA center for more than one year. Old or sick persons can ask to have a meal delivered to their enclosure.</div>
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7.</div>
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Any person can apply to live in a HISA center and stay for
as long as they wish. However, if they are away for a specified period without
permission e.g. three days their allotted accommodation may be cancelled and
they would have to apply afresh</div>
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8. </div>
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When a person moves into a HISA center, if they have
belongings more than a suitcase and a handbag, then that has to be deposited in
a central store that they can access no more than once a month or on leaving
the center.</div>
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9. </div>
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If a person is a drug or alcohol addict, he is housed in a
separate de-addiction center within the complex</div>
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10. </div>
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Peer reviews and dorm inspections are carried out to rate
residents. Those with high ratings get certain privileges such as choice of
location in complex or part time work within it. Those with low ones may be
moved to a place where they disturb others least.</div>
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11. </div>
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The complex also has a few restaurants and shops for those
who can afford purchases.</div>
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12.</div>
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HISA centers begin as tented accommodation in compounds
allocated for it specifically that are later converted gradually to permanent
barracks. A person who has moved to a HISA center may move out anytime he or
she wishes, unless they are unaccompanied children who may move out only when
they are adults (at least eighteen years old)</div>
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Ashok http://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-10592364316939436302018-10-17T00:08:00.002-07:002018-10-17T05:16:34.611-07:00Spreading Joy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_SC3d67BEyQ/W8bfsctA0xI/AAAAAAAAKzU/tlAqgrNdk3kKZuJ_HvyLkihPK9RtxhSOwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/beautiful-bloom-blooming-414160.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_SC3d67BEyQ/W8bfsctA0xI/AAAAAAAAKzU/tlAqgrNdk3kKZuJ_HvyLkihPK9RtxhSOwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/beautiful-bloom-blooming-414160.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/beautiful-bloom-blooming-blossom-414160/" style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;">https://www.pexels.com/photo/beautiful-bloom-blooming-blossom-414160/</a></td></tr>
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Yesterday, in another post, I was saying that no one can
help all the suffering people of the world but everyone can help at least some.
When we spread happiness, the Universe returns happiness in our lives. </div>
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Personally, I campaign a lot for issues that touch my heart
through social media. These issues have been suffering of children in war
zones; those separated from parents on American borders and in general those
who hunger anywhere in the world. Another issue that I campaigned a lot about
is the environment, in particular the need to grow more forests and trees on
the planet. Trees and forests provide food and a home to wild animals and
birds, medicines and fruit for humans as well as help control adverse climate
changes. Some of my campaigning has included messages to influential political
leaders. Some have been critical and knowingly I take the risk that if I
annoyed them, they can easily harm. With the grace of the Lord, these leaders
have been gracious and even reacted with positive changes to suggestions they
felt were useful.</div>
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It is not just in far away places that one can help, but it
can be done in one’s immediate surroundings and the people that one runs into
daily. Sometimes just a few thoughtful words are enough. Many a morning, I am
out gardening in front of my home. In the home across the street, a lady rents
out rooms to young persons who come in the city for work or study. Nowadays, a
nice girl of around twenty has moved in. I noticed that she would leave for
work with earplugs plugged in, perhaps for music. I interrupted her yesterday
and mentioned that this habit on a road can lead to an accident because one is
then deaf to traffic noises. She did take them out immediately and we wished
each other a good day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Last month I had noticed that a vegetable vendor in the
neighborhood was becoming obese. He is around 28 years old. I mentioned that if
he cut down on carbohydrates, the daily roti, in his meals or did some physical
exercises he would become more fit. A couple of days ago when I visited, I
noticed that he was once again trim and fit and there was a healthy glow on his
face. I complimented him and asked him how? He said he does physical exercises
for an hour daily every morning now.</div>
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For several years now, I do not drive. For work, I have had
conveyance provided to me and privately I have set up with a few cabs and auto
rickshaws to manage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One driver who has
been available to me on phone for the last two decades was suffering from three
serious ailments when I first met him. One serious ailment he had was asthma
that he had suffered from for over a decade. He had tried everything from
modern medicines to alternative ones but they had not worked. From my
experience, I had noted that many people in India who suffer from asthma do so
because of gluten allergy in wheat. I suggested he get off wheat bread for a
week. His asthma disappeared. Since then he has discovered that he does fine
with wheat bread once a day but not twice. </div>
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His second ailment was a periodic persistent cough. Fearing
something serious, I referred him to a neighbor who is a good doctor and runs
his own diagnostic center. However X-rays and all, there was no relief.
Applying my mind to the issue, I had noted that he suffered from frequent colds
too. In my experience I had found that regular consumption of vitamin C could
avert the common cold for many persons. I gave him some of that. Soon after his
colds stopped and his persistent coughing too. A cough for a few days is a
common thing that most suffer from after a cold. With some it just sticks on
for long.</div>
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The third ailment this driver suffered from was a
severe fever that came in a couple of times a year and lasted for a few days
each time. I immediately suspected Malaria. Further inquiries confirmed it. We
visited the chemist and found a month long course of anti malarial pills. That
was ten years ago. His fever has not returned since.</div>
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All this help had been possible because of my life long
interests in dealing in natural ways with many sicknesses that humans suffer from. Not all are blessed with similar knowledge but all have some asset
with which they can help some of the people they run into daily. </div>
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When we help someone, we do no more for others then what we
expect from them if we were in similar need.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The least a human can do in their journey through life is try their best to do some good and in the very least not harm anyone knowingly. Dear friends, if we plant seeds of thorny bushes we should
not expect apples later. Plant goodness around you and the universe shall lead
you to bliss.</div>
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Ashok http://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-41692517301799811702018-10-09T00:44:00.002-07:002018-10-09T01:00:48.949-07:00Two simple methods of relieving stress, fear and pain<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Through much study and experience, I discovered two of the
simplest ways to relieve stress, fear, anxiety, pain and a variety of other
things that trouble humans are</div>
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breathing</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Mantra
Jap</li>
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Not only do either of these ancient and time tested methods
relieve problems mentioned they can also be used for emotional and spiritual
development when practiced in peaceful moments. Mindful breathing is a type of
mindfulness when a person focuses on one’s breathing silently. The interested
reader can find an excellent note on it by the author at,</div>
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<a href="https://ashokbabaji.blogspot.com/2017/02/the-breath-of-life.html">https://ashokbabaji.blogspot.com/2017/02/the-breath-of-life.html</a></div>
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Mantra Jaap (or Jap)is repetition of holy word or name of the Lord.
One may use any word that one can repeat comfortably, musically or even in a
monotonous manner. While mindful breathing can be practiced if one believes in
God or not, Mantra Jap is for those who believe in God. Personally I feel that
it is not possible to attain peace without belief and trust in the Almighty
Lord because life is fragile and full of uncertainties. It is only belief in
Him and His love, an all powerful Universal Intelligence that can control everything,
that one can feel secure and therefore be at peace, and how can there be happiness without peace?</div>
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There are innumerable names of the Lord in different religious or mystic traditions across the world and a larger number
of phrases that contain His name and therefore Innumerable Mantras. The
interested reader should search for one that pleases. Here is a brief recording
of one based on a name of the Lord popular in South and South east Asia – Ram –
that I recorded on my phone one peaceful morning in the garden. It is a mantra
that saved my life and protected me repeatedly, when I had undertaken a
difficult travel mostly in the Himalayas during the summer of 2007. Listen to it right now by clicking on the video below and experience the peace it generates for yourself.</div>
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Ashok http://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-181193106942700402018-10-08T00:06:00.000-07:002018-10-12T03:17:19.402-07:00Drink of gods - Soma - now within human reach<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: 24pt;">A</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">ncient
Indo Aryans described a drink called Soma as a drink of immortal gods. The
Rig Veda, a sacred Sanskrit text of Indo-Aryans, has recorded many hymns in
praise of this drink. The Vedic Aryans regarded this plant as a divine godly plant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Soma was available to ancient Rig Vedic humans. It prolonged life, enhanced ethical behavior, youth and vigor. It imparted
huge physical strength and beauty to humans. It also granted them spiritual
insights, increased intellectual ability, concentration and memory besides much capacity to love and increased happiness. It provided both wakefulness when needed and restful nights of sleep. The drink
was made from the juice of Soma plant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">There have been many attempts to discover what this
plant might have been ever since it was lost to humanity perhaps around a thousand years
before Christ. Whenever, humans think of a magical plant, their mind somehow
tends to go to intoxicating and hallucinatory plants. Therefore, it is not surprising that some of the suggestions of scholars have been plants like the
magic mushrooms that are hallucinatory. However, Soma was neither hallucinatory
nor intoxicating. Rather its affects were precisely the opposite of
intoxication. It made those who consumed this drink highly alert and focused with
great skill and accuracy to ancient warriors in use of weapons of their
time such as the bow and arrow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Some years ago, this author began to
search for the identity of Soma plant with help of modern tools that
have become available only recently such as the Internet as well as his
scientific background combined with studies on spirituality. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Early Leads</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Based on a study of the hymns on Rig Veda
and a search of plants around the planet this author initially deduced that
Soma might be the plant Cornus Sericea known commonly as dogwood or perhaps an
ancient variety of it that was more potent. However, further studies showed
that Soma couldn’t be dogwood. The Soma plant yielded a sweet frothy juice in
abundance on crushing in stone presses that dogwood does not. It was not long
before this author realized that the plant being described in Rig Veda was much
like Sugar cane. It has tall stalks, grows knot by knot, joint by joint and
when it blooms looks like a spear. It requires
crushing in heavy presses to yield its juice. And its bundles are heavy
requiring groups of men and women to carry just as Soma stalks were carried in
Rig Vedic times. What is most significant is that it grows in colors described
– green, yellow, golden, tawny, red and brown.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wPKIrwMONCc/W7wgWYo7YjI/AAAAAAAAKxw/RJPjZSGwusEi098N_nQf1ctKBwYH4EhKgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/sugar2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wPKIrwMONCc/W7wgWYo7YjI/AAAAAAAAKxw/RJPjZSGwusEi098N_nQf1ctKBwYH4EhKgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/sugar2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sugarcane in colors of Soma, green, yellow, golden, tawny and red </td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">However there was one serious shortcoming,
although sugar cane juice is healthy, it does not have the same magical
properties as described for Soma. Nevertheless, it must be noted that there are
several varieties of the sugarcane plant each with some differences
in organic chemical composition and it was not impossible that a variety
existed in ancient times that had the potent qualities as mentioned for Soma.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">The interested reader may refer to the
following note by the author for details.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="background: white; font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="https://steamcenter.blogspot.com/2018/10/on-regeneration-of-soma-of-rig-veda.html">https://steamcenter.blogspot.com/2018/10/on-regeneration-of-soma-of-rig-veda.html</a></span></i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">The next phase of the search was to look
for organic compounds that are found naturally in plants, particularly C4
grasses of which sugarcane is one, that might have the same sort of effect as
described for Soma, effects that were energizing and happiness generating but not intoxicating. The hope was that if such chemicals could be found it would
ease search for the right variety of sugarcane or help in its recreation
with help of modern plant breeding.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sugarcane like spears</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Active Soma like compounds</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">A search of organic compounds that have
Soma like effects and occur naturally in the grass family led this author to
two compounds. 2-Phenylethylamine known commonly as PEA and available in salt
form as PEA HCL in online stores as also another called Hordenine in smaller quantities
(about ten percent). Apparently both chemicals have to be consumed together in
that proportion for best effect. These compounds are not intoxicating or
hallucinatory just like Soma and have effects similar to those described for
Soma. They are available in Amazon stores and an interested reader may refer to
reviews by hundreds of users of PEA on Amazon for an idea of the effects of PEA
aside from scientific articles on this substance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bulksupplements-Pure-Phenylethylamine-Powder-grams/dp/B00ENRRC1Q">https://www.amazon.com/Bulksupplements-Pure-Phenylethylamine-Powder-grams/dp/B00ENRRC1Q</a></span></i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">It must be mentioned that although
presently unscheduled and available without prescription, PEA is a potent
chemical compound and can have adverse effects. The reader must not rush to it
without appropriate medical advice and ascertaining the correct dosage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Further, caution is required not to
confuse PEA i.e. 2-phenylethylamine with a general class of compounds that are
chemically substituted phenylethylamines often known simply as just
phenylethylamines. These latter compounds are dangerous substances. Many are
illegal. Some are also hallucinatory and have serious adverse consequences.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">As regards PEA as also Hordenine, although
they are presently legal and unscheduled one must note that they are pure
chemicals and their use can likely be harmful as is the case with many isolated
compounds from plants or created in a lab as opposed to chemicals that are a
part of food. Whenever a plant produces an active chemical, it is not in
isolation but a number of companion chemical compounds are produced in the
plant during the process. The consumption of all of these together, as happens
with organic foods makes a plant whole and more suited to life. It is a part of
the natural processes of life. There is a full note in this blog discussing the
differences and the interested reader may read the following note about it,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="https://someitemshave.blogspot.com/2013/03/when-food-and-medicine-are-natural.html">https://someitemshave.blogspot.com/2013/03/when-food-and-medicine-are-natural.html</a></span></i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">As said at the outset, the search of Soma
like chemicals by the author is not to encourage or promote the use of chemical
compounds but rather for a variety of sugarcane that contains these compounds
as active compounds.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Revival of Soma</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Although both PEA and Hordenine is found
in C4 grasses it does not occur in modern varieties of sugarcane in required
quantities to be similar to ancient Soma. However, the sugarcane grasses are
eminently suitable for breeding or genetic engineering so as to increase their
content of these chemicals as described in the following note to revive the
Soma variety of sugarcane. The interested reader may read the following
document by Brumbley (2002) and others for a greater description of this
process,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #333399; font-family: "ȫook antiqua\22 "; font-size: 13.5pt;"> <a href="https://patents.google.com/patent/US20110252507"><span style="color: #333399; text-decoration-line: none;">https://patents.google.com/patent/US20110252507</span></a></span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">A substitute Soma Drink,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">While the recreation of Soma as described seems feasible, it shall take time. Plant breeding is a time consuming process. In
the meantime there is a substitute drink that could be researched by those working on effects of PEA, which although not as
effective as natural Soma because of its chemical nature may have lesser possibility of harm than consumption of PEA alone. One possible</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> recipe is given here for researchers to explore,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Add 250mg of PEA HCL and 25mg Hordenine
HCL to a glass of fresh filtered sugar cane juice. Rest in a wooden vessel for
a further four hours for sediments to settle down. Then mix in a glass of full
cream milk. Divide in three portions, refrigerate, and consume a portion at a time during three different times of the day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">When sugarcane juice is not available
another substitute, albeit likely less effective to use in its place, is
diluted sorghum syrup. Sorghum like sugarcane in also a C4 grass and contains
compatible compounds, and it seems worth investigating its use as a replacement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Selective Effect</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">The thrust of this blog has been on spiritual
development for attaining the sort of benefits that Soma provides. Yet, we are
what we eat, at least temporarily. Patanjali the father of yoga has mentioned that herbs can lead to temporary
yogic benefits. However, the amazing thing about Soma and its
presumed active ingredient 2-Phenylethylamine is that it seems to do both. As
statements of ancients declare as also the experience of modern users as may be
gleaned from reviews on Amazon, it does not affect all similarly. It provides
huge benefits to many, none to some and even makes a few
sick. Ancient Indo-Aryan seers concluded that while it enhances
ethical behavior, one has to be an ethical person in the first place to benefit
from it. In the words of Rig Veda,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "\22 times new roman\22 "; font-size: 13.5pt;">“To him who keeps the law,
both old and young, thou give happiness and energy that he may live.”</span></i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "\22 times new roman\22 "; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "\22 times new roman\22 "; font-size: 13.5pt;">It
seems further that the more ethical a person is, the greater the benefit of
Soma. It seems it shall impart little or no benefit to others. </span><span style="font-family: "\22 times new roman\22 "; font-size: 13.5pt;">There is a need for further studies and research on the present topic in view of potential improvements in human lives.</span></div>
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Ashok http://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-8132055525388740542018-09-07T04:44:00.001-07:002018-09-11T21:23:02.511-07:00Physical Exercise and Modern Life<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Around a hundred years ago, normal living involved far more
physical exercise than modern living does. Walking was a normal part of the day
and many of tasks one has to do to live such as washing clothes required far
more labor. With the advent of technology and modern transportation, all this
is no longer a part of lives of many humans. The result is obesity and an
increase of diseases that were uncommon in an earlier era. Yesterday, I read a
report in the daily newspaper that mentioned a large proportion of humanity is
severely lacking physical exercise. It recommended 150 minutes of moderate
exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise spread over a week. From this I
have derived my own personal recommendation of 15 minutes of moderate exercise
followed by five minutes of vigorous exercise six days week. The moderate
exercise would warm up the body for the vigorous exercise.</div>
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There are other things modern humans are missing as well,
that are time spent in green surroundings and sunshine. Those who live in
high-rise apartments miss this most. They must make a special effort to reach
green areas and incorporate half an hour of walk five or six days a week in
addition to the exercise mentioned in the first paragraph of this note that can
be done indoors. Besides, a similar amount of time must be spent in sunshine
either during the walk or at another time just sitting in the sunshine. There
is an older note in this blog focused just on this latter issue.</div>
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The suggestions of this note concern average humans during their active adult life. Those with any special health issues may wish to consult a doctor before developing a program that is suited to their health and age. Through it all do remember the human body is fragile. Never strain it excessively. You may damage it. And, when you are sick, hurt or weak with age, it is not much activity and physical exercise that will help you but much rest will.<br />
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Those who have a home with a garden can replace some of the
suggested green hours with gardening. A garden adds joy to the heart and it is
something that changes over the years with new plants coming up and older ones
dying away. The picture with this post is a recent one from my home garden that
I work on alone except for getting monthly help for mowing the lawn and annual
help for trimming the trees. Many more pictures of the garden at different
times may be found in older post in this blog.<br />
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<i>Links to the two older posts mentioned in this note:</i></div>
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<a href="https://someitemshave.blogspot.com/2014/01/how-modern-humans-are-missing-sunshine.html">https://someitemshave.blogspot.com/2014/01/how-modern-humans-are-missing-sunshine.html</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://someitemshave.blogspot.com/2015/05/snapshots-of-my-home.html">https://someitemshave.blogspot.com/2015/05/snapshots-of-my-home.html</a></span></div>
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Ashok http://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-91906139149807949082018-09-02T04:13:00.001-07:002018-09-02T05:27:38.226-07:00The Little Yellow Butterfly – A Sign<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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By the side of my garden is a gravel patch that runs through
the middle of the driveway. Of and on weed comes up through the gravel and
needs weeding. The full driveway is shown in the picture at the bottom of this post. Today as I sat weeding a portion of it, a little yellow
butterfly kept coming near me, hopping around and sitting near me. I felt it
was most unusual. When I put out my hand near it even hopped on. I felt it was
most unusual and when one is involved with mysticism as I have been, one
interprets such things as a sign from the Lord, a direct message. </div>
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On reflection I think it was a sign to complete a small work
of mystic fiction that has been languishing in my basement for more than a
quarter century. I have been a scientist and Professor of engineering with
interests in mysticism. Some quarter century ago, I had written the first draft
of this small novel. The preliminary name of the book was ‘Butterfly Boy’ and butterflies
feature in it. Perhaps the name shall be changed to 'The boy and the Butterflies' by the time the book is done. However, later professional duties caught my time and attention
and this draft remained sealed in a file. Perhaps the time has come to return
to it.</div>
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The butterfly waited as I went indoors and fetched the phone
to take a picture. It is as shown with this post. I shall tell more about the
book later.</div>
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Ashok http://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-74826142612936023252018-08-29T23:35:00.001-07:002018-08-30T02:41:46.228-07:00NEF Biscuits, Relief from Heaven<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y1Bq0iEazQw/W4eQA-5_uTI/AAAAAAAAKpU/Ld-CyEtIZ00IinA65dI9dmjNfSvof5yFACLcBGAs/s1600/coffee-cup-espresso-colorful.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="367" data-original-width="550" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y1Bq0iEazQw/W4eQA-5_uTI/AAAAAAAAKpU/Ld-CyEtIZ00IinA65dI9dmjNfSvof5yFACLcBGAs/s1600/coffee-cup-espresso-colorful.jpg" /></a></div>
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Recent devastating floods that submerged an entire province
in southern India – Kerala - drew my mind back to emergency food supplies for
humans caught in natural disasters. Food that can be delivered swiftly to such
persons needs to be compact, lightweight, and nutritional with a long shelf
life. It can then be stored in emergency relief depots and supplied to disaster
management teams swiftly. It should be food that can be consumed without
cooking. In earlier posts this author has described precisely such a food in
the form of biscuits that aside from wheat flour contain micronutrients and
proteins, are organic and easily digestible. They were named OFR biscuits. The
interested reader may like to look up these posts too. <a href="https://someitemshave.blogspot.com/2013/07/biscuits-for-relief-ofr-biscuit.html" target="_blank">They can be found here </a></div>
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Aside from disaster relief such a food when available, is
useful for travelers. They are useful in homes as a snack, for an occasional
quick lunch perhaps along with soup, salad or fruits, or, breakfasts along with
tea, coffee, hot milk or fruit juice. Such biscuits along with a glass of milk
and some fresh fruit can make an excellent midday meals in schools as well.</div>
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The present post emerges from further reflection on earlier
ideas of this author for OFR biscuits. The new proposals as described here
would be found convenient, better and easier to implement by any biscuit
manufacturer interested in the recipe. They are put out here in the public
domain without any claim of copy right or patent in public interest but the
author would appreciate if this blog is acknowledged as inspiration incase a
manufacturer makes use of the ideas.</div>
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The new biscuit has been given a new name NEF biscuit. –
Nutritional Emergency Food Biscuits. When persons caught up in disaster
receive such food it is indeed God sent, a gift from heaven.</div>
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<b>Essential Components of NEF Biscuits</b></div>
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NEF biscuits aside from wheat flour, contain other
ingredients to add proteins, fats and micronutrients so as to make the food
more wholesome for human consumption and survival over several days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have been conceived in a way that only
the most digestible ingredients are included as suitable for even infants,
using primarily non-chemical ingredients. The only chemical agents that need be
used are raising agents. No vitamins are added since here the emphasis is on
natural food with the possible exception of a small amount of ascorbic acid,
vitamin C, the most benign of vitamins and needed by persons who may not be
able to access fresh fruits and vegetables. Its sour flavor would complement
the salty biscuits. NEF biscuits are not sweet but salted as indeed most daily
foods are. It is conceived as a temporary replacement for food. Sugars are not
necessary in production of these biscuits.</div>
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<b>Protein Components</b></div>
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Presently only two of the best protein matter as suitable
for biscuits is recommended for NEF biscuits. The first is buttermilk flour
that is already used in the baking industry and is available widely in food
markets. </div>
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The second ingredient described here is not easily available
in food markets but is most easily prepared. It is preboiled mung bean flour.
Boiling washed split mung bean lentils for five minutes, washing, drying and
grinding to flour may prepare it. Mung beans have been selected here as the
most digestible of all lentil beans, suitable for infants too. Soya bean flour,
although cheaper has been avoided.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Flour of split, skinned Mung beans may be used directly but the
pre-boiled version as suggested here shall make the biscuit more easily
digestible by the youngest of children. It shall add a delicious taste to the
biscuit too that Soya beans cannot.</div>
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The precise proportion of protein matter to add to flour is
not given here. It would have to researched by the manufacture so as to fit in
their existing production line. It is expected to be about ten percent.</div>
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<b>Oils and Fats</b></div>
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Trans fats must be strictly avoided in preparing the biscuit
mix. They are also banned in many countries now but any other healthy oil or
fat may be used. Palm oil or Sunflower oil are good choices</div>
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<b>Micronutrients</b></div>
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How to get natural micronutrients in the biscuits is a
unique feature of NEF biscuits. For this finely chopped leafy vegetables such
as spinach, cabbage, mustard, alpa alpha (lucerne) leaves or goosefoot are boiled or pressure cooked with a little
water. The water is drained out, cooled and used as the water to prepare the
biscuit mix rather than plain water. Vegetables are not directly used in the
biscuit mix so as to maintain their consistency but boiling removes the
water-soluble micronutrients into the water that is then used for preparing the
biscuits.</div>
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<b>Flavoring</b></div>
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Although such biscuits can be plain with just the
appropriate amount of salt added, more natural herbal flavors or spices may be
added. This note is not recommending any here because the choice is vast in
this area. A good place to use as guidance is to refer to potato chips. Two of them are this authors favorite, Pringles and Lays.</div>
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<b>Variety</b></div>
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A natural instinct of a human is to look for variety in
food. A human is easily turned off from the same food if offered daily. Variety
can easily be introduced in NEF biscuits by using different permutations and
combinations of the ingredients suggested in this note. It is easily possible
for any biscuit manufacturer to begin with two types, later expanding to four
and varying these in future, based on market response. </div>
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If a manufacturer takes up production of NEF biscuits, they
may wish to prepare lots with simple paper packaging for relief, army and
school supplies as well as a fancy colorful packaging for others who purchase
biscuits from stores and super-markets. The Health benefits of such a biscuit
will be an aid to marketing. Thus any manufacturer who takes up the production
of NEF biscuits would do both - make money and do social service. The best
wishes of this author are with any prospective biscuit maker.<br />
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<i>This author can be
contacted easily as a comment to this post for more information or just a thank
you note. :- ). He receives email notifications of all.</i></div>
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Ashok http://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-29902705661679813992018-07-04T11:27:00.001-07:002018-07-09T22:02:18.479-07:00Solution to American Immigration Problem in one day, in one word<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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For years USA has faced huge immigration problems on its
southern borders as large numbers of persons have crossed its border through
Mexico. The American response to the problem has varied over the years. Few of
its responses have been perfect; few responses have escaped criticism. The most
recent response of zero tolerance that consisted of declaring those entering as
criminals, separating adults from children and putting them in separate
detentions has been criticized hugely around the world. It was described as
torture of little children by no less than the UN Human Rights Commission from
which America withdrew subsequently, of even babies and of snatching babies
from mothers. It has been reversed but thousands of children remain separated
while America scampers for alternate policies. This present move may have
destroyed future of thousands of children through psychological trauma. It is
heaping disgrace upon a once great nation. More tragic still is the fact that
instead of finding solutions, many have jumped in to profit from the situation,
politicians both for political and financial gain, prison companies and child
traffickers, human traffickers, pedophiles, drug dealers and criminals
accompanied by what a child prison guard described is an orchestra of wails of
little children crying for their parents.</div>
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While all these problems persist and America continues to
tie itself in knots over the issue, the question needs to be asked, could these
problems have been avoided and if so how? The answer lies in one word – TRUTH.</div>
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If instead of calling all who come in as immigrants, aliens, illegal aliens,
illegal migrants or criminals the truth had been admitted that most of these
persons are fleeing violence in their home countries, especially Central
America then a solution is immediately found, <b>Those fleeing violence from one
country and arriving in another are REFUGEES.</b> Once this fact is recognized the
solution follows automatically. Who is an international refugee is not for any one country of world to define because it involves more than one country. This definition has been accepted by the United Nations, all members countries as well as all organisation in world that deal with refugees. </blockquote>
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America would have then done what every other country in the
world does with refugees. If the number is small then asylum or deportation is
considered after some deliberation. If numbers are large then they are housed
in refugee camps near the border even for several years at a time. Presently
there are millions in such camps in Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and most recently
the Rohingya in Bangladesh. How to manage these refugee camps is
well known. A number of international agencies and the UN have much experience
in it. If there is fear that some are not real refugees but come to improve
economic standards or with criminal intent, then the prospect of living in a
refugee camp, perhaps for years on end, is deterrence enough. This solution can
be used even now to solve the immigration problem overnight. Perhaps it is the
only one that would have to be resorted to sooner or later.</div>
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President Trump has said that he would not like to see
refugee camps in America but the fact is that American interventions around the
world ever since WWII have directly or indirectly helped to create refugee
camps in many countries around the world and saints, mystics and scientists
declare that everything we do good or bad must return, albeit, often with a
delay. The time for that Karma to unfold has come.</div>
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One may ask, what if refugee camps are set up, what next?
The same as every other country does with refugees. Work towards stabilizing
conditions in their home countries even if it takes several years and then
returns the refugees there through various arrangements for one. India had to
go to war with Pakistan to return millions of refugees that had fled violence
to Bangladesh in 1971. The entire process was well organized, swift and
efficient.</div>
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This saga once again illustrates the eternal truth that
saints have voiced from the beginning of civilization,</div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;">"In adherence to truth lies solution to all human problems, the use of lies leads to misery"</span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;">Note: Worried over
the fate of thousands of sweet children languishing in detention centers in
America, and of their mothers crying incessantly for days, I have stayed up for
many a night over the last several days, tweeted furiously. Those who have
followed this blog would know that welfare of children everywhere has been a
major concern of this author for many years. Then last night the solution came
to me in a flash in the middle of the night. I got up immediately and wrote
this hurried post. This morning I have improved upon it and re-posted it on Wordpress. Links have been communicated to all of the highest authorities on
our planet from the White House to the UN and for the public on twitter. The
updated note is at,</span><a href="https://ashokmalhotra.wordpress.com/2018/07/05/ideal-solution-to-american-immigration-crisis-is-also-the-simplest/">https://ashokmalhotra.wordpress.com/2018/07/05/ideal-solution-to-american-immigration-crisis-is-also-the-simplest/</a></blockquote>
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Ashok http://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.com0