HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK (When You Are Alone)

http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blcpr.htm

Do go through this article completely which provides you all information regarding the same. A forward that I received which I posted yesterday, " Let's say it's 6:15 p.m. and you're driving home, ........... Rochester General Hospital ", is available here itself. And thanks to Action Safety Education, who helped me to probe more about this forward.

You can check for more information from these sites, where tips too are included.

http://www.ehow.com/how_136303_survive-heart-attack.html
http://marriage.about.com/cs/healthyliving/ht/heartattack.htm
http://www.indoindians.com/health/survive_ha.htm

Felt like sharing with all of you.

Silence is the best way to keep away from problems. Smile is a powerful tool to avoid many problems. So have a silent smile always...

Tips for Success - Talk softly, Walk humbly, Eat sensibly, Breath deeply, Sleep sufficiently, Dress smartly, Act fearlessly, Work patiently, Think truthfully, Believe correctly, Behave decently, Plan practically, Earn honestly, Save regularly.

Nothing is permanent in this world, not even our troubles.
- Charlie Chaplin.
So, keep on enjoying life and don't loose your smile at any cost.

All power is within you. You can do anything and everything. Don't believe that you are weak. Stand up and express the divinity within you.
- Swami Vivekananda.

Life gives answer in 3 ways... It says yes and gives you what you want, it says no and gives you something better, it says wait and gives you the best.

Lavender Oil is widely used for nerves, migraines, headaches, tension, emotional stress, sore muscles or tense muscles. It promotes relaxation. Other uses include benefits for the skin, immune and circulatory systems. It even wards off mosquitoes. It has a healing effect on the skin too.

Rosemary oil can be used in bath or for face, body or scalp massage. It conditions dry and flaky scalps and stimulates hair growth. It even helps in clearing dandruff and darkens grey hair.

Geranium oil helps to create balance between oily and dry skin. It can also be used as a mosquito repellant, herbal skin cream, anti-stress oil. It even heals wounds.

Teatree oil heals skin cuts, burns, and infections. It even helps in reducing dandruff and skin related problems. It promotes the growth and repair of healthy tissue, which lessens the chance of scarring.

Coconut oil is an excellent skin moisturiser and a hair conditioner. It softens the hair and conditions the scalp. It can be used as a pre-wash conditioner to get rid of dandruff. It is antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial and provides protection from damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

Almond oil is great for nourishing extremely dry hair and the skin. It is non-greasy and spreads easily.

Cedarwood oil helps prevent and cure acne, dandruff, greasy skin, hair loss and dermatitis. It is a powerful antiseptic.

Lemon oil cleans greasy skin and hair, as well as removes dead skin cells. It works well for a treatment for dry scalp, dandruff, lice.

Curryleaves oil prevents premature greying of hair. When the leaves are boiled in coconut oil till they are reduced to a blackened residue, the oil forms an excellent hair tonic to stimulate hair growth and in retaining the natural pigmentation.

Basil oil promotes growth by stimulating circulation. Helps for healthy hair.

Bay leaf oil strengthens hair and combats hair loss.

You can even know more about essential oils from this link.
It is best to consult a dermatologist before usage of the same.

Food to eat (for hair) :

Eggs, mango, liver, dark green leafy vegetables, carrots, dried apricots, whole grain cereals, peas, nuts, soyabean, paneer, sprouted pulses, curd, milk, fresh fruits, kabuli chana(black gram), chinese cabbage, fish, bajra, almond and last but not least drink 12 to 14 glass of water per day.

Zinc and essential fatty acids guard against dandruff and dry scalp. The hair and scalp should be clean so as to minimise the accumulation of the dead cells. The hair should be brushed daily to improve the circulation and remove any flakiness. The scalp should be thoroughly massaged every day.

Singapura, means "Lion City" where singa means "lion" and pura means "city", in Sanskrit. Here are few pictures taken when in Singapore. Had a wonderful trip.

The Merlion - Symbol of Singapore
Merlion & Harbour
Jurong Bird Park
Underwater World, Sentosa Island
Dolphin Lagoon, Sentosa Island
Butterfly Park, Sentosa Island
A peacock pose at Sentosa Island
Orchid Gardens
City View from Hot Air Ballooning
Photos taken while travelling through bus
Changi Airport

My first rangoli on Diwali day. Did it atlast all the way. Had good fun.

'God is like a mirror. The mirror never changes, but everybody who looks at it sees something different'.
This directly projects on our thoughts and the way we look at the situations. And here, our mind can also be our best friend or our worst enemy. It's in our power to make it one or the other. So, we need to know exactly what we want and what for are we here. We need to introspect ourselves. But will anyone know exactly what they want? Because wants do change with respect to time. And what for are we here... Do we ever ask ourselves? God is omnipresent. He is present everywhere and even within us. We just need to discover Him. And, we will.
This quote just made me to retrospect on my previous posts which talks about mind control and focus on enlightened path. Really, there is a lot to know in this world.

Creativity is to think differently by making our task easier and simpler. It just gets out our innate talents. We just need to identify them. We already see ourselves working on it. They can be ads on TV, paintings drawn, or projecting ourself in a different way by learning new things everyday or it can even be a problem in our daily life which we are supposed to solve.

We do have different quotes regarding it, like :
Imagination rules the world.
- Napoleon

If at first the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it.
- Albert Einstein

We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts we create the world.
- The Buddha

How a Creative Person Will Be ?
curious, enjoys challenge, optimistic, comfortable with imagination, sees problems as opportunities and interesting, challenges assumptions, doesn't give up easily by working hard.

Few Questions To Test Ourselves:
How will you make a roman number VI as 7?
How will you make this roman number IX as 6?

If you all have questions regarding the same, just keep adding. So, we all can share it.

I have been tagged by Sush, Lalitha and Mommyof2. Thanks to all of you for directing me towards myself. I just clubbed both 9 weird things about self and 8 things about myself. For the rules of tag, click here. Now, here am I...

I have got a bad memory in recalling names. The second time I see a person, I can never recollect their names. I again and again ask them until I get the same. But, I do remember their faces.

I need someone to challenge me(only if I am interested in it).If any one says you can't do this, I'll definitely show them that I can do it. This happened with my brother and my colleagues too. My brother used to tease me that I can never drive a two wheeler. But, I learnt it by myself and showed him the same.

Hearing a dialogue of a movie, I can try to tell the movie name. But sometimes even this is not working these days. ;).

I love to eat food when served hot and it should be tasty. Even though I cook, I can never eat it, if it's not to my expectations.

I read novels, but never again. It will be only once. Once done, it's done. Might be because, I capture the picture in my mind while reading. The only thing I try to read again and again will be parayanam of a God, that is to test my patience, my recollecting capabilities, my commitment.

I can never eat items when they are too cold. Let it be a cool drink or an icecream. I remember you sush, the way you used to tease me when I asked for 'cool ga leni cool drink ivvandi' means 'give me a cool drink which is not cool'.

I am quite often interested in anyone talking about spiritual matters or something related to God. I just join them very fast and talk a lot about the same. I am very much excited about it. And at the same time, I enjoy worldly matters.

I talk a lot when I know a person, else I just try to keep silent until I know them.

I hate the people who try to act smartly(negative dealings). I just try to correct them, if possible.

Now I tag :
the path, drama diva, my life, viva forever, white forest, scientist suresh, ..., young indians, random thoughts.

It's Dussera and Diwali time. Just got curious to know more about the same. DUSSERA celebrates the victory of Good over Evil. The nine days preceding Dussera are known as Navaratri. During this period, Goddess Durga is worshipped in different forms - as Saraswati, Lakshmi, and Mahakali(3 main forms of SHAKTI). Each of these 3 forms gave rise to 3 more forms and hence they are called Nava Durga.

NAVADURGA FORMS:
Shailputri Brahmacharini Chandraghanta Kushmanda Skandamata Kaatyayani Kaalratri Mahagauri Siddhidatri

You can know more about each of these forms from this link and even this too.

Nava Durga Stuthihi(Prayer/Song) :
Pradhamaa Shailaputricha; Dwithiya Brahmacharini, Thruthiyaa Chandraghantethi Kushmandethi Chathurdhikee; Panchamaa Skandamaathethi; Shashtaa Kaatyayanethicha; Sapthamaa Kaalarathreecha; Ashtamaachaathi Bhairavee; Navamaa Sarvasiddhischaath; Navadurgaa Prakeerthithaa !!!

Dussera also means "cutting the ten heads of Ravana". The ten heads represent:
Loathing, Desire, Envy, Selfishness, Dishonesty, Obsession, Gluttony, Rage, Passion, Pride.

And, DIWALI is called the "festival of lights". Diwali is celebrated for five continuous days and each day has its significance.
The first day of Diwali is Dhanatrayodashi. During Dhanatrayodashi, lamps are lit to welcome Lakshmi. Houses are decorated and homemade sweets are offered to the Goddess.
On the second day, known as Narakachaturdashi, the victory of Lord Krishna over the evil King Narakasura is celebrated. Few lamps are lit and few crackers are burst in joy.
The third day is almost exclusively devoted to the goddess, Lakshmi. Lakshmi Pooja is done. Lamps are lit and crackers are burst in joy.
Padwa is the name commonly given to the fourth day of Diwali. It is considered an auspicious day for starting new business ventures.
On the final day of Diwali, also known as Bhai-duj, the focus is on the love felt between brothers and sisters. Gifts are exchanged and food is shared.
You can check for some more info here.

This is a forward from my friend. Felt like sharing with you all...

Three things in life once gone never come back -
   Words  Opportunity  Time
Three things in life are never sure -
  Dreams  Success  Fortune
Three things in life that make you a great person -
  Hardwork  Sincerity  Success
Three things in life are most valuable -
  Love  Self Respect  Friends
Three things in life must not be lost -
  Peace  Hope  Honesty
Three things in life that destroy a person -
  Greed  Pride  Anger
Three things in life that never last -
  Pain  Sorrow  Disappointment

Bhakti means devotion or pure love. The 9 forms include:

1. Sravanam / Hearing the glories of God.
2. Kirtanam / Singing the glories of God.
3. Smaranam / Internal meditation on the Lord's form.
4. Padasevanam / Serving His lotus feet.
5. Archanam / Worshiping(deity worship) the Lord.
6. Vandanam / Prostration to Lord(offering prayers to please God).
7. Dasyam / Servant of God.
8. Sakhyam / Friendship with the Lord.
9. Atmanivedanam / Complete surrender of the Self.

These nine modes of Bhakti help the devotee to remain constantly in touch with God. A devotee can take up any of these paths and reach the highest state.

Learnt something new today about Self-confidence vs Ego. There is a very thin line dividing the two. Let's see.

confidence : I can do the work and others also can do it.
ego : I alone can do it and nobody else can.

confidence : I always try to encourage and help others in building their confidence.
ego : I try to curb and discourage others when they try to come up in life.

confidence : I always attract people. Even the weak feel confident and elevated in my presence and get inspiration in my company.
ego : I create repulsion in the minds of people who try to avoid me because of my boastful nature.

confidence : I appreciate the success of others and share my happiness with them.
ego : I discourage and humiliate others and feel jealous of the success of others.

confidence : Everyone enjoys working with me because I am always cheerful and can mix freely with everybody.
ego : Even confidence feels an inferiority complex and feel nervous to work with me.

confidence : I always command love and respect.
ego : I always demand and expect love and respect.

confidence : I am always successful in every field of life because I can conquer the hearts of all by putting my faith and confidence in others and receive all help and cooperation from colleagues and friends.
ego : I always suffer setbacks and failures losing men and power because of my arrogant speech which adds only to my worries and tension.

confidence : My faith is in the innermost Divine Self, the source of all power and energy, and also feel the presence of Divine in everyone while dealing with them.
ego : My faith is in my mental and intellectual abilities and skills, forgetting the Divine which operates through mind and intellect out of ignorance. I apply the same standards while dealing with others. I am only aware of weaknesses and drawbacks and never realise that the perfect Divine is hidden behind these superficial appearances, which can be awakened by constant training and positive approach.

Here are few good quotes that I felt like sharing with you all.

HEALTH IS WEALTH

Money Can Buy
A Bed But Not Sleep
A House But Not Home
Food But Not Appetite
Finery But Not Beauty
Amusement But Not Happiness
Luxuries But Not Culture
Pleasure But Not Peace
Religion But Not Salvation
Books But Not Brain
Medicines But Not Health
Service But Not Love
A Woman But Not Lawful Wife
A Passport To Every Where
But Not TO Heaven!!! So, Money Should Be Secondary.

THE ESSENCE OF ALL TEACHINGS

The Best Day - Today
The Greatest Sin - Fear
The Most Expensive Indulgence - Hate
The Most Appropriate Time - Just Now
The Greatest Need - Common Sense
The Most Reliable Friend - Your Own Effort
The Greatest Mistake - Waste Of Time
The Greatest Trouble Maker - Talking Too Much
The Meanest Feeling - Jealousy
The Luckiest Person - Who Is Immersed In Work
The Easiest Thing To Do - Finding Fault
The Greatest Teacher - Experience
The Cleverest Man - One Who Does What He Thinks Right
The Most Hateful Thing - To Criticize Others
The Worst Bankrupt - The Soul That Has Lost Its Enthusiasm
The Most Difficult Thing - To Appreciate Qualities Of Others
The Essence Of All Religions - Truth, Honesty & Humbleness

IN'TENSION'

The moment you are in TENSION
You will loose your ATTENTION
Then you are in total CONFUSION
And you'll feel IRRITATION
Then you'll spoil personal RELATION
Ultimately, you won't get CO-OPERATION
Then you'll make things COMPLICATION
Then your BP may also raise CAUTION
And you may have to take MEDICATION
Instead, understand the SITUATION
And try to think about the SOLUTION
Many problems will be solved by DISCUSSION
Which will worn out better in your PROFESSION
Don't think it is my free SUGGESTION
It is only for your PREVENTION
If you understand my INTENTION
You'll never come again to TENSION !!!

Parachutes and Minds can work only when they are open.

THE WAY TO HAPPINESS

Keep your heart free
from hate,
Keep your mind free
from worry...
Lead a simple life...
Expect little...
Give much.

The richest man - the one who can give his time and attention.

My portrait of Sri Sainath Maharaj.




He is my sweet little Friend, Guru and Guide. It's already 14 years since I knew Him. I love staring at Him a lot( that might have made me draw this :-) ). It just calms my mind and gives eternal happiness. Sometimes, even tears of joy flow down. Love it, SAI. Happy Teacher's Day!!!

To control Hair Fall:

1.   Massage your scalp with raw milk thoroughly. Wash off after 1 hour. It helps in hair growth.
2.   If you boil water including Neem leaves(Vepaku) and have a bath, it will help in the growth of black and thicker hair.
3.   Including garlic in your food will lessen hair fall.
4.   Massage your hair with warm coconut oil weekly once. It helps your hair grow thicker.
5.   Mix 2 spoons pepper powder in 1/2 cup milk and apply to your head. Keep it for the whole night and have a bath early morning. This helps in reducing dandruff and hair fall.

6.   Massage, 2 spoons lemon juice with curd, gently into your scalp. Wait for 2 hours and have a bath. It promotes hair growth.
7.   Meditation for a while per day helps to reduce hair fall.
8.   Gigantic Swallowort(Mandara) oil, when applied weekly twice will help in hair growth.
9.   Applying lemon juice or onion juice in the scalp will help in hair growth.
10.  Use umbrella or a cap when you go out on a sunny day.

11.  A high protein diet with plenty of fruits, green vegetables and dairy products is a must.
12.  Drink 10-12 glass of water everyday. Exercise too will help.
13.  Laugh heartily. The reason for hair fall can also be due to tension, stress, worries, anger, constipation.
14.  Apply almond oil weekly twice to the scalp and massage. It promotes hair growth.
15.  Castor(Aamudam) oil will help in hair growth when massaged monthly once.

16.  Mix Methi powder in curd thoroughly. Apply it and wash it off after 4 hours. It promotes hair growth.
17.  Apply ground coconut to the scalp for hair growth.
18.  If hair falls while combing your hair, have cabbage juice or cabbage regularly as part of your food.
19.  Apply sour cow buttermilk to the scalp. Then wash your hair and see the difference. Your hair will shine and at the same time helps in hair growth.
20.  Apply the paste of cooked Urad dal and leave it for 2 hours. Then wash your hair. Do this weekly twice.

To control Dandruff:

1.   Massage scalp with curd and leave it for 2 hours. Then wash with warm water.
2.   Apply Neem oil to the scalp. The next day, wash your hair. This reduces dandruff.
3.   Never use other's comb. Don't use hair dye's till it is necessary.
4.   Wash your hair weekly twice.
5.    Mix 2 spoons of lemon juice with 2 spoons of coconut oil. Massage well. After 2-3 hours, wash off with warm water.
6.   Apply the paste of Fenugreek(Menthi kura). Then wash hair after an hour.

You can check for more info from these sites.
Ayurvedic stuff    Hair Care    More Tips

We need to develop personality based on character and not on achievements in life, since this is what is remembered by the world through eternity.There are four dimensions of the human personality i.e. Physical, Mental, Intellectual, and Spiritual. A harmonious growth of all these aspects constitutes the real personality. One must strive for sound health, strong mind, pure intellect, and spiritual growth simultaneously.

Now let's talk about Physical Dimension. Most of our miseries are caused by our physical weaknesses. Good health is the source of happiness and success in life. A healthy person always keeps his mind cool in all circumstances. He performs his duties efficiently, enthusiastically and cheerfully. Habits too play a vital role in developing physical dimension. So, nutritious food, regular exercise, cultivating good habits, and self-control help us to improve our health, which forms a part of personality development.
In Mental Dimension, the mind is superior to the body. Negative and evil thoughts make the mind weak. Violence, crime, killing, committing suicide are the outcome of weak minds. Such a mind acts upon us like an enemy. Sri Krishna says 'One should save oneself by oneself; one should not lower oneself. For oneself is verily one's own friend; oneself is verily one's own enemy'. The strong and disciplined mind acts like a friend, but the weak, uncontrolled, and frustrated mind acts like a enemy and leads to destruction. Here are a few observations about the strong and weak minds.

STRONG MIND
1. A strong mind always remains calm even in adversities.
2. It never succumbs to temptations, and develops tremendous courage to say 'No' to immoral thoughts and actions.
3. It always remains free from prejudice, suspicion, and jealousy.
4. Clarity of thinking makes it possible to take right decisions and comes to right judgements.
5. Such a mind will never indulge in wrong actions, prompted by evil emotions, such as desire, anger, greed, fear, hatred, etc., but will be always guided by serious, deep and right thinking.
6. Positive thinking, concentration, fearlessness, adventurous nature, and self-confidence are the vital qualities of a strong mind.

WEAK MIND
1. A weak mind gets irritated and loses temper over trifling matters and reacts violently.
2. Such a mind can easily succumb to temptations, like bribery, stealing, etc.
3. Due to confusion, suspicion, and prejudice, it fails to take the right decision and make impartial judgements.
4. Such a mind always compromises with and surrenders to evil forces.
5. It cannot face challenges in life, and tries to escape from them by adopting easy and cheap methods.
6. Such a mind always takes recourse to weeping and grumbling.
7. Such a mind never appreciates good qualities in others.
8. Restlessness, fear, tension, laziness, frustration, superstition, and negative thinking are the main characteristics of a weak mind.

Swami Vivekananda says 'Whateve you think, that you will be; if you think yourselves strong, strong you will be. If you think yourselves weak, weak you will be.'
Now coming to Intellectual Dimension, intellectual strength is superior to physical, and mental strength. We need to bring it out through deep thinking which is possible through the power of concentration. For this will power is required and at the same time you will need to discriminate between right and wrong.
And Spiritual Dimension is superior to all other aspects of personality. Lord Krishna says 'Knowledge remains covered by ignorance. The moment we remove this screen of ignorance, the knowledge of the Atman will shine forth, and then will manifest all the great virtues in our personality.' Ignorance is nothing but the impurity in mind. The person with the pure mind alone can realize this divine. And, therefore, one shoud never deviate from the path of righteousness. There are six enemies i.e. lust, anger, greed, delusion, pride, and jealousy. The moment we drive them away from the mind, the Divine will reflect in that pure mirror of our mind. These impurities can be removed through the path of devotion, discrimination, selfless action, meditation.

We all need to struggle for perfection in all these aspects which will ultimately lead us to the development of the real personality. And all this is almost related to personality development.

My favourite quotes of Swami Vivekananda's :
* 'Strength is life, weakness is death. Strength is felicity, life eternal, immortal; weakness is constant strain and misery.'
# 'Neither money pays, nor name, nor fame, nor learning; it is CHARACTER that can cleave through adamantine walls of difficulties.'
* 'If you really want to judge the character of a man, look not at his great performances. Every fool may become a hero at one time or another. Watch a man do his most common actions; those are indeed the things which will tell you the real character of a great man.'
# 'We are to take care of ourselves - that much we can do - and give up attending to others for a time. Let us perfect the means; the end will take care of itself. For the world can be good and pure, only if our lives are good and pure. It is an effect, and we are the means. Therefore, let us purify ourselves. Let us make ourselves perfect.'
* 'The remedies for weakness is not brooding over weakness, but thinking of strength. Teach men of the strength that is already within them.'

As I am going through all these, I strongly feel there is lot to learn in this world to build our own CHARACTER. And, we are not complete.

These are the guidelines from a Dental Foundation.

Do's
1. Brush your teeth after each meal and gargle after a sweet drink.
2. Eat protein rich food for prevention of dental diseases.
3. Keep your mouth free from food particles.
4. Remove any deposit, such as plaque, stains or tartar formation in your teeth regularly.
5. If a tooth falls after injury or accident, rush to a dentist keeping the tooth in salt water, as there is every chance of the tooth being fixed again.
6. After extraction of a tooth, it is better to replace it with an artificial tooth, except the wisdom tooth.
7. Take care to protect the enamel of your teeth. Use a toothpaste with flouride and use a toothbrush with rounded bristles. Discard a toothbrush when the bristles are bent.
8. Chewing raw vegetables, coconut kernel, carrot or cucumber helps to keep your teeth clean and free of food particles.
9. Each meal should end with a fruit. It helps to secrete saliva. The fibrous content and salivation helps to clean the mouth.
10. People with chronic skin ailments or pain in the joints should have a dental check up to rule out any septic focus in the teeth and gums.

Dont's
1. Avoid eating chocolates, biscuits or candies often as they may cause tooth decay.
2. Avoid drinking milk or eating sweets after a meal.
3. Take care of uneven teeth, as food particles get easily lodged between the teeth.
4. Decayed milk teeth should not be left untreated. Milk teeth should be preserved till their successors are ready to erupt.
5. Do not clean your toothbrush with hot water. Ordinary running water with a little antiseptic will do.
6. Do not breathe through your mouth. Keeping your upper and lower lips approximated, helps to keep gums healthy and also helps to have better aligned teeth.
7. Do not ignore bleeding gums. It is often the early signs of pyorrhoea.
8. Remember, bad breath cannot be cured by flavoured mouth washes alone. The cause should be identified and treatment should be given.
9. Do not ignore shaky teeth. They should be treated or extracted.
10. Smoking cigarette or chewing tobacco is bad for teeth and gums.

I used to question myself many times what are these chakras because I never understood them early, even till now. As I went through an article in one of the newspapers, it again made me think. I felt I got some answer atlast. It's from Paramahamsa Nithyananda and it says...
Every man lives in one of the seven chakras, the energy centres. If you are in the lowest level, that is the MULADHARA CHAKRA, you are caught in lust and desire. You worship a God who can grant all your boons. That is why God is understood as a giver of boons and is very popular. If not, you dethrone Him.
Next is the person who is caught in the SWADISHTHANA CHAKRA. You worship the God who gives confidence, who you believe will take care of you; you go behind the idols that have many weapons and many hands. You experience God as a protector. The third level person stays in the MANIPURAKA CHAKRA. You continuously worry and remain confused. You worship the God who gives clarity and peace. Next is the person who lives in the ANAHATA CHAKRA. Here, you are attracted towards the God who showers love on you. You worship the God who gives emotional fulfilment. Next, if you are raised to the level of the VISHUDDHI CHAKRA, the God of creativity or Energy appeals to you. You experience God as the creator. If you are centred in the AJNA CHAKRA, you are locked in the ego. Somebody in the egoless state attracts you: rishis, seers, sages, prophets and Masters attract you. The egoless man becomes your idol. In this chakra, the dialogue starts.
Only in the SAHASRARA CHAKRA, the communion happens. If you understand you are actually relating to your Gods and Masters from these chakras and that you need to go beyond this and catch the transcendental expression of the divine, all your problems will dissolve! If you are alert and aware, the Master can transform you. You just need to be passive for the alchemy to happen.

If you want to examine yourself, like what you are, click here.

These sites explain with Chakras paintings.
Indian Art Gallaries
Sahajayoga

Here are the snaps of Lord Ganesha taken after pooja was performed.

Lord Ganesha is Modaka Priya. A modak is a dumpling made from rice flour with a stuffing of coconut, jaggery and some other condiments. But still, there is a meaning of MODAK — MODA means happiness and K is a suffix. Modak means "That which gives (or brings) happiness". You can know more from this link Lord Ganesha.

A closer view.

Our sweet little Pooja room with Lord Ganesha.

Snapshots taken when my husband was there.

Seagulls moving on and on

Fall rushes

A bridge connecting USA and Canada

My favourite snap

A view of moon in Canada

Colourful rushes

It reminds me of VIBGYOR. Guess what?

Night view of Canada

Ayurveda is one of the great gifts of the sages of ancient India. It is one of the oldest scientific medicinal systems in the world. It is also known as Fifth Veda or Pancham Veda. It just teaches us how to maintain and protect health, how to cure diseases and how to achieve longetivity.

Here is a good site to assess your body type (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha), since you need to eat right.
http://www.hotlib.com/articles/show.php?t=Ayurveda

And now, you can know more about Ayurveda from this site:
http://ayurveda-foryou.com/

Here are general tips for balance:
1.  In Ayurveda there are six tastes or rasas - sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent. Generally all meals should include at least a small amount of each taste.
2.  Eat in a settled environment when you are calm and relaxed.
3.  Always sit down to eat.
4.  Be silent while chewing.
5.  Minimise ice-cold food and drink.
6.  It is best to consume fruit (or fruit juice) separately from other foods.
7.  Enjoy a light nourishing breakfast and make lunch your largest meal of the day, with a smaller meal in the evening (3 - 4 hours before bed).
8.  Eat only when you are hungry and leave about 25% of your stomach empty as this will aid digestion.
9.  Wait approximately 4 hours between meals to allow adequate time to digest. This might be less between small meals and more between big meals.
10. Water should be avoided at least 15 minutes before food. The quantity of water after food should be small. Let it be drunk often.

You can know about Ayurvedic Therapies from this site:
http://www.goodhealthnyou.com/

This was one of my endless search. Atlast got some answers related to detachment. Felt like sharing the same and here are few points.

1. Even a fickle mind can be brought under control by the force of constant practice and detachment.  -  Lord Krishna
Here, practice implies incessant striving and repeated efforts. It's just like kids learning to write a few simple words and when they grow up, they just key in long passages effortlessly and fluently.
And, now coming to detachment. Does it mean sannyasa - renunciation? NO. Detachment means remaining aloof from all other temptations and attractions while striving to fulfil a chosen aim. That is, to retain interest and concern for the work in hand alone and to remain unconcerned about everything else - this is detachment. Since the goal of monks is self-realization, they have to renounce all the worldly things. And since the word 'detachment' has come to mean renunciation, whenever it is used today it is understood as becoming a monk and retiring to the forests. But this is not correct. Anyone engaged in accomplishing a particular goal is detached from other things to some extent.

2. The concentration that is developed through faith and love is the most natural; it involves no struggle and no strain.

3. 'Eka' is 'One'; 'agra' is 'tip'. Hence, 'Ekagrata' or 'Concentration' implies 'being one-pointed', putting all resources together in one place. Concentration of the mind is bringing all the scattered mental forces together and channelising the attention towards one object or aim.

Got back after a long long time. Met friends, relatives, watched movies,..... had a good break. Ofcourse, thought to key many things in between. But could not help myself. Many ideas yet to share. Let's start.

Frolicking
Relaxing
Interesting
Everlasting
Nourishing
Dancing
Sharing
Helping
Inspiring
Pleasing

Guess what?  :)    FRIENDSHIP.

HAPPY FRIENDSHIP DAY TO ALL OF YOU!!! (Belated wishes)

Saw this cute little poem in my cousin brother's place. Felt like placing it over here.

WORRY?

Worry never Climbed a Hill
Worry never Paid a Bill
Worry never Dried a Tear
Worry never Calmed a Fear
Worry never Darned a Heel
Worry never Cooked a Meal
Worry never Solved a Problem
but may well become a Problem
So Why Worry?

I love watching Buddha statue in Hussain Sagar. It reminds my golden days spent over there. Peace. Such a wonderful word. No idea of how many of you all are through this. But, when I am there, I feel it. It just makes me think now of what I learnt at my school age like the four noble truths, eightfold path, and many things about them. I would like to key in some points of what we all learned earlier.

The Four Noble Truths :

1. Suffering
2. Craving or selfish desires
3. The end of suffering is Nirvana(A state of ultimate peace and understanding)
4. The Noble Eightfold Path

 What are the Eight Factors of the Noble Eightfold Path?

They are Right Understanding, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration.

 How are they categorised?

The eight factors of the Noble Eightfold Path (often symbolized by a wheel consisting of eight spokes) can be grouped into three strands - wisdom, morality and concentration. Right Understanding and Right Thought develop Wisdom. Right Speech, Right Livelihood and Right Action develop Morality. Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration develop Concentration.

Wisdom
1. Right Understanding - includes the four noble truths, the law of karma (good deeds lead to happy states, bad deeds to miserable ones) and the three marks of existence (suffering, impermanence and not-self).
2. Right Thought - is thought free from ill-will, cruelty and lust.

Morality
1. Right Speech - is to abstain from lying, harsh or malicious speech, gossip and tale-bearing.
2. Right Action - abstains from killing (including animals), stealing.
3. Right Livelihood - would preclude any occupations that would involve the breaking of the five precepts. Consequently, jobs which involve killing (a butcher, for example) or drinking (a publican) would be seen as unwholesome.

Concentration
1. Right Effort - involves avoiding or overcoming unwholesome states and developing and maintaining wholesome states. For example, you decide to avoid losing your temper and instead develop and maintain a sense of equanimity.
2. Right Mindfulness and 3. Right Concentration - relate to two approaches to meditation that are seen as vital to one's spiritual development. Without meditation, nirvana can't be won - morality and understanding on their own are not enough. In fact, all three strands, all eight factors are necessary.

Dalai Lama advises:

'I myself feel, and also tell other Buddhists that the question of Nirvana will come later. There is not much hurry. If in day to day life you lead a good life, honesty, with love, with compassion, with less selfishness, then automatically it will lead to Nirvana.'

This has become my favourite Quote. And I hope, I'll lead this life like that. PEACE TO ALL.

Vitamins help regulate metabolism, help convert fat and carbohydrates into energy, and assist in forming bone and tissue.

Vitamin A plays a really big part in eyesight. Foods rich in Beta Carotene will help reduce the risk of lung cancer & certain oral cancers.

eggs, milk, apricots, nectarines, cantaloupe, carrots, Mangoes, sweet potatoes, spinach

In Vitamin B, there's more than one. Here's the list : B1, B2, B6, B12, niacin, folic acid, biotin, and pantothenic acid. The B vitamins help make energy. This group of vitamins is also involved in making red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout your body.

whole grains, such as wheat and oats; fish and seafood, poultry and meats, eggs, dairy products, like milk and yogurt; leafy green vegetables, beans and peas, citrus fruits, such as oranges

Vitamin C helps your body heal if you get a cut. This vitamin also helps your body resist infection. Vitamin C will decrease the risk of getting certain cancers by 75%.

citrus fruits, like oranges; cantaloupe, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage

Vitamin D helps if you need strong bones and strong teeth. It helps your body absorb the amount of calcium it needs.

milk and other dairy products fortified with vitamin D, fish, egg yolks

Vitamin E maintains a lot of your body's tissues, like the ones in your eyes, skin, and liver. It protects your lungs from becoming damaged by polluted air. And it is important for the formation of red blood cells.

whole grains, such as wheat and oats; wheat germ, leafy green vegetables, sardines, egg yolks, nuts

Vitamin K helps to clot your blood, when had a cut.

leafy green vegetables, liver, dairy products, like milk and yogurt

Let's sum up :

Iron - Meat, Fish, Spinach, Strawberry
Folic Acid - Spinach, Beans, pachchi batani
Zinc - Beans, Chikkudu jaati ginjalu
Calcium - Milk, Curd, Butter, Beans, Wheat atta
Vitamin A - Carrot, Mangoes, Eggs
Vitamin B1 - Rice, Fish
Vitamin B2 - Butter, Eggs, Spinach, Liver
Vitamin B3, B12 - Liver, Chicken, Fish, Milk, Egg, Spinach, Tomato, Carrot, Kharjura
Vitamin C - Lemon, Kamala, Baththaayi(All Citrus Fruits), Tomato, Boppaayi, Molakettina Vittanaalu, Cauliflower, Palakura.
Vitamin D - Sunlight

Despite antiquity of Vedas, they preach the most modern and the most progressive thoughts. Woman enjoys high position at home as well as society according to Vedas. Both man and woman enjoy equal rights. For husband and wife, Vedas mention two masters of one house. Not only husband, but also his wife is equal owner of the house. Both enjoy the same prestige, power and position. None is subordinate to the other. To say that wife is servant or slave to husband is not okayed by Vedas. The performance of yajna is considered to be complete only when both husband and wife sit together. Woman enjoys the same right as man, to study and preach the sublime philosophy of Vedas. According to Vedic religion, marriage is a union of two souls enjoying constant peace and prosperity at home. It entitles woman to enjoy permanent safety, security, serenity and sovereignty at home.

Now, we also need to know exactly what Veda means. The word Vid or "to know" is the Sanskrit root-word of Veda which means Knowledge. Vedas state "Self Realization" is one and the goal of human life. There are four Vedas, the Rig Veda (composed of hymns), Sama Veda(melodies), Yajur Veda(sacrificial prayers) and Atharva Veda(magic formulas). The Vedas are the primary texts of Hinduism. Rig Veda, is the oldest of the four Vedas.

Every hymn of the Rig Veda is attributed to a Rishi. Though the majority of these hymns were the work of male rishis, the Rig-Veda contains hymns that were revealed by women seers also. The latter were called rishikas and brahmavadinis...Several hymns of the Rig Veda were composed by female rishis (sages). Together, they sing of the sacrificial love of the Absolute and the passion of praising God’s myriad name. The poems are available here : http://www.advaita.org.uk/

The Rig Veda also refers to women engaged in warfare. The Sama Veda is mostly a rearrangement of the Rigveda for musical rendering. Sama Veda deals with the knowledge of chants. Sama means "melody". The classical Indian music originated from this Veda. The Yajur Veda gives sacrificial prayers and the Atharva Veda gives charms, incantations, magic formulas etc. Ayurveda is based on the Sankya philosophy of the Rig Veda. Health is defined as the harmony of the body (gross), mind and spirit (subtle) triad. Ayurveda concentrates and deals with the physical body, Tantra with the mind and Yoga with the spirit.

You can know more about Hindu Women And Religion In Vedic Times from the following site. It's an interesting one.
http://www.mailerindia.com/hindu/veda/index.php?hinduwomen

#   A fresh egg will sink in water, but a stale one won't.
*   An espresso has less caffeine than a cup of coffee!
#   Eating carrots can help you see better. Vitamin A is known to prevent "night blindness," and carrots are loaded with Vitamin A. One carrot provides more than 200% of recommended daily intake of Vitamin A. Carrots have zero fat content.
*   A person can live without food for about a month, but only about a week without water.
#   Unless food is mixed with saliva you cannot taste it.
*   TIP is the acronym for "To Insure Promptness."
#   Watermelons are 97% water, lettuce 97%, tomatoes 95%, carrots 90%, and bread 30%.

*   There are more than 2,700 languages spoken in the world.
#   The first credit card was issued in 1951.
*   Mercedes cars are named after an Austrian girl.
#   Our eyes are always the same size from birth.
*   A house fly lives only 14 days.
#   A dog was the first in space and a sheep, a duck and a rooster the first to fly in a hot air balloon. A dog was the first to parachute.
*   Do you know the names of the three wise monkeys? They are: Mizaru (See no evil), Mikazaru (Hear no evil), and Mazaru (Speak no evil).

#   The names of all the continents end with the letter they start with. On every continent, there is a city called Rome.
*   The words "electronic mail" might sound new but was introduced 30 years ago. Queen Elizabeth of Britain sent her first email in 1976.
#   The sentence "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" uses every letter of the alphabet.
*   A green diamond is the rarest diamond. If you hit a diamond with a hammer, it will break!
#   Sound travels through water 3 times faster than through air.
*   Air becomes liquid at about minus 190 degrees Celsius.
#   Hot water freezes quicker than cold water.

Yesterday night, my thoughts went on thinking about life after death (Might be, I thought about my Uncle's). And is death of a person, you like, so painful? I remember my dad calling up n informing Somesh Uncle expired. And again, within a month, VenkateswaraRao(V) Uncle passed away. This happened a year and a half back. I used to call them mamayya which made me feel so near to them. I used to talk to them normally only, but might be, I never used to know how to express my feelings towards them that they are my favorite mamayya's. They are more than close relatives, to my dad n mom, u can say them as best friends to our family. I know how much my dad is missing them even now. He only says what can we do, n we can't get them back. Yeah, it's the Truth that none can deny.

My V mamayya's death was so horrible. It was a car accident. He was driving on the highway and u know how lorry people drive over there. The car hit the lorry and it fell into the river near by. Only after 3 days, people knew what happened and knew about the body there. The body was too horribly damaged. The skin came out so easily with the creatures nearby. A dreadful scenario. It's only the body, right. No soul. It just got damaged. If soul is there, he would definitely have been alive. Body and soul r totally different. When we are alive, we take care of our body so much that we tend to forget to care for our soul. We never even ask what does it really want? We just move towards worldly attractions. We just will strive throughtout our life to make it comfortable by ignoring our soul. We just think about ourselves. That's how, things are turning out. I donno how many of u will agree?

I remember Robert Frost's poem: Miles to go before I sleep..... It's one of my favorite's, which makes me think to do many things in life. I feel strongly, that we need to do something good, which makes us happy throughout our life, or even after life, since, life is too short and we all need to use it in proper means. I remember my Uncle's doing that. Helping the needy and being very receptive. They talk with everyone in a sweet way. Might be, that's why I liked them and am even still thinking of them. Missing them a lot too.
May their soul rest in peace.

We need to know some tips to get our work done easily. I have just included few of them. So, just have a glance.

1. Always mash potatoes when they are still quite hot. They mash more easily and can be finely mashed too.
2. Add a few tsps. of milk to cauliflower while boiling, to get rid of the raw smell. Drain and wash before adding to the recipe.
3. Always soak cauliflower in warm salted water for some time to get rid of the tiny insects sometimes present deep inside the florets and not visible to the eye.
4. Store chopped vegetables in airtight plastic containers in the fridge to keep from browning and drying up.
5. Add some salt or vinegar drops while washing vegetables and greens to make them clean and germ free, eg. cauliflower, spinach, etc.
6. Place tomatoes in hot water for 5-7 minutes, before using for easier peeling and better taste in any recipe where tomatoes are required to be cooked.
7. Blanch green leafy vegetables ( fenugreek, spinach, etc.) in boiling water for 2 minutes. Hold under cold running water, press out excess water,and store in freezer for about 2 weeks without spoiling.
8. Add a few methi (fenugreek) seeds to toor dal while pressure cooking. This makes the dal easier to digest.
9. Indigestion ? - Add 3-4 crushed cloves of garlic to boiling milk and drink it. It gives immediate relief.
10. For indigestion/acidity - drink lime juice mixed with ginger juice. Pudina too(Mint) helps in digestion.

11. Oatmeal helps reduce cholesterol. Regularly eating oatmeal for breakfast results in significant reduction of cholesterol in a few days.
12. It is better to use round dishes in the microwave oven rather than square or rectangular dishes as round dishes spread heat faster.
13. Oil applied to dal before it is cooked helps it to cook faster by softening the proteins.
14. A pinch of turmeric powder added to all kinds of dal when cooking hastens the cooking process.
15. Excess salt in any dish can be brought down by adding diced potatoes, tomatoes or a teaspoon of sugar.
16. If the milk begins to boilover, quickly sprinkle a little cold water over it and the overflow will subside.
17. Always use a clean pair of kitchen scissors to trim edges of bread. So, u'll have much neater and less messy edges as compared to those trimmed with a knife. 18. Use a pair of kitchen scissors to chop chillies, etc. fine. It will keep hands from burning, and the job is done much faster too.
19. When ginger, garlic, etc. are crushed in a mixie, it gets tedious to try to remove all of it, from under the blade, etc. Once crushed and removed, run a little water in the mixie, and pour into the batter. The mixie will get cleaned as well as ingredients will be used economically. In case of fritters, use the cornwater itself.
20. If a grater is not handy, cut ginger or garlic into small bits. Crush with the back of a steel or wooden ladle. It will easily crush.

21. If you have boiled spinach etc. in excess water, do not throw away this liquid so full of health. Just stir in some salt or sugar and drink up, to you well being. Make this a habit, and drink up the vitamins and minerals, with a smile!
22. Use water in which vegetables are boiled to make soups, doughs, etc. instead of wasting this Nutrient rich liquid.
23. Store chopped vegetables in airtight plastic containers in the fridge to keep from browning and drying up.
24. To prevent lumps while adding flour to any liquids, eg. Water, buttermilk,etc. first mix the flour in a little bit of the liquid to form a smooth paste. Add this to the remaining liquid and stir well.
25. Rub slices of onion on dosa tawa (griddle) before spreading dosas. This will avoid the dosa from stubbornly sticking to the griddle or tawa.
26. Keep rolled puries in the fridge, for 10 minutes. It will consume less oil, and puries will be crisper.
27. Before frying onions soak them in milk for 10 minutes.The onions will fry fast and have a uniform colour and will be more crisper.
28. Store chapathi dough after applying some milk ,it will not turn black.
29. Whenever we buy vermicelli or sooji, before storing, if we fry them until it turns light brown colour, it can last longer. And whenever we want to cook them, it will be instantly ready to cook and this consumes less time.
30. To make soft 'idlis' and 'dosas' add a handful of Puffed rice or Poha or only just add cold water while grinding.

31. When you are cooking brinjal add a spoon of milk so that the brinjal retain its colour without becoming black.
32. Store plain flour in clean ziplock bags in refrigerator, to keep insects from attacking it. This way the flour will stay fresh much longer.
33. Rub mirrors with first wet and then dry newpaper. The mirror will sparkle without leaving any wipe lines.
34. To make your glass windows shine like new ones, wipe it with used tea powder in boiled water.
35. To sharpen the knife, just keep the knife in warm water for half an hour.
36. A clove and a cardamom kept in the mouth while travelling, brings relief to those suffering from motion sickness.
37. Place candles in a dish of water while burning. They will last longer.
38. Clean all your Silverware with toothpaste (You can use cotton for rubbing). When you use water, add milk also. They will sparkle.
39. Immerse nails in hot water for a while before nailing into the wall. This will keep the surrounding plaster from coming off.
40. A glass of warm water, to which the juice of 1 lemon, and a tsp. of honey has been added, helps in weight loss if taken first thing in the morning, regularly. And also it prevents throat problems.

41. Rinse washed hair with a dilute decoction of tea in the last mugful, to add a lustre and bounce to your hair.
42. Do not discard strained tea leaves. Add them to the soil of rose plants, to act as an excellent manure. If you have many plants, feed one a day, in rotation.
43. Add salt to a tsp. of lemon juice to make a paste. Apply all over teeth, brush to give a gentle massage, rinse. Makes teeth white. Repeat weekly for very yellow cases.
44. To get rid of flies from the table, just place pudheena(Mint) leaves on it. You can add turmeric powder in water to clean the kitchen floor, so there will be no flies.
45. To get rid of mosquitos beside bed, keep a crushed onion.

You can even get more tips from the following sites too:
http://www.indianink.net/forums/Tips/
http://www.geocities.com/vemulasweb/tips.html
http://www.teluguwebsite.com/Telugu_Mahila.html

This telugu site beautifully connotes 7 ways to attain blissful knowledge.
http://www.eenadu.net/antaryami/antarmain.asp?qry=1605anta
It directs us to the path of Brahmavidya. Following it, is not so easy. Only through constant efforts, it might be possible. But, it's a must read one. After going through this, I really felt like sharing the same with everyone. Along with this, u can go thru other articles from that site.

Until 9 years, as a kid, I never learnt my mother tongue itself. Just english and trying to understand what everyone talks plus few words of Tamil was what I did. It was something like a language mix. I really don't remember what I used to talk then. That's how it went, since situations demanded. I remember the days later, how my mom made me learn Telugu during summer holidays. Ofcourse, later I scored and learnt well:)). But still, there are many things to know like telugu sahithyam, slokalu, padyalu n what not. Slowly, later came Hindi. But, I am not too much into it.

When I was in Inter, I had options in languages. You can take Sanskrit or French n ....:( hmm..., this is what I remember. I did not choose to learn French since I felt I need to learn an Indian language. So, I took Sanskrit. But now, who talks in Sanskrit(didn't have that thought then, right....no guide too). Now, I feel damn why did not I take French since it was a complete new language to learn and experiment with. :)) Ok...Let that be.... I now feel Spanish is easier than French. So just started to learn few words in it out of curiousity(but not mastering it though). Some words like:
hola for Hello,
buenos dias for Good Morning,
buenas tardes for Good Evening,
buenas noches for Good Night,
adios for Goodbye,
mucho gusto for Pleased To Meet You,(n many more)
are really sweet. Just love the pronunciation since it's different, right. N sush, I remember how we both tried to talk in Spanish a few months back. Really great.

I feel, atleast knowing the basic words in 1 language per country, can be a good hobby. Just got the idea. Now will try to learn something like Japaneese.:))

I just wanted to share few jokes that I went through. Really funny...

LAWYER: "Now, would you please tell the Jury the truth - why did you shoot your husband with a bow and arrow?"
Defendant: "I didn't want to wake the children."

'Have you forgotten that you owe me 50 dollars.'
'No, not yet. Give me time, and I will.'

Teacher(answering the telephone): 'you say Ajay has a bad cold and cant come to school! Who is this speaking?'
Voice(with assumed hoarseness): 'This is my father.'

An industrialist removed his two sons from a mission school. He gave this reason - The school teaches them to be honest and I want them to go into business and industry.

A newly married couple reached an air-travel booking counter and asked the clerk incharge: 'Is it safe to travel by your company's aeroplane?'
'Ofcourse! If it wasn't safe,would we be using the fly-now-pay-later plan?'

By saying friends, I remember those sweet and innocent childhood days. When I went to my village, me and my brother used to play with all our friends Vinila, Sunila, Nani, Geetha nela banda, london, dongaata, paila pacheesu, n many more. Chaala adevaallamu morning n evening since our parents never used to let us out in the afternoon saying it's hot outside(Summer kada). Now, not in touch with Vini and Suni. I heard that they got married. Wish them Success. Nani, I think I saw him at my marriage. Heard he married too. Geetha, yes she is one good friend who is in touch with me even now. I had enough fun with all of them during summer trip in the village. At school too, I had friends, but avi nilavaledu, might be since we 4got 2 note down our phone numbers:)).
I can say 1 thing, my first Best friend was Sai Baba. When I was in Xth, the power was not there in our house. We heard Sai Bajan happening opposite to my house. I just saw his photo then only. I donno what happened, then I felt n even told Him that He is not a God to me(earlier, I never used to believe in God) and He will only be a friend to me. That's it. And slowly, I started sharing every small thing with my dear friend. Now I believe in God, ask me how, He changed me. And now, He is my Best friend, Guide, Guru and what not. Everything in life. Everyone starts seeing Him differently, one might be thinking of Him as a Grandpa or Guru or whatever. That's how He makes people come to Him, might be. Then came long lasting best friends Geetha, Jyothi, Lakshmi, Sushma, Bindu, Madhu, Sridevi and Shanthi. With each n every friend, I have unique experiences. Really, had great moments.
Geetha showed me my dream. A dream of Sai which came true and made me believe Him deeply. Jyo, from Inter, we both were trying to be in the same group, which went out to be impossible. Atlast, ofcourse, we were in the same college for three years but again different subjects. Good that, we had atleast sanskrit subject in common to be 2gether. Enjoyed. Lucky, my dearest friend, n a great devotee of Sai. I admire her for that. We both used to have looong chats at night. My parents used to send me to her only place for late night studies n all. N she too used to be with me. Reaaaaaaaaalllly, good moments. Those days will never ever come back.
Coming back to Sush, my dearest friend n my best friend, our intro happened so funny when we met first time. Sush, I can't tell that. I feel giggling. The moment I met u, I felt u'll be my ever long lasting best friend. The time we spent in the class was less compared to fun we all had outside. Yes, Madhu n Bindu;)...... Our road side chats, pav bhajis, chineese noodles, movies n what not. To be true, I got the habit of eating road side items, only when I met u gals. Good fun. All of u had encouraged me in participating college activities too. Sush, I am happy to say that u'll be there with me when I need u whatever the situation is. Thanks for being my friend. When I come to Sri and Shanthi, I remember the days we used to travel, what not, all the three of us, in 1 scooty else 3 vehicles trying to run parallelly. Our visits to temples, necklace roads, B'day parties, movies.....so much of fun...:)) :)) :)) . Hey, when I say movies, I remember telling stories to our lecturer to come out of college n Njoy. N Sri, u were there to give us ideas 4 that. Watching horror movies between our exam holidays is really a big shot. Sri, do u remember? ;) When one of us were in bad mood, we were in the same theatre watching 2 different shows continuously n that too Njoying. And even now, we try to keep in touch and ofcourse when given a chance to Njoy a lot. Thanks for being my dearest friends. What I keyed in are still less when compared to days n every moment we all enjoyed together.
N we know, we all r the ones who uses the chances given effectively when we meet. Good Luck To All Of You!!!

1. Simple life, few wants and honest earnings - without these basic qualities, you can never attain God.
2. The discovery of your own subjective self leads to Eternal Liberation.
3. Laughter is a form of Meditation. Note while laughing heartily, the thought-process ceases.
4. Withdraw your self from the outer phenomenal world. Be within. This is Meditation.
5. Simple Arithmetic :- Simple Living = Simple Mind.
6. Be feather-weight. Do not be heavy-weight if you want to progress spiritually.
7. He who laughs at this life is a true Sanyasi. He, who takes life seriously is a bound soul.
8. The mantra is the Atomic Energy in the path of spirituality. It blasts completely the mountains of sins and ugly sanskaras. Therefore, repeat incessantly your Ishta Mantra.
9. Thoughts are coming from the Infinte Thinker. Be one with the thinker and not the thoughts.
10. Self-illumination - let that be your goal.
11. Feel yourself as a 'Spiritual Being' and not a physical being.
12. Guru is all Gods put together.

In college days, I was very much interested to know about God. And even Baba's temple was nearby which included a library too. I used to read books a lot there by sitting in the temple after Aarathi sometimes. At the same time I used to note few points whichever I liked. I would like to share these, about Lord Ganesha, with you all which was written by Vivekananda. I would like to thank my dearest friend Sushma suggesting this site to share my thoughts. So now, let's come into detail about Lord Ganesha, our Hindu deity.
1. The head of Ganesha is of an elephant and the body is one of a human being.
Meaning : The Lord or God or Truth includes in it both the Animal and Human Kingdom. The Lord exists in and through both.
2. The head is in shape of OM.
OM has three parts :
A -> Waking World
U -> Dreaming World
M -> Deep Sleep World
OM includes all sounds. This means all words are included in 'OM'.
Meaning : Whole vision, wisdom of an enlightened person, is a vision which includes the whole world.
3. Large ears symbolize that an awakened person is one whose listening is very sharp and very attentive. Attentive listening is one which is focussed on what is being said.
4. Trunk means that an awakened person is like a trunk, who has the capacity to effectively handle (only through large ears) the big issues as well as small issues in life.
5. Hands : Ganesha has 4 hands. These 4 hands represent the 4 aspects of the mind i.e.,
a) Manah
b) Buddhi
c) Chitta and
d) Ahamkara
In the upper right hand, there is an Axe. This Axe represents detachment.
In the upper left hand, there is a Noose(Pasha). The Pasha is Prema Pasha. After detachment, a wise person attracts all people close to him with the Pasha of Love - Prema Pasha. Love guarantees nothing but provides everything.
The other right hand is Mudra. Mudra is Abhaya Mudra where the hand is fully open.
In some other idols, there is Chin Mudra, a Mudra which communicates the whole Vedantic Truth.
Abhaya - fearless, Mudra - posture
Abhaya assures freedom to everyone. No one needs to be frightened of me. This is Abhaya Mudra.
Chin - Chit means consciousness, Mudra - posture
The whole posture is one of consciousness. In this Mudra, the index finger represents EGO(Ahamkara), thumb represents Brahman(Truth), and the other 3 fingers i.e., middle, ring and little finger represents Satwa, Rajas and Tamas, the three Gunas.
The index finger is always used to threaten or criticize or brand somebody. So, not used for Japa. So, it represents Ahamkara.
Thumb is the support (Adhara) for all other fingers in the absence of which the other fingers become powerless. Thumb is likened to the 'Atma' consciousness.
The other three fingers represents 3 Gunas which the world is made of, and is called as Trigunatmika Maya. In this posture, the thumb and the index finger are merged together in the form of a circle. This means that I(EGO) should detach itself from the world.
The left hand i.e, 4rth hand, there is Modaka, a sweet. This means that the result of an understanding and implementation of all this what has been said is the Modaka-sweet-your life is going to be sweet.
6. Eyes symbolize purity and innocence personified. The clear eyes represents a Pure Mind.
7. Tusks : He has got 2 tusks.
One tusk is broken. This means Duality(Dwandwa) is broken, that is, released from bondage. Dwandwa stands for Raga and Dwesha i.e., likes and dislikes. A wise person operates from the background of sankalpa(commitment) and samarpana(surrender). Just accepts the facts as they are.
8. Vibhuti(Ash) : 3 lines is applied.
The body is going to be reduced to ashes. The ego 'I' when burned, he applies it on the forehead.
9. Stomach : The big stomach represents the capacity to stomach all problems of life.
A wise person is one who has the capacity to digest and ingest all problems. This is what the big stomach connotes.
Secondly, it symbolizes the very appetite to live life. For an awakened person, life is full of fun. He becomes so participative in life, that every moment is a source of joy and adventure with or without problems, with or without difficulties.
The stomach is surrounded by a snake. The snake represents the psychic energy of a person; the life energy; the life potential of a person.
This psychic energy in its unexploded form is like the dormant snake wound in 3 coils. When coiled, the snake occupies a very small space. When uncoiled, it occupies a very large space.
The snake in the expanded form is wound round the stomach. Each one of us has a tremendous potential which is dormant in us. It is for us to wake up and exploit this potential.
10. Yajnopavita : A sacred thread round his body. This thread has three strands. The 3 strands represent the 3 Vedas - Rig, Yajur and Sama Veda. There is a knot tied in the Yajnopavita, which is called Brahmagranthi. This means that all the 3 Vedas ultimately speak of Brahman alone. The essence(Tatparya) of all the 3 Vedas is Brahman(Truth). Truth has another meaning of Moksha or Ananda. An awakened person is one who has the Veda for his armour, the shield. His whole protection is the Veda. Veda means 'Vid' TO KNOW. The whole enquiry of the Veda is to explore, knowingness becomes the content of the Veda. To know what? To know 3 aspects. The Subject, the Object, and the relationship between the subject and object.
The content of knowing is to discover the freedom through exploration. All knowing is possible in a space of observation.
11. The Sitting Posture shows one leg folded touching the other and the other leg is touching the bottom of the ground where he is seated. This means that there is an integration of the mind(Manah) and the intellect(Buddhi).
12. In front of Ganesha, we find a lot of sweets and delicious dishes and a rat looking at Ganesha.
The plate full of fruits, sweets and dishes represents the colourful world of objects.
The RAT represents DESIRES. Generally, rat will run to eat but here it is looking at Ganesha meaning that for an awakened person who has discovered Truth, thereby the desires, are waiting for orders, like the rat being the master of his desires. Ganesha riding on the rat means He is riding on his desires, i.e., He is the master of His desires. Therefore, Ganesha has a crown. The crown means a Sovereign. Only when you are a master of your desires can you become the king of your life. King means Master of his own life.
'Jitendriyah' means one who is Master of his Indriyas(sense organs).

Hello!!! Just thought to key in few proverbs too. Though everyone knows, still felt like sharing few of these........

1. The secret of success is constancy of purpose - Disracli.
2. The Contended man is never poor, the discontended is never rich - George Elliot.
3. No legacy is so rich as honesty - Shakespeare.
4. What I gave I have, What I spent I had, What I kept I lost - Old Proverb.
5. If principle is good for anything, it is worth living upto it - Benjamin Franklin.
6. Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance - Jhonson.
7. The greatest boon that one can have is the freedom from fear - Mahaveer.
8. Kindness is the golden chain by which society is bounded together - Goethe.
9. Charity begins at home - Terence.
10. Be noble in every thought and in every deed - Longfellow.

Watch your Words.
Watch your Actions.
Watch your Thoughts.
Watch your Character.
Watch your Heart.     - Baba.

You are what your deep, driving desire is.
As your desire is, so is your will.
As your will is, so is your deed.
As your deed is, so is your destiny.     - Brihadaranyaka Upanishad IV.4.5 .

1. Abhyasa(Practice) and Vairagya(Dispassion) are the two golden spokens necessary for mind control.
2. Seek pleasure, but in such a way which will not spoil your physical or mental health, or obstruct your higher development. If you must seek physical pleasure, seek them in such a way that your powers may be preserved for enjoying the joys of the mind; seek the joys of the mind in such a way that your powers may be preserved for attaining the bliss of the spirit. Do not seek pleasures in a way that will destroy you.
3. There are three kinds of Ananda, Joy :
i) the joy of worldly enjoyment(Visayananda),
ii) the joy of worship(Bhajanananda), and
iii) the joy of brahman(Brahmananda).
4. So long as these passions are directed towards the world and its objects, they behave like enemies. But when they are directed towards God, they become the best friends of man, for they leading him to God. Lust for the things of the world must be changed into hankering for God; the anger that a man feels towards his fellowmen should be turned towards God for not revealing Himself. One should deal with all the passions in the same manner. These passions cannot be eradicated but can be educated.

I just keyed in these few golden words what I knew when I was studying. After a long time, I myself am going through these as I am typing. I know it's very very difficult to practice. But trying them, to calm your mind, is no harm.