wannabe sahaja-yogi

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe

Go see it... it is gooooooood. Yuvadrishti article on Narnia on the way...

posted by Vic D @ 3:18 PM   

Customized Stamps Shootout

Tried 3 services on the internet for creating personalized USPS postage using images and I rank them below:

1. Zazzle.com
2. Photo.Stamps.com [As good as zazzle]

[Distant Third]
3. Indicia

I created and placed an order for one sheet of custom stamps with Mother's photo and the top two were the most easiest interfaces to work with. Indicia's interface lagged in intuitiveness and understanding. When I saw that Indicia was charging $2+ more than the other two, it was out of the race.

Stamps.com and Zazzle.com had great interfaces and ease of flow. I would recommend both, really. I ended up placing the order at Zazzle just because i was comfortable with the checkout. Stamps.com checkout is good too, but just a matter of personal preference.

posted by Vic D @ 1:41 PM   

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Very touching and inspiring movie (C&CF 2005) with the simple message of how, when a powerful personality decides to find an heir to their kingdom, their search is for the most innocent of all to inherit the vast kingdom.

But the Powerful One wants to flush out the ones stricken by baser attachment and creates illusions to eliminate them. The innocent one survives, without the illusions ever touching him.

Wonka knows, the heir has to be innocent, and if truly is, no test of temptation will entrap the true hier to the factory.

The other contenders fall to the seven sins (Western thought) or the six enemies (Hindu thought) and eliminate themselves. Greed, Lust, Anger, Vanity and everything you can imagine becomes self-defeating for all of Charlie's competitors. Charlie is too innocent to realize the competitiveness, he just enjoys the ride, appreciates the little creations and maintains a polite and dignified stance.

Must watch this movie.

posted by Vic D @ 11:39 AM   

India is Blessed with a President no other nation can dream of...

Here he is in Q&A Chat with school children... full chat here. Some gems from the chat...


Saahil Kaul (Eicher School Faridabad, 14 yrs): hi sir! i have seen that usually scientists have long hair for example take issac newton. Sir, u has been a nuclear scientist you and u have long hair too. What i was wondering was wheter it is a kind of lucky charm or something of scientists to keep long hair?

President APJ Abdul Kalam: Hair just grows. We should concentrate on our work.

Ravanth Baskaran (Tampines Primary School,Singapore, 8 yrs): What was the first incident that made you take an interest to science?

President APJ Abdul Kalam: When I was 10 years boy, my science teacher in the 5th class taught me how birds fly, coupled with mission of my life.

mohit agarwal (jawaharlal nehru school bhopal mp, 9 yrs): Question: Can we teach whole schooling through Internet or elctronic media ?

President APJ Abdul Kalam: No. Particularly, the primary and secondary education. The teacher is very vital link. Beyond secondary education, tele-education is possible

Saman,Sara and Ali (All Saints and Sherwood college,Nainital, 14 yrs): Why don't people live peacefully?Can't you do something about it?Pass laws impose rules to make this World worth living.People fighting over mandir masjid,when God created mankind he knew best.He would not have created muslims hindus togather.Please comment.

President APJ Abdul Kalam: Under-developed minds normally create differences. Developed minds create visions and differences disappear.

Riya Sinha (Ursuline Convent School,Khalari, Ranchi,Jharkhand, 8 yrs): Respected uncle, I am a 8 years old girl residing in a remote place of Jharkhand named 'Dakra'. This region is MCC infected and frequent incidents of violence take place in this region. I think that "Corruption" and 'faith to distorted philosophy' is the region behind this act of terror. What govt is doing to eradicate corruption from society? -Riya Sinha Std IV Ursuline Convent School, Khalari, Jharkhand

President APJ Abdul Kalam: I believe, corruption in the society can be eliminated in two ways. 1. We elect right representatives to legislatures and parliament. 2. Corruption free society starts from a righteous home. In my view corruption can be eliminated only by three people namely mother, father and elementary school teacher. As children you can also point out if anything is done wrong in your home. There will definitely be a change because of the love and affection of the child.

naina gautam (St'Thomas College, dehradun, 12 yrs): Sir i would like to ask whom do you admire the most in this world? What are the secrets of your success? Were you a naughty child during your school days? I will hope you will answer my simple questions please answer them!!!

President APJ Abdul Kalam: Of course my parents. I always remember my teacher who gave me the vision for my life while teaching how the birds fly. Since I studied during 1940s, naturally if you are naughty you will be canned. I have experienced that.

posted by Vic D @ 10:03 AM   

Sahaja & Science: Blossoming in a Scientifically Aware Society

Sahaja & Science: Blossoming in a Scientifically Aware Society
Drawing inspiration from the work done by Australian scientists at the Royal Hospital for Women, Sydney, Australia, I decided to investigate the use and applicability of these preliminary findings. One of the first things I realized was, despite the preliminary finding being published in a peer reviewed journal, the road ahead was hard to negotiate. The question is how to inspire a seeker's confidence in an age where faith-based interventions have done their damage by presenting themselves as snake-oil peddlers?The CHADD Factsheet#6 is an excellent document which provides suggestions to treatment seekers against false treatments and doubtable interventions. It reminds me of an excellent series of lectures delivered by a professor in a Public Health post-graduate school, who critically evaluates alternate therapies and therapists and the motivating undercurrent. One interesting point brought up was that a certain category of Alternative & Complementary Medicine practitioners have established their reportoire through political lobbying. That being a means to the end of having patients legally bill the associated fees to their insurance providers. Money, thus, is the bottomline being fought over. When it comes to acceptance of meditation as a supporting activities, these hurdles should not matter, because meditation when offered as a no-charge activity by established practitioners should clearly establish its not-for-profit nature. Taking it another step forward, a not-for-charge service because payment does not guarantee the meditative experience. So why there should be charges?I hope the preliminary findings in Australia can blossom into a large body of validating studies before specific meditation practices can find their ways into the United State's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicines list of approved practices for the scientific cause. It might take another 10-15 years to produce appropriate evidence, as medical science seeks multiple studies to validate the effectiveness of an intervention or treatment.

The writer lives & works in a liberal college town in North America. This article is inspired by the slew of fly-by-night operators who have damaged the sensitivity of educated seekers through their empty promises. TheFactsheet referenced is "Assessing Complementary and Controversial Interventions" available via CHADD.org. CHADD is the Michigan Resource for ADD affected Adults and Children.

Links:Sahaja Yoga Meditation Sahaja Yoga Meditation in Michigan CHADD Scientific Studies Related to Sahaja Yoga

posted by Vic D @ 11:01 AM   

What do you have to surrender?

[See Ppt Presentation]
"What do you have to surrender? A drop has to dissolve into the ocean
to become the ocean. And a drop cannot be greater than the ocean."
What is needed is "the surrendering of our conditionings, of our ego
and the artificial barriers we have built around us." We can approach
ourselves mentally, emotionally or physically. "We can approach
ourselves through mantras, through seeing ourselves, through knowing
ourselves.
"But one should know this is the greatest of greatest opportunities
for you, not for the Divine. If you are not available, the Divine can
find its own ways of fulfilling its last culmination of expression."


H.H.SHRI MATAJI NIRMALA DEVI
--Founder of Sahaja Yoga—

Sahasrar Puja, Vienna Austria, 4 May 1985

posted by Vic D @ 11:57 AM   

Marriage & Parenthood

This heart centre is caught up by various emotional problems in
human beings. Husband and wife, if they all the time quarrel, there
is always quarreling in the house, specially if the mother is very
dominating, the child develops this centre. And if the father is
very dominating, the child develops this�the heart itself. So it is
very important that husband and wife should never quarrel in the
presence of their children.

Like marriage, also some people come to Me and tell Me, 'Mother, I
am very happily married or unhappily married'. The one who is
happily married is equally headache as the one who is unhappily
married. The unhappily one I can understand why is a headache. But
the happily married also says, 'I must do something for my wife, I
haven't done anything, I haven't bought her a diamond ring, I
haven't done this for her, and this and that.' But where is your
attention. The whole attention is directed to that which has no
meaning.

Source: Not sure. From HH Shrimataji's talk on Marriage and Parenthood

posted by Vic D @ 10:53 AM