last updated 15th November 2006

Srimati Yogamaya mataji passes away:

Dear Devotees, (12th November 2006)

Please accept my most humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

After six weeks of intense hearing, chanting and prayer with a group of 25 to 30 devotees, Her Grace Yogamaya devi dasi finally left our association.

On Friday night Yogamaya went to sleep at 8.00pm. On Saturday morning she woke at 12.00am and as she was in some discomfort the devotees present begun a soft kirtan. Yogamaya also joined in this kirtan and although her shortness of breathe made it very difficult for her to chant, she continued with determination.

After some time Yogamaya’s pain subsided and she became calm although still very short of breath. The kirtan continued but rather than go back to sleep, Yogamaya continued to try and join in. At this time we advised her not to chant but to just listen to the holy name, so she could rest her body. Although she agreed to do this, when the kirtan started she once again joined in. We all smiled in amazement seeing her steady determination however we were very concerned as she was still very short of breathe.

After sometime Sumukhi mataji told Yogamaya that the devotees had done all that they could for her material body and now all that we could do was help her go to Krishna. Yogamaya said “Yes”, and was noticeably ready to begin her final journey.

Yogamaya then asked that the curtains be closed…

Sumukhi: Would you like me to close the curtains on Jillian Comrie? (Yogamaya’s Christian name)

Yogamaya: Yes!

Sumukhi: Okay Yogamaya I have closed them for you, there’s no more Jillian Comrie.

Yogamaya: Yes, I can’t lament…

Sumukhi: Yes, Kalasamvara told you not to lament.
Previously Kalasamvara had spoken to Yogamaya on the phone. He had heard about her lamentation and told her even though it is natural at this time she should mediate on the lamentation of the previous Arcaryas and mediate on their prayers in the song book, taking shelter of their mood. He told her it is time to forget about her mind and dictations, and now just to meditate on Krishna, who is her friend”.

Sumukhi: Krishna is here for you Yogamaya, and I’m going to tell the devotees that you are going back to Krishna. The devotees will be so happy, Guru Maharaja will be so pleased with you.

Yogamaya smiled…

The devotees then tried to move her as she was quite uncomfortable.

Sumukhi: You are so uncomfortable aren’t you?

Yogamaya: Yes, there is so much suffering in this material world.

Sumukhi: There is no happiness in this material world. Srila Prabhupada has taught us that happiness is just a relief from suffering

Yogamaya: Yes…

Sumukhi: Real happiness is with Krishna and that’s where your going.

Yogamaya: Yes, there is no happiness in this world.

After some time Yogamaya became absorbed in chanting japa so much that the devotees didn’t feel like disturbing her. At 3.00am she asked what time it was. Sumukhi suggested that maybe this was good time to go back to Krishna. Yogamaya agreed but continued chanting japa. It was a very sweet exchange between two close friends.

Around 3.20am we decided that the devotees should take rest, leaving me to stay with Yogamaya. We felt that to try and communicate with her now would merely distract her from her intense absorption in the holy name, and if she were to leave it would be prefect. Yogamaya was deeply absorbed in chanting, and in a sense she had already left us. Yogamaya continued to chant japa, despite our requests that she rests. The pervious night she had been having intense dreams and complained that the morphine was affecting her ability to focus. It seemed now she was determined to remain fully conscious. After sometime I noticed her breathing becoming more shallow and her chanting more difficult. At intervals she would stop chanting though her lips never stopped moving. Recently, devotees caring for Yogamaya had been mentioning that she was chanting in her sleep, and sometimes chanting while waking from her sleep.

Soon Yogamaya’s breathing became extremely shallow and I perceived that she was about to lose consciousness. Her eyes were half closed and she was no longer conscious of my presence. I turned up the Prabhupada CD that was playing by her bed and chanted with her.

Midway through her mantra, stopping with a final Krishna… her mouth opened and she stopped breathing. I waited for the next breath but soon realised that it wasn’t coming. I couldn’t see any symptoms of life. I checked the clock, it was 4.00am.

All along I had been anticipating some last minute panic or sudden pain, where devotees would come running to have kirtan or assist Yogamaya as she struggled to maintain her consciousness. The doctors and nurses had been telling us that it would be very likely that Yogamaya would fall into a coma before departing. But there was no such dramatic scene. Yogamaya just chanted Hare Krishna till her final breath. As from the very beginning of her illness, Yogamaya has shown the result of many years of focused and determined sadhana bhakti and dedication to the sankirtan mission. All along she had been so peaceful, fully surrendered to her situation. Her non-offensive attitude has won her the blessings of so many devotees, many of whom gathered to help her in her final months with us.

Yogamaya’s body is now laying in our lounge room at home where she will remain in the association of devotees until her cremation on Monday.

Once again I would like to thank all the devotees for their kind help and prayers. Without such wonderful association it would not have been possible for Yogamaya, Draupadi and myself to have made this journey.

We remain eternally indebted.

Your servants,

Hanuman, Yogamaya and Draupadi.

courtesy of Hinduism Today  http://www.hinduismtoday.com

There is a humorous saying in Oriya, ?andha su?uchi bhagavata — “A bull hearing the Bhagavatam,” that indicates something useless. If you recite Srimad Bhagavatam before a bull, what will he understand or appreciate? However, in Bhubaneswar, Orissa recently, this phrase took on a new meaning.

In March 2004, many people had gathered at the ancient Shiva temple known as Kapileshwar Mahadeva in the Old Town area of Bhubaneswar to observe the 22-year-old tradition of hearing a nine-day recitation of Srimad Bhagavatam. Just as the recitation was about to begin, a large bull entered the compound and sat down next to the devotees. Some devotees tried to chase him away, but he was a bit, well … bullish, and patiently ignored their protests. Everyone was surprised to see that as soon as the talk was finished, the bull got up to leave. However, they were even more surprised when he showed up on time the next day, listened, and again left when it was over. This went on for the duration of the event.

By the following year, most everyone had forgotten about the episode. That is until the first day of the recitation, when the same bull showed up, right on time, and again took his seat to hear the Bhagavatam. Again this went on every day for the duration of the program. This year, in 2006, everyone was wondering if he would come again. Sure enough, on the first day, our stubborn bovine friend came sauntering through the gate and quietly took his place next to the devotees. Whatever it may mean, this bull hearing the Bhagavata has become the biggest attraction of the festival.

Bhagavata-mahatmya of Padma Pura?a recounts the Bhagavata-saptaha conducted by the great devotee Gokarna. It is said there that due to his reciting the Bhagavatam his brother Dhundhukari was delivered from his form of a ghost and attained the spiritual world. The Padma Pura?a says that although many others were listening to that recitation, no one else achieved liberation because, unlike Dhundhukari, they were not listening attentively. Gokarna later spoke the Bhagavatam again. This time everyone in the village attended and listened attentively, including even the animals. Chapter 197 of the uttara-kha??a of Padma Pura?a describes the results:

tad-grame ye sthita jiva asva-candala-jatayah
vimane sthapitaste ‘pi gokarna krpaya tada

By the mercy of Gokarna, all the living entities in that village, including even the dogs and dog-eaters, ascended into a transcendental airship [and attained the abode of the Lord].

­ By Madhavananda Das

A holy man in northern India has become famous for remaining standing for the past two years.

Ram Dayal Sanichar Muni says he remains upright to do everything, including eating, going to the toilet and even sleeping.

The 45-year-old, who lives at the Chamunda Devi temple in Himachal Pradesh, naps while leaning on a specially made swing.

He says he has never felt the need to take a break.

The sage reportedly continued with his feat after taking a vow to remain standing for 41 days.

Hindustan Times reports he said: “I don’t know what happened to me. I felt God was extending my energy and my resolve to remain standing after the 41 days were over.

“I don’t even know how long I will continue to stand like this. I have completed two years and I believe it would not have been possible without God’s will.”

The holy man has already built one temple and has vowed not to sit down until he collects sufficient funds to construct temples to Hindu gods Hanuman and Ganesha.

Temple priest Om Prakash said: “Initially there were a lot of problems - Baba developed swelling in his feet and it was a painful situation. But now I think he has got used to it.

“Visitors to the temple revere him and many seek his blessings. Baba’s popularity has grown immensely in all the neighbouring areas as well.”

By Saci Meade

The grand installation of Sri Sri Prahlad Nrisimhadeva and Sri Sudarshan Chakra was held at the Sri Sri Radha Krishnachandra Manimandir, Imphal, Manipur, on the auspicious Kartika Purnima, November 5th, 2006, as desired by His Holiness Sripada Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja. The installation of Sri Sri Prahlad Nrisimhadeva was sponsored by one sincere disciple of Sripada Maharaja. Eight brahmanas from Chennai were invited to perform the ceremony. They came to Manipur bringing with them most of the ingredients and paraphernalia required. Among the eight brahmanas, the head priest, Sri Parthasarati, was the same head priest who installed Sri Sri Radha Krishnachandra on Magha Purnima, January 18th 1984, 22 years ago.

On November 4th, as soon as the brahmanas reached the temple they took prasadam and started to arrange for the Yajna Kundas. Two Yajna Kundas, one for Lord Nrisimhadeva and another for Sri Sudarshan Chakra, were made and after arranging all the necessary items the brahmanas started the installation program around
9:00PM. They started chanting vedic mantras and the vibration made the whole atmosphere surcharged with spiritual potency. Then the elaborate processes of sankalpa, homa, netromilana and silpi dosa snanam
(invoking the life force, fire sacrifice, opening of the eyes, small abhisheka and different aratis) were performed. The first part of the installation program went on and concluded during Mangal Arati the next day and was attended by many devotees.

The installation continued from 6:00AM with more chanting of mantras and another fire sacrifice. Many devotees and important visitors were allowed to offer different auspicious ingredients in the Yajna Kundas. After this, the Maha Abhisheka was performed and Lord Sri Nrisimhadeva was bathed with milk, honey, yogurt, flowers, turmeric and scented water. Then followed a Maha Arati and prasadam for all. During the program the temple area was packed with many enthusiastic devotees and visitors. All were extremely happy to welcome Lord Nrisimhadeva, His beloved servant Bhakta Prahlad and Sri Sudarshan Chakra, to Manipur. Lord Nrisimhadeva looks very powerful yet peaceful. After the installation of Sri Sri Prahlad Nrisimhadeva and Sri Sudarshan Chakra, everyone feels the protection of the Lord and prays that by the blessings of Sri Nrisimhadeva there will be peace and harmony in the beautiful land of Manipur.

Sri Sri Prahlad Nrisimhadeva Ki Jay! Sri Sudarshan Chakra Ki Jay! All glories to the Lord and all His devotees! All glories to Srila Prabhupada! All glories to His Holiness Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja!

Bacteria found in Arctic tunnel come to life in the lab
 
By Robert Roy Britt
Senior writer

Updated: 3:17 a.m. ET Feb. 24, 2005

A new type of organism discovered in an Arctic tunnel came to life in the lab after being frozen for 32,000 years.

The deep-freeze bacteria could point to new methods of cryogenics, and they are the sort of biology scientists say might exist on Mars and other planets and moons.

"The existence of microorganisms in these harsh environments suggests — but does not promise -- that we might one day discover similar life forms in the glaciers or permafrost of Mars or in the ice crust and oceans of Jupiter’s moon Europa," said Richard Hoover, an astrobiologist at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.

Other microbes have been discovered in similar frigid environments, sometimes clinging to pockets of liquid water in ice packs. And some microbes survive in ice as spores, but they need to be cultured to bring them to life.

NASA described the newfound critter as "the first fully described, validated species ever found alive in ancient ice."

"They immediately started swimming when the ice melted," Hoover told LiveScience, adding that the cryopreserved bacteria were instantly ready to eat and multiply.

Cousins on Mars?
The announcement of the discovery Wednesday comes just a day after a team of European researchers said they found blocks of ice just under the surface of Mars near the equator. The Europeans said the ice, between 2 million and 5 million years old, could serve as storehouses for life.

Hoover said the creatures he has found might be able to survive in their suspended state for millions of years. The discovery opens up a whole new possibility that a future mission to Mars might be able to retrieve any life that's there.

"Ice samples from this [Martian ice] sea could contain cryopreserved microorganisms if life ever flourished on the surface of Mars," Hoover said in a telephone interview. He is particularly excited about the instant revival qualities of the creatures found in Alaska.

"You might actually get them growing in pure culture," he said of the potential Martian cousins. It would be a "wonderful way of retrieving intact, viable Martian organisms, if they are there."

Water does not guarantee life, but it is a crucial ingredient.

Hoover said the Martian ice blocks are so near the surface that they might partly melt in summer, creating underground pools of water that would allow any microorganisms to grow and reproduce. (Life above ground is considered unlikely due to Mars' dry surface conditions and intense radiation.)

Long process
The discovery process goes back to 1999, when Hoover and a colleague started a search for extremophiles in a tunnel north of Fairbanks, Alaska. The tunnel was dug by the Army Corps of Engineers in the mid-1960s to help scientists study permafrost prior to construction of the Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline.

Hoover went in search of one type of creature, but also found bacterial cells that surprisingly came to life as soon as the ice thawed. The bacteria thrive on sugars and proteins in total absence of oxygen.

"Life is far more diverse, and far more resistant to conditions we consider hostile, than was thought possible only a decade or two ago," Hoover said. "Studying these organisms helps us understand that life may be far more widespread in the cosmos than we previously imagined."

The bacteria, called Carnobacterium pleistocenium, might also be interesting to medical researchers.

"The enzymes and proteins it possesses, which give it the ability to spring to life after such long periods of dormancy, might hold the key to long-term, cryogenic — or very low temperature — storage of living cells, tissues and perhaps even complex life forms," Hoover said.

Microbiologist Elena Pikuta of the University of Alabama in Huntsville contributed to the research.
© 2006 LiveScience.com. All rights reserved.

People are thronging an Orissa village to have a glimpse of a girl who insists on marrying a snake!

A few days back Kusum,15, of Kaliaguda tribal village about 60km from the district headquarters of Malkangiri had gone to bathe in the river Saveri nearby. While bathing she found a cobra getting wrapped around her.

Panic-stricken Kusum shook the reptile off and fell unconscious after that. When she became conscious again, she told her father Bhagaban Nayak and family that she has to marry the cobra.

Her family members dismissed Kusum’s statement. But to their surprise they started sighting the cobra often.

Meanhwhile, Kusum kept her demand on and wanted her marriage with the cobra solemnised.

Kusum's father first took her to a medical doctor and later to a witchdoctor. A rigorous rituals-laden puja of the cobra followed but to no avail. Kusum refused to back of from her demand. .Finally her father Bhagaban appears to have relented. "May be it is the wish of the God,"he says.

But as people came in hundreds to have a glimpse of Kusum and the cobra, the snake has vanished. But Kusum says that the cobra keeps on appearing to her in her dreams.

Some old tribal men believe that there is a Cobra-God on the banks of the river Saveri. He has rescued many men from drowning in the river. The tribal community has now come to believe that the girl would marry the cobra and live in the river!

 A new service to Srila Prabupada is at hand with the 1st annual Puri Parikrama 2006. It is stated that if one does parikrama of Nilachala Dham at this tithi that this will equal a  the full caturmasya vrata. Over 1500 devotees(mostly from India and many internationals) from Iskcon have now congregated to perform this yajna. His HH Jayapataka Swami, Lokanatha Swami, Bhakti Purusottama Swami, Gauranga Prema Swami,Gaura Narayana Swami, and Bhaktisiddhanta Swami are presently participating. Our first day was filled with Bengali and Orissan style kirtans and we visited Hari Das Thakur's samadhi, Tota Gopinath,Gambira, Gangamata Math, Sveta Ganga, and Siddha Bakul with a mid day break in the ocean.

 It appears that here is another solidifying offering to Srila Prabhupada as his society prepares for the up coming years.

Click HERE to read and see more:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/2006Puri-parikrama.html

POSTED: 5:59 pm EST January 19, 2006
UPDATED: 4:06 pm EST January 20, 2006

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A Sanford mother says she will never be able to hold her newborn because an Orlando hospital performed a life-altering surgery and, she claims, the hospital refuses to explain why they left her as a multiple amputee.

The woman filed a complaint against Orlando Regional Healthcare Systems, she said, because they won't tell her exactly what happened. The hospital maintains the woman wants to know information that would violate other patients' rights.

USA, Jan 14 (VNN) — In 1977, a royal tomb was found at Vergina, near Saloniaca, in Macedonia, Greece. All the evidence proves it to be the tomb of King Philip, the father of Alexander the Great. However, Western scholars were puzzled because of the many artifacts, within the tomb of an obvious Indian/Vedic nature. Because of these artifacts, some experts dated the tomb to a time after Alexander's. This theory is no longer being accepted.

In Michael Wood's series, In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great, he presents 2 sculpted portraits of Alexander and Philip. Archeologists accept these sculpted portraits of Alexander, as the only ones made during his lifetime.

Philip's portrait is also recognized as being made in his lifetime.

Where were these portraits found? They were found in the Macedonian tomb, discovered in 1977, thus confirming that the tomb is definately from before Alexander's march to Asia.

Because the tomb is full of Vedic/Indian style artifacts, this is solid proof that Greek culture had a strong connection to India, long before Alexander's time. The tomb in question has also been accepted as the tomb of King Philip on the series War and Civilization. The body interned in the tomb, fits every ancient description of King Philip. Without a doubt, it is the tomb of King Philip.

The question is,"Why does King Philip's tomb have so many Indian influences? How is it possible if the Greek and Indian cultures had no direct contact until Alexander's Asian campaigns?"

The answer is simple.

Because Greek culture is an offshoot of Vedic culture, it is only logical that there would be strong Indian influences in Greek art, religion and culture.

The tomb of King Philip is also more than proof of Greece's vedic past. It is a smoking gun exposing the extreme prejudice involved in the cover up of the world's ancient Vedic heritage. Though western scholars now admit the tomb to be Philip's, they are mute about the evidences proving Greece's Vedic heritage.

On one hand, western academics are using these tomb artifacts to promote various theories, and on the other hand, they are ignoring the artifacts that prove their theories wrong.

Because there is no doubt about the Vedic artifacts found in this one case, one wonders how much other evidence is out there that has been ignored and perhaps even destroyed. It is obvious that the current mainstream academic community, has made it's mind about world history.

It is even more ironic that this is being done by the very people,ie. the historians, who have a duty to research and present a true and accurate record of the world's ancient past.

In this case, however, the evidence is still available for the serious researcher to evaluate. Some of the items found in the tomb, include a large ceremonial gold sheild, decorated with Vedic Svastikas, a beautiful frescoe, still in full color, of a lion hunt. Clearly defined, in this frescoe, are boundry markers tied around trees. This is a recognized feature of Indian Royal hunting grounds and yet they are clearly seen in this 2300 year old Macedonian frescoe. A royal diadem was also found of the type worn by Asian Kings and Princes and gold solar emblems remeniscient of the Solar Dynasty (Surya Vamsha) were found in abundance.

These are the most obvious evidences, that we know of. One can not help but wonder how much other evidences could be found if a researcher with a Vedic background, was allowed access to this find.

How many important finds have gone unrecognized by the mainstream academic community, that has no will nor ability to recognize Vedic artifacts.

Vedic World Heritage links:

See our pages supporting these views HERE:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/VWH.html (Vedik World Heritage)
Western Indologists been exposed page:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/WesternIndologists-page.htm
How British Misguided the World on Vedic History
http://www.hknet.org.nz/MotiveBritishRajMissionaries.html

PEOPLE
Every year in the UK we feed our livestock enough food to feed 250,000,000 people while in the world 30,000,000 people die of starvation
20 vegetarians can live off the land required by one meat eater
Every 3 seconds a child dies of starvation somewhere in the world
If Americans reduced their meat consumption by 10% it would free 12,000,000 tons of grain - enough to feed 60,000,000 people (the population of Great Britain)
If all Americans became vegetarian, it would free enough grain to feed 600,000,000 people (the population of India)
Intensification in animal farming has displaced 1,000,000's of people from their traditional lands - eg. indigenous people in south & central america, native americans in north america & crofters in Great Britain - this is continuing today
People displaced from their lands into cities succumb to dietary deficiency, diseases, parasites & opportunistic diseases
In third world countries 1 in 10 babies die before their first birthday
The UK imports £46,000,000 worth of grain from third world countries to feed our livestock
Due to overgrazing 850,000,000 people live on land threatened by desertification & over 230,000,000 already live on land so severely desertified that they are unable to sustain their existence & face imminent starvation
1,000,000,000 people in the west gorging on meat & dairy leave 1,000,000,000 to waste away & 3,500,000,000 teeter on the brink

LAND
If they continue to clear American forests to raise cattle at the present rate, in 50 years there will be none left
1 acre yields 165 lbs of beef or 20,000 lbs of potatoes
8/10 of cultivated land in the UK is used to grow food for animals (14,732,000 hectares)
It takes 16lbs of high protein soya to produce 1 lb of beef
Since 1945 in the UK we have lost 95% of flower meadows, 50% of ancient woodlands, 40% of heathlands, 50% of wet lands & 224,000 km of hedgerows all due to animal farming
Pressure on land due to meat farming leads to soil erosion 6billion tons/year in the USA
If everyone went vegetarian upto 90% of land used for animal farming could be taken out of production & used to replant woodlands, leisure activities etc.
25% of Central america's forests have been destroyed for cattle grazing since 1960
Between 1966-1983 38% of the Amazon rain forest was destroyed for cattle grazing
90% of cattle ranches established on cleared forest land go bankrupt in less than 8 years as the land becomes barren due to nutrient loss & overgrazing
Overgrazing by cattle is destroying the land & increasing desertification, nearly 430 million acres in the USA alone has suffered a 25-50% reduction in yield since first grazed
An inch of topsoil takes 200-1000 years to develop - yet in the USA they have lost around 1/3 of their prime topsoil in 200 years (around 7 inches) due to animal farming
Land will be lost due to rises in sea level due to global warming due to animal farming

AIR
The destruction of the rainforest by cattle farmers is destroying the lungs of the planet & reducing the worlds capacity to replenish our oxygen supply
The 1,300,000,000 cattle in the world emit 60,000,000 tons of methane per year (methane is a greenhouse gas & leads to global warming)
Burning of forests, grasslands & agricultural waste associated with animal farming releases 50-100,000,000 tons of methane per year
Combining these figures, 25% of methane emissions are due to animal farming (not including the billions of sheep, pigs & poultry so the real figure is much higher)
Fertilizer used to grow crops to feed to animals releases nitrous oxide - thought to account for 6% of the greenhouse effect
Fertilizer, weedkiller & pesticides sprayed on crops enter the atmosphere creating a noxious carcinogenic cocktail
CFCs are released into the air from refrigeration units used to store decomposing flesh (meat), milk & butter - CFCs are destroy the ozone layer
Ammonia from animal urine also pollutes the atmosphere
CO2 is released by burning oil & petrol in lorries, ships, abattoirs, dairies, factories etc. associated with meat & dairy production
Emissions from large chemical plants which produce fertilizer, weedkiller & other agricultural chemicals are also poisoning our air

WATER
25 gallons of water to produce 1lb of wheat & 2500 gallons to produce 1lb of meat
UK farm animals produce 200,000,000 tonnes of slurry (liquid excrement) every year, the majority of which ends up in our rivers
Bloody waste water from abattoirs ends up in our rivers
In the USA every second humans produce 12,000 lbs of effluent while farmed animals produce 250,000 lbs
Nitrates & pesticides used on crops grown to feed livestock end up in our rivers
Meat & dairy farming uses 70 litres of water per day per animal in the UK or 159,250,000,000 litres per year in total
The water used to produce 10 lbs of steak is equivalent to the average consumption of water for an entire household for an entire year
Depletion of groundwater reserves to grow crops for animals & to supply abattoirs will lead to greater water shortages
Aquafers (stores of underground water) in the San Joaquin valley in the USA are being drained at the rate of 500,000,000,000 gallons/year to produce meat
18% of all agricultural land in the world is irrigated & as global warming increases (partly due to animal farming) it will cost $200,000,000 to keep these systems going
The water used to produce a 1000 lb beef steer is enough to float a Destroyer battleship
The liquid waste from the various parts of the meat & dairy industry flow into the rivers & from there into the seas polluting them & encouraging huge algal blooms to grow

EFFICIENCY
To produce 1calorie of energy from meat takes 60 calories of petrol, whereas growing grains & legumes to directly feed people produces 20 calories for each calorie of fuel used ( thats 1200 times more efficient)
Meat & dairy farming uses billions of gallons of oil to run tractors, fuel ships & lorries (to move animal feed & animals), pump billions of gallons of water to irrigate fields & run slaughterhouses, power refrigeration units to prevent the corpses from decomposing & to power sewage plants to clean up some of the pollution produced
Cattle convert only 6% of their energy intake (mainly grains & soya) into flesh, the remaining 94% is wasted as heat, movement (which is why they keep many animals in very close confinement), hair, bones, faeces etc
1lb of beef takes 1 gallon of petrol to produce
A family of four eating beef for a year uses enough petrol to run a car for 6 months (obviously depending on how far you drive!)
If the full ecological cost of meat was passed onto the consumer - the price would be quadrupled (at least)
The EC spends œ100,000,000's to subsidise animal production resulting in lakes of unwanted milk & mountains of unwanted meat & butter. This money could be better spent encouraging organic fruit, vegetable & grain production
In the USA in 1979 145,000,000 tons of crops were fed to cattle resulting in only 21million tons of animal bodies - the cost of the wasted crops was $20,000,000,000
Between 1950 & 1985 grain production in Europe & the USA increased massively but 2/3 was fed to animals
70% of all grain is fed to animals
Eating vast quantities of animal flesh, eggs, milk & butter is a luxury that most of the planet can not afford

ANIMALS
Fishing with drift (and other modern) nets weakens & destroys ecosystems by indiscriminately killing billions of sea creatures & disrupting the sea bed
Fishermen's nets kill 10 times as many other animals as the fish they are hoping to catch
Fish caught in nets die an agonising slow death of suffocation
Each year 15,000,000,000 land animals are slaughtered for food & an unknown but much larger number of sea creatures (including 1000's of dolphins caught accidentally)
Chickens are crammed into battery cages with upto 3 other birds, they are unable to even spread their wings & many can not even stand up
Unwanted male chicks (because they can't lay eggs) are gassed or pulped while their sisters go to the battery sheds
Chicks are debeaked without anaesthetic to prevent them injuring each other in the unnaturally confined conditions they are kept in - this is equivalent to having your fingernails pulled out without anaesthetic
Modern farming methods using growth hormones & artificial lighting mean that many chickens out grow their bones, resulting in fractured & broken legs
Sows are kept tethered in stalls 1.3 x 1 metre on concrete or slatted floors - they can not even turn around
Poultry raised for meat are kept in windowless broiler sheds, with around 20-30,000 in each shed, they live in an area of 10-20 cm square - fighting due to overcrowding is common & like battery hens they commonly suffer from supperating bed sores
Broilersheds are artificially lit 23 hours a day to produce rapid growth
Animals travel between farms & to slaughter in overcrowded transporters with no food or water - resulting in stress, injuries & deaths - legal requirements are widely ignored
95% of poultry suffer injuries before being killed & 30% suffer broken bones
Problems with stunning practices mean that many animals have their throats slit while still conscious (around 6% of cattle or 200,000 per year) & are then dipped in tanks of scalding water (to loosen feathers, bristles etc.) again while fully conscious
4000 animals die spurting their blood out every minute in a British slaughterhouse
Calf leather comes from animals killed at just 2 weeks old
Cows were fed on the ground up remains of other cows & sheep - the result is thought to be BSE (mad cow disease) in the USA cattle are fed partly on recycled plastic pellets
Cows only give milk for 10 months after they have a calf - so they are routinely artificially inseminated (ie. mechanically raped) to keep them pregnant & milking - their calves are taken away (usually at 12 hours old) for meat or export to veal crates
Cows would naturally live upto 20 years but are slaughtered after 5-7 years when their milk production begins to fall
In the UK animals are killed by first being stunned with electricity or a captive bolt gun (ie. a bolt is fired into their heads) before having their throats slit & being plunged into boiling water - all this happens on a production line with the animals being hung upside down from a moving conveyor belt - this is factory farming
"Animals are those unfortunate slaves & victims of the most brutal part of mankind" - John Stewart Mill (philosopher)
Veal calves are confined in stalls in the dark, unable to move & are fed on pigs blood , chocolate & dried milk (we are drinking the rich fresh milk of their mothers)
Cows naturally produce 5 litres of milk per day for their calves - under the intensified systems of modern farming they produce 25-40 litres per day - resulting in swollen & inflamed udders - at this rate they are soon worn out
Large areas of land are under monoculture to grow crops to feed to animals - these areas are wildlife deserts supporting fewer & fewer species.

HEALTH
Vegetarians have a 20% lower rate of mortality from all causes (ie. they live longer & don't get sick as often)
Meat is full of traces of antibiotics, hormones, toxins produced by stress & pesticide residues that become concentrated from all the crops they have eaten
Fish contain heavy metals & other pollutants -many of which originated on farms
The world health organisation recommends a diet low in saturated fat, sugar, salt & with plenty of fibre - exactly what you get on a vegan/vegetarian diet
Farmed animals contain upto 50% saturated fat in their bodies
Vegetarians have 24% reduced risk of getting heart disease & Vegans a 57% reduction (heart disease is the biggest killer in the UK accounting for 50% of deaths)
Obesity is rare in vegetarians, obesity is related to many diseases
Vegans & vegetarians have lower blood pressure & cholesterol levels - high levels are associated with heart disease, strokes & kidney failure
Vegetarians have a 50% reduced risk of dying of diabetes
Vegetarians have a 40% reduced level of cancer than the general population thought to be because they have a higher intake of vitamins A,C & E
Vegetarians have a reduced risk of developing gall & kidney stones
80% of food poisoning is due to infected meat (faeces, bacteria etc.) after all meat is decomposing flesh - most of the rest is due to salmonella in eggs
Osteoporosis due to calcium loss from bones is mainly due to the sulphur content in meat & casein protein in milk that cause calcium to be lost in the urine - the countries with the highest meat & dairy consumption are those with the highest levels of brittle bones
50% of people do not have the enzyme to digest milk properly & milk allergy is related to asthma & eczema
Meat eaters have double the rate of Alzheimers disease as Vegans & Vegetarians - some people also think that Parkinsons disease is also linked to meat eating
Egg yolk is a dense concentration of saturated fat & the white is high in albumin protein associated with leaching calcium into your urine. Butter is 80% saturated fat, cream is 40% saturated fat & cheese is 25-40% saturated fat
Meat eaters are two and a half times more likely to get bowel cancer than Vegetarians
The cling film used to wrap meat in supermarkets & butchers contains chemicals linked to falling sperm counts in men
Chinese people (living mainly on a vegetarian diet) consume 20% more calories than Americans but Americans are 20% fatter
Of 2,100,000 deaths in the USA in 1987, 1,500,000 were related to diet (ie. meat & dairy)

AND I COULD GO ON !
If you've read this far, I hope that you are beginning to see that the Meat & Dairy industry is a major contributor to misery on this planet. It is destroying the health of people in rich countries, starving those in poor countries, it is torturing & killing billions of animals every year and in the meantime it is one of the major factors in the destruction of the environment - so what does the meat & dairy industry have to say in it's defence?

Well their only real point is usually "Meat is tasty" - fair enough a lot of people enjoy the taste of meat - but there are plenty of delicious alternatives (just consider the huge range of vegetarian dishes in Indian cooking - one of the oldest & most sophisticated cuisines in the world) and if you really crave meat & dairy, nowadays there are plenty of healthy non animal alternatives - just look in the supermarket & health food shop. So I hope you will agree it's pretty pathetic to consider all the evidence & then say "well I know you're right about the environment & health & the animals - but I just love my meat"

See our World Vegetarian Day Newsletters 2004 - 2005 - World Vege Day

See similar articles at Vegetarianism & beyond:
http://turn.to/Vegetarianism

THE MODEL KSHATRIYA

There was one very famous Hindu king.  He was a very powerful king, devoted to God.  When the Muslims first came to India, he stopped them.  About 1000 years ago, the first Muslim emperor invaded India with a huge army, hundreds and thousands of men.  He invaded North india from Persia.  In what is now called Punjab there lived one king with a very small army.  But these Kshatriyas were so powerful and devoted to God, that they stopped the Muslim king seventeen times.  The Muslim army was huge and the Hindu army was very small.  But the Hindu army were such determined Kshatriyas that every time they pushed back the Muslim king seventeen times.  Every time they caught the Muslim emperor, and every time they let him go.  The Hindu king was very compassionate, and every time he would say, "All right, I will not kill you.  You can go."  The Muslim king made a pact with another Hindu king, and together they overthrew the first Hindu king.  So the Muslim king captured the Hindu king, but he said, "I'm not going to make the same mistake that you made.  I'm not going to let you go, I'm going to cut off your head.  But first, I've heard that you are a very expert bowman.  I've heard that you can shoot a dove at 100 metres blindfolded.  Just by the sound of the wings of that dove, you can shoot him from 100 metres away.  If you can prove to me that you can do this, I will spare your life."  The Hindu king didn't trust him, but he said, "All right."  So they went to this huge arena with a stadium, and there were thousands and thousands of people.  That Hindu king stood at one end of the stadium.  There was a dove in a box 100 metres away.  They were going to let that dove out, and by the sound of the wings flapping, even though he was blindfolded he was going to shoot the bird.  So he's standing there with the Muslim king.  He said, "All right, I'll do this, but just one thing; you have to tell me when the box is opened.  That's all.  You stand there and tell me, `Now the box is opened,' and I'll be able to shoot the dove."  The Muslim king agreed, and then at the other end of the field they opened the box, and the dove flew out.  So the Muslim king said, "Yes, now the dove is out."  The Hindu king who was blindfolded, when he heard the Muslim king say, "Yes, now the dove is out," he turned and shot the Muslim king through the heart.  The Muslim king made the mistake of making a noise, so then just by hearing the noise, the Hindu king shot him through the heart.  Then he took his arrows, and the Muslim soldiers were shouting, "You rascal!"  And just by the sound their voices the Hindu king was shooting all the Muslim soldiers dead.  He was all alone, fighting hundreds of men blindfolded.  This is a soldier.  He didn't run away and hide in fear, or start crying, "Please, spare my life."  It was an honour to die in battle for the glory of God.  When he ran out of arrows he simply prayed to Krsna with his hands folded, meditating on the Lord.  And whatever Muslim soldiers were left, they took a sword and cut off his head.  So these are glorious men, dying for the glory of God.  Also to get an injury on sankirtana is a great glory.

See similar inspirational snippets HERE:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/parables.htm

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and from there go to the Main Index http://www.hknet.org.nz/index.htm

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 The Peace Formula
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The Real Peace Formula
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See more on Yoga and Meditation HERE:
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World Vegetarian Day October 1st yearly &
World Vegetarian Awareness Month of October yearly
...please visit our links and see what you can do to help

World Smoke Free Day
31st May Every Year 

http://www.be-free.org/b-media/market-bfree03/cinema.php

yeah kick the butt
...and remember from 10th December 2004 no more smoking in public places in New Zealand by law