last updated 10th February 2007

AN URGENT APPEAL:
http://www.dandavats.com/?p=2855

Respected Maharajas, Prabhus and Matajis , Hare Krishna,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Devotees from around the world are aware that a dispute between ISKCON, Vrindavan and the Goswamis of Radha Damodar Temple, in respect of  Srila Prabhupada's rooms in Radha Damodar Temple, Vrindavan,   is presently being heard in the Hon'ble High Court of Allahabad, India. The local court at Mathura has passed an interim order in favour of ISKCON, against which the Goswamis have preferred an appeal in the Hon'ble High Court. The final hearing on this appeal is going to be held on 12th February at Allahabad.

Our legal team is doing its best to produce all the legal evidences before the Hon'ble High Court.However, we would like to humbly beg and make an appeal to all the communities of devotees from around the world to offer your sincere and intense prayers to Their Lordships Sri Sri Krishna Balaram, Sri Sri Radha Shyamsundar, Sri Sri Gaur Nitai and Srila Prabhupada that They may inspire the Judicial board to pass an order granting justice to ISKCON, against the atrocities of the Goswamis

Offering prayers is an important medium through which we can attract Lord's mercy upon us. At this crucial juncture,  a sincere and intense prayer from each one of you will be of immense value for us. You may offer your prayers to The Presiding Lordships in your respective Temples.

We express our deepest heartfelt gratitude to all of you, in advance, for your sincere prayers.

On behalf of the Legal team fighting this battle,

Your Servant,

Shyam Krishna Das

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: February 9th, 2007

Contact: Vineet Chander - (201) 925-4973; vineet@iskcon.com

Almaty – Impervious to international outcry, government officials in the Central Asian country of Kazakhstan have intensified their attacks against members of the Hare Krishna religion, a Vaishnava Hindu tradition. A local court ordered more homes belonging to the Krishna devotees to be demolished, the Associated Press reported, threatening to leave more families homeless in freezing temperatures at any moment.
The latest court ruling, sanctioning the government to confiscate the Krishna land without compensation, came as a shock to members of the community.  According to a January 31 report by Forum 18, a religious rights watchdog group, the decision was rendered after the judge told Hare Krishna chairperson Viktor Golous that the case would be postponed and that he could leave. Incredulously, after Golous left the court, the judge ruled against him in his absence.   Such questionable judicial practices have led many to conclude that the Hindus are being denied due process and targeted because of their faith.
“The issue at dispute has less to do with property rights than with the right of people living in Kazakhstan to exercise their religion freely,” International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights Executive Director Aaron Rhodes stated in an open letter. “Since the dispute started, Kazakh authorities have been reluctant to deal with the issue in a fair and unbiased manner.”
MORE…
The court order is the next step in what human rights organizations have labeled a land-grab by government officials against a religious minority.  In November 2006, several busloads of riot police and two bulldozers demolished thirteen homes owned by members of the Hare Krishna religion.
The surprise attack evoked outrage from the worldwide Hindu community, and elicited statements of concern from the U.S. Embassy in Kazakhstan, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.  In the United Kingdom, Parliament passed an Early Day Motion condemning the harassment of Hindus in Kazakhstan and calling upon Kazakh President Nazarbayev to intervene.  British Prime Minister Tony Blair echoed Parliament members’ concerns during his Question Time, assuring them that he would continue to push the Kazakhstan government to protect religious rights.
Kazakhstan’s mistreatment of Hindus and other religious minorities was a key reason the country was refused its bid to chair the OSCE in 2009.
“[S]tate sponsored action has been focused upon members of the Hare Krishna community in a manner that suggests they have been targeted on the basis of their religious affiliation,” the OSCE Advisory Council on Freedom of Religion or Belief said in a statement they released, adding that it “calls upon the Kazakh authorities to halt any further demolitions and to extend immediate humanitarian assistance to those whose homes have been destroyed.”
In light of the Kazakh government’s latest moves against the Krishna community, that call seems to have fallen on deaf ears.
For more information about the persecution of religious minorities in Kazakhstan visit:
www.KazakhKrishna.com and www.Forum18.org
# # #

Backgrounder - ISKCON Communications

The following are excerpts from statements raising concerns about the Kazakhstan government’s aggression against the Hare Krishna community in Almaty.

“The embassy has several concerns regarding the legal basis for the actions against the Hare Krishna community.  Regardless of the merits of the underlying case, the forceful eviction of homeowners in freezing temperatures and the destruction of their possessions, contradicted principles of due process and fairness.  The embassy urges the Karasai district authorities to refrain from any further aggressive actions against the Hare Krishnas, and to work toward a fair, lawful, and peaceful resolution of the ongoing legal dispute.”
(U.S. Embassy in Kazakhstan)

“From the information available to the Advisory Council, it appears that state sponsored action has been focused upon members of the Hare Krishna community in a manner that suggests they have been targeted on the basis of their religious affiliation. In the view of the Advisory Council, this raises serious issues regarding the enjoyment of the freedom of religion and belief by members of the Hare Krishna community in Kazakhstan.”
(The OSCE Advisory Council on Freedom of Religion or Belief)

“Recent steps against the Hare Krishnas and members of other religious communities indicate that the government of Kazakhstan, regrettably, is moving in the wrong direction with regard to respecting the universal right to freedom of religion or belief.  This action against the Hare Krishna community is the latest in a series of developments over the past two years that signal a retreat from Kazakhstan’s previously positive record of respect for the right to religious freedom.”
(The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom)

“While President Nazarbayev’s initiative to bring world religions together to promote tolerance is laudable, his government’s harsh treatment of small and independent groups displays a sad absence of tolerance.  In short, I do not believe these actions befit a country that would be a leader of nations.  I urge President Nazarbayev and the Government of Kazakhstan to end these practices, withdraw the court cases to seize the Hare Krishna’s land, and ensure that all individuals are compensated for their lost property.”
(The Hon. Christopher H. Smith, New Jersey)

“That this House, prior to the visit of the President of Kazakhstan, condemns the harassment of and discrimination against Hindu minorities in Kazakhstan… and further calls upon the President to order the Karasai District Hakimat to have all cases against the Kazakh Hindus withdrawn… and to stop harassment of Hindus in Kazakhstan.”
(The United Kingdom Parliament, Early Day Motion No. 140)

Kazakhstan Update
http://www.sivaramaswami.com/?p=871

February 1st, 2007 Editor

From HH BB Govinda Maharaja:

Summary of the Issue

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness came to Kazakhstan during the Soviet era and existed underground until it’s legal registration as the Society for Krishna Consciousness ( SKC ) by the Ministry of Justice in 1994.

As the society grew in Almaty the members desired to have an Indian style farming community to satisfy the cultural and spiritual needs of the faithful, propagate a healthy lifestyle, cow protection, and bio-farming. To develop this project, members of SKC leased 47.7 hectares of land in 1999 in the Karasai district of Almaty, 40 km from the city. In 2002 SKC registered its provincial unit as a religious organization on the property. In the spring of 2004 SKC was able to purchase the land. Members of SKC grew vegetables, wheat, barley, alfalfa, cultivated a large apple orchard and took care of a herd of 32 cows.

According to article 12, of the religious laws of Kazakhstan, religious organizations are allowed to conduct their worship and ceremonies at the place of their registration. Thus the members of SKC also engaged in spiritual practices on the property.

There was an attempt to construct a temple on the property in 2004. Following the advice of local government authorities the SKC members began the work of laying a foundation. They were told that permission would be issued in the course of the construction.

However, as soon as construction began the same government authorities brought an administrative case against the community for having started illegal construction. SKC members were shocked by the change, but fully complied with local authorities and demolished the foundation.

Since the original purpose of the land was peasant farming, it did not allow for housing development, so in 1999 members of the SKC started purchasing cottages in an adjoining residential area.

Aside from the attempt to build a temple structure on the land no other construction took place. All existing buildings were present before SKC acquired the property.

Problems began in the summer of 2004 when the local government initiated non-stop investigations of the community, following a plan of the executive authorities of Almaty province to liquidate the Almaty provincial SKC and confiscate the land from both the Society and the private members of the Society.

There is a document from the Director of the Almaty Provincial Department of Justice, T. Onalbayev, providing an answer to the protocol instruction No. 5 of the Hakim of Almaty province S. Kulmakhanov dated February 14, 2005, with the detailed plan of liquidation of the Society.

Soon smear campaigns began in the media. The district government made 14 cases to confiscate the property of SKC, as well as the individual houses of its members in the adjoining residential area.

In April of 2006, SKC lost the litigation, but before a legal appeal was heard in higher court, the government attempted to destroy the homes of the members of SKC with bulldozers. The members resisted and the attempt was not successful. Local executives assured SKC members that they would return later with riot police and demolish the houses.

On the morning of November 22, 2006, electricity to the community was disconnected and later that day heavy equipment was brought back to the community. It included bulldozers, trucks, ambulances, and 200 riot police. The police cordoned off the entire area of the settlement and blocked the entrance ways of the community. Journalists, human right observers and members of the congregation who were not present on the land at the time, were not allowed in. It was a winter day, snowing, and with subzero temperatures.

The houses of the SKC members were destroyed one after the other. Mothers with infants and children were thrown, crying and appealing for mercy, out of their homes. Family belongings were loaded on the trucks and driven away. Members who tried to resist were roughed-up and arrested. All cameras and video recorders were confiscated.

Suddenly, without warning, the homes and belongings of 12 families were destroyed.

On November 26, 2006, the local governor presented SKC with 5 more cases regarding evacuation and demolition of homes.

As no homes of other local residents have been targeted, members of SKC have concluded that the harassment they are experiencing is based on religious discrimination and a desire by the government to take the choice piece of land which the SKC acquired by legal means.

Recent developments

11th December 2006
MFA of RK sent a letter to Ministry of Justice of RK to immediately convene the Inter-Agency Commission followed by a press conference in order to develop consistent position and find concrete proposals for resolving the conflict.

16th December 2006
MFA of RK distributed the Decision of the Commission through its diplomatic channels before official meeting of the Commission.

22nd December 2006
- Astana, Meeting of the Inter-Agency Commission for investigating the land issue of the religious organization “Society for Krishna Consciousness” in Karasai District.
- The Chairman of the Commission requested deputy Hakim Baibaktynov to accept the applications for privatization of SKC members and review them.
- Deputy Hakim of Almaty Province informed the Commission that a criminal case was initiated against members of the SKC regarding forgery.
- Chief expert of the Land Committee of Almaty Province informed the Commission that there is a list of 54 summer plots, which will be given privatization. He stressed that Priozyerye members, which SKC followers are the members of, would not be given privatization.
- The Chairman of the Commission responded that privatization should be given to everyone.

25th December 2006
Karasai District court has issued a decision to consider the registration of a summer cottages cooperative Priozyerye to be null and void.

29th December 2006
20 summer cottages owners, members of Priozyerye approached Hakimat for privatization. Their applications were refused. In a phone call the Chairman of the Commission advised to file the documents to Legalization Committee and approach deputy Hakim Baibaktynov for resolving the issue.

5th January 2007
Kazakh Government conducts Press Conference in Astana.

5th January 2007
20 summer cottages owners approached Legalization Committee for legalization. Without any reason people were refused in legalization. No written answer was given.

9th January 2007
The official statement of the Almaty Helsinki Committee and the Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law “On the Situation over the Krishna’s Consciousness Community in Kazakhstan” is issued.

10th January 2007
Press-Conference of SKC in Almaty about “Situation over SKC in Kazakhstan: another angle”.

12th January 2007
20 summer cottages owners approached Legalization Committee for legalization again. The documents were not accepted on the basis of the decision of the Karasai District court, which considered registration of Priozyerye summer cottages society null and void.

16th January 2007
A new court case regarding the 116 acre plot was opened.
- The government intends to prove sales and purchase agreement of 116 acre between Zhaksybekov and Consortium of Kazakhstan and Hungarian Societies for Krishna Consciousness null and void.
- By the new claim the government is preparing a ground to cancel the Supreme Court decision of 30th June 2005 in the case between Consortium and Zhaksybekov, where the civil panel of the Supreme Court of Kazakhstan studied all the documents on the land and considered SKC a bona fide purchaser of the land and granted the right of a land use to SKC.

21st January 2007
The chairman of the summer cottages association PK “ST Ptitsevod”, Irina Zaharchuk on a general meeting of the summer cottages owners of her cooperative sold land plots of the destroyed houses of SKC members. She compiled a new list of the members of her cooperative, where she included new owners of the summer plots.

27th January 2007
In the framework of a criminal case being opened, a worker of financial police of Karasai district brought a prepared report to be signed by a SKC member.

The report described the way she purchased her apartment but her words were completely perverted, and, in the report she was presented as a victim of some foreign preacher. SKC member refused to sign it.

28th January 2007
Sunday January 28, 2007, Anatoli Portnyagin, the chief officer of the provincial land committee, policemen, workers of the Karasai District Hakimat, the former chairman of the horticultural association I. Zakharchuk and Polyakov, her advocate, were at the site of the destruction of the homes of Hare Krishna community surveyed the summer plots and distributed them among the would-be owners. All these people have been actively participating in all the cases against SKC.

The officials were seen screaming among themselves as to which plots would be given to whom.

Despite the fact that the plots of SKC members belong to a different legal entity, the government officials of Karasai District are selling the land plots using legal documents of a different legal entity, summer cottages society PK “ST Ptitsevod” instead of Priozyerye.

29th January 2007
The notifications for demolition of 3 summer cottages of members of SKC. The receivers were never officially invited to court, they have never received invitations to participate in the court hearings and they have never received the decisions of the court.

30th January 2007
The Karasai district court disputed the purchase of 116 acre of land by the religious organization Society for Krishna Consciousness.

The notice to appear in court was given to the chairman of the Society the day before, January 29, 2007. The chairman appeared in the court at the appointed time and put in an application requesting the court to adjourn the hearing because he had not managed to find an advocate in such a short time. His application was accepted. Judge Zhailybayev who conducted the case told the chairman of the Society that he could go and wait for another notice to appear in court which would inform him of the next hearing. The chairman left the court being confident that the hearing was adjourned.

Nonetheless the hearing took place the same day in the absence of the defendant who was personally sent home by judge Zhailybayev. Out of the three defendants only one was present. Zhailybayev took a decision to confiscate the lawfully acquired land from the RO Society for Krishna Consciousness. It should be noted that all the decisions on the cases against the Krishnaites conducted by judge Zhailybayev have been unfavorable for them.

1. We request that you urgently address this issue to the President of Kazakhstan, with the aim to stop the systematic demoralization and denigration of the members of SKC in Kazakhstan.
2. We demand that the government to compensate the losses it has inflicted upon the members of SKC.
3. Allow all Hindu applicants to privatize their cottages, in accordance with a legally sound and non-discriminatory procedure, and allow them to enjoy the full use of these properties without any further threat of government action.

February 2nd, 2007 Editor

Letter from International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF):

Open letter to all OSCE delegations on the judgment against the Krishna’s Consciousness Community in Kazakhstan

Vienna, 1 February 2007

Dear Heads of OSCE Delegations,

The International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF) wishes to inform you about the latest developments in the case against the Krishna’s Consciousness Community in Karasai, near Almaty.

As you know (see also statement by the OSCE Advisory Council on Freedom of Religion or Belief , 27 November 2006), Karasai authorities in November demolished at least 13 houses of the Krishna’s Consciousness Community citing unresolved property ownership rights, leaving dozens of people homeless and offering no alternate housing to them, in violation of international regulations.

In the latest development, yesterday, on 31 January 2007, a court in Karasai ruled against the Krishna’s Consciousness Community in a process that resembled more a farce than a fair trial: The chairman of the community had been informed about the court session only one day in advance. He submitted to the court a letter asking that the session be postponed in order to allow the community to arrange an attorney to represent it, which the judge had appeared to accept. Yet, after the community chairman had left the court, the judge ruled against the community.

The troubles faced by the Krishna’s Consciousness Community date back to 2006. According to information available to the IHF, the officials’ demolition list of the community’s houses for 2006 included 47 houses, of which at least 13 were demolished in November. Evictions, confiscations and demolitions ? sometimes only with a few hours’ notification ? went on throughout 2006 on the official grounds that the owners had not officially privatized their plots of land and were unable to produce the necessary property documentation for their homes. In fact members of the Krishna community has repeatedly approached the local government with the aim of regulating their ownersip, but their applications have been rejected.

Yet, it seems clear to the IHF that the issue at dispute has less to do with property rights than with the right of people living in Kazakhstan to exercise their religion freely. This has been demonstrated inter alia by discriminatory statements by local authorities against the community, illegal acts, and the judicial proceedings that have failed to meet international standards for fair trials. Since the dispute started, Kazakh authorities have been reluctant to deal with the issue in a fair and unbiased manner.

Attached please find a statement by the Almaty Helsinki Committee and the Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law on the case.

We urge you to voice your serious concern about the case of the Krishna’s Consciousness Community to the government of Kazakhstan and demand it to ensure that freedom of religion is respected in the whole country ­ and to show it in practice in the case of the Krishna’s Consciousness Community.

Sincerely,
(signed)
Aaron Rhodes
Executive Director
International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF)

CC: National Helsinki Committees
Kazakhstan International Bureau of Human Rights and Rule of Law

Court Orders Confiscation

February 2nd, 2007 Editor

ALMATY, Kazakhstan: A court has ordered the confiscation of land used by Kazakhstan’s Hare Krishna community, ruling in favor of local authorities in a legal dispute that Krishnas have called religious persecution, the community’s spokesman said Wednesday.

The Karasai district court decision, announced Tuesday in the absence of the Krishnas’ representatives, means that district authorities are now one legal step away from expelling the community after an almost three-year long battle, spokesman Maxim Varfolomeyev said.

District authorities are now expected to ask the Supreme Court to overturn its 2005 decision that allowed Krishnas to continue to use the 48-hectare (118-acre) plot near the commercial capital Almaty despite the ongoing dispute.

Varfolomeyev said the community would appeal the Karasai court decision, but added that “this appears to be an end.”

A government commission earlier dismissed the Krishnas’ claims of religious persecution, saying the dispute was the result of “gross” violations of land and religion laws. The Hare Krishna community denies breaking property laws.

The community members have also been battling individual legal actions against them over alleged illegal privatization of their cottages.

Under court orders, laborers with crowbars and bulldozers destroyed the community’s 13 country houses on Nov. 21, while police prevented community members from interfering.

The dispute has attracted the attention of foreign diplomats. The U.S. Embassy expressed concern about the legality of razing the houses and urged Kazakh authorities to end what it called an “aggressive” campaign against Hare Krishna followers. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said after the houses were destroyed that it appeared the Krishnas were targeted because of their religious beliefs.

Varfolomeyev said Wednesday that on Monday, three more community members received notifications that their cottages would be destroyed within five days.

Krishnas have said that another reason why local authorities sought their expulsion could be that the land they are using is prime real estate.

Land and property prices in and around the oil-rich Central Asian nation’s biggest city have soared in recent years amid a construction boom fueled by a rapid economic growth.

The mostly Muslim nation has long been tolerant to other religions, but in recent years the government has tightened laws on religious organizations, citing concerns about religious extremism.

Read HERE how the original issue began in Kazakstan

Read HERE what the previous articles from November 2006 were

BEIJING (Reuters) - A Chinese thief has returned a mobile phone and thousands of yuan he stole from a woman after she sent him 21 touching text messages, Xinhua news agency said on Monday.

Pan Aiying, a teacher in the eastern province of Shandong, had her bag containing her mobile phone, bank cards and 4,900 yuan ($630) snatched by a man riding a motorcycle as she cycled home on Friday, Xinhua said, citing the Qilu Evening News.

Pan first thought of calling the police but she decided to try to persuade the young man to return her bag.

She called her lost phone with her colleague's cell phone but was disconnected. Then she began sending text messages.

"I'm Pan Aiying, a teacher from Wutou Middle School. You must be going through a difficult time. If so, I will not blame you," wrote Pan in her first text message which did not get a response.

"Keep the 4,900 yuan if you really need it, but please return the other things to me. You are still young. To err is human. Correcting your mistakes is more important than anything," Pan wrote.

She gave up hope of seeing her possessions again after sending 21 text messages without a reply.

But on her way out on Sunday morning, she stumbled over a package that had been left in her courtyard only to discover it was her stolen bag. Nothing had been taken.

"Dear Pan: I'm sorry. I made a mistake. Please forgive me," a letter inside said.

"You are so tolerant even though I stole from you. I'll correct my ways and be an upright person."

http://www.clicanoo.com/article.php3?id_article=148592  (in French)

REUNION, FRANCE, February 7, 2007: (HPI note: translated from the original French. The first paragraph is an introduction by the author.) With a suicide case every 40 minutes and more than 10,000 deaths every year, France is one of the industrialized countries largely affected by this phenomenon. A national debate this week calls for an urgent need to openly discuss the issue. Representatives of the major religions of Reunion Island, a French Territory outer island, express themselves on this taboo.

More than 100 cases and 3,000 attempts are officially registered each year in Reunion Island (off the southwest coast of Mauritius). According to Pierre Rey, president of S. O.S Solitude, "Because he feels bad, the victim seldom leaves behind an explanation for his suicidal act." Religious leaders, looked upon as saviors, agree to speak about suicide. A Catholic bishop said that suicide was against the church's teachings, but, in recognition of the psychological problems involved, they did not any longer call those who committed suicide "bad Christians." The Bhagatte Imam at the mosque of Saint-Denis said, "Suicide is strictly prohibited" in Islam.

Hindus adopt quite another approach on the issue. "In Hinduism, the final point does not exist," explains Swami Premananda, of the Puri Order and manager of the "Maison de l'Inde." Tamils here believe in reincarnation. But to kill the body is like refusing "to sit for an examination which we are expected to pass." This is not the solution to a problem but, on the contrary, "The person simply amplifies his sufferings," he explained. "Very often those prone to suicides knock at our door with questions about their existence in this lifetime. At such calls for help, the manager of Saint-Louis Hindu Asram provides practical solutions. "When we learn that the person is overburdened with debts, for example, we offer a free loan, a cash gift or we pay the school fees of the children." He considers that such pragmatic solutions as an eternal duty and it is an opportunity to allow others know who they are at the ashram."

see our pages on Suicide HERE

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

This article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) is the best article I have ever seen written in the published literature documenting the tragedy of the traditional medical paradigm.

This information is a followup of the Institute of Medicine report (http://www.mercola.com/1999/archive/medical_mistakes.htm)which hit the papers in December of last year, but the data was hard to reference as it was not in peer-reviewed journal. Now it is published in JAMA which is the most widely circulated medical periodical in the world.

The author is Dr. Barbara Starfield of the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health and she desribes how the US health care system may contribute to poor health.

ALL THESE ARE DEATHS PER YEAR:

· 12,000 -- unnecessary surgery

· 7,000 -- medication errors in hospitals

· 20,000 -- other errors in hospitals

· 80,000 -- infections in hospitals

· 106,000 -- non-error, negative effects of drugs

These total to 225,000 deaths per year from iatrogenic causes!!

What does the word iatrogenic mean? This term is defined as induced in a patient by a physician's activity, manner, or therapy. Used especially of a complication of treatment.

Dr. Starfield offers several warnings in interpreting these numbers:

· First, most of the data are derived from studies in hospitalized patients.

· Second, these estimates are for deaths only and do not include negative effects that are associated with disability or discomfort.

· Third, the estimates of death due to error are lower than those in the IOM report.

If the higher estimates are used, the deaths due to iatrogenic causes would range from 230,000 to 284,000. In any case, 225,000 deaths per year constitutes the third leading cause of death in the United States, after deaths from heart disease and cancer. Even if these figures are overestimated, there is a wide margin between these numbers of deaths and the next leading cause of death (cerebrovascular disease).

Another analysis concluded that between 4% and 18% of consecutive patients experience negative effects in outpatient settings,with:

· 116 million extra physician visits

· 77 million extra prescriptions

· 17 million emergency department visits

· 8 million hospitalizations

· 3 million long-term admissions

· 199,000 additional deaths

· $77 billion in extra costs

The high cost of the health care system is considered to be a deficit, but seems to be tolerated under the assumption that better health results from more expensive care.

However, evidence from a few studies indicates that as many as 20% to 30% of patients receive inappropriate care.

An estimated 44,000 to 98,000 among them die each year as a result of medical errors.

This might be tolerated if it resulted in better health, but does it? Of 13 countries in a recent comparison, the United States ranks an average of 12th (second from the bottom) for 16 available health indicators. More specifically, the ranking of the US on several indicators was:

· 13th (last) for low-birth-weight percentages

· 13th for neonatal mortality and infant mortality overall

· 11th for postneonatal mortality

· 13th for years of potential life lost (excluding external causes)

· 11th for life expectancy at 1 year for females, 12th for males

· 10th for life expectancy at 15 years for females, 12th for males

· 10th for life expectancy at 40 years for females, 9th for males

· 7th for life expectancy at 65 years for females, 7th for males

· 3rd for life expectancy at 80 years for females, 3rd for males

· 10th for age-adjusted mortality

The poor performance of the US was recently confirmed by a World Health Organization study, which used different data and ranked the United States as 15th among 25 industrialized countries.

There is a perception that the American public "behaves badly" by smoking, drinking, and perpetrating violence." However the data does not support this assertion.
The proportion of females who smoke ranges from 14% in Japan to 41% in Denmark; in the United States, it is 24% (fifth best). For males, the range is from 26% in Sweden to 61% in Japan; it is 28% in the United States (third best).
The US ranks fifth best for alcoholic beverage consumption.
The US has relatively low consumption of animal fats (fifth lowest in men aged 55-64 years in 20 industrialized countries) and the third lowest mean cholesterol concentrations among men aged 50 to 70 years among 13 industrialized countries.
These estimates of death due to error are lower than those in a recent Institutes of Medicine report, and if the higher estimates are used, the deaths due to iatrogenic causes would range from 230,000 to 284,000.

Even at the lower estimate of 225,000 deaths per year, this constitutes the third leading cause of death in the US, following heart disease and cancer.

Lack of technology is certainly not a contributing factor to the US's low ranking.
Among 29 countries, the United States is second only to Japan in the availability of magnetic resonance imaging units and computed tomography scanners per million population. 17
Japan, however, ranks highest on health, whereas the US ranks among the lowest.
It is possible that the high use of technology in Japan is limited to diagnostic technology not matched by high rates of treatment, whereas in the US, high use of diagnostic technology may be linked to more treatment.
Supporting this possibility are data showing that the number of employees per bed (full-time equivalents) in the United States is highest among the countries ranked, whereas they are very low in Japan, far lower than can be accounted for by the common practice of having family members rather than hospital staff provide the amenities of hospital care.

Journal American Medical Association July 26, 2000;284(4):483-5

Germany Backs Off Urging European Union to Ban Swastika
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20070129-1036-eu-racism-holocaust.html

BRUSSELS, January 29, 2007: (HPI note: None of the articles we found on this announcement by Germany mentioned the vociferous protests of Hindus and Jains, for whom the swastika is a sacred symbol of good fortune.) Germany will not push during its presidency of the European Union for an EU-wide ban on the swastika and will leave the decision to punish Holocaust deniers in the hands of member states, Berlin said on Monday. Germany said earlier this month it wanted to harmonize rules throughout the 27-member bloc for dealing with Holocaust deniers and for punishing displays of the symbol of Adolf Hitler's Nazi party, banned in Germany and several other states.

But, setting out plans for an EU-wide anti-racism law on Monday, it said it would not seek to prohibit "specific symbols such as swastikas. " The German statement did not say why it had decided against pushing for EU bans on swastikas, but some other EU countries are wary of such legislation and so a community-wide ban may not be achievable.

Germany's new draft suggests that incitement to racism and xenophobia would be punishable by at least 1 to 3 years of jail in all 27 EU states, while leaving to each state to decide on the specifics.

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

Sripad Jiva Goswami — the medieval genius, scholar, and Gaudiya Vaishnava saint — analyzes the mechanics of discussions in his Sanskrit text, Priti-sandarbha. Therein he divides discussions into three categories: Vada, jalpa and vitanda.

1) Vada discussions are in the mode of goodness. They are characterized by the fact that the participants are simply interesting in understanding what is the truth. As that is their prime motivation they are willing to change their conception if it is proven wrong.

2) Jalpa discussions are in the mode of passion. They are characterized by the fact that one or more of the participants are not interested to listen to the other and simply want their voice to be heard.

3) Vitanda discussions are in the mode of ignorance. They are characterized by the fact that one or more participants simply want to win. To attain that, they will say any damn thing.

A vast number of statements and materials presented in the ancient Vedic literatures can be shown to agree with modern scientific findings and they also reveal a highly developed scientific content in these literatures. The great cultural wealth of this knowledge is highly relevant in the modern world.

Techniques used to show this agreement include:

• Marine Archaeology of underwater sites (such as Dvaraka)

• Satellite imagery of the Indus-Sarasvata River system,

• Carbon and Thermoluminiscence Dating of archaeological artifacts

• Scientific Verification of Scriptural statements

• Linguistic analysis of scripts found on archaeological artifacts

• A Study of cultural continuity in all these categories.

Introduction

Early indologists wished to control & convert the followers of Vedic Culture, therefore they widely propagated that the Vedas were simply mythology.

Max Muller, perhaps the most well known early sanskritist and indologist, although later in life he glorified the Vedas, initially wrote that the "Vedas were worse than savage" and "India must be conquered again by education... it's religion is doomed"

Thomas Macaulay, who introduced English education into India wanted to make the residents into a race that was: "Indian in blood and color, but English in taste, in opinion, in morals, and in intellect."

However, the German Philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer stated that the Sanskrit understanding of these Indologists was like that of young schoolboys.

These early Indologists:

• Devised the Aryan Invasion theory, denying India's Vedic past

• They taught that the English educational system is superior

• They intentionally misinterpreted sanskrit texts to make the Vedas look primitive.

• And they systematically tried to make Indians ashamed of their own culture

• Thus the actions of these indologists seems to indicate that they were motivated by a racial bias.

Innumerable archaeological findings and their analysis have recently brought the Aryan Invasion Theory into serious question. This theory is still taught as fact in many educational systems despite much contrary evidence.
 

The Aryan Invasion Theory Defined

• Vedic Aryans entered India between 1,500 and 1,200 B.C.

• They conquered the native Dravidian culture by virtue of their superiority due to their horses & iron weapons

• They Imported the Vedic culture and it's literatures.

• This Aryan Invasion Theory, however, deprives the inhabitants of India of their Vedic heritage. The wealth of their culture came from foreign soil.

The Aryan Invasion Theory raises an interesting dilemna called Frawleys Paradox: On the one hand we have the vast Vedic Literature without any archaeological finds associated with them and on the other hand, we have 2,500 archaeological sites from the Indus-Sarasvata civilization without any literature associated with them.

A preponderance of contemporary evidence now seems to indicate that these are one and the same cultures. This certainly eliminates this paradox and makes perfect sense, to an unbiased researcher.

Facts which cast serious doubt on the Aryan Invasion Theory

• There is no evidence of an Aryan homeland outside of India mentioned anywhere in the Vedas. On the contrary, the Vedas speak of the mighty Sarasvati River and other places indigenous to India. To date, no evidence for a foreign intrusion has been found, neither archaeological, linguistic, cultural nor genetic.

• There are more than 2,500 Archaeological sites, two-thirds of which are along the recently discovered dried up Sarasvati River bed. These sites show a cultural continuity with the Vedic literature from the early Harrapan civilization up to the present day India.

The archaeological sites along the dried up Sarasvati River basin are represented by black dots.

• Several independent studies of the drying up of the Sarasvati River bed, all indicate the same time period of 1,900 B.C.E.

• The significance of establishing this date for the drying up of the Sarasvati River is, that it pushes the date for the composition of the Rig Veda back to approximately 3,000 B.C.E., as enunciated by the Vedic tradition itself.

• The late dating of the Vedic literatures by indologists is based on speculated dates of 1,500 B.C.E. for the Aryan Invasion and 1,200 B.C.E. for the Rig Veda, both now disproved by scientific evidence.

Max Muller, the principal architect of the Aryan Invasion theory, admitted the purely speculative nature of his Vedic chronology, and in his last work published shortly before his death, The Six Systems of Indian Philosophy, he wrote: "Whatever may be the date of the Vedic hymns, whether 15 hundred or 15,000 B.C.E., they have their own unique place and stand by themselves in the literature of the world."

The Vedic Culture is indigenous to India

It can be scientifically proven that the Vedic Culture is indigenous, through archaeology, the study of cultural continuity, by linguistic analysis, and genetic research.

For example, the language and symbolism found on the Harappan seals are very Vedic. We find the Om symbol, the leaf of the Asvatta or holy banyan tree, as well as the swastika, or sign of auspiciousness, mentioned throughout the Vedas. Om is mentioned in the Mundaka and Katha Upanisads as well as the Bhagavad Gita.

The Holy Asvatta tree is mentioned in the Aitareya and Satapata Brahmanas as well as the Taittiriya Samhita and Katyayana Smrti.

The pictoral script of these Harappan seals has been deciphered as consistently Vedic and termed "Proto-brahmi," as a pre-sanskrit script.

This piece of pottery from the lowest level of Harappan excavations with pre-harappan writing is deciphered as ila vartate vara, referring to the sacred land bounded by the Sarasvati River, described in the Rig Veda.

Additionally, other archaeological finds are culturally consistent, such as the dancing girl, whose bracelets are similar to those worn by women of Northwest India today as well as the three stone Siva Lingas found in Harappa by M. S. Vats in 1940. The worship of the Siva Linga is mentioned in the Maha Narayana Upanisad of the Yajur Veda and is still ardently practiced today.

The Vedas were maligned by early indologists because of their disagreement with their Eurocentric colonialists world view, a view which produced and depended on the Aryan Invasion Theory. The fact that the Aryan Invasion Theory has been seriously challenged recently by scholars and indologists, adds credence to the Vedas as viable, accurate and indigenous sources of information.

Satellite imagery of the Dried Up Sarasvati River Basin

Using modern scientific methods, such as satellite imagery and dating techniques, it can be shown that the ancient statements of the Vedas are factual, not mythical as erroneously propagated. High resolution satellite images have verified descriptions in The Rig Veda of the descent of the ancient Sarasvati River from it's source in the Himalayas to the Arabian Sea.

"Pure in her course from the mountains to the ocean, alone of streams Sarasvati hath listened."

The mighty Sarasvati River and it's civilization are referred to in the Rig Veda more than fifty times, proving that the drying up of the Sarasvati River was subsequent to the origin of the Rig Veda, pushing this date of origin back into antiquity, casting further doubt on the imaginary date for the so-called Aryan Invasion.

The Satellite image (above) clearly shows the Indus-Sarasvata river system extending from the Himalayas to the Arabian Sea. Here the Indus River is on the left, outlined in blue, while the Sarasvati River basin is outlined in green. The black dots are the many archeological sites or previous settlements along the banks of the now dry Sarasvati River.

The drying up of the Sarasvati River around 1900 B.C.E. is confirmed archaeologically. Following major tectonic movements or plate shifts in the Earth's crust, the primary cause of this drying up was due to the capture of the Sarasvati River's main tributaries, the Sutlej River and the Drishadvati River by other rivers.

Although early studies, based on limited archaeological evidence produced contradictory conclusions, recent independent studies, such as that of archaeologist James Shaffer in 1993, showed no evidence of a foreign invasion in the Indus Sarasvata civilization and that a cultural continuity could be traced back for millennia.

In other words, Archaeology does not support the Aryan Invasion Theory.

Evidence for the Ancient Port City of Dvaraka

Marine archaeology has also been utilized in India off the coast of the ancient port city of Dvaraka in Gujarat, uncovering further evidence in support of statements in the Vedic scriptures. An entire submerged city at Dvaraka, the ancient port city of Lord Krishna with its massive fort walls, piers, warfs and jetty has been found in the ocean as described in the Mahabharata and other Vedic literatures.

This sanskrit verse from the Mausala Parva of the Mahabharata, describes the disappearance of the city of Dvaraka into the sea.

"After all the people had set out, the ocean flooded Dvaraka, which still teemed with wealth of every kind. Whatever portion of land was passed over, the ocean immediately flooded over with its waters."

Dr. S. R. Rao, formerly of the Archaeological Survey of India, has pioneered marine archaeology in India. Marine archaeological findings seem to corroborate descriptions in the Mahabharata of Dvaraka as a large, well-fortified and prosperous port city, which was built on land reclaimed from the sea, and later taken back by the sea. This lowering and raising of the sea level during these same time periods of the 15th and 16th centuries B.C.E. is also documented in historical records of the country of Bahrain.

Amongst the extensive underwater discoveries were the massive Dvaraka city wall, a large door-socket and a bastion from the fort wall.

Two rock-cut slipways of varying width, extending from the beach to the intertidal zone, a natural harbor, as well as a number of olden stone ship anchors were discovered, attesting to Dvaraka being an ancient port city.

The three headed motif on this conch-shell seal (above), found in the Dvaraka excavations, corroborates the reference in the scripture Harivamsa that every citizen of Dvaraka should carry a mudra or seal of this type.

All these underwater excavations add further credibility to the validity of the historical statements found in the Vedic literatures.

Thirty-five Archaeological Sites in North India

Apart from Dvaraka, more than thirty-five sites in North India have yielded archaeological evidence and have been identified as ancient cities described in the Mahabharata. Copper utensils, iron, seals, gold & silver ornaments, terracotta discs and painted grey ware pottery have all been found in these sites. Scientific dating of these artifacts corresponds to the non-aryan-invasion model of Indian antiquity.

Furthermore, the Matsya and Vayu Puranas describe great flooding which destroyed the capital city of Hastinapur, forcing its inhabitants to relocate in Kausambi. The soil of Hastinapur reveals proof of this flooding. Archaeological evidence of the new capital of Kausambi has recently been found which has been dated to the time period just after this flood.

Kurukshetra

Similarly, in Kurukshetra, the scene of the great Mahabharata war, Iron arrows and spearheads have been excavated and dated by thermoluminence to 2,800 B.C.E., the approximate date of the war given within the Mahabharata itself.

The Mahabharata also describes three cities given to the Pandavas, the heroes of the Mahabharata, after their exile:

Paniprastha, Sonaprastha & Indraprastha, which is Delhi's Puranaqila. These sites have been identified and yielded pottery & antiquities, which show a cultural consistency & dating consistent for the Mahabharata period, again verifying statements recorded in the Vedic literatures.

Renowned Thinkers Who Appreciated the Vedic Literatures

Although early indologists, in their missionary zeal, widely vilified the Vedas as primitive mythology, many of the worlds greatest thinkers admired the Vedas as great repositories of advanced knowledge and high thinking

Arthur Schopenhauer, the famed German philosopher and writer, wrote that: I "...encounter [in the Vedas] deep, original, lofty thoughts... suffused with a high and holy seriousness."

The well-known early American writer Ralph Waldo Emerson, read the Vedas daily. Emerson wrote: "I owed a magnificent day to the Bhagavat-Gita"

Henry David Thoreau said: "In the morning I bathe my intellect in the stupendous philosophy of the Bhagavad Gita... in comparison with which... our modern world and its literature seems puny and trivial."

So great were Emerson and Thoreau's appreciation of Vedantic literatures that they became known as the American transcendentalists. Their writings contain many thoughts from Vedic Philosophy.

Other famous personalities who spoke of the greatness of the Vedas were: Alfred North Whitehead (British mathematician, logician and philosopher), who stated that: "Vedanta is the most impressive metaphysics the human mind has conceived."

Julius Robert Oppenheimer, the principle developer of the atomic bomb, stated that "The Vedas are the greatest privilege of this century." During the explosion of the first atomic bomb, Oppenheimer quoted several Bhagavad-gita verses from the 11th chapter, such as:

"Death I am, cause of destruction of the worlds..."

When Oppenheimer was asked if this is the first nuclear explosion, he significantly replied: "Yes, in modern times," implying that ancient nuclear explosions may have previously occurred.

Lin Yutang, Chinese scholar and author, wrote that: "India was China's teacher in trigonometry, quadratic equations, grammar, phonetics... " and so forth.

Francois Voltaire stated: "... everything has come down to us from the banks of the Ganges."

From these statements we see that many renowned intellectuals believed that the Vedas provided the origin of scientific thought.

The Iron Pillar of Delhi

The Vedic literatures contain descriptions of advanced scientific techniques, sometimes even more sophisticated than those used in our modern technological world.

Modern metallurgists have not been able to produce iron of comparable quality to the 22 foot high Iron Pillar of Delhi, which is the largest hand forged block of iron from antiquity.

This pillar stands at mute testimony to the highly advanced scientific knowledge of metallurgy that was known in ancient India. Cast in approximately the 3rd century B.C., the six and a half ton pillar, over two millennia has resisted all rust and even a direct hit by the artillary of the invading army of Nadir Shah during his sacking of Delhi in 1737.

Vedic Cosmology

Vedic Cosmology is yet another ancient Vedic science which can be confirmed by modern scientific findings and this is acknowledged by well known scientists and authors, such as Carl Sagan and Count Maurice Maeterlinck, who recognized that the cosmology of the Vedas closely parallels modern scientific findings.

Carl Sagan stated, "Vedic Cosmology is the only one in which the time scales correspond to those of modern scientific cosmology."

Nobel laureate Count Maurice Maeterlinck wrote of: "a Cosmogony which no European conception has ever surpassed."

French astronomer Jean-Claude Bailly corroborated the antiquity and accuracy of the Vedic astronomical measurements as "more ancient than those of the Greeks or Egyptians." And that, "the movements of the stars calculated 4,500 years ago, does not differ by a minute from the tables of today."

The ninety foot tall astronomical instrument known as Samrat Yantra, built by the learned King Suwai Jai Singh of Jaipur, measures time to within two seconds per day.

Cosmology and other scientific accomplishments of ancient India spread to other countries along with mercantile and cultural exchanges. There are almost one hundred references in the Rig Veda alone to the ocean and maritime activity. This is confirmed by Indian historian R. C. Majumdar, who stated that the people of the Indus-Sarasvata Civilization engaged in trade with Sooma and centers of culture in western Asia and Crete.

The Heliodorus Column and Cultural Links to India

An example of these exchanges is found in the inscriptions on the Heliodorus Column, erected in 113 B.C.E. by Heliodorus, a Greek ambassador to India, and convert to Vaisnavism, as well as the 2nd century B.C.E. Coins of Agathocles, showing images of Krishna and Balaram. These artifacts stand testimony that Sanatan Dharma predates Christianity.

This also confirms the link between India and other ancient civilizations such as Greece and shows that there was a continuous exchange of culture, philosophy and scientific knowledge between India & other countries. Indeed the Greeks learned many wonderful things from India.

 Vedic Mathematics

Voltaire, the famous French writer and philosopher) stated that "Pythagoras went to the Ganges to learn geometry." Abraham Seidenberg, author of the authoritative "History of Mathematics," credits the Sulba Sutras as inspiring all mathematics of the ancient world from Babylonia to Egypt to Greece.

As Voltaire & Seidenberg have stated, many highly significant mathematical concepts have come from the Vedic culture, such as:

The theorem bearing the name of the Greek mathematician Pythagorus is found in the Shatapatha Brahmana as well as the Sulba Sutra, the Indian mathematical treatise, written centuries before Pythagorus was born.

The Decimal system, based on powers of ten, where the remainder is carried over to the next column, first mentioned in the Taittiriya Samhita of the Black Yajurveda.

The Introduction of zero as both a numerical value and a place marker.

The Concept of infinity.

The Binary number system, essential for computers, was used in Vedic verse meters.

A hashing technique, similar to that used by modern search algorithms, such as Googles, was used in South Indian musicology. From the name of a raga one can determine the notes of the raga from this Kathapayadi system. (See Figure at left.)

For further reading we refer you to this excellent article on Vedic Mathematics.

Vedic Sound and Mantras

The Vedas however are not as well known for presenting historical and scientific knowledge as they are for expounding subtle sciences, such as the power of mantras. We all recognize the power of sound itself by it's effects, which can be quite dramatic. Perhaps we all have seen a high-pitched frequency shatter an ordinary drinking glass. Such a demonstration shows that Loud Sounds can produce substantial reactions

It is commonly believed that mantras can carry hidden power which can in turn produce certain effects. The ancient Vedic literatures are full of descriptions of weapons being called by mantra. For example, many weapons were invoked by mantra during the epic Kuruksetra War, wherein the Bhagavad-gita itself was spoken.

The ancient deployment of Brahmastra weapons, equivalent to modern day nuclear weapons are described throughout the Vedic literatures. Additionally, mantras carry hidden spiritual power, which can produce significant benefits when chanted properly. Indeed, the Vedas themselves are sound vibrations in literary form and carry a profound message. Spiritual disciplines recommend meditational practices such as silent meditation, silent recitation of mantras and also the verbal repetition of specific mantras out loud.

A Clinical Test of the Benefits of Mantra Chanting was performed on three groups of sixty-two subjects, males and females of average age 25. They chanted the Hare Krsna Maha Mantra twenty-five minutes each day under strict clinical supervision.

Results showed that regular chanting of the Hare Krsna Maha Mantra reduces Stress and depression and helps reduce bad habits & addictions. These results formed a PhD Thesis at Florida State University.

Spiritual practitioners claim many benefits from Mantra Meditation such as increased realization of spiritual wisdom, inner peace and a strong communion with God and the spiritual realm. These effects may be experienced by following the designated spiritual path.

Conclusion

Most of the evidence given in this presentation is for the apara vidya or material knowledge of the Vedic literatures. The Vedas however, are more renowned for their para vidya or spiritual knowledge. And even superior is the realized knowledge of the Vedic rsis or saints — that which is beyond the objective knowledge of modern science — knowledge of the eternal realm of sat, cit ananda, eternality, blissfullness and full knowledge. But that is another presentation.

The Scientific Verification of Vedic Knowledge is available from DevaVision Video Documentaries as a DVD video and will be available for download as a Quicktime video by 17 November 2006: Devavision Video Downloads http://www.devavision.org/videos.html

Vedic World Heritage links:

See our pages supporting these views HERE:
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Western Indologists been exposed page:
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How British Misguided the World on Vedic History
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THE FOUR BRAHMIN BOYS

There's a story of four brahmin boys who were looking for wealth, so they went up into the Himalayas.  Brahmin means devotee, but they were interested in getting wealth.  They were thinking, "I've just come out of gurukula training, now we have to get some wealth, and then we can get married and have a happy life."  So they went to one sage who was living near the Himalayan mountains, and they asked him, "My dear sage, we have heard that you are all-knowing, so please tell us where we can find wealth."  The sage said, "All right.  So now I will put in each of your hands one ghee wick, a cotton ghee wick.  You just hold that in your hand, and you walk up into the Himalayan mountains.  Wherever this wick drops during the course of walking up the mountain, at that spot if you dig you will find something valuable.  You will find precious metal up to the value of gold."  So they were very happy, and they went up into the mountains holding their wicks.  One of the wicks dropped, so the boy dug there and he found copper.  "Oh, copper.  Very nice."  The other boys said, "Why just copper?"  "No no," the boy said, "I am satisfied.  The sage said, wherever the wick drops, so this is my quota.  God has given copper."  So he took that and went down.  The other boys continued, and another wick dropped.  When they dug they found silver.  "Ah, silver, very nice.  Even more valuable."  The boy whose wick had dropped was very satisfied, but the other two said, "Well silver's alright, but the sage said up to gold."  "Anyway," the boy said, "I've found silver by God's grace, so I'm taking that."  So the other two continued, and one of their wicks dropped.  He dug, and he found gold.  "All right," one said, "here it is, the gold.  Enough for both of us."  The last one said, "Yes, but I still have my wick.  It hasn't dropped yet."  The other one replied, "Yes, but the sage said nothing more valuable than gold."  "Well anyway," the last boy said, "I still have my wick, so I am going to find my treasure."  "Well you do as you like," the boy who found the gold said, "but I am taking this gold."  So then the last boy went high into the Himalayas, up to the very top, and still his wick didn't drop.  Then he saw one man in the distance.  So he was calling to him, "My dear sir, do you know of any valuable treasure up here?  I am looking for wealth."  As soon as he said that, his wick dropped.  So he thought, "There must be something very valuable here."  Meanwhile the boy had come a little closer to the man, and he noticed that the man was standing in a strange way, he was not moving, and there was a wheel turning on his head.  The middle of the wheel, the hub was grinding into his head and causing blood to flow, and this man was obviously in great pain.  When this boy's wick dropped then that wheel was suddenly moving from the other man's head onto his head, and the wheel was turning and he was feeling great pain.  He also could not move any more, the wheel was somehow keeping him in place.  The other man could move again and he was saying, "Oh, I'm free!  Thank God!"  The brahmin said, "Please tell me what is going on here!  Why am I suddenly stuck to this spot?  I cannot move and this wheel is on my head and it is feeling very painful.  What is happening?"  The other man replied, "You have come to the place where Kuvera keeps his treasure.  He's the treasurer of the demigods, and all his wealth, all the wealth of the demigods is buried here and you have come across it."  "Well, what is this wheel?" the boy asked.  "This wheel is a weapon of Kuvera which protects his treasure."  "Oh," the boy said.  "So tell me, what is going to happen to me?"  "What is going to happen to you," the man said, "Is the same thing that happened to me.  I also came up here looking for treasure.  I came up with some friends and met an old sage, and he gave us ghee wicks.  My friends got copper, silver and gold, but I wanted to go higher.  I came up here, and the wheel came onto my head."  "So what can I expect?" the boy asked.  "Well, this wheel will stay on your head and keep you fixed to this place.  You will not grow thirsty or hungry, you will just stay and not be able to move until somebody else comes up here looking for treasure.  Then you will be released, and he will get the wheel on his head."  "How long were you here?"  the boy questioned.  "Who is the king of India now?"  The boy gave the name of some king, and the man replied, "Well when I came up here, Lord Ramachandra was king."  "Oh no!" the boy said.  "That was two million years ago!"  And then the man was going to leave.  "No you can't leave!" the boy said.  "Yes, I can leave, I'm getting out of here.  I've suffered so much."  This greedy brahmin was left up there, and probably he's still up there now.  So don't go up into the Himalayas looking for treasure.

MORAL:  This is an illustration how this lusty desire for sense gratification can get one in great difficulty.  This brahmin broke the law and took more than his quota, so therefore he got into trouble.

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