Srila Prabhupada

Trying To Connect With You

This is a slideshow of pictures of Srila Prabhupada, the music is by a disciple of Srila Prabhupada, Mangalananda dasa (aka Michael Cassidy) from the album "Trying To Connect With You" which is available at the above link.

Ayurvedic Medecine Safety Issues

Major safety concerns include adulteration of herbal medicines with toxic metals, and intrinsic toxicity of herbal medications. Some traditional Ayurvedic treatments use toxic metals, herbs, and minerals as part of their remedies. Rasa Shastra, the practice of adding metals, minerals or gems to herbs, increases the likelihood of toxic metals such as lead, mercury, or arsenic in the remedy.

A 2004 study found toxic heavy metals such as lead, mercury and arsenic in 20% of Ayurvedic preparations that were made in South Asia for sale around Boston and extrapolated the data to America. It concluded that excess consumption of these products could cause health risks. A 2008 study found that approximately 20% of remedies (and 40% of rasa shastra medicines) purchased over the internet from both US and Indian suppliers were contaminated with toxic metals.

Traditionally the toxicity of these materials are believed to be reduced through processes such as samskaras or shodhanas (for metals), which is similar to the Chinese pao zhi, although the Ayurvedic technique is more complex and may involve prayers as well as physical pharmacy techniques. Rigorous evidence that the metals may be rendered nontoxic is not available, and case reports describe adverse effects to these metals.

There is evidence that using some Ayurvedic medicines, especially those involving herbs, metals, minerals, or other materials involves potentially serious risks, including toxicity. Adverse reactions to herbs due their pharmacology are described in traditional Ayurveda texts, but Ayurvedic practitioners are reluctant to admit that herbs could be toxic and the reliable information on herbal toxicity is not easily available.

Ayurvedic Medecine Safety Issues

Damodarastakam

Damodarastakam

गो तो थे moon

Kancan Kund / Kankan Kund - Radharani's golden pool where she began digging with her bracelet

I have been looking for more information about Kancan Kund /Kankan Kund /Kankana Kund I am not sure what the correct spelling is. Both are kind of appropriate.

Kancan is the Sanskrit word for Gold,
(http://nitaaiveda.com/All_Scriptures_By_Acharyas/Sanskrit/Sanskrit-English_Dictionary/K.htm)

And Radharani is always said to be so golden, so that seems appropriate.
She has a golden complexion (kancanabha), Her limbs are golden (hema-gatri), and She wears golden armlets (kancanangada-dharini). [From the Narada Pancharata translated by Bhaktivinoda Thakura]

Also a kankan is a love bracelet, kankana are bangles. So as Kancan/Kankan kund is said to be the original place where Radharani began to dig Radha Kund with one of her bracelets, that could also be the correct spelling. I am not sure.

Also Raghunatha Dasa Goswami speaks of Kancanlata Sakhi in Mukta Charita, so maybe it is named after her.
http://nitaaiveda.com/All_Scriptures_By_Acharyas/Raghunatha_dasa_Goswami/Mukta_Charita.htm

I would be interested to know.




This is Kancan Kund / Kankan Kund in 1940s's

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This is a picture of Kancan Kund / Kankan Kund / Kancanakunda in 1986 when Radha Kund was emptied, as it is every twenty years or so...

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And this is Kancan Kund / Kankan Kund / Kancanakunda in 2009. The steps constructed by Raghunatha dasa Goswami are visible as well when the water is emptied.

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Raghunatha Dasa Goswami's Steps

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ( Gauranga) rediscovered Radha Kund and Syama Kund as they had remained hidden for many years. When he found them they were quite small, in paddy fields. Then Raghunatha Dasa Goswami enlarged Radha Kund and added steps in the year 1545 as he envisaged many pilgrims coming to visit.

It was during Raghunatha's excavation work that Kancana kunda was found, as well as the Deities of Radha and Krishna that were found in the mud and installed at the temple known as the Purana Radha Krishna Mandira.

In 1591, the king of Jaipur, Raja Mansingh came to Radha-kunda and constructed more steps above the one’s built by Raghunatha dasa. In 1817 Lal Babu constructed even more stone steps around the kundas.

So in the pictures above you can also see the steps that were originally constructed by Raghunatha dasa Goswami that usually are below the water level.

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Kankan Kund / Kancan Kund manifests as a well that is known to be 50ft deep

Wounded

Today I am wounded, I have stiches in my face and think I am going to look like Action Man with his scar when it heals up.

Do not be afraid

"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear — not absence of fear."
– Mark Twain



"I have accepted fear as a part of life, specifically the fear of change, the fear of the unknown. I have gone ahead despite the pounding in the heart that says: Turn back, turn back; you'll die if you venture too far."
– Erica Jong



"If one dream should fall and break into a thousand pieces, never be afraid to pick one of those pieces up and begin again."
– Flavia Weedn

Bear On Treadmill

No Expectations

Quotes of the Day

"When one's expectations are reduced to zero, one really appreciates everything one does have."
– Stephen Hawking

"Our real blessings often appear to us in the shape of pains, losses and disappointments, but let us have patience and we soon shall see them in their proper figures."
– Joseph Addison

"When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure."
– Peter Marshall

"The courage to be is the courage to accept oneself, in spite of being unacceptable."
– Paul Tillich

Music To Run To - Witchi Tai To - Brewer & Shipley

Witchi Tai Tai-Him-Or-Rai Ora nee Ka-Ora Nee Ka Hey Ney Hey-Ne No-Ah
What a Spirit Spring is bringing round my head makes me feel glad that I'm not dead

Running

If your shins and ankles ache after running, it is probably because of the angle that your foot hits the ground. I had no idea that this was why I ached so much after a run, I assumed I was just unfit and ran more to try to get fitter and strengthen my legs. But when recently going to buy some new running shoes, the guy in the shop told me all about pronation. Apparently it is very common for people to over pronate, about 75% of runners over pronate. That is the inner soul of the foot rolls inwards as the foot hits the ground. People who over pronate tend to also have low foot arches (flat feet). An engineer would be able to explain in more detail, but simplistically, this means that the impact of your foot fall, is taken by the ankles and shins, which is why over pronaters get aching shins (also known as shin splints) and ankles.

Anyway, so I needed some shoes and it turns out running shoe manufacturers make shoes specially for this condition, shoes that are specially engineered to change the stress points of impact when running. They are called motion control shoes and have a built up inner arch with loads of support that is supposed to redirect the impact energy. I was dubious as to whether these motion control shoes could actually correct the probem and end my aching shins and ankles, but to my amazement they did.

I bought a pair of Brooks Addiction 8 shoes for ladies, just like in the picture below...












I absolutely love these running shoes, I can now run and not even feel it the next day. No more shin splints, no more ankle pain, I am sooo pleased with these shoes. I think they are nice looking shoes as well, the design is not quite as "in your face" as most motion control shoes. They are stylish and well cushioned and the other bonus is that they come in half sizes.

I run in the morning when I get up, and it is a great start to the day, I am building up endurance and doing interval training to try to be able to run further and faster in the future.

I Quit Smoking

I quit smoking at the beginning of this year, 2009, around the same time as President Obama is said to have quit smoking. I checked today to see how he was doing and from what I read, like me he has been successful in his quit. It is said that he has used Nicotine gum.

I have in fact quit smoking many many times, but this is different, it is the most successful attempt so far, I feel sure this time I will never have another cigarette, something is different about this quit and I think is because I did it purely for myself, there were no other influences in my decision not to smoke anymore, only my own mind telling me that I did not want to.

I think that has made the difference, as in the past, I have been told by others not to smoke, so I do as I am told, but then once that influence or reason is gone, I reverted to smoking. Also this is the longest time I have stayed quit, ever and I rarely even think about cigarettes anymore.

I am still using the nicotine replacement therapy, I use the nasal spray and gum and have followed instructions to the letter. It seems that whilst using the NRT you overcome the psychological aspects of smoking, so that when you come to stopping all nicotine, after several months, you are already in the habit of being a non smoker. It is the habit that was hardest to break, the thing I always used to miss and feel that there was something missing when I did not smoke, but now I am quite used to doing everything I need to do without a cigarette.

Concentration and feeling blue was a big difficulty for me at first. I found it harder to do my work and felt kind of like there was something missing all the time, I used to enjoy fag breaks, standing in the sunshine, but now I enjoy going for walks and runs when I need a break, and I do not feel blue at all. My concentration seems to have returned to as good as it was when I was smoking, so I guess there is a transition period for a few months while your body gets used to being minus the 1000s of harmful chemicals contained in the cigs.

I am sure I will never smoke again, I do not want to, it is not an effort, it is just a choice now and I feel I have gained alot, in terms of health, less stress (as being a heavy smoker is stressful, always having to make sure you have an ample supply and somewhere to smoke) and of course financially.

It is the Budget Day today in England and smokers always get hit hard, with a pack already at over £5 ($10), I dread to think how much they will go up again today, but I do not need to worry about it anymore, the budget will have no effect on me this year.

Ahhh, clean fresh air, I love it!

Gordon Brown And Obama At Number 10 Today

Obama said today that the relationship between USA & UK is "More than just an alliance of interests, its a kinship of ideals"

Ginger Cookies Recipe

Soft Chewy Ginger Cookies

2 1/4C all-purpose flour
2tsp ground ginger
1tsp baking soda
3/4tsp ground cinnamon
1/2tsp ground cloves
pinch of salt
3/4C margarine, softened
1C white sugar
2Tb unsweetened applesauce
1Tb water
1/4C molasses

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.

-In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the applesauce, then the water and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet .

-Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

New Blue Contact Lenses

So instead of glasses this year, when my prescription change, I went for contact lenses and seeing and changed my green eyes to blue. Obviously causes problems with gaining entry to places requiring a retinal scan, but its worth it for the new blue eyes.

Spring is in the air

It has been such a cold winter in England, but today I saw the snowdrops making an appearance, which heralds spring and new life and hope. Here is a poem about Spring by Christina Rossetti. In India Spring is heralded by the celebration Vasanta Pancami. Spring Quiet

Christina Rossetti (1847)

Gone were but the Winter, Come were but the Spring, I would go to a covert Where the birds sing. Where in the whitethom Singeth a thrush, And a robin sings In the holly-bush. Full of fresh scents Are the budding boughs Arching high over A cool green house: Full of sweet scents, And whispering air Which sayeth softly: “We spread no snare; “Here dwell in safety, Here dwell alone, With a clear stream And a mossy stone. “Here the sun shineth Most shadily; Here is heard an echo Of the far sea, Though far off it be.”