Evolution and Reincarnation from the Vedantic Perspective

Evolution and Reincarnation from 

the Vedantic Perspective

The amazing achievements of modern science have been opening every day new gates of wisdom and slowly bringing human minds nearer and nearer to the ultimate reality of the universe. The fire of knowledge kindled by science has already burnt down many dogmas and beliefs, held sacred by the superstition of the past, which stood in the way of truth-seeking minds. In the first place science has disproved the theory of the creation of the universe out of nothing by the action of some supernatural power. It has shown that the universe did not appear in its present form or come into existence all of a sudden only a few thousand years ago, but that it has taken ages to pass through different stages before it could reach its present condition. Each of these stages was directly related to a previous stage by the law of causation, which always operates in accordance with definite rules.

The phenomena of the universe, according to science, are subject to evolution, or gradual change and progressive development from a relatively uniform condition to a relative complexity. From the greatest solar system down to the smallest blade of grass, everything in the universe has taken its present shape and form through this cosmic process of evolution. Our planet earth has gradually evolved, perhaps out of a nebulous mass which existed at first in a gaseous state. The sun, moon, stars, satellites and other planets have come into existence by going through innumerable changes produced by the evolutionary process of the Cosmos. Through the same process plants, insects, fishes, reptiles, birds, animals, man, and all living matter that inhabit this earth have evolved from minute germs of life into their present forms. The theory of Evolution says that man did not come into existence all of a sudden, but is related to lower animals and to plants, either directly or indirectly. The germ of life had passed through various stages of physical form before it could appear as a man. That branch of science which is called Embryology has proved the fact that “man is the epitome of the whole creation.” It tells that the human body before its birth passes through all the different stages of the animal kingdom—such as the polyp, fish, reptile, dog, ape, and at last, man. If we remember that nature is always consistent, that her laws are uniform and that whatever exists in the microcosm exists also in the macrocosm, and then study nature, we shall find that all the germs of life which exist in the universe are bound to pass through stages resembling the embryonic types before they can appear in the form of man.

In explaining the theory of Evolution, science says that there are two principal factors in the process of evolution; the first is the tendency to vary, which exists in all living forms whether vegetable or animal; the second is the tendency of environment to influence that variation, either favorably or unfavorably. Without the first, evolution of any kind would be absolutely impossible. But the cause of that innate tendency to vary is still unknown to science. Upon the second depends the law of natural selection. The variation must be adapted to favorable conditions of life; consequently either the germ of life will select suitable environments or vary itself in order to suit the surrounding conditions, if they are unfavorable. But the agent of this selective process is the struggle for existence, which is a no less important factor. Thus Evolution depends on these three laws: Tendency to vary, or variation, natural selection, and struggle for existence. Science tries to explain through these three laws the physical, mental, intellectual, moral and spiritual evolution of mankind. But the theory of Evolution will remain unintelligible until science can trace the cause of that innate “tendency to vary” which exists in every stage of all living forms.

If we study closely we find that man’s “self” consists of two natures, one animal and the other moral or spiritual. Animal nature includes all the animal propensities, desire for sense enjoyments, love of self, fear of death and struggle for existence. Each of these is to be found in lower animals as well as in human beings, the difference being only in degree and not in kind. In a savage tribe the expression of this animal nature is simple and natural, while in a highly civilized nation it is expressed not in a simple and straightforward manner, but in an artful and refined way. In a civilized community the same nature working through varied device, policy and plan brings the same results in a more polished form. In the struggle for existence amongst lower animals and savage tribes, those who are physically strong survive and gain advantage over those who are physically weak; while in the civilized world the same result is obtained, not by displaying physical force, but by art, diplomacy, policy, strategy and skill. Various kinds of defensive and offensive weapons have been invented to conquer those who are less skillful in using them, although they may be physically stronger. The simple expression of animal nature which we notice in savages and lower animals, by the natural process of evolution has gradually become more and more complex, as we find in the civilized nations of the world. The energy of the lower human nature is spent chiefly in the struggle for material existence.

But there is another nature in man which is higher than this. It expresses itself in various ways, but on a higher plane. Love of truth, mastery over passion, control of the senses, disinterested self-sacrifice, mercy and kindness to all creatures, desire to help the distressed, forgiveness, faith in a Supreme Being and devotion; all these are the expressions of that higher moral and spiritual nature. They cannot be explained as developed from animal nature by means of the struggle for material existence. For these qualities are not to be found in lower animals, although the struggle for existence is there. The moral and spiritual nature of human beings cannot be traced as the outgrowth or gradual development of the animal nature. There is a dispute among the Evolutionists as to the method of explaining their cause. Some say that these higher faculties have evolved out of the lower ones and have developed by variation and natural selection; while others hold that some other higher influence, law or agency is required to account for them.

Professor Huxley says: “As I have already urged, the practice of that which is ethically best—what we call goodness or virtue— involves a course of conduct which in all respects is opposed to that which leads to success in the cosmic struggle for existence. In place of ruthless self-assertion, it demands self-restraint; in place of thrusting aside or treading down all competitors, it requires that the individual shall not merely respect, but shall help his fellows; its influence is directed not so much to the survival of the fittest as to the fitting of as many as possible to survive. It repudiates the gladiatorial theory of existence. It demands that each man who enters into the enjoyment of the advantages of a polity shall be mindful of his debt to those who have laboriously constructed it, and shall take heed that no act of his weakens the fabric in which he has been permitted to live. Laws and moral precepts are directed to the end of curbing the cosmic process, and reminding the individual of his duty to the community, to the protection and influence of which he owes, if not existence itself, at least the life of something better than a brutal savage.” (“Evolution and Ethics,” pp. 81-82.)

Prof. Calderwood says: “So far as human organism is concerned, there seem no overwhelming obstacles to be encountered by an evolution theory, but it seems impossible under such a theory to account for the appearance of the thinking, self-regulating life distinctly human.” Thus, according to some of the best thinkers, the explanation of the moral and spiritual nature of man as a development of the animal nature, is quite insufficient and unsatisfactory. The theory of natural selection in the struggle for existence cannot explain the cause of the higher nature of man. We cannot say that a theory is complete because it explains many facts. On the contrary, if it fails to explain a single fact, then it is proved to be incomplete. As such, the theory that cannot explain satisfactorily the cause of the moral and spiritual nature of man cannot be accepted as a complete theory. That explanation will be considered as complete which will explain most satisfactorily all the various manifestations of the animal, moral and spiritual nature. Moreover, supposing the “tendency to vary” has evolved into the moral and spiritual nature of man, science does not explain the cause of that tendency to vary, nor how animal nature can be transformed into moral and spiritual nature. Is that “tendency to vary” indefinite, or is it limited by any definite law? Science does not say anything about it.

The explanation of the theologians, that the spiritual nature has been superadded to the animal nature by some extra-cosmic spiritual agency is not scientific, nor does it appeal to our reason. Now let us see what Vedanta has to say on this point. Vedanta accepts evolution and admits the laws of variation and natural selection, but goes a step beyond modern science by explaining the cause of that “tendency to vary.” It says, “there is nothing in the end which was not also in the beginning.” It is a law which governs the process of evolution as well as the law of causation. If we admit this grand truth of nature, then it will not be difficult to explain by the theory of Evolution the gradual manifestation of the higher nature of man. The tendency of scientific monism is towards that end.

Some of the modern scientists who hold the monistic position have found out the same truth which was discovered long ago by the Vedantic philosophers in India. J. Arthur Thomson, an eminent English scientist of the present day, in his book on “The Study of Animal Life,” says: “The world is one, not two-fold-, the spiritual influx is the primal reality and there is nothing in the end which was not also in the beginning.” But the evolutionists do not accept this truth. Let us understand it clearly. It means that that which existed potentially at the time of the beginning of evolution has gradually manifested in the various stages and grades of evolution. If we admit that a unicellular germ of life or a bioplasm, after passing through various stages of evolution, has ultimately manifested in the form of a highly developed human being, then we shall have to admit the potentiality of all the manifested powers in that germ or bioplasm, because the law is “that which exists in the end existed also in the beginning.” The animal nature, higher nature, mind, intellect, spirit, all these exist potentially in the germ of life. If we do not admit this law then the problem will arise: How can non-existence become existent? How can something come out of nothing? How can that come into existence which did not exist before? Each germ of life, according to Vedanta, possesses infinite potentialities and infinite possibilities. The powers that remain latent have the natural tendency to manifest perfectly and to become actual. In their attempt they vary according to the surrounding environments, selecting suitable conditions or remaining latent as long as circumstances do not favor them. Therefore variation, according to Vedanta, is caused by this attempt of the potential powers to become actual. When life and mind began to evolve, the possibilities of action and reaction hitherto latent in the germ of life became real and all things became, in a sense, new. Nobody can imagine the amount of latent power which a minute germ of life possesses until it expresses in gross form on the physical plane. By seeing the seed of a Banyan tree, one who has never seen the tree cannot imagine what powers lie dormant in it. When a baby is born we cannot tell whether he will be a great saint, or a wonderful artist, or a philosopher, or an idiot, or a villain of the worst type. Parents know nothing about his future. Along with his growth certain latent powers gradually begin to manifest. Those which are the strongest and most powerful will overcome others and check their course for some time; but when the powers that remain subdued by stronger ones get favorable conditions they will appear in manifested forms. As, for instance, chemical forces may slumber in matter for a thousand years, but when the contact with the re-agents sets them free, they appear again and produce certain results. For thousands of years galvanism slumbered in copper and zinc, which lay quietly beside silver. As soon as all three are brought together under the required conditions silver is consumed in flame. A dry seed of a plant may preserve the slumbering power of growth through two or three thousand years and then reappear under favorable conditions. Sir G. Wilkinson, the great archaeologist, found some grains of wheat in a hermetically sealed vase in a grave at Thebes, which must have lain there for three thousand years. When Mr. Pettigrew sowed them they grew into plants. Some vegetable roots found in the hands of an Egyptian mummy, which must have been at least two thousand years old, were planted in a flower-pot, and they grew and flourished. Thus, whenever the latent powers get favorable conditions, they manifest according to their nature, even after thousands of years.

Similarly, there are many instances of slumbering mental powers. After remaining dormant for a long period in our normal condition, they may, in certain abnormal states—such as madness, delirium, catalepsy, hypnotic sleep and so forth-flash out into luminous consciousness and throw into absolute oblivion the powers that are manifesting in the normal state. Talents for eloquence, music, painting, and uncommon ingenuity in several mechanical arts, traces of which were never found in the ordinary normal condition, are often evolved in the state of madness. Somnambulists in deep sleep have solved most difficult mathematical problems and performed various acts with results which have surprised them in their normal waking states. Thus we can understand that each individual mind is the storehouse of many powers, various impressions and ideas, some of which manifest in our normal state, while others remain latent. Our present condition of mind and body is nothing but the manifested form of certain dormant powers that exist in ourselves. If new powers are roused up and begin to manifest the whole nature will be changed into a new form. The manifestation of latent powers is at the bottom of the evolution of one species into another. This idea has been expressed in a few words by Patanjali, the great Hindu evolutionist who lived long before the Christian era. [Footnote: The reader ought to know that the doctrine of Evolution was known in India long before the Christian era. About the seventh century, B. C., Kapila, the father of Hindu Evolutionists, explained this theory for the first time through logic and science. Sir Monier Monier Williams says: “Indeed if I may be allowed the anachronism, the Hindus were Spinozites more than 2,000 years before the existence of Spinoza; and Darwinians many centuries before Darwin; and Evolutionists many centuries before the doctrine of Evolution had been accepted by the scientists of our time and before any word like Evolution existed in any language of the world.” (P. 12, “Hinduism and Brahminism.”) Prof. Huxley says: “To say nothing of Indian Sages to whom Evolution was a familiar notion ages before Paul of Tarsus was born.” (P. 150, “Science and Hebrew Tradition.”)] In the second aphorism of the fourth chapter (see “Raja Yoga,” by Swami Vivekananda, p. 210) it is said, “The Evolution into another species is caused by the in-filling of nature.” The nature is filled not from without but from within. Nothing is super added to the individual soul from outside. The germs are already there, but their development depends upon their coming in contact with the necessary conditions requisite for proper manifestation. We sometimes see a wicked man suddenly become saintlike. There are instances of murderers and robbers becoming saints. A religionist will explain the cause of their sudden change, by saying that the grace of the Almighty has fallen upon them and transformed their whole nature. But Vedanta says that the moral and spiritual powers that remained latent in them have been roused up, and the result is the sudden transformation. None can tell when or how the slumbering powers will wake up and begin to manifest. The germ of life, or the individual soul as it is ordinarily called, possesses infinite possibilities. Each germ of life is studying, as it were, the book of its own nature by unfolding one page after another. When it has gone through all the pages, or, in other words, all the stages of evolution, perfect knowledge is acquired, and its course is finished. We have read our lower nature by turning each page, or, in other words, by passing through each stage of animal life from the minutest bioplasm up to the present stage of existence. Now we are studying the pages which deal with moral and spiritual laws. If any one wants to read any page over again he will do it. Just as in reading a book, if anybody feels particularly interested in any page or chapter he will read it over and over again and will not open a new page or a new chapter until he is perfectly satisfied with it. Similarly, in reading the book of life, if the individual soul likes any particular stage, he will stay there until he is perfectly satisfied with it; after that he will go forward and study other pages. One may read very slowly, and another very fast; but whether we read slowly or rapidly each one of us is bound to read the whole book of nature and attain to perfection sooner or later.

According to Vedanta, the end and aim of Evolution is the attainment of perfection. Physical evolution of animal life reached its perfection in human form. There cannot be any other form higher than human on this earth under present conditions. It is the perfection of animal form. From this we can infer that the tendency of the law of Evolution is to reach perfection. When it is attained to, the whole purpose is served. Do we see in nature any other higher form evolved out of the human body? No. Shall we not be justified if we say that the end of physical evolution is the attainment of the perfection of animal form? Again as the purpose and method of natural laws are uniform throughout the universe, the end of intellectual, moral and spiritual evolution will be attained when intellectual, moral and spiritual perfection are acquired. Intellectual perfection means perfection of intellect; and intellect is perfect when we understand the true nature of things and never mistake the unreal for the real, matter for spirit, non-eternal for eternal, or vice versa. Moral perfection consists in the destruction of selfishness; and spiritual perfection is the manifestation of the true nature of spirit which is immortal, free, divine and one with the Universal Spirit or God. Evolution attains to the highest fulfilment of its purpose when the spirit manifests perfectly. The tendency of nature is to have perfect manifestation of all her powers. When certain powers predominate they manifest first while the others remain dormant. As we find in the process of evolution, when animal nature manifests perfectly the moral and spiritual nature remain latent. Again when moral and spiritual nature manifest fully, the animal is in abeyance. It is for this reason we do not find expressions of moral and spiritual nature in lower animals or in those human beings who live like them. Man is the only animal in whom such perfect expressions of moral and spiritual nature are possible. When the individual soul begins to study its spiritual nature, its lower or animal nature is gradually eclipsed. As the higher nature becomes powerful the lower nature dwindles into insignificance; its energy is transformed into that of the higher nature, and ultimately it disappears altogether and rises no more. Then the soul becomes free from the lower or animal nature. There are many stages in the higher nature, as well as in the lower. Each of these stages binds the individual soul so long as it stays there. As it rises on a higher plane the lower stages disappear and cease to bind. But the moment that any individual, after passing through all the stages of the spiritual nature, reaches the ultimate point of perfection, he realizes his true nature which is immortal and divine. Then his true individuality manifests. For lack of true knowledge, he identified himself with each stage successively and thought that his individuality was one with the powers which were manifested in each stage. Consequently he thought by mistake that he was affected by the changes of each stage. But now he realizes that his real individuality always remained unaffected. He sees that his true individuality shines always in the same manner, although the limiting adjuncts may vary. As the light of a lamp appears of different colors, if it passes through glasses of different colors, so the light of the true individual appears as animal or human when it passes through the animal or human nature of the subtle body. The subtle body of an individual changes from animal nature through moral and spiritual into divine. As this gradual growth cannot be expected in one life we shall have to admit the truth of Reincarnation, which teaches gradual evolution of the germ of life or the individual soul through many lives and various forms. Otherwise the theory of Evolution will remain imperfect, incomplete and purposeless. The doctrine of Reincarnation differs from the accepted theory of Evolution in admitting a gradual but continuous evolution of the subtle body through many gross forms. The gross body may appear or disappear, but the subtle body continues to exist even after the dissolution of the gross body and re-manifests itself in some other form.

The theory of Reincarnation when properly understood will appear as a supplement to the theory of Evolution. Without this most important supplement the Evolution theory will never be complete and perfect. Evolution explains the process of life, while Reincarnation explains the purpose of life. Therefore, both must go hand in hand to make the explanation satisfactory in every respect.

James Freeman Clarke says: “That man has come up to his present state of development by passing through lower forms, is the popular doctrine of science to-day. What is called Evolution teaches that we have reached our present state by a very long and gradual ascent from the lowest animal organizations. It is true that the Darwinian theory takes no notice of the evolution of the soul, but only of the body. But it appears to me that a combination of the two views would remove many difficulties which still attach to the theory of natural selection and the survival of the fittest. If we are to believe in Evolution let us have the assistance of the soul itself in this development of new species. Thus science and philosophy will co-operate, nor will poetry hesitate to lend her aid.” (P. 190, “Ten Great Religions,” II.) Evolution of the body depends upon the evolution of the germ of life or the individual soul. When these two are combined the explanation becomes perfect.

The theory of Reincarnation is a logical necessity for the completion of the theory of Evolution. If we admit a continuous evolution of a unit of the germ of life through many gross manifestations then we unconsciously accept the teachings of the doctrine of Reincarnation. In passing through different forms and manifestations the unit of life does not lose its identity or individuality. As an atom does not lose its identity or individuality (if you allow me to suppose an atom has a kind of individuality) although it passes from the mineral, through the vegetable, into the animal, so the germ of life always preserves its identity or individuality although it passes through the different stages of evolution.

Therefore it is said in the “Bhagavad Gîtâ,” as in our ordinary life the individual soul passes from a baby body to a young one and from a young to an old, and carries with it all the impressions, ideas and experience that it has gathered in its former stage of existence and reproduces them in proper time, so when a man dies the individual soul passes from an old body into a new one, and takes with it the subtle body wherein are stored up all that it experienced and gathered during its past incarnations. Knowing this, wise men are never afraid of death. They know that death is nothing but a mere change from one body into another. Therefore, if any one does not succeed in conquering the lower nature by the higher, he will try again in his next incarnation, after starting from the point which he reached in his past life. He will not begin again from the very beginning, but from the last stage at which he arrived. Thus we see that Reincarnation is the logical sequence of evolution. It completes and makes perfect that theory and explains the cause of the moral and spiritual nature of man.

Vishnu Prakash Mangu: How the World’sOldest Science Can Help Us Heal in ...

Vishnu Prakash Mangu: How the World’sOldest Science Can Help Us Heal in ...: How the World’s Oldest Science Can Help Us Heal in the Modern World Ayurveda is the oldest continuing health science in the world....

How the World’s Oldest Science Can Help Us Heal in the Modern World

How the World’s Oldest Science Can Help Us Heal in the Modern World

Ayurveda is the oldest continuing health science in the world. The central principle of Ayurvedic science is that we are all unique with an individual constitution, and our own physical and psychological nature. Hence the Ayurvedic approach treats all aspects of a person, as anything that affects the mind will affect the body. The Sanskrit word Ayurveda, means the science or wisdom of life.

It is one of the few sciences that treats the individual through a thorough assessment of a person’s unique makeup and circumstances. The individual is examined within the broader context of their life and all factors influencing their wellbeing are taken into consideration. The success of the Ayurvedic tradition comes through the promotion of balanced living and is founded on the principle that nothing functions in isolation.

While it is an ancient science from an ancient culture, in today’s throwaway and quick fix culture, the perennial wisdom of seeing the individual as a whole and as part of his or environment, is fundamental to long term, sustainable wellbeing and happiness.

Ayurveda is a 5000-year-old philosophy based on a deep understanding about the human body as a whole, encompassing the mind, spirit, and emotions. It embraces medical science, philosophy, psychology as well as astrology and astronomy. Yoga and meditation, now widely embraced by westerners, are both key parts of Ayurveda. However, one does not need to subscribe to the spiritual beliefs on which it is based in order to benefit from it.

Ayurveda and the Modern World

In today’s fast paced high-pressure modern world, stress and burnout are becoming an epidemic. In the US, nearly 80% of people experience physical symptoms caused by stress. Sleep deprivation, over exposure to media, financial pressures, poor nutrition, work pressures and relationship problems are all causing serious health issues. And too often people are turning to quick fixes, such as medication, instead of dealing with the underlying problems, so they unfortunately end up in a spiral of bad health and compromised wellbeing.

The three main goals of Ayurveda are to preserve the health of a healthy person, to prevent disease and to promote longevity through improved quality of life in mind, body and spirit. Health is defined as much more than just the absence of disease. One of the great scholars of Ayurveda defined health in this way:

“Health is the state of equilibrium of doshas (biological humor), agnis (transformative physiological system functions), dhatus (tissues and organs), and malas (metabolic byproducts), along with sensorial, mental and spiritual well being.” – Sushruta

It is a sustainable system of healing that is available to all and works in harmony with the natural world. Ayurvedic healing tools are easily available herbs, oils and food. The central message of Ayurveda is: “Let food be your medicine and kitchen be your first pharmacy.”

Creating the Habits of Balanced Living

Ayurveda focuses on the art of balanced living, as nothing functions in isolation and imbalance often result in disorder and illness. Establishing a daily routine that create habits of self-care is seen as a sacred duty.

To create these habits, it helps to understand the fundamental elements of the complex system that is Ayurveda. The classical elements of Ether, Air, Fire, Water and Earth form the building blocks of all existence. The Ayurvedic belief is that the human body is made of the same elements as all of nature, and most peoples’ bodies express a predominance of one element. This results in a particular physical shape, appetite and personality that constitute one’s dosha. The Doshas are different combinations of the five elements and their properties, and when in balance, maintains well-being. They are called Vata, Pitta and Kapha.

Vata – Ether (or Space) and Air. Governs communication and movement. Thin, light body. Active and imaginative mind.

Pitta – Fire and Water. Governs energy and transformation. Medium build, dynamic and intelligent.

Kapha – Earth and Water. Governs structure and cohesion. Large or stocky body frame. Easygoing nature, stable and patient.

What’s Your Dosha?

Generally speaking, the dosha or doshas that are most dominant in your nature are the ones that cause you the most concern in your life. Consulting an Ayurvedic practitioner, or even taking an online questionnaire could help you determine what your Doshic state is. Many people have a fairly equal mix of two doshas present in their body type.

Our doshas are constantly in a state of flux and are influenced by our diet, lifestyle, the weather, our state of mind and our emotions. Due to these influences, you may have too much or too little of one or more doshas in your body-mind make up. Using the opposite qualities of the aggravated dosha can restore balance.

Let’s use the example of Air. Say you exposed your body to excessive wind, you would become cold and your skin would become dry. The excess wind would have caused an imbalance of the air element, and we start to see the properties of air increase in a negative way. Therefore someone with a predominantly Vata (Air) dosha in an aggravated state could feel cold and have dry skin. Or they could be feeling bloated, spaced out, flighty and anxious, and talk very quickly. Fear affects the nervous system, and would increase the air element in the body and mind. Over time this imbalance of extra air (fear and worry) is likely to create coldness and dry skin.

The Elements

Using the elemental system, we could use opposing elements for balance. Eating warm, heavier, moist foods that are grounding (Kapha=Earth & Water) in nature. Steam saunas, or eating foods cooked with warming spices (Pitta=Fire & Water). Meditating and doing slow and calming yoga: all of this would help to balance the excess air and reduce the inclination toward fear and worry. In balance, a person with a lot of Vata dosha is enthusiastic, energetic, spontaneous, creative, flexible, quick thinking and open.

Like will increase like. A Vata dosha is dry, cold, light, rough and quick. Food that is cold, light dry and rough tends to increase Vata. Activities that increases Vata are running, high-energy exercise, and being constantly on the move.

The Pitta dosha is hot, intense, sharp and penetrating. Eating lots of hot, spicy, strong tasting, salty food increases Pitta. Activities that increase Pitta would involve a lot of sun and heat (like hot tubs or saunas).

The Kapha Dosha is cold, heavy, oily and soft. Eating food with these qualities, like dairy products or starchy food will increase Kapha. This dosha can be quite sedentary, so a lot of sleep and sitting still can increase Kapha.

The Healing Power of Herbs

Herbs play an essential role in this ancient system of healing. Many of the herbs used in Ayurveda (like tumeric) have made their way into Western homes with research proving their efficacy in treating many illnesses. Herbal teas and meals that balance your unique constitution are not only nourishing but also healing. As Hippocrates said: Let food be your medicine.

Eating well, using herbs that you can grow in your garden, honouring your body through yoga and abhyanga – self massage – and cultivating a quiet mind through meditation are all practical tools that help us to take ownership of our own health. When you’re in balance, you’re also more likely to maintain happy and satisfying relationships. Using the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda, we can create truly beneficial habits in our daily lives, or at the very least counterbalance those activities that may be having a negative effect on our wellbeing.

Kapha – Earth and Water. Governs structure and cohesion. Large or stocky body frame. Easygoing nature, stable and patient.

Source: upliftconnect.com

Obesity Rises In A Country Where Millions Remain Malnourished

Obesity Rises In A Country Where Millions Remain Malnourished

India's increased obesity rate is linked to a rise in sedentary lifestyles and consumption of fast food.

The number of obese teenagers in India has almost doubled in the past five years, the country's health minister, Jagat Prakash Nadda, revealed Tuesday, according to The Associated Press.

Currently, 29 percent of Indians ages 13 to 18 are obese, compared to just 16 percent in 2010.

Nadda noted that the increased obesity rate is largely due to lifestyle changes that come with rising incomes. Indians are earning more and juggling more hectic work schedules, leading them to consume fast food because there's less time to prepare meals at home.

Studies that have appeared in journals such as the Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism and Ecology of Food and Nutrition have also blamed obesity rates on sedentary lifestyles that lead Indian citizens to spend more time indoors or sitting in cars, and not engaging in physical exercise outdoors.

Nadda also said there is an increasing number of Indians with diabetes, which is often associated with obesity. Over 69 million people out of the approximately 1.3 billion people in India -- or 5 percent of the population -- were registered with diabetes in 2015, compared to 66.8 million in 2014 and 65 million in 2013, Nadda said, citing statistics that have not yet been fully released to the public.

By comparison, over 29 million of the 319 million people in the United States have diabetes -- that's nine percent of the population. At least 32 million people in the European Union, or 6 percent of its population of 508 million, are also diabetic.

Yet India still has one of the highest hunger levels in the world. An estimated 194.6 million people in India are malnourished, the United Nations' 2015 State of Food Insecurity in the World report noted. Almost 30 percent of Indian children under age 5 are underweight, and 38 percent are stunted, according to a survey the U.N. and the Indian government conducted with 90,000 children between 2013 and 2014.

In fact, India's hunger levels ranked higher than in North Korea, Malawi and Iraq in the 2015 Global Hunger Index, which measured undernourishment and child wasting, stunting and mortality levels in 116 countries.

Poverty is a major cause of malnutrition in India. One-third of the country's population survives on less than $1.25 a day, per 2010 U.N. statistics, and in 2013, India's richest 10 percent held 30 percent of the country's income, while the poorest 10 percent held 3.5 percent, according to the World Bank.

Child malnutrition, in particular, can also be linked to poor sanitation. Many of the world's poor live in areas where a lack of sanitation facilities leads people to defecate in the open, causing bacteria to spread and affecting nutrition levels. The U.N.'s 2014 Millennium Development Goals Report noted that the majority of people who relieve themselves in the open live in populous countries like India.

Courtesy - Huffington Post

Tulasi Mala

Importance of Wearing Tulasi Mala in Hinduism

Many religious-minded people throughout India and the rest of the world wear necklaces of Tulasi wood (tulasi kanthi mala). Tulasi wood is sacred to Lord Krishna and His followers. However, there are many popular taboos and misconceptions regarding who can and cannot wear tulasi.

This article will answer this question by citing the infallible authority of the Vedas. It is a fact that all actions, be they secular or spiritual, will be beneficial and successful when done in accordance with transcendental scriptures i.e. Shruti, Smrti and Puranas like Mahabharata and Bhagavad-gita.

Without being swayed by popular beliefs or opinions, Gaudiya Vaisnavas base their spiritual conduct on the authority of the Gaudiya Smrti titled Hari-bhakti vilasa by Srila Sanatana Goswamipada. This book is basically a collection of quotes from various Puranas and Vedas to establish the proper spiritual practices for adherents of the devotional path, bhakti-yoga. Quoting this pramana, we will describe the glories of wearing tulasi neckbeads and who can wear them.

Benefits of Wearing Tulasi Kanthi:

1. Destroys greatest of sins (maha pataka samhantrim) Skanda Purana: HBV: 4.3182.

2. Sri Hari is always with you (deha sada Harih) Garuda Purana: HBV 4.3353.

3. Million times benefit from punya karmas, pitr or devata puja (pitrnam devata krtam koti gunam) Garuda Purana: HBV: 4.3364.

4. Yamaraja stays far away (preta raja dutakah drstva nashyanti durena) Garuda Purana: HBV: 4.3375.

5. Gives full protection from bad dreams, accidents, attack by weapons, and the Yamaduttas (duhsvapnam durnimittam bhayam shastrajam) Garuda Purana: HBV: 4.338.

Who Can Wear Tulasi Neckbeads?

The following authoritative quotes should put to rest all rumors, taboos and speculations regarding this question. Bhagavan Sri Krishna Himself states that anyone can wear tulasi kanthi mala. There are no restrictions! The wearing of tulasi neckbeads, (tulasi kanthi mala) simply depends on one’s personal sense of allegiance to his beliefs, duty, or simply as a matter of inspiration if he/she wants to do so. Srila Sanatana Goswamipada calls this a taste or attraction to wear them, (yatha ruchi) HBV: 4.308.

In Vishnu Dharmottara, Bhagavan Sri Krishna says, “Without a doubt, anyonewho wears tulasi neckbeads, even if he/she is unclean or of bad character, will surely attain Me.” (ashauco anacharo mam eva iti na samshaya) HBV: 4.322.

The following quote from a book titled, Associates of Sri Chaitanya, says that Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura gave tulasi neckbeads to a Calcutta industrialist who had neither diksha nor the most exemplary behavior: “Mr. S.K. Ghosh who often visited Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura at his residence called “Bhakti Bhavana.” Under the direction of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Mr. Ghosh started wearing a tulasi mala around his neck, although he was not able to accept the principles of Vaishnava behavior in their entirety.”In addition, an Iskcon publication titled “Vaisnava Etiquette”, quoting Hari-bhakti Vilasa states: “The Padma Purana states regardless of whether one is an impure or pure state, one should always wear tulasi mala. And one should never take it off even when bathing, eating or passing stool and urine.” In other words, tulasi beads are always pure and purify anyone who contacts them.

UFOs – the Vedic Perspective

UFOs – the Vedic Perspective

The Vedas glorify our planet earth, as the most important planet in the cosmic system. She is celebrated for her infinite variegatedness in every aspect of her existence. She is the bearer and indispensable ground for sacrifices; the shelter for divine and human activities; the universal mother, feeding all with many beneficial things, and the one to whom every living being owes his existence. Man, in seeking to satisfy his needs and fulfil his goals, exerts his influence upon subtle elementary forces and gross fundamental powers. All material variations that exist on this planet are transformations of this earth.

According to Vedas, a fractional portion of the total cosmic energy is the individual lording identification (the tendency to want to control and exploit material nature). A portion of that ego is the vibration of sound, and a portion of that sound is atmospheric air. A portion of the airy atmosphere is turned into forms, and the forms constitute the power of electricity, or heat. Heat produces, smell, or aroma, which evolves into this gross earth. All these combine together and, governed by the law of inter-cooperation, constitutes the cosmic phenomenon.

Thus, the whole process of creation is an act of gradual evolution and development of one element to another. This results in the variegatedness of the earth: so many trees, plants, mountains, rivers, reptiles, birds, animals and varieties of human beings. The human form has the best design for interacting with matter, namely a perfect basis for sense perception. The quality of sense perception is also evolutionary, being generated from sound to touch to form to taste and smell. The different varieties of human bodies have similarly more progressive sense perceptions and powers of movement.

There are varieties of human life on this same earth, not accessible to us, sometimes on the same dimension, but mostly on higher dimensions. There are also human living beings on other planets, some in our dimension, many in higher.

Other planets in the higher planetary systems have not only different kinds of human beings, but also animals and plants. Some of these planets have lands made of precious jewels like emeralds. Geologists, botanists and so-called scientists speculate so much about life on this earth itself, but, unable to estimate the varieties of life both here and on the other planets, they falsely imagine that all other planets are vacant, uninhabited and full of dust. The Vedas make fun of such materialistic leaders who are praised by paid men who have the mentality of hogs, dogs, camels and asses. Such people, who simply accept knowledge imparted by big animals, will totally reject the UFO/ET phenomenon as null and void.

The Vedas say, “Manujah nivasah”, humanity is the residence of the Supreme. But in this material existence there is always the idea of lording it over the resources of material nature, which creates a clash between different living beings. There is, however, the universal law that brings about order out of chaos and creates harmony.

In the Vedic vision, man is an active part of the cosmic whole. Dynamic as he is, he does become a disturbing factor, but once guided towards perfection, he can play a vital role in the ultimate establishment of the supreme law in the manifested world.

The panorama of the world shows a conflict and a tension between polar opposite qualities, for which humans have always been the via medium. But there is also a movement in togetherness and a cooperation. There is a striving towards the light, towards unfolding the potential towards fuller life which is constitutional.

The divine law of the cosmos becomes, at the human level, particularized into specific regulations. Thus are developed those norms of social order which are meant to bring the best results for all concerned. Therefore is born civilization. The Vedas envision duty or “Dharma”, and function, or “Karma”. The cosmic order that brings about harmony is expressed in the aspect of qualities of duty such as mercy, austerity, truthfulness and cleanliness. There are reflected in the aspect of function as abstinence from meat-eating, intoxication, gambling and illicit sex.

By losing sight of that integration of human at peace with himself and the universe, gathering all faculties and powers in one central point from which to act in full, perfected consciousness, the self-centred humanity has only applied for dangerous disasters for our planet.

The activities of the physical world have their effect in their counterparts in the non-physical and especially subtle areas like the astral, ethereal, mental and vice versa.

Whimsical exploitation of the plant and animal kingdoms, and natural resources, over-indulgence in sense-gratification in all kinds of perverted ways — all these have led the human today to the criminal stand: the whole cosmic order is getting disturbed by our foolish endeavours to be the lords of all we survey. As a result of our crimes, Nature imposes upon us incurable diseases and frequent wars among nations.

That’s why our neighbours have started interfering with our lives. It is so that they can give us the message “Get back on track, man! Save the earth—now!”

Some of these aliens have also taken it on themselves to establish proper law and order on our area of the planet. It is the history in the Vedas that people of lower order cheaply endeavour to copy the higher, in spite of opposition and imperfections. This is part of the law governing their Psyche. They have gone so far that, in case we destroy the population on earth, they are making plans to repopulate the earth with good human beings. However, they themselves are a little bit over lording in this respect, because they are trying to accomplish this by harvesting samples of human sperm cells, ova and other vial fluids. This will further be discussed in our Workshop.

The subject of UFO, in many aspects, as far as the experience of many respectable common people, yogis and ascetics of India is concerned, is IFO. Identified, not unidentified. Even today, there are hundreds of ongoing visitations, channelled healings, and various kinds of what the modern scientist will term “paranormal phenomena”.

There is a great deal of information in the ancient Vedic texts on paranormal phenomena. Then 19th Century scholars, especially from colonial backgrounds, have always tried to explain every Vedic conception as based on an observable natural phenomenon, or on a particular sensory object. Whatever did not conform to their understanding was rejected as “mythology”, or “folklore”.

Another widespread tendency is to read into the Vedas esoteric implications based upon later usage of definite terms; yet another tendency is to interpret the descriptions symbolically and try to discern some indirect significance by means of sheer speculation and philosophical gymnastics. If one could scientifically take information from the Vedic literature, a lot of questions confronting us in the research of UFO/ET phenomenon can be answered.

An attempt in this direction is successfully accomplished by my friend Dr. Richard Thompson in his book “Alien Identities”, copies of which will be available at our booth and Workshop.

Representing an age-old tradition of the east, on behalf of the great seers and saints of the Vedic culture, we hereby appeal to the leading nation of the perceivable world on this planet, viz., the USA, to cast aside all doubts, sentimentality and suppression of truth and to begin now to scientifically research and study this undismissible UFO/ET phenomenon and make progress in the field of higher dimensional science. May peace and prosperity be with you! Om Tat Sat.

                                                                                        - courtesy 

IndiaDivine.org