Jal Neti is a Yogic technique, which cures all diseases related to eyes, nose, throat and brain. The nose is the “air conditioner” of the body. One of the many functions of the nose is to regulate the temperature and humidity of the incoming air. Some people have “dry noses” and suffer dry, crusty, nosebleed type problems. Others have “wet noses”, with the constantly running sinuses and the tissues always up their sleeve! Others have perpetual stuffy and blocked nostrils. Regular practice of Jala Neti helps to establish the correct working environment of temperature and humidity in the nose. So, it’s wise to consider shedding your apprehension and trying this wonderful practice. As it happened with one person who came to me with complaints of blocked nose and frequent headaches I suggested Jal Neti, which was taught here in ashram and soon her aches and stuffed nose became a history. When one can relieve oneself from sinus related problems with as simple as nasal irrigation as it is being called in west, one doesn’t need pain killers and anti-allergic medicines. This technique has worked like miracle for scores of other people who have benefited from Jal Neti. Jal Neti is a process of cleansing the nasal path. The aim of the process is to purify the breathing path right from the nostrils to the throat. Besides being used to treat full-blown sinus infections, Jal Neti is perhaps the BEST preventive measure. Almost all of us can “sense” when we are about to catch a cold or an impending throat infection. But more frustrating is the “helplessness” or the inability to do anything about it as it takes over our defenses. It is here that Jal Neti really outscores everything else. Just flushing your ENT passages through neti a couple of times a day ensures that the infection does not take root and just passes by. The skin in the nasal path gets used to the osmotic pressure. Also, the organs get used to the different temperatures and can continue working without any disturbance. Well, to put it simply, Jala Neti is a cleansing practice of the sinus passages with warm saline water. Yogis have practiced it for centuries for its innumerable and powerful benefits. In yoga, it has been used for its extremely powerful physical, psychological and spiritual benefits. However, in the modern world – fed on an attitude of immediate gains – Jal Neti has gained immense popularity because of its dramatic effect on the sinuses.

Benefits:

1). Jal Neti helps solve the sinus infection and allergy problems without the use of drugs with immediate, immense and sustained results any without any side effects.

2). At the immediate level, Jal Neti is a great tool for any kind of respiratory disorder – sinusitis, allergy, asthma, hay fever to name a few. People invariably notice an immediate relief, which drugs fail to achieve. It helps to re-program the body’s natural mechanisms against respiratory complaints including sore throats, coughs, post-nasal drips etc.

3). Jal Neti rinses out the dirt and bacteria filled mucous lining as the warm water loosens and dissolves any internal build-ups, and takes them outwards. Due to gravity and a venture-effect, the sinus passages are also drained by the vacuum pressure flow of the water. Whereas it would normally be impossible to drain a “dead end” cavity like the sinuses, Jal Neti achieves this ingeniously and simply.

4). It can be of great benefit to problems associated with the eyes and ears such as certain types of deafness and myopia. But the great mental and spiritual effects overshadow these tremendous physical benefits.

5). Jal Neti has a cooling and soothing effect on the brain and is therefore beneficial for headaches, migraine, depression, mental tensions and even epilepsy, hysteria and temper tantrums. It stimulates better powers of visualization and concentration and gives a feeling of lightness and clarity to the mind.

6). On a higher plane, it is very effective for meditation as it works on the subtle effects of the olfactory bulb, and the psychic center, which is known as the Agya Chakra in yoga.

7). But the best part is that it is excellent for those trying to give up smoking. It reduces mouth breathing and re-sensitizes the nose to the indecency and discomfort of ingesting smoke, therefore de-programming the brain of the physical and psychological addiction.

How to do it?

Put warm water into the utensil and add a little salt in it. Tilt the neck and touch the tip of spout to one of the nostrils. Open the mouth and continue breathing through it. Gradually pour water into the nostril. Since the breathing is continued through the mouth, the water straightaway goes through the food pipe into the throat to the stomach. Just as we drink water through the mouth, in the same way it can be drunk through the nose. When some water is drunk though one nostril, perform the process with the other one. This process is not Neti, but when one is accustomed to drinking water through nose, then practicing Neti is easier. During Jal Neti, the position of the head and pot are adjusted to allow the water to flow out of the other nostril. To help water flow out of the other nostril, tilt the neck further. It is essential to find the pose of the neck here. When the pose is found, the rest of the process is easier. The water poured through one nostril can easily come out of the other. The breathing is naturally through the mouth at this time. Pour water into the left nostril and take it out of the right, then drink it by the right one and take it out of the left. If you have a 1/2 Liter vessel, then you can fill the vessel again for the second nostril. The stream of water from both the nostrils will not be same depending on the blockade or nervous spasms. Do the whole exercise gently and in relaxed posture. One can wipe the nostrils with clean linen/towel in between while changing the nostrils. Having finished with the water part just keep both arms at back and start blowing nose vigorously from alternate nostril (15-20 times) in order to remove every drop of water. Now look up for 15 seconds and while looking up again blow 10-15 times to blow off any residual water left. Go in Shashankasana and  stay in it for five minutes, again blow out at least twenty times from each nostril. Repeat whole procedure for minimum three times. Make sure that there is no water left. To check this blow it at back of your palm and see if there are any droplets of water or not. Nose should be thoroughly dried else it can induce headache. Having finished with the blowing part now go to your exercise room or in open space, lie down in Savasana (corpse position) for 10 minutes. Some of yogis insist on putting few drops of ghee in nostrils to lubricate nasal passage. For one nostril, generally half a liter of water is to be used. The water should be used at a stretch or with some rests. One should not include it in daily lifestyle. Whenever, the nasal path needs cleaning, the process can be used.

You can practice Jal Neti in the morning or in the evening and continue for about a month and review your health. If you start feeling better then you can do this exercise as and when required. Caution: When doing it, never use your nose for breathing. Bhastrika Pranayama is a must after Jal Neti. To do this bow a little forward and move the neck right, and left; up and down, and then do Bhastrika, so that the nose becomes clean and dry. No trace of water should be allowed to remain inside the nostrils. After you have mastered this technique completely, you can practice drinking water or milk through the nose.

Drinking of milk or water through the nose has specific advantages. It cures all brain ailments and sharpens the Intellect. The ailments of eyes, ears, nose and throat are cured and sleeplessness is removed. It also improves the eyesight.

Spirituality

• What’s your personal perspective on Spirituality?

• Rhea: I think we are all inherently spiritual. It’s just the level of awareness & maturity of mind as to when you recognize that and you are in tuned with it.

Marriage

• What is your view on the institution of marriage?

“MY STRUGGLE WITH THE WORD MARRIAGE IS THAT IN TODAY’S WORLD WE GIVE MORE IMPORTANCE TO RULES AND REGULATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH IT AND NEGLECT THE ESSENCE”

• Rhea:My struggle with the word marriage is that in today’s world we give more importance to rules and regulations associated with it and neglect the essence. For example, the question arises if we have put down our marriage on the paper? Is there a security for me being with my partner? Hence, it becomes more of a board room than a marriage and that disturbs me. Because it goes against the essence on why we are together or it probably elaborates a point too strongly which does not needs to be emphasized. And I think the reasons that bring two people together are overlooked, or not given importance, time and value. I believe more importance should be given to the fact that how committed you are.

• Having said that do you feel now getting married is necessary in the 21st century?

• Rhea:I honestly believe that it’s necessary for the sake of children because we do come from a society that has social rules and regulations and norms, which have influenced us from time immemorial. And these affect the child’s mind. I am not against the process; I just hope that we should respect the reasons why the process came into being. So if you keep that in mind, why not, marriage is a wonderful institution, but the way it is perceived today is something I don’t like.
  

“THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS HEALTH, HAPPINESS AND GROWTH IN LIFE”

• Do you think marriage is a bondage?

• Rhea: Not bondage, it can actually be very liberating. It all depends on being true to the reasons of coming together. Bondage is when you confine yourself, and you are knotting yourself up in the process of this is how this has to be done, this is what I expect you to do, when the expectations become unrealistic. That’s when it becomes a bondage. When you are not letting yourself or your partner grow.
  

• What’s your message for the youth? And how should they go about deciding about this aspect whether or not to marry.
  

• Rhea: There is no general rule that applies to each and every individual. The only thing that is required is to be true to your self. It’s a wonderful institution. Only if you are in for the right reasons and you value the fact that there are two different individuals involved, who have two different thought processes, two different belief systems. And when you accept that, there is huge level of acceptance as two individuals work together. I love the beautiful statement by Khalil Gibran that says, “Two pillars support the same roof. And its independent pillars. But they work towards the same goal.”Now there are certain choices that partners make, which may not be acceptable to one of the partners but as long as it works towards the same goal and both get the freedom to express their identity or their individuality, they should respect the each other. So this allowing each other to grow towards the same goal, you have to have a like minded partner.

• So why does this divorce come into picture? Why does that happen?

• Rhea: It comes into the picture when you do not have the same goal as your partner’s to an extent that it is completely opposite of what you want. So if you come to a point where you see that you cannot evolve or grow this way, and it is becoming more of an endless route of unhealthiness, then there is no why should you not get divorced. So the most important thing is health, happiness and growth in life.
  

Treatment of Women

• What is your perspective on the malpractices of female foeticide and discriminatory treatment given to women in India?

• Rhea: There is no denial that discrimination exists but the good part is that it is changing in the right direction. When I was told that I have given birth to a daughter, I felt that it is the most brilliant thing to happen.
  We should also applaud the fact that we have had women Prime Minister, we have many women at administrative positions. And we respect women enough to be able to give them power. At the same time, what we are going through, what we have always gone through is, not recognizing the power of women, the brilliance of women, and the value of women.

‘Daughter of the Mountain,’ Parvati Devi is the primary personification of Shakti Herself. Her consort is Shiva; Her children are Ganesh and Skanda, but in fact she is the mother of all gods and goddesses, of all humanity and of creation itself. Being Shakti’s ‘base form,’ Parvati manifests her wrath as Durga and Kali; and her benevolence as Lakshmi and Saraswati. She is every other goddess as well; when we worship any goddess, or for that matter even any god, we ultimately worship her.

A Balancing Principle

Parvati is Shakti’s (i.e. the Divine Feminine’s) second incarnation as the wife of Shiva. After Shiva’s first wife Sati died, her divine body parts were strewn all over India (all the places where these parts landed became Shakti peeths, or ’seats of the goddess,’ and are now sites of Devi temples) and Shiva turned his back completely on the world, resuming the life of an ascetic in a remote Himalayan cave, while the demon Taraka overran the heavens above and the earth below.With no ‘living’ Shakti (manifest Divinity) to balance Shiva (transcendent Divinity), the Cosmic order was thrown into disarray. Shiva had no interest in the world, and in any event he was ‘powerless’ (Shakti = Power, Energy) without Shakti. And so the gods prayed to Shakti to reincarnate and bring Shiva back into the world, thereby restoring the cosmic balance and saving the world. Shakti agreed and thereupon took birth as Parvati, the daughter of Himavan, the Lord of the Mountains.

Of course she grew up to be a stunningly beautiful, charming and alluring woman – her ‘mission’ after all, was to lure Shiva out of his ascetic life and make him take her as his consort. And so every day, she would visit Shiva’s cave, sweep the floor, decorate it with flowers and offer him fruits and other gifts of the earth, hoping to win his love.

Personification of Shakti

However, Shiva never even opened his eyes to notice her. So Parvati enlisted the help of Priti and Rati, the goddesses of Love and Longing. They transformed Shiva’s cave into a sensuous pleasure garden filled with fragrant flowers, exotic songbirds and buzzing honeybees. With the stage thus set,

Kama, the beautiful God of Love appeared and shot Shiva with the arrow of desire. But Shiva, unamused, simply opened his third eye and blasted

Kama with an energy beam that incinerated him on the spot. And so Love was lost to the world.“Do not despair,” Parvati told the gods when this happened. “Shiva will be my consort. And when he does, Kama will be reborn. “Whereupon Parvati disappeared into the forest, and became an ascetic herself. She performed the most rigorous self-mortifications – sitting amidst bonfires on the hottest summer days, going without clothing in the winter snow, standing motionless on one foot for interminable periods, eating next to nothing, and engaging in the most astonishingly intense sadhana. In fact, Parvati fully matched Shiva’s own asceticism, detaching herself totally from the world; completely mastering her body and mind. So perfect an ascetic was she that the other forest renunciates named her Aparna.

“The story of Parvati’s efforts to win unity with shiva, is in itself a most powerful allegory of the sadhak’s quest to merge with the Divine”

Finally the heat (tapas) generated by Parvati’s amazing austerities shook Shiva out of his meditation. He stepped out of his cave and learning of her accomplishments, agreed to be her consort. They married amidst the most divine celebrations and then together left for the

peak of

Mount Kailasa, where the two became one, and

Kama was reborn into the world.

Parvati and Shiva’s marriage is a happy and full of blissful companionship Under her benevolent influence, Shiva the ‘great ascetic’ became Shiva the ‘householder’. However, in addition to their games and pleasures, they also had serious conversations in which they questioned one another on the most profound philosophical issues. Those conversations formed the basis of the Vedas, the Yoga Sutras and the Tantras - the three principle foundations of the Hindu faith. Inspired by Parvati’s intelligence and beauty, Shiva also became a fountainhead of the arts, dance and drama.

Parvati – More Than A Consort

Shaivite approaches to Hinduism tend to look upon Parvati primarily as the god’s submissive and obedient wife and helpmate. However, Shaktas focus on Parvati’s equality or even superiority to her consort. Take, for example, the story of the birth of the ‘Ten Mahavidyas’ or ‘Wisdom Goddesses’ of Shakta Tantra. This event occurs while Shiva is living with Parvati in her father’s house. Following an argument, he attempts to walk out on her. Her rage manifests in the form of ten terrifying goddesses who block Shiva’s every exit.

As the scholar David Kinsley explains, “The fact that Parvati is able to physically restrain Shiva, dramatically demonstrates the fact that she is superior in power. The theme of the superiority of the goddess over male deities is common in Shakta texts, and so the story stresses a central Shakta theological principle. The fact that Shiva and Parvati are living in her father’s house in itself makes this point, as it is a tradition in most parts of India for the wife to leave her father’s home upon marriage and become a part of her husband’s lineage and live in his home among his relatives.That Shiva dwells in Parvati’s house implies her superiority in their relationship, which is also demonstrated in her ability – through the Mahavidyas – to thwart Shiva’s will and assert her own.”

The Great Disciple

It is not necessary to insist upon Parvati’s ’superiority’ in order to realize the power and value of her teachings. As the scholar Ellen Goldberg notes: The story of Parvati’s efforts to win unity with Shiva, is in itself a most powerful allegory of the sadhak’s quest to merge with the Divine. As a yogini (female yoga adept) and tapasvini (female accomplisher of great austerities), Parvati offers all of her devotees an inspiring model by which to master the intricacies of their sadhana. Goldberg writes: “Parvati (Shakti) is the yogini/ tapasvini par excellence. As a rule, the only necessary requirements for the [yoga] path are: access to teachings; a guru; one-pointed dedication to the practices. Parvati fulfills all three requisites. The hatha yoga tradition clearly affirms that the transmission of oral teachings proceeds directly from Shiva to Parvati. This primeval discourse in turn reflects the prototypical relationship between guru and disciple. As a yogini, Parvati performs her austerities (tapas) dutifully – subjecting herself to strict penance like eating tree bark, standing on one foot and so onto win or unite with her beloved Shiva.” “Her ascetic disciplines prepare her for a progressive ascent through body, speech and mind and lead her via preparatory and purificatory practices, to the higher attainments of yoga realization. Once her karma is dissolved, Parvati, as a model disciple, is drawn into deeper and more subtle forms of meditation, leading to the merging of herself and Shiva in the form and figure of Ardhanariswara.”

Parvati and shiva’s marriage is a happy and full of blissful companionship. Inspired by Parvati’s intelligence and beauty, Shiva became a fountainhead of the arts, dance and drama

“In this model, active engagement through asceticism or tapas is advocated as the prerequisite for unionwith Shiva: Parvati takes form as a human disciple (nari), dresses in the clothes of an ascetic, and with matted hair (jata) and modest diet (mitahara), remains in one-pointed tapas. She knows that to effect a union with Shiva and to actively save the world she must perform these tapas.” “Shiva is informed by the devas of Parvati’s effort, and he appears before her as a brahmachari (celibatemonk) who speaks of Shiva’s wrathful nature to test her resolve and commitment. Parvati is steadfast,and Shiva is duly convinced of her one-pointed determination and devotion. He then appears to her as himself and agrees to marry her. Her tapas won-over her self-chosen husband, Shiva. Parvati thereby actively subverts the normative mode of behavior for women (stridharma). In this narrative, Parvati is not an object of sexual desire, rather she is a spiritual heroine who earns her rightful status by the side of Shiva.”

Soul Curry presents an exclusive interview with Jessy Randhawa, a well known name in the modelling arena. Besides being an Indian ramp model, her versatility is that she is an actress, a ballroom dancer, expert in martial arts, kickboxing, tae-kawon-do, Reiki practitioner, popularly known as an Indian ramp model and trained to be a pilot;
She was headed to become a pilot but entered Miss India and there was’nt any looking back.
She was among the top five finalists of Femina Miss India 1994 and today is the queen bee of style and fashion.
This is not it! There is lot to more about her personality, her profound understanding of life and her mature perspective on Marriage. Correspondent from Soul Curry spoke to Jessy Randhawa about her spiritual journey and her view on Is marriage a curse or a boon.

• What’s your view about the institution of marriage? According to you “Is it a curse or a boon”?

• JESSEY: We can never call it a curse. It’s definitely a boon to get married. Two people getting married is almost like you wanting to know what Brahman is, you wanting to know what another human being is; spending time with other person is certainly not easy. You have to compromise. But you have to see it like you are accepting another human being’s Brahma. It’s not about two people getting together for producing children or social causes but it’s actually accepting another’s divinity.

• But does that feeling last when we are actually with the other person?
  

• JESSEY: Considering the fact that I am coming from a divorce, few years back I would have certainly said: this me, I and Ego is the bigger thing. But today, I feel that transformation has to happen inside you and not the other person.

• Do you think now getting married is necessary in this 21st century?
  

• JESSEY: Sure it is! It has always been important; it is also a way of self-grooming in life. As such it is very easy to live in your own world, be alone and deal with your self thinking there is no problem because in reality you are avoiding problems. But if you are with someone, you will grow as a person. You will know the problems, get into them and actually solve them, and then your relationship with everybody around you changes. It’s just like till the time you actually become a mother, you would not know what is to be a mother, what are sleepless nights, what is taking care and taking somebody’s responsibility.

“YING AND YANG MAKE THE WHOLE ENERGY. SO, DO NOT MISS THE OTHER PART OF LIFE. I THINK EVERY HUMAN BEING SHOULD HAVE THIS EXPERIENCE; BEING IN THIS WORLD, BEING WITH THE COUNTERPART, AND THEN LIVING THIS LIFE AS A HEAVEN”

• According to you, why are people in today’s world taking marriage as a bondage and opting for live-in relationships?

• JESSEY: I think it is because they fear taking responsibility, they fear getting hurt, and they fear something bad is going to happen. And foremost is that they are not sure what they want from themselves, how they would know about what they want from others. So, basically they are not sure what is marriage for and what does it mean? If they know the meaning of marriage, they will be better off deciding about it in a positive way. As of now people don’t know what they actually want? Do they want the person for physical requirement, for social requirement or they want the person for soul-mate relationship?

• What message would you like to give to the youth about deciding to get married or not?
  

• JESSEY: Ying and Yang make the whole energy. So, do not miss the other part of life. I think every human being should have this experience; being in this world, being with the counterpart, and then living this life as a heaven. Heaven is not already made and given to you. You have to make it as a heaven.
  Freedom is never curbed by another human being. If you give respect, love, and emotional security, you will get freedom; it’s just what you give to the other person you get it back.

“TRANSFORMATION HAS TO HAPPEN INSIDE YOU AND NOT THE OTHER PERSON.”

• What are your views on women being perceived as weaker than her counterpart in Indian society?
  

• JESSEY: I think women are born of strength. I would say that feminism is not only in women, it can be in men also. The feminine side of any human being, be it male or female, is the most strongest and positive side. And if you are already women, you have to go through a lot more trials and things in your life. This is what makes you stronger because you go through so many more trials. I think men are unfortunate that they are not exposed so much to the trials in life. It is therefore, much more easier for women to go inside their own self and unleash their maximum strength. Women are weak only externally, but god has given them enough balance and strength inside, so she is much stronger than a male.

• It’s for the first time that you got the opportunity of meeting Gurumaa and being part of Amrit Varsha – the divine talk in Mumbai. Please share with us your experience.
  

• JESSEY:First time was just few days back when Gurumaa had come over in Mumbai for Satsang. I went on the third day, which I absolutely regret now that I should have actually gone on the first day. That was my first meeting with her. And there was this great feeling I got of another human being who is sitting right in front of me.
  Though I am not a person of Bhajans or Satsangs as I have never been to any of these, rather I found them boring. But when Gurumaa was singing, I could not keep my eyes open. It was a transformation. The way she was singing from her heart, I do not know how to explain what a Bhajan is? But today I know what exactly a Bhajan is.

“THE FEMININE SIDE OF ANY HUMAN BEING, BE IT MALE OR FEMALE, IS THE MOST STRONGEST AND POSITIVE SIDE.”

• What’s your personal perspective on spirituality especially after attending the session?
  

• JESSEY: In my hearts of heart, I was all this while, looking for a Guru. I have been reading spiritual books because I like them and mostly say that you need a Guru to proceed in your life. And yes, I have been doing my best in my own ways to go deep into the self. But I have not been able to achieve. Whereas in three days of meeting with Gurumaa, such great transformation has happened in my life. And not only spiritually but in many other ways now things have materialized in such a nice manner. Though she has not initiated me as yet, but already, such positivity has happened  because I was in touch of Gurumaa’s aura which is suppose to be God’s aura and it has transformed me so much.

Why Not Bring in the Clones?

Michael Levy is the author of eight inspirational books. He is a prominent speaker on health maintenance, stress eradication, wealth development, authentic happiness and inspirational poetry.
Most people looking for success on planet earth – with only a physical self-image of who they believe themselves to be – may never locate true success, no matter how much money they accumulate and/or how much notoriety they achieve. At best they may earn a lot of money, own a big house, a big car and a big identity crisis later in life, when the so called luxuries no longer satisfy their desires. Pitiable are people who are looked up to by the entire world and yet are strangers to their true selves. Therefore, why don’t we do some soul searching in a way that is different from the norm, pinpointing answers that will elude most people dwelling in a scientific, hi-tech, media driven world.

“Very soon we will have robots that can think for themselves”

Controversies abound over the science of cloning human beings. Scientists have successfully cloned sheep and other ani mals, therefore it is only a matter of time before we have walking, talking replicas of ourselves. Science and religion have always been at loggerheads. Too many wars are caused by strong beliefs that rely on the ego’s view of the world. The more people seek the truth, the more it seems to elude them.
The question asked here is: Will clones have a soul? I guess the answer depends on how we define a soul and who we think we are. It is a deep probing question, and many philosophers of the past have come up with a variety of answers as to the identity of the soul, but humanity as a whole has not settled on any meaningful answer to date that will satisfy everyone.
Indeed, can any answer be found that will satisfy everyone? Well, how about looking into the future with the following scenario: An atheist by the name of Will is fifty years old. Would you say Will has a soul? If you ask him he will say no, because he does not recognize any image of God cultivated by other people, as his reality. However, that does not necessarily mean that God does not exist in Will’s world, by another description and unknown to Will. Likewise, Will – the atheist – may not know if a soul is his true identity when he sees himself in the mirror of life as just flesh and blood.
Will is very wealthy and decides he would like to create a clone of himself. So a clone is composed and is physically identical to what Will looks like in the natural. The clone studies hard, is very religious and becomes a priest. Does the minister not have a soul? Can religious people say: “God is going to disown the clergyman because his human double does not believe in souls and he has not been born naturally?” Is Will the atheist, the same as ‘Will’ the clone – apart from their beliefs?
What about the advancement in microchips? Very soon we will have robots that will think for themselves. They may be solar powered, or they may even generate energy by inhaling oxygen. Science fiction is fast becoming science reality. Androids may well look just like human beings, but that is artificial life, and a machine does not have a soul – but can it?
It may well be that machines are made exactly like human beings in every detail, with live cells that have the ability to acquire the means to access universal intelligence in the same manner as naturally born humans (although most well educated human beings on planet earth will disagree that they have that ability). Radical thoughts are possible sometime in the future as science fiction becomes scientific reality.
Now more than ever, people need to understand who they are and the reason why they exist. If human beings go through life with no idea of who they truly are, they will get more and more lost in the high-tech revolution. Humanity requires a truthful, sound, solid foundation upon which to build its life.

“Every life-form is energized by something so why not universal intelligent energy, that encompasses love & joy and acknowledge it s a soul”
Every life-form is energized by something, so why not call it the universal intelligent energy that encompasses love & joy, and acknowledge it as a soul.
Therefore, if we characterize our life’s energy as soul, a clone with a life-force will be energized by a soul, once the breath of life is infused in the body. To reiterate, the life-force, the true identity of all life forms is the soul, which is another name for intelligent energy manifesting love & joy. As time goes by, we may not be able to distinguish between a natural born and a clone.
Spirit is another name humans use that has many definitions and can describe anything that is not physical. Why not call the source that forms intelligent energy and which is in all life: spirit. Religious, pious people may think their religion has an exclusive contract with the spirit of their god. They may feel anger and hatred towards the thoughts of cloned humans. However, if they cannot distinguish a clone from a naturally created human, they have nothing to fear.
Many people who do not understand what intelligent energy is, may declare that a clone has no soul, and therefore is not really human. Many religious people think they are superior to a dog or a cat when it comes to God’s creations. They believe a soul is located somewhere in the human brain. They may well believe animals don’t possess a soul; however, if they possess intelligent energy, how can they not have a soul if it is defined as a life source?
Blind faith and dogma has been programmed into human beings for thousands of years. That could be the reason why many religious people can’t be happy. They say that the afterlife is where they will find heavenly peace. They believe God is exclusively in their camp of ownership just as they safeguard their personal possessions. Their belief system detaches them by denomination from other human beliefs, that are also mostly misinterpreted pathways to God and to all other species of life.

Some people go as far as to think that other humans are not in God’s camp at all. Many different schools of thought, lined up in divisions of the ego’s blind thinking, and so much time wasted worrying and hating others. Millions of people have been slaughtered by religious dogma and what has it proven? Nothing but the fact that human beings are still living in the realms of primitive ignorance.
Oh! by the way, did I mention genetic engineering? I hear that today they can put genes in our food to make us fit and well. And maybe also to control our minds in case we feel like protesting against the clones! Some doctors who believe they know best because they have academic papers to prove it, pressurize school children with high spirits, to take mind-dulling drugs that can become addictive and also induce devastating side effects.
On another note, athletes are experimenting with all kinds of stuff to make them compete faster. One-hundredth of a second can make the difference in big sponsorship money, and athletes will try anything to become winners.
With such competition in sports, how long will it be before gene therapy is introduced and injected into sportsmen. We will be able to tailor-make our bodies. Maybe we will re-manufacture a human being to suit a trend… maybe we will become designer beings in the same fashion as designer clothes.
Stem cells which are cloned cells, may be injected into human beings to fight disease. Does this mean they will lose their soul because the cells are cloned? The possibilities of modern science boggle the mind. The cures for many diseases maybe just a few years away. Can the planet cope with a population explosion?
This is just a brief glimpse into the future. How do you think the folks who lived two hundred years ago would comment on today’s lifestyles?
Science is advancing at a warp speed and the way humans are destroying the earth, humanity’s very survival may well depend on modern science and technology.

“Now more than ever, people need to understand who they are and the reason why they exist. If human beings go through life with no idea of who they truly are, they will get more and more lost inthe high-tech revolution”
Before we get too carried away, we need to acknowledge that moments in life are precious and few. We are on earth to enjoy our lives; to enjoy the wonderment in a sunrise; to hear the birds sing; to gaze at a sunset. The things in life that are free are enough; simplicity in all things is the answer in any era – everything else is just the icing on the cake. How big a slice do we need?
We all need to recognize that we are the energy that drives the motor but we are not the motor. We are the energy that feeds the mind; we are not the mind. We are the energy that feeds the thoughts; we are not the thoughts. We take a ride on the carousel of life, but we must remember not to go around so fast that it makes us sick and dizzy.

Nature has made the two genders of male and female different from one another. Their physical differences are evident, but they are different mentally too; they think differently. But one thing is common to them for sure, and that is that they cannot stay away from one another. Nothing can separate them, not even their multiple differences. A boy and a girl are apart only at the toddler stage, but once the hormone glands become active, nothing can stop them from coming together. Men can’t live without women or women without men. The truth is that nature has created these differences for a purpose. As the saying goes: Opposites will always attract. Mutual attraction between the sexes is nature’s handiwork.
Once upon a time, in primitive society, a man could have sex with any woman and vice versa – just like animals. Then, as man became wiser and started living in organized groups, the need for sex acquired another dimension – that of emotional attachment. This emotional attachment led to the further domestication of man and woman. The concept of marriage came into the picture and started taking shape slowly. When man started living in closed groups, the structure of society started to evolve, and society designed marriage around sexual attraction and emotional bonding.
Many people believe that marriages are tailor-made by god…….

……Most people I have observed feel that marriage is something which everyone should indulge in at a certain age in their life, as though it is a compulsion; maybe for sex it is! For girls it is a license to get good clothes and be the focus of attention, even though just for a few nights during the wedding celebrations. For boys it is most definitely sex, and lots of it; the best part is that they don’t even have to pay for it! And yes, it is also about finally getting a woman they can own and flaunt in their social circle.
Sex seems to be the only binding factor for many married couples, who are otherwise nagging and fighting all the time. At times the bond is the children who are accidently born of such encounters. Thus, for the sake of the children, social marriages are kept intact. I have observed many unhappy marriages that are still withstanding every onslaught, as a divorce would bring more complications and troubles for the couple and their children
Now  lets see how marriages are planned. In Indian society it is the parents or the elders who choose a bride or groom for their children. The norm is that this selection is made within the boundries of caste and religion. What is the criteria for selection? Religion, money, social status, looks: this is the order of priority. In arranged marriages it is not the union of two individuals but of two families. Therefore economic worth is given great importance and then comes the status and of course the appearance. In love marriages, the chart is topsy-turvy; first come looks, and then everything else.

Never are compatibility, like-mindedness, likes and dislikes taken into consideration…..

Ramesh was congratulated by his lovely wife Sunita, “Darling, it is our wedding anniversary. I pray to god to be your wife in my next seven lives too.” Ramesh whispered to himself, “O god, may this be my last birth, how else will I tolerate her for the next seven.”

Lets examine how marriage was viewed in the
distant past, from the point of view of tradition. In Vedic times, marriage was considered to be not entirely a social contract or a worldly commitment, but was seen as an
important part of one’s spiritual journey. Masters and students saw life in a larger perspective.

For a Hindu there are four pillars on which life should ideally be based: Dharma – the principle of life; arth – money; kaama – desires including sex; moksha – liberation. These were considered the four objectives of life. A human being should strive to experience all four in  order to bring about a total harmony, completeness and fullfilment to life.
All Hindu gods are married: Shiva & Parvati, Vishnu & Lakhsmi, Ram & Sita, Krishna & Rukmini. Most of our sages and rishis were married. Vashist, Atri, Vishwamitra, Agasthya, and Garga Acharaya, the list goes on and on. Marriage was considered holy; it was not entered into for the sake of sex alone. Undoubtedly procreation was a reason, but another very important reason was that marriage was considered a part of sadhana. Living through the body and experiencing physical and emotional closeness and security was expected to mature the mind and take one to a deeper understanding of life. Usually people live their lives without any understanding of how and why things happen. In order to understand every experience with total awareness, training was given before marriage, to both men and women.

Boys and girls received training of the mind by various means: studying of the scriptures, contemplation, meditation – serving the master for good eighteen years made them mature and responsible adults. This period of brahmcharya was a preparation for the future challenges in a householder’s life. When a person gets married, every bhoga – sensory pleasure – is within reach. This is the time to test whether man is the master of his body, mind and senses, or it is the sensory objects which will enslave him. Marriage means being in the world and of the world, and yet being firmly established in one’s spiritual practices; learning to remain distant and aloof from it. We live our life through this body; resisting the urges of the mind and body is like losing battle…..
Marriage was supposed to be a tool of sadhana, a testing-ground for one’s mind, to see how much it is attached to sex, wealth, house, name etc

My question is: “Did you marry nurturing the same sentiments and mind-set as described above? If unmarried, are you preparing to get married in a similar manner, as it is supposed to be? Everyone is so keen to get married but no one talks about this! Therefore, I say good! Go ahead and get married, but are you prepared for it? Do you know what marriage really means? If you get  married without the right understanding of marriage, then most probably it will become a curse for you. It will become a cross on which you will be martyred.
Please think before you leap. If you are well prepared for marriage, then it can be heaven, and if you are not, then it will be a curse. By itself, marriage is neither heaven nor hell – it is what a person makes of it.