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KANERI CAVES

Copyright@shravancharitymission

By Kamlesh Tripathi

 

    Some may not know that Kaneri caves are neatly nestled inside the SGNP (Sanjay Gandhi National Park) in the Borivali region of Mumbai which is now a high end residential area of Mumbai. Mumbai has this characteristics of springing up surprises. In the past we saw the population of big cats rising in and around SGNP when every else in India it is was only going down, and in the same breath one finds these beautiful hand crafted caves in the midst of the concrete jungles and the financial capital of India–Mumbai. Mumbai otherwise is all about the great Indian Corporate Inc. On my two earlier postings I never could find time to visit these lovely creations even when we were staying close to SGNP in Kandivali where I have a flat. But, better late than never; this time we managed to visit the caves during a short holiday around the new-year while visiting our daughter-in-law and son. It was quite a breath taking view as we parked our car in the morning amidst the lush green surroundings of the SGNP just two km before the caves and started walking.

Before the merger of the seven-isles after the land reclamation during the 19th and 20th century this area was known as Saksette island. It happens to be one of the most populated islands of the world. It is bounded by Vasai Creek in the north; Ulhas-river in the north-east; Thane Creek and Bombay Harbour in the east and the great Arabian Sea in the south and west.

A Cluster of Rock Cut Monuments

 

    There is lot’s to see and assimilate in the Kaneri Caves that has a rich Buddhist legacy (Incidentally there are approx 50 crore Buddhists in the world today and it is the fourth largest religion in terms of adherents); and one goes spellbound as you go in and around the caves. A meticulous count revealed there are about 34 unfinished paintings of Buddha within the caves. Since we had gone in winters and that too in the morning, there was a certain nip in the air as we enjoyed the morning sun arching up. Apart from the paintings one should also see the ‘Vihara’ (The prayer hall) and the various different monasteries around the cave for a satiating fill of the ancient and historic Buddhist occupation and life.

 

And if you’ve had enough of history in your lifetime and are now looking for some fun and excitement then plan your trip accordingly that may include adventure sports such as rappelling, trapeze and treks around the fascinating lush green jungles of SGNP or the Silondha Trail that can be arranged by local tourist guides. The hilly terrain of the caves naturally creates several small waterfalls which are beautiful to watch especially during monsoon. Natural streams and rivers around the Kaneri Caves presents a stunning view of the area and exquisite locations for families to group and enjoy a small picnic while sightseeing the caves.

 

Being a Buddhist site, Kaneri could not have avoided its comparison with the other famous sites like Ellora, Ajanta and Nasik. Scholars have tried in the past to establish some kind of relationship between these Buddhist centers. Ellora has clear evidences suggesting the influence of Vajrayana Buddhism in later periods. Presence of female companions with Avalokiteshvara on few sculptures at Kaneri instigated scholars to suggest Vajrayana influence over Kaneri. Dulari Qureshi is among the recent ones to advocate this hypothesis. However, Debala Mitra is not in full support of it as he mentions that though we find female divinities in company of Bodhisattvas however full-fledged deities of the typical Vajrayana pantheon like those of Ellora are absent at Kaneri.

 

    Water System at Kanheri – It is a fact that almost all visitors of early 19th and 20th century appreciated the water system of this cave complex. Dr. Suraj Pandit writes that Kaneri had developed its own peculiarities like a well-developed water system, its own agricultural land, satellite settlements and resources for subsistence. There are water-cisterns provided at the entrance of almost each cave at Kaneri. An inscription also mentions the construction of a dam, of course to maintain the water resources.

 

Most of the caves are located at the southern hill. To support water supply to all these caves, five water tanks were constructed. Most of the cisterns are connected to these tanks and each other with a network of small channels. On the eastern hill, there is a place known as Gomukh where natural spring water was collected. It seems that the inhabitants tried their best to utilize every drop of rain water, states Dr Pandit. His study of water management system at Kaneri provides a glimpse of changes and restorations of rain water harvesting techniques spanning across a millennium.

 

While returning from Kaneri I had one thought in mind: Many of the things that the world claims to have developed in the contemporary were already there in India—Indic civilisation. So does it mean the entire Indic civilization degenerated post those times?

 

There are no places to shop inside the SGNP. There are a number of local eateries outside the SGNP. Borivali and Malad stations are the closest disembarkation.

 

 

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ARTICLE: BOSSGIRI

Copyright@shravancharitymission

 

 

    The word ‘boss’ is perhaps the most dreaded word in any company. We all deal with various kinds of bosses in our career. I too have dealt with many in the past. The very expression as if pyramids naturally on words like the ‘leader’ or the ‘coach’ as if it is God gifted to hierarchy. But that is certainly not the case.

    In my long career, I too worked with a variety of them where each one had his own SWOT to mull. At times I even pondered if the boss is a collective strength of his subordinates together with his qualification, skill, talent and experience. And in the same ratiocination what then is the subordinate? But answers were not quite visible.

    In the long corporate saga of every executive that keeps unfolding from time to time it will be interesting to observe the type of bosses you come across. Some bosses are oven-baked with qualities of leadership and are excellent coaches. They are not stuck-up on hierarchy; and are devoid of any hangover about their tall qualification, wide experience and seniority. But a majority of them may not be like this.

    During my long innings, I interfaced various kinds of bosses. Where, I also took adequate pains to study the bosses of my colleagues and always kept an eye on my boss’s boss and never deviated from keeping my focus on the top boss, from where, actually, the culture of the organisation flowed.

    Annually, HR defines the KRAs of each functionary in the company but the grey area remains. The delicate relationship between the boss and the subordinate as there is always something ‘intra’ about it.

    A successful boss is a person who can extract maximum out of the ambience in the given environment. But for that to happen optimum tuning is required with the team. Sadly, some bosses only keep cribbing about the capabilities of their subordinates. Conversely subordinates tend to perform better if the boss is approachable and can add value in problem solving and for sure possesses the art of debottlenecking. This requires, both soft skills and talent and bosses who don’t have this in abundance, usually confine themselves to isolation.

TYPE OF BOSSES

    While dealing with your boss try and get to know more about the behavioural side of him. For all you know he might have feudalistic tendencies in him where he might consider you more of a constituent then a co-worker. Such bosses are like tyrants and prefer sycophancy to merit. So, one can call them feudal bosses. Then there are some bosses who are soft by nature and don’t demand much out of you, nor do they reprimand you, but they never ever do anything for you considering your worthiness. One can christen them as frigid bosses.

    The third variety are the ones who give their subordinates enough space to move around and train on the job; but themselves do not extend a helping hand in training you. But overall they are concerned about you and have a magnanimous heart. They are also open to learning from you on a selective basis. You may call them friendly bosses.

    But the most spectacular variety, are the ones who not only demand work out of their subordinates, but also keep coaching them to perform better. They also have the talent to train you on the job in case you are not skilled to perform the task. This is the prized catch: Boss+talent+coach.

    In this digital and high-tech world where talent is replacing experience every moment. The line between the boss and the subordinate is only getting hazier. So, there is need for bosses to move from ‘Bossgiri’ to a talent retentive boss.

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By Kamlesh Tripathi

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases. Should you wish to donate for the cause the bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

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Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

(CAN BE BOUGHT FROM ON LINE BOOK STORES OR WRITE TO US FOR COPIES)

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Article: A PEEP INTO UNAFFILIATED RELIGION

Copyright@shravancharitymission

By Kamlesh Tripathi

 

 

    Time has come for epiphany of ‘unaffiliated religion.’ A sizable population of the world today lives without aligning with any religion as you will read in this narration. The question is how? And how do they manage in this simmering world of religious intolerance. We all know religion is good for the essence of life. But what about religious intolerance and where does unaffiliated religion fit in. Well, no one has ready answers to these question, but one can definitely see the changing paradigms.

    Today, intolerance in every religion has increased manifold. There are fringe groups that have formed in almost every religion that shows intolerance towards other religions. But within all of this. There are still some spunky people. Who believe in the charisma of ‘unaffiliated religion.’ The population of ‘unaffiliated religion’ is around 16 % of the world population. The religiously unaffiliated number is 1.1 billion. Accounting for about one-in-six (16%) people worldwide. It includes atheists, agnostics and people who do not identify with any particular religion. However, many of the religiously unaffiliated. Do hold some religious or spiritual beliefs.

    Apart from unaffiliated religion. There is also irreligion. Which is the absence of religion or indifference towards religion or rejection of religion or even hostility towards religion. When termed as the rejection of religious belief. It engulfs explicit atheism, religious dissidence and secular humanism. And when characterized as hostility towards religion. It includes anti-clericalism, anti-religion and anti-theism.

    According to Pew Research Center’s 2012 global study of 230 countries. 16% of the world’s population is not affiliated to any particular religion, while 84% are affiliated. The interesting fact finding in Pew Research Center’s 2012 global study is: Out of the global non-religious population, 76% reside in Asia and the Pacific, while the remainder reside in Europe (12%), North America (5%), Latin America and the Caribbean (4%), Sub-Saharan Africa (2%) and the Middle East and North Africa (less than 1%).

    According to Pew Research Center projections. The population of the non-religious, though temporarily increasing, will ultimately decline significantly by 2050, because of lower reproductive rates and ageing.

    Being non-religious. Is not necessarily equivalent to being an atheist or agnostic. Pew Research Center’s global study from 2012 noted. That many of the non-religious actually have some religious beliefs. For example, they observed that “belief in God or a higher power is shared by 7% of Chinese unaffiliated adults, 30% of French unaffiliated adults and 68% of unaffiliated U.S. adults.”

    If we were to analyse it country and zone wise. The statistics (pertaining to unaffiliated religion) are even more interesting:

  • Out of a total unaffiliated religious population of around 1.1 billion. The ten most populous countries in respective order of population are China 700 million (52% of population), Japan 70 million (57%), USA 50 million (16%), Vietnam 26 million (30%), South Korea 22 million (46%), Germany 20 million (25%), France 18 million (28%), North Korea 17 million (71.3%), Brazil 15 million (7.9%), & U.K. 13 million (21%). This population totals up to 955 million which is 85% of the total population of unaffiliated religion.
  • If we were to take the first ten countries highest by respective order of percentage share of (Unaffiliated religion) population. They would be: Czech Republic 8 million (76%), North Korea 17 million (71%), Estonia (Baltic state) 0.8 million (60%), Japan 70 million (57%), Hongkong 0.4 million (56%), China 700 million (52%), South Korea 22 million (46%), Latvia (Baltic states) 1 million (44%), Netherlands 7 million (42%), Uruguay 1.4 million (41%). They comprise of 834 million which is 74% of their population.
  • There are six countries where the religiously unaffiliated make up a majority of their population: the Czech Republic (76%), North Korea (71%), Estonia (60%), Japan (57%), Hong Kong (56%) and China (52%).
  • The religiously unaffiliated are heavily concentrated in Asia and the Pacific. Where, more than three-quarters (76%) of the world’s unaffiliated population resides. The remainder is in Europe (12%), North America (5%), Latin America and the Caribbean (4%), sub-Saharan Africa (2%) and the Middle East and North Africa (less than 1%).
  • Although a majority of the religiously unaffiliated live in Asia and the Pacific. Only about one-in-five people (21%) in that region are unaffiliated. More than one-in-six people in Europe (18%) and North America (17%) are religiously unaffiliated. The unaffiliated make up smaller shares in the remaining regions. For instance, less than 1% of those who live in the Middle East-North Africa region are unaffiliated.
  • More than six-in-ten (62%) of all religiously unaffiliated people live in one country, China. The largest population of the religiously unaffiliated outside China are in Japan (6% of all unaffiliated), the United States (5%), Vietnam (2%) and Russia (2%).
  • The population of unaffiliated religion in India is only 0.87 million which is 0.07% of the entire population of the country.
  • There is a definite co-relation between the system of governance, ethos of live and religious fundamentalism and unaffiliated religion. For example take communist countries like China & North Korea where you will find the population of this community to be around 717 million which is about 64% of the entire population of unaffiliated religion. This is because of the regimentation of mindset that has forced people to stay non-aligned. If you take Islamic states, you will find the percentage of unaffiliated religion to be low because of religious fundamentalism.

    Median Age

    Globally, the religiously unaffiliated are older (median age of 34) than the overall global population (median age of 28). Among the five regions for which data are available, sub- Saharan Africa has the youngest population of religiously unaffiliated people (median age of 20), followed by Latin America and the Caribbean (26), North America (31) and Asia and the Pacific (35). Europe has the oldest unaffiliated population, with a median age of 37.

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Short story: THE KING AND THE GARDENER

Copyright@shravancharitymission

By Kamlesh Tripathi

 

Nausherwan the king of Faras was famous for his judicial acumen. He was a big philanthropist too. One day he set out with his ministers to go around the city to ascertain what all was happening. While going around he saw an old gardener in an orchard busy planting walnut saplings. The king entered the orchard and went up to him. He asked—‘are you a servant here or this is your own orchard?’

The gardener replied—‘My Lord I don’t serve anymore. This orchard was planted by my forefathers, so it belongs to me.’

The king said—‘you are planting these walnut saplings. But do you even know it takes twenty years for it to flower and bear fruits. Do you think you’ll live for twenty years to eat the fruits?’

The gardener heard the king dutifully and then politely said–‘My Lord, till now I had so many fruits from trees planted by others. Now it is my duty to plant trees for others. It will be extremely selfish on my part if I plant trees that only bear fruits for me.’

The king was extremely happy with the reply the old gardener had given and as a reward he gave him two asharfees (gold coins).

Moral of the story: One must continuously think of others as others have thought about us.

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Only a skilled nation can create national wealth

Copyright@shravancharitymission

 

 

Analysis: 50% of the world’s wealth remains with 4-5 countries

    “National wealth” refers to the total value of wealth possessed by the citizens of a nation at a set point in time. That is, the total value of wealth and goods generated by all economic activity in a particular nation.

    It is also referred as the national (net) wealth, or the national net worth, or even the gross national wealth (GNW); summing up to the total national wealth and is the total sum value of wealth possessed by the citizens of a nation at any given point of time.

    This figure of national wealth is an important indicator of a nation’s ability to take on debt and sustain spending. It is influenced, not only by real estate prices, but also by the stock market, human resources, technological advancements which may create new assets or render other worthless. It is also steered by the national infrastructure and exchange rates. Remember, for value creation optimum skill levels are a must for any nation and therefore skill building is an important ingredient, required to augment national wealth.

    The most significant component by far among most developed nations is commonly reported as household net wealth or worth, and also reflects infrastructure investment. National wealth can fluctuate, as evidenced in the US data (to follow) following the financial crisis of 2008 and subsequent recovery.

    There are 196 countries in the world today. If we compare the national wealth figures of the first 30 major countries we will come across an interesting paradigm as below:

ANALYSIS … HOW CHINA FORGES AHEAD

  • The world’s wealth has grown from 117,225 billion USD in 2000 to 171,577 in 2005, up to 216,374 in 2010 and to 250,145 in 2015. This is a cumulative growth of 113% over the last 15 years and an average annual growth rate of 7.5%.
  • USA remains the richest in terms of national wealth and also a consistent performer since 2000 to 2015. In 2000 it had a national wealth of 42,941 billion USD which has grown to 85,901 billion USD in 2015. This is a cumulative growth of 100% over 15 years and an average annual growth rate of 6.67%.
  • The national wealth of the US in 2000 was 42,941 billion USD, a little more than the national wealth of Japan, UK, Germany, Italy and China, put together.
  • The national wealth of the US in 2005 was 59,664 billion USD, a little more than the national wealth of Japan, UK, France, Italy and Germany, put together.
  • The national wealth of the US in 2010 declined from 59,664 billion USD by 4.27% to 57114 on account of the economic crisis, but it still remained more than the combined national wealth of countries such as Japan, China and France, put together. China by 2010 had become a major skill development country and thereby started generating wealth. It would not be wrong to say that 50% of the wealth of the world is controlled by only four or five countries.
  • By 2015 the national wealth of the US had increased to 85,901 billion USD, a little more than the combined wealth of five economic super powers such as China, Japan, UK, France and Germany.
  • China’s policy of underscoring on skill development under the banner of human resources gave encouraging results when its national wealth from 4664 billion USD in 2000 went up to 8674 in 2005 and to 17505 in 2010 and finally to 22817 in 2015. And from 6th position in 2000 it has jumped to 2nd position in 2015 in terms of national wealth.
  • India on the contrary from 14th position out of 196 countries in 2000 jumped marginally to 12th position in 2005 and to 11th position in 2010, but slumped back to 14th position in 2015. Its national wealth was 1163 billion USD in 2000, 2142 billion USD in 2005, 3788 billion USD in 2010, and 3447 billion USD in 2015. It has cumulatively grown by 196% with an average growth rate of 13%. But it is not enough when we compare it with world standards and our political establishment needs to understand this. India requires wide spread skill development if it wants to grow its national wealth. A lesson we need to learn from China where there is no opposition when it comes to policies affecting national wealth.
  • 50% of the world’s wealth in the year 2000 was with super economic powers such as the USA, Japan and the UK. This changed somewhat in 2010 where 50% of the world’s wealth was held by the USA, Japan, UK and France, and this further changed in 2010 when 50% of the wealth of the world was held by USA, Japan, China (China replaced UK) and France. In 2015 the scenario further changed when China jumped to the second position next to the US leaving behind Japan to a close third.
  • Canada with 35 only million people has maintained a steady 8th position in the world. In 2000 it had a national wealth of 2,469 billion USD. This rose to 4277 in 2005, to 6212 in 2010 and finally to 6872 in 2015. Its cumulative growth in 15 years has been 178% with an average growth rate of 11.88%. But it has failed to take a quantum leap because it doesn’t have great reserve of skill bank which it is largely importing from other countries now. It also has a huge geographical territory and it remains to be seen how in times to come it will manage its huge assets with such a meagre population.
  • South Korea has turned into another industrial giant by lifting its skill levels. It rose from the 16th position where it had a national wealth of 1089 billion USD in 2000, to 2149 billion USD in 2005 at 11th spotBut it slumped back to 14th position in 2010 even when it increased its national wealth to 2791 billion USD. But in 2015 it jumped to 12th spot with a national wealth of 3545 billion USD.
  • Greece with its economic crisis, a typical example has crashed to the 30th spot in 2015 with 743 billion USD from the 23rd spot in 2000 with a national wealth of 493 billion USD.
  • Russia with the roots of once a super power has stagnated from 3150 in 2000 to 1284 USD billion in 2015 but has gone up notches from 30th to 23rd

    The point of essence—mere size of population doesn’t increase national wealth. One has to individually create it for the nation. And you can create, only if you have the skill. The US remains the leader in this field with a population of 310 million people which is less than one third of the population of India. Even Canada with only 35 million people generates more revenue than India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is by far on track by underscoring on skill development in India.

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By Kamlesh Tripathi

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Share if you like it

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases. Should you wish to donate for the cause the bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

*

Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

(CAN BE BOUGHT FROM ON LINE BOOK STORES OR WRITE TO US FOR COPIES)

*****

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cancer: John Hopkins Update

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By Kamlesh Tripathi

breast cancer cancer ribbon cancer support

Johns Hopkins Update
This is an extremely good article.
Everyone should read it.

AFTER YEARS OF TELLING PEOPLE CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRY (‘TRY’, BEING THE KEY WORD) TO ELIMINATE CANCER, JOHNS HOPKINS IS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY ..

Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins:

1. Every person has cancer cells in the body.. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.
2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a
person’s lifetime.
3. When the person’s immune system is strong the cancer
cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.
4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has
nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic,
but also to environmental, food and lifestyle factors.
5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet to eat more adequately and healthy, 4-5 times/day and by including supplements will strengthen the immune system.
6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing
cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastrointestinal tract etc., and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.
7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.
8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size.
However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.
9.. When the body has too much toxic burden from
chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either
compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.
10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.
11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer
cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.
*CANCER CELLS FEED ON:
a. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc. are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses, but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in color Better alternative is Bragg’s aminos or sea salt.
b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus.. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soy milk cancer cells are being starved.
c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.
d.. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole
grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into
an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at
temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C)..
e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high
caffeine Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer
fighting properties. Water-best to drink purified water, or
filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap
water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.
12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of
digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines becomes putrefied and leads to more toxic buildup.
13.
. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By
refraining from meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the
body’s killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.
14. Some supplements build up the immune system
(IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals,
EFAs etc.) to enable the body’s own killer cells to destroy cancer cells.. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body’s normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.
15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit.
A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior
be a survivor. Anger, unforgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.
16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated
environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to
get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.
This is an article that should be sent to anyone important in your life…
A very informative article and should be circulated[truncated by WhatsApp]

THERE IS A GREAT NEED TO COMMUNICATE ABOUT THE CHALLENGES OF A CANCER PATIENT

Copyright@shravancharity mission

By Kamlesh Tripathi

Book K Tripathiji

    Book title: REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD– You could download the e-book from antrik.com or pothi.com for just Rs 100 or $1.50. Collections will be utilised for poor children suffering from cancer.

SYNOPSIS

    What goes on in a cancer patient’s mind is not known even to his near and dear ones, what to talk of anyone else. Maybe, only the invasive part is revealed, and the rest remains within the confines of the patient’s mind.

    It is said about cancer, that only the ones who have seen cancer from close quarters are sensitive about it, and the rest are not. This includes cancer patients, their near and dear ones, Parents of child cancer patients, and also people who have lost their loved ones to cancer.

    A normal and healthy person may not even think about cancer, forget reading about it, because your mind is clouded by a plethora of interesting things around you, where the word ‘cancer’ is somewhat uneasy and eerie. But there is still a need to communicate to the society about the incessant suffering of a cancer patient.

    This book does exactly that. It communicates the mindset and sufferings of a poor, young and a three time cancer survivor Suresh from Chennai in a comforting and engrossing manner that readers would like to read. First time when Suresh got cancer he was six, and then he was okay for a decade and a half. But it struck again when he was twenty one and again when he was twenty four. All three were different types of cancer.

    Suresh wanted to tell his story for the benefit of other cancer patients. Primarily, to make them understand the challenges of a young cancer patient. Where, he has his entire life in front of him in terms of his school, college, professional education, career and aging parents. When, he doesn’t even know how long he is going to survive. And in all of this he builds his determination and alters his mindset to take cancer head on.

    The book has a motivational slant. That cheers you up with peppy poems and morale raising short stories, while it unfolds the grit and determination of the protagonist.

    Number of cancer cases in the world, are on the rise and there is a great need to communicate the sufferings, trauma, and the challenges of a cancer patient to people in general. Also, there is need to communicate how to handle such situations, and more importantly make people realise that cancer is conquerable.

    The author of this book is Kamlesh Tripathi and co-author is Dr Sujata Tripathi who had lost their younger son to brain cancer. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, Vice Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group.

    The book is co-published by Cankids … Kidscan and Shravan Charity Mission. Both are NGOs that work for children suffering from cancer.

    The gutsy founder of ‘Cankids … Kidscan,’ is Ms Poonam Bagai who herself is a colon cancer survivor. But that has not deterred her. From taking up the noble cause of child cancer in India.

    Sharvan Charity Mission is an NGO that was started by the author and the co-author in the name of their late son Shravan that also works for child cancer.

    The book is available online in:

The Variety Book Depot

A.V.G. Bhawan, M3 Connaught Circus

P.O. Box 505

New Delhi-110001

Tele Nos: (011) 23417175/2567

Or download an e-book from Pothi.com or Antrik.com (autobiographies)

Or you could write directly to the NGO for your copy- shravancharitymission@gmail.com

Story: An insight into conversion

Copyright@shravancharitymission

conversion 2 conversion conversion1

    One wonders at times, if individuals are in the habit of peeping into their family history. More importantly their family tree as a giveaway to their posterity. Well if they are, they would surely know the names of their ancestors beyond their Grandfather. That is grandfather’s father and even his father and also his father’s father.

    It is widely believed many Muslims in India have converted from Hinduism. And that makes me wonder how the present generation of Muslims deal with their forefathers and ancestors who were Hindus. With love or with hate? This is an emotional topic, that is often thought of by inquisitive individuals but never spoken about. Not even in the serene and quiet corners of their homes. Also, the society in general doesn’t want to dig into this tabooed adventures, and so be it. Yet, there is an undying inquisition at times to know more about such happenings.

    Let us as a hypothesis think about a person named Brij Singh, son of Prakriti Singh, who some two hundred years ago converted into Islam and named himself as Shamsher Khan. If we were to take sixty years to be as one ‘generation’ then that would mean. This would be Shamsher Khan’s fifth generation as a Muslim, flaunting their surname as Khan. Let me further suppose that one out of the current descendant of Prakriti Singh is Amjad Khan, who knows about Prakriti Singh as part of his ancestry.

    Then my inquisition would run further wild. As I would like to fathom from Amjad Khan as to how he deals and feels about his ancestry. Does he have any feelings for Prakriti Singh and Brij Singh, the last Hindu mark in his long lineage. And whether, he is proud and fond of his Hindu forefathers and his lineage. Or has he grown up hating them or revering them or thinking it is a zone where he should not enter. And, last but not the least, if it is a stalemate issue beyond Amjad Khan’s comprehension.

    Often the friction point is the religion of a person. But can religion wash away the truism off an individual’s lineage is the big question. Answer of which is only to be felt by the individual in question and never to be spoken about.

    Perhaps, this remains the weakness of mankind. Where, when, one is bulldozed by religion he gives up on his lineage. While, one may cosmetically try and overlook his lineage over his religion, but it is difficult to wash away the truism of life.

    And if the theory of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (the world is one family) is not a myth, we definitely reach a point, that the world is but one family. Even if people may have converted into various religions and your lineage is a bliss and not a curse.

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By Kamlesh Tripathi

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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JUDGES TO APPOINT JUDGES … a voter’s perspective

Copyright@shravancharitymission

By Kamlesh Tripathi

judges to appoint judges JUDGES TO APPOINT JUDGES1

Supreme Court has the done the right thing by keeping the corrupt executive and legislative out of the process of appointing judges. Some electronic media channels have also termed it as ‘Supreme Court’s judgement against the will of the people,’ rather I would call it ‘Supreme Court’s judgement against the will of the L&A,’ (legislative and elective) and not the people of India. Consequent to this, a spate of debates, have taken place in political circles, the print media and more vociferously in the electronic media, but sadly the general public is again a mute spectator in all of this. So from a voter’s perspective let me put forth some arterial points to which the big guns of the country may not be privy to.

Government and some political parties, (because now Congress like a chameleon has changed its colour) feel the traditional collegium system of judicial appointments is opaque, out-dated, and even has deficiencies. But, as a common man I feel this opacity and deficiency is hundred times better than the blatant corruption and callousness of the L&A. For over a period of time since independence the ‘trust deficit’ between the common man vis-a-vis the L&A has only increased and therefore, why would the common man trust the L&A when it comes to appointment of judges. In that manner Supreme Court has shown maturity by drawing a line and not allowing them to tamper with the process of justice, even if it happens to be appointment of judges. In a healthy democracy some amount of turf war is desirable between the L&A and the judiciary. The moment the executive takes over judiciary, it will become like the various inefficient police departments of India that wag their tails incessantly only in front of the political class without performing their actual duty, and where the concept of a world class policing doesn’t even exist.

Democracy is only good if it is played as a gentleman’s game, but unfortunately this game in India has now been completely taken over by the goondas, opportunists and cheats, where the few honest ones are not even visible; and there is a great risk that if judiciary too goes into their hands, nothing will be left in the common man’s hand.

Across all political parties a trait exists that as long as they are in the opposition they talk the common man’s language but when they attain power they show their real teeth. When BJP was not in power they used to talk about anti-vvip culture, but now all their guns are blazing to promote VVIPISM. They are now snooping in to net- neutrality and even dictating what to eat and what not to eat. They had never shown their real teeth before elections otherwise probably they wouldn’t have won. Congress is no different.

Even after 68 years of independence the entire political class could not produce another Gandhi or anyone close to him and that itself speaks of the hollowness in the character of politicians that sum up as political class. 65% of India’s population was born after 1970s and the political class that often keeps harping about high standards of values and morals could not even produce a modern day Gandhi as a role model for the youth of this country. Some could only see a glimpse of that in Anna Hazare.

In the past we have had politicians like Sanjay Gandhi who forcefully got people sterilised, and then you had Mrs Indira Gandhi who for her own personal benefit forced the state of emergency down every Indians throat, how very selfish. There have been riots where thousands of Sikhs were killed, lakhs of Kashmiri Pandits were thrown out of their homes, together with several Hindu-Muslim riots in which members of both communities have been killed and all of this happened at the subtle behest of the political parties that runs the L&A. So how will such people add any value in appointment of judges?

In India democracy is only for the day of the voting and thereafter the elected politician has no connect with his voters, election commission also doesn’t monitor this, and therefore he is a tiger for the next five years. They rarely meet their voters and are only surrounded by sycophants and coteries. Most of them are low on morals and are criminals and only believe in promoting their family. They also enact laws that suits the entire political class, without showing any morals or respect to the common man, such as keep contesting elections even if you have cases against you till the matter is finally decided by the highest court, going on foreign jaunts when the state is reeling under famine, increased VVIPISM, vote bank politics and the list is endless.

If the elected legislative wants NJAC, that does not mean the voters also want it. Elected legislative has only become an eye wash for people’s mandate. Elected members do not discuss issues of national importance or state importance with their voters back in their constituencies to take their mind. So it is wrong to say that in every important decision the will of the people is involved. Rather the elected member listens only to his party diktats which may or may not suit the voters of his constituency. Voters are supposed to vote as per their choice after ascertaining what the political Party has to offer through its manifesto. But in today’s India political parties don’t work as per their manifestos, rather some don’t even release their manifestos, some only release their vision documents, and some work totally against their manifestos. And the election commission has no check on them. In fact Supreme Court has issued guidelines on this but political parties have not responded.

If we allow the L&A to takeover the media and the judiciary there is a great risk of political class playing havoc with the general masses.

What is legislated in the parliament is necessarily not what the people of India want and what people of India want is often not legislated in the parliament or the state assemblies. This is because the elected members have lost connect with their voters. For example the entire India wants VVIPracism to be abolished but has the government tried to enact any legislation to abolish it? On the contrary VVIPISM is only growing in this country.

Amongst the four pillars of democracy the L&A has largely let the masses of India down and there is now only hope from the media and judiciary and in no manner should they allow the L&A to enter their turf in the interest of the masses.

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STORY: KRISHNA JANMASHTAMI

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By Kamlesh Tripathi

janmashtami janmastami 2 janmastami1

Lord Kirshna’s birthday on Krishna Janmashtami is indicative of a path breaking new era. Let’s analyse it from a fresh point of view. He was born in the night. Night signifies darkness and darkness is indicative of ignorance and illiteracy. Krishna’s birth brought the light of dazzling knowledge that removed illiteracy of minds.

He was born in a jail, where his parents were tied to chains. This signifies that we too are in our own jails and are locked up in our own vices such as sex, anger, greediness, selfish love, hatred, jealousy, enmity, cheat, eroticism and arrogance. When, he was born all the chains in the prison broke by themselves, and all the prison guards went off to sleep and he was let off the jail. This shows God almighty has tremendous powers and can make anyone sleep or wake up from sleep. If we with true spirits remember him, all our doubts are removed and what we are left with is love, trust and faith.

Today, the people of this world look at each other with a great amount mistrust and jealousy. Man’s intelligence and skills are misused which gives rise to human discords. Wars are fought to keep peace. In this violent and deceitful atmosphere it is even more important to learn trust, gentleness, hope and love from Lord Krishna.

After his birth little-mighty Krishna was shifted to Gokul (Gau-kul) In Sanskrit ‘Gau’ means a cow, which is the emblem of purity, simplicity and nobility. Baby Krishna—avatar of God was kept away from the atmosphere of slavery and cruelty of king Kans. In fact he was kept in the pure and loving surroundings of mother Yashoda’s home which depicts even we could attract Lord Krishna to come and stay at our home provided we too have earnest love for God and his simple ways.

Srikrishna was born on ashtami—which is the eighth day of the calendar month and falls in—shani-grah that signifies algaav (non-attachment) This conveys the message that when Krishna was born he was away and above the mischief and deceit of the world. This also means we should promote dispassion and surrender from the world and should do away with ‘attachment’ but in any case we should not forget our real self.

Today in many families people don’t respect their elders and love their younger ones. There is a great amount of mistrust. Religious fanaticism is all over. And in such an atmosphere birth of Lord Krishna gives us a feeling of positivity.

And his birth brings us the holy message:

“Learn to have faith in yourself the way I have faith in you. Follow the discipline of life, stay within your own simple behaviour and help me in serving others as it is your duty. Don’t worry about anything. Without any conditions surrender yourself to me with all your love. I will look after your welfare both in this birth and beyond.”

This should be our aim of life.

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