MEXICO RAISES ALERT FOR POPOCATEPETL VOLCANO

MEXICAN POPOCATEPETL VOLCANO
AWAKENS WITH VAPOR, FIRE & ASH

(Reuters) - Mexico City’s volcanic Mount Popocatepetl spewed vapor, fire and ash into the air during the weekend, prompting a precautionary warning to local residents. Mexican authorities raised the alert level for the Popocatepetl volcano near to Mexico City on Monday after it started spewing red-hot fragments of rock. The lava dome of Popocatepetl, some 50 miles to the southeast of the capital, started to expand on Friday, Mexico’s National Center for Disaster Prevention said. This change in activity in the 5,450 meter (17,900 foot) volcano could provoke big explosions capable of sending incandescent fragments out over considerable distances, as well as ash showers, the center said in a statement. The center raised the alert level to yellow phase three from yellow phase two, indicating possible magma expulsion and explosions of increasing intensity. It is the third-highest warning on the center’s seven-step scale.

Emergency services should ready evacuation teams and shelters, limit access to the area around the volcano and alert air-traffic control systems, the center said in its statement. Experts have noted increased activity in Popocateptl in 2012. It has spewed smoke and ash sporadically over the last few years and a major eruption in 2000 forced the evacuation of nearly 50,000 residents in three states surrounding the peak. Although the release of glowing fragments into the air was a spectacular sight and a vapor cloud was sent a mile into the air Sunday morning, the seismic activity was within scenarios provided by Mexico’s Scientific Advisory Board.  The eruption follows several earthquakes were reported in southern and central Mexico. Several magnitude-6 earthquakes struck Wednesday, but without damage, and a March 20 earthquake damaged buildings in the states of Oaxaca and Guerrero, the Houston Chronicle said.

Mexico's Popocatepetl volcano has begun to show increased signs of awakening, and yesterday authorities raised the alert level. Popocatépetl's lava dome began to expand on Friday, and there is concern an explosion may be imminent. This volcano is routinely active and previously has experienced strong activity, enough to evacuate the area in both 1994 and 2000. One should always remember that this world is only temporary and that destruction may come at any moment.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Prabhupāda: ( ... ) when volcano is in smoke, that is dangerous. That is dangerous.  (...) Trust no future, that’s all. We must be always ready for destruction. Material world is like that. Nitya anityatam. Chanakya Pandit says, tyaja durjana-samsargam: “Avoid bad men’s company.” Bhaja sadhu-samagamam: “Always try to associate with learned, what is, sadhu, with devotees. Avoid this worldly men’s association and try to associate with devotees.” Tyaja durjana-samsargam bhaja sadhu-samagamam, and then smara nityam anityatam. “And always think that everything here in this material world is for few days.” That’s all. Tyaja durjana-samsargam bhaja sadhu-samagamam. (break) Anityatam. Let this be the motto of life. (break) We should not associate with the materialistic person, try to associate with devotee, and always think that this world is for few days. That’s all.

Śrīla A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda :
“Complete Works of Srila Prabhupada”
“Morning Walk” - June 7, 1975, Honolulu
Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International - 750607mw.hon