PALESTINIANS MARK 65 YEARS SINCE DISPLACEMENT

THOUSANDS OF PALESTINIANS MARK
'NAKBA DAY' IN GAZA, WEST BANK

www.reuters.com - Palestinians clashed with Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday during demonstrations to mark 65 years since what they call the Nakba (Catastrophe) when Israel's creation caused many to lose their homes and become refugees. A shell fired from Gaza, which is ruled by the Islamist movement Hamas, exploded in an open area of Israel but caused no injuries, according to an Israeli military spokesman. There was no immediate claim of responsibility from militants in Gaza.
Protesters skirmished with Israeli forces outside a refugee camp near the West Bank city of Hebron and at a prison near Ramallah, leaving several Palestinians injured. Israeli police in Jerusalem scuffled with Palestinian protesters, tossing stun grenades and making several arrests.

Thousands also rallied in the main square of Ramallah, the Palestinians' de facto capital while Jerusalem remains under Israeli control, holding up placards with the names of villages depopulated in 1948 and old keys, symbols of lost homes. Arab states failed in a 1948 war to stop the Jews settling in Palestine, who cited biblical ties to the land and a need for a Jewish state, which up to that time was under British colonial control. 
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is to return to the region on Tuesday in another bid to revive peace talks frozen since 2010. But a resolution remains elusive and many Palestinians cling to a desire for refugees and descendants to return to ancestral lands now in Israel - an idea Israel rejects, saying it would spell the end of the Jewish state.

The 65th anniversary of Nakba Day was commemorated today by Palestinians throughout Israel, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and the Palestinian diaspora. The “Nakba (the catastrophe) Day” marks the day Israel was founded. In Palestinian towns, at exactly noon a memorial siren was sounded, its length 65 seconds, one second for every year Israel has existed. In the afternoon hours, Palestinian youths began clashing with IDF soldiers. They hurled stones at security forces who returned fire with riot dispersing equipment. Clashes are taking place among people and nations due to our mistaken sense of propriety; in fact we are not the owners of anything in this world.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Śrīla Prabhupāda said we must teach all over the world that Lord Krishna is the Owner and the Supreme Enjoyer.  The sense of ownership is extremely dangerous since it confuses us in our relationship with God.  When we believe to be the owners of something, we believe to be the enjoyers of that, for this reason to believe that something belongs to me is a great illusion; nothing is ours, not even our own body, that to say of others, or the things related to the body, such as children, family, money, facilities, etc.. Krishna often repeats in the Bhagavad-Gita that we must understand that nothing is ours, everything belongs to Him. ... Krishna says: “When you understand that I am the owner of all, everything belongs to Me and I am the enjoyer, then even you'll be My owner and enjoyer.”

Śrīla Atulananda Ācārya :
“Sense of Ownership”
“Words of Gurudeva”
http://www.atulanandadas.cl/
http://www.atulanandadas.cl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=50
 

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/

TOP HEALTH RESOLUTIONS FOR NEW YEAR

NEW YEAR HEALTH RESOLUTIONS
WHICH IS BETTER NOT TO BREAK

www.boldsky.com - It’s  New Year. Thus, it is the time to make some resolutions. We all make many types of resolutions however, there are very few who consider health as a major concern. The only health resolution that people take on New Year is to lose extra weight and quit some bad habits in the process. As the New Year has started today, why not take some health resolutions for a healthy and active you? Here are the top 6 health resolutions of New Year that you must take today itself.
Look at the diet: This doesn't mean that you need to go on a crash diet. If you are on a weight loss plan, you need to exclude some high calorie and fatty foods from your diet. Green leafy vegetables, fruits, salads, soups and healthy snacks like nuts must be included in the diet. Workout: We all take this health resolution every New Year. You can try any type of exercise. If you do not get time, try some walking, climbing stairs and running. These are simple aerobic exercises that can keep you fit and healthy. 

Sleep: To stay healthy, we must take the resolution this New Year. Stop watching late night movies and grab some sleep. It will help you get over stress and also relax your mind and body. Other health problems like indigestion and sleeplessness can be troublesome. Quit bad habits: Smokers and drinkers take this resolution every New Year. However, it is very difficult to quit some bad habits. But, nothing is impossible. 
Drink healthy fluids: Instead of drinking alcohol, go for some healthy fluids like juice, soups and most importantly, water. It keeps you hydrated, flushes out toxins from the body and also keeps you fit. Fight stress: These days, stress has become a major concern among people. To avoid mental disorders like depression, meditate regularly and try to stay happy. These are the 6 health resolutions that you must make this New Year. Apart from these, you should stay happy. Keep smiling and be satisfied.

New Year’s resolutions are common commitments to lose weight, do more exercise, eat healthier, quit smoking, stop drinking, organize your time and spend more time with family. Amrisha Agarwal, author of this article, pointed that New Year resolutions are always broken as it becomes very difficult to keep for the whole year, so she mentions few health resolutions that you must stick to as health is a primary concern. Health hazards have increased due to a raise in stress levels and keep bad habits, so if you want to have healthy years ahead, do exercises to keep you fit, include healthy and nutritious foods in your diet and quit smoking and drinking. Most resolutions are things we resolve to do and others not do. Our gurus advice two primordial things to do’s and don’ts - always remember God (Krishna) and never forget Him.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Do not waste your time. A whole year has passed, have you seen how quickly it passed? We use the pretext of the new year to take new energy in the service, since the devotee is always renewing his vows. In fact, in each moment he does so, because frequently the mind proposes to him to leave his vows. Therefore there is continuous renovation of vows. ... This is a special moment that we use for singing more Hare Krishna. We should have much confidence in the mantra; the mantra is everything to us. We do everything in order to chant, since sankirtan is the dharma for this age. Then this meditation is very important, so that we can serve from our heart. Well, let’s not forget our responsibility for the world. Krishna expects much from us. He expects everything. He has chosen us; we don’t know why, but it is so. Now there is nothing else remaining than to help and try to please our gurus.

Śrīla Atulananda Ācārya :
“Resolutions for a New Year”
http://www.atulanandadas.cl/
http://vrindanews.com/chat/newyear.html

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/

CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS AROUND THE WORLD

CHRISTMAS MARKED
AROUND THE WORLD

Agencies - Today Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus around the world. People are celebrating Christmas in ways both spiritual and secular. Here's a look at some of the ways the holiday is being marked around the globe. Thousands of Christians from the over the world packed Manger Square in Bethlehem Monday to celebrate the birth of Jesus in the ancient West Bank town where he was born. For their Palestinian hosts, this holiday season was an especially joyous one, with the hardships of the Israeli occupation that so often clouded previous Christmas Eve celebrations eased by the United Nations' recent recognition of an independent state of Palestine. 
Festivities led up to the Midnight Mass at St. Catherine's Church, next to the Church of the Nativity, built over the grotto where tradition says Jesus was born. Hundreds of people greeted Twal in Manger Square, outside the Church of Nativity, with children dressed in holiday finery or in Santa costumes, and marching bands playing in the streets. 

In the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI lit a Christmas peace candle set on the windowsill of his private studio. Pilgrims, tourists and Romans gathered below in St. Peter's Square for the inauguration Monday evening of a Nativity scene and cheered when the flame was lit. Later, the pope led Christmas Eve Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, prayed that Israelis and Palestinians live in peace and freedom, and asked the faithful to pray for strife-torn Syria as well as Lebanon and Iraq. In Iraq, Christians gathered for services with tight security, including at Baghdad's Our Lady of Salvation church. 
Winners of Spain's cherished Christmas lottery celebrated Saturday in more than a dozen locations where lucky tickets were sold, a moment of uplift for a country enduring another brutal year of economic hardship. It is an annual tradition in Thailand - elephants dressed as Santa Claus on parade, handing out toys to school children. In Mexico, Santa takes a human form, going for a swim with the fishes, delighting children at a zoo or the streets.

Christmas is being celebrated around the world, with Christians exchanging gifts and greetings to mark the traditional date of the birth of Jesus Christ. Wherever Christians live around the world, the routines of daily life are coming to a stop as people pause to celebrate Christmas, sometimes in unique ways. While thousands of pilgrims are gathered in Manger Square in the Palestinian town of Bethlehem, the town where Jesus is said to have been born, others go to pray at various ceremonies and Christmas church services in their local churches. However, many people around the world enjoy the celebration just shopping, going to family reunions or wearing Santa Claus costumes, eating, drinking and sharing gifts.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Jesus is a consciousness of God. Of pure delivery to the Lord. Therefore he is a master to these days,  because he has delivered something eternal. ... Thus, remembering Jesus, we also remember all the genuine gurus who have illuminated us on our way, as all form a same family dedicated to bring us to God. ... Let’s hope that on the day of Jesus, more than one soul remember him and not give most attention to the ridiculous Father Christmas. It is a great sadness to see how this day, which should be so sacred for the Christians, has become more and more profane each year. Who will give a present to Jesus? Who will sing to him on his altar? Just a few people are doing it! But we shouldn’t be surprised; this is the effect of Kali yuga. Well the devotees of Krishna, they certainly do celebrate and sing your glories in your divine and wonderful eternal and progressive immortality. Jay, Merry Christmas!

Śrīla Atulananda Ācārya :
“Jesus and His Message of Universal Love”
“Merry Christmas in Krishna Consciousness”
Santiago, Chile - 22 Dec 2005
http://www.vrindanews.com/nectar/christmas.html
http://www.atulanandadas.cl/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/