Ayurveda Initiative For Global Health

The science of birth and death which is briefly mentioned in the vedas is explained in Upanisads and thoroughly expanded in the puranas. This condition of living entity is called Samsara (Material existence). The word samsara (cycle of birth or rebirth) appears more than thousand times in various vedic scriptures.  The ancient Vedic people belived in an afterlife and spiritworld. The Vedic recycling is beautifully explained in Rigveda - once dead, one’s “life” is indeed transferred to new system, in earth, sky or waters. (RV 10.16.3) But is that “reincarnation”? No, it is a mere recycling of the constituents of the body, that become the life-promoting cells in another part in this earth.  Rebirth is conditioned and driven by the doctrine of Karma. Several verses of the Rig Veda speak of rebirth (punarjanam),    पुनर्नः सोमस्तन्वं ददातु पुनः पूषापथ्यां या सवस्तिः ||  शं रोदसी सुबन्धवे यह्वी रतस्य मातरा | (Rigveda 10.59.7) Once again give me this earth...

The Master's Voice 24 In olden days, the Indian village hired a night-watchman to keep down crime and accidents. He would go around the streets and lanes with a square metal lantern, open only at the front. The watchman could see, wherever the lantern cast its light. No rays of light fell on him, who carried the lantern. If you wanted to see who the watchman was, you had to ask him to turn the lamp back on his own face. We are like that!  Our eyes (ears, tongue, etc.) are all facing outward, looking at and feeling the things of the world. The Master's say, "if you want to see The Lord, turn the lamp around; look within and find the Source of all the light." The Master's say, "Our consciousness is spread wide across the world. It is scattered here and there. Hence, our consciousness is restricted to the initial 3 levels of consciousness. The Dream, Sleep and Wake consciousness." These consciousness, according to The Saints are within the ambit of Cycle of...

It's Durian season and while you're in Singapore or any other South East Asian country, you can't ignore this "King of fruits". The durian is the edible fruit of several tree species belonging to the genus Durio. There are 30 recognised Durio species, at least nine of which produce edible fruit. Durio zibethinus is the only species available in the international market, other species are sold in their local regions. It is native to Borneo and Sumatra. The durian stands out in the fruit market for its large size (up to 30 cm long and 15 cm in diameter) strong odour, and thorn-covered rind. It typically weighs 1 to 3 kilograms. Its shape ranges from oblong to round, the colour of its spiny skin varies from green to brown, and its creamy flesh ranges from pale yellow to red, depending on the species. Some people regard the durian as having a pleasantly sweet fragrance, whereas others find the aroma overpowering with an unpleasant o...

I was in 10th grade when I was diagnosed with migraine. I regularly suffered from nausea and vomiting. The pain would last between 4 to 72 hours at a stretch. The medical industry has a term for this pain - “migraine without aura”. It means I was extremely sensitive to light and sound. I couldn’t stay hungry beyond a time. I used to take painkillers when I suffered the attack and this continued throughout, and even after, my engineering.   On my friend's insistence I joined The Art of Living Happiness Program. After doing the Sudarshan Kriya for the first time, I felt a sense of calm and lightness. I came back home with a smile and I had the deepest sleep ever in months. Practicing Sudarshan Kriya every day ensured that I didn’t have migraine attack for next one year. Even if I suffered a migraine attack, it didn't last beyond 4 hours and the frequency has reduced to once in 2 months or even less. It was not that I never faced challenges or never felt low, but the Sudarshan Kr...

Elephants are symbol of power and prestige, the Nobel animal became the vehicle of the Royals. Some time later this was extended to protector of the Kings and his people. Festival and Elephant are integral part of Malayalee culture.  Elephants are a part of temple rituals in Kerala. Many temples keep elephants. Elephants are respected as the form of Ganesh, son of Mahadev. As of elephants, Rigveda mentions in Mandala 6. On special occasions, the elephants are worshipped and fed by devotees to please Ganesh for well-being. Most of them are donated by devotees. Guruvayoor temple has 57 elephants. Guruvayur temple currently has 47 elephants.  There are numerous festivals but one that stands out is the elephant festival of Kerala. The event is known as Pooram Gajamela or Festival of Elephants. The elephant processions gather the largest crowds with music, percussion, and classical dance performances accompanied by lots of frenzy. One can cherish the sight of elephants ...