Thursday, October 27, 2011

Happy Diwali - 10-26-11

[India at night during Diwali - NASA photo]


Diwali

Diwali (also spelled Devali in certain regions) or Deepavali, popularly known as the "festival of lights," is a festival celebrated between mid-October and mid-November for different reasons. For Hindus, Diwali is one of the most important festivals of the year and is celebrated in families by performing traditional activities together in their homes. For Jains, Diwali marks the attainment of moksha or nirvana by Mahavira in 527 BC.

Deepavali is an official holiday in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Suriname, Malaysia, Singapore, and Fiji.

The name "Diwali" is a contraction of "Deepavali" (Sanskrit: दीपावली Dīpāvalī), which translates into "row of lamps". Diwali involves the lighting of small clay lamps (diyas or dīpas) in Sanskrit: दीप) filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil. These lamps are kept on during the night and one's house is cleaned, both done in order to make the goddess Lakshmi feel welcome. Firecrackers are burst in order to drive away evil spirits.

UPDATE: 11/26/11

This is an excerpt from a story posted at USA TODAY It seems the Diwali lights may not be quite what they seem! (Still, it's a great graphic!)

On Facebook, some photos too good to believe

"Last week, on Diwali — the Festival of Lights celebrated by Hindus and others — an incredible image began to spread on Facebook purporting to show India from a NASA satellite, with brilliant multicolored lights blanketing the country and viewable from space.

"The image carried the caption: "India at night during Diwali NASA."

"That's apparently all the proof many needed. The image was shared an untold number of times — at one count, it was well over 100,000 — with exultations such as "Amazing!" and "What a cool photo!"
"Just one problem: It wasn't from Diwali. It's not even a real photograph.

"The image, made in 2003, is actually a composite of satellite images of India from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, according to Chris Elvidge, a physical scientist at NOAA's National Geophysical Data Center.

"The composite of cloud-free satellite images is intended to show population growth over time, Elvidge said. The white lights depict where populations were centered before 1992 and more colored lights were added in subsequent years to show the movement of people.

"The original poster appears to have been a single Facebook user near Hyderabad, whose post has been shared more than 87,000 times."


So....there you have it! :-)

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

2011 10 26 Anthony de Mello Tribute

Today's 11-video, 68 minute playlist is a Thank You to Phil for introducing me to the wonderful "Awareness" series of Anthony de Mello.

Anthony DeMello
http://www.demello.org/

Until his sudden death on June 2, 1987, Fr. Tony de Mello was the director of the Sadhana Institute of Pastoral Counseling near Poona, India. Author of five best selling books, renowned worldwide for his workshops, retreats, and prayer courses, he aimed simply to teach people
how to pray, how to wake up and live.

Most people, he maintained, are asleep. They need to wake up, open up their eyes, see what is real, both inside and outside of themselves. The greatest human gift is to be aware, to be in touch with oneself, one's body, mind, feelings, thoughts, sensations.



Anthony de Mello's Awareness series - all 56 parts! - may be viewed at:
http://awareness.tk/

TRIBUTE PART 1
1 - Gayatri Mantra ( 3 Times )  1:51

2 - Anthony de Mello - Awareness pt.1 on waking up 4:45

3 - Anthony de Mello - Awareness pt. 2 will i be of help to you? 6:20

4 - Anthony de Mello - Awareness pt. 3 and 4 7:21

5 - Anthony de Mello - Awareness pt. 5 on psychology 7:34

6 - Anthony de Mello - Awareness pt. 6 and 7 10:11


INTERLUDE:
7 - The sounds of silence: autumn pictures 3:45


TRIBUTE PART 2

8 - Anthony de Mello - Awareness pt. 8a masquerade of charity 10:06

9 - Anthony de Mello - Awareness pt. 8b masquerade of charity 8:26

(Part 9 is not included since it has been blocked on copyright grounds.)

10 - Anthony de Mello - Awareness pt.10 good bad or lucky 3:43


CLOSING
Om Tryambakam - The LIfe-Giving Prayer by IndiaJiva 4:22





Playlist url:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL08C4571D3ED94A25

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Virtual Kirtan 2011 10 19

Today's virtual kirtan is pretty cool! It plays for 62 minutes, features a nice mix of male and female vocalists, and has an international flavor with artists from Germany and Russia!

EnJOY!

1 - Gayatri Mantra V2 3:31

2 - Ganesha Sharanam by Narendra [in Germany] 7:39

3 - Shantala -"Purnamadah" 6:11

4 - OM Namah Shivaya - Krishna Das (Extended Version_HQ Audio) 9:55

5 - wah! - bolo ram 10:00

6 - HARE KRISHNA (by- JaiMa James & Friends) 10:18

7 - He Govinda He Gopal__Vicka Rimach [Moscow ISKON kirtan singer] 10:35

8 - MC Yogi - Shanti (Peace Out) 3:49





Playlist url
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3436AE60526895A4

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

2011 10 12 Satsang with Mooji

Today's Satsang is with Mooji. It includes two wonderful programs and plays for approximately 65 minutes.

EnJOY!



From  http://www.mooji.org/biography.html
Anthony Paul Moo-Young, known as Mooji, was born on 29 January 1954 in Port Antonio, Jamaica. In 1969, he moved to the UK and he is presently living in Brixton, London.

Mooji is a direct disciple of Sri Harilal Poonja, the renowned advaita master, or Papaji, as his followers call him.

In late November 1993, Mooji travelled to Indira Nagar in Lucknow to meet Papaji. It was to be an auspicious and profoundly significant experience on his spiritual journey. He felt it to be his good fortune; he had met a living Buddha, a fully enlightened master. He gradually came to recognise that Papaji was his Guru. Mooji stayed with Papaji for several months.


Opening:
Gayatri Mantra (27 Repetitions)  9:14



Satsang Part 1
Wake Up from this Hypnosis (1/3) ~ Mooji 10:42

Wake Up from this Hypnosis (2/3) ~ Mooji 9:51

Wake Up from this Hypnosis (3/3) ~ Mooji 10:17


Interlude:
Rainstorm Rain Drops Relaxation 2:02


Satsang Part 2
FULLY FEARLESS [1/2] ~ Mooji 14:42

FULLY FEARLESS [2/2] ~ Mooji 15:26


Closing:
asatoma sadgamaya by Lata Mangeshkar 2:01






Playlist url:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8A6554B211462016

Monday, October 3, 2011

Virtual Kirtan 2011 10 03

Traditional Indian artists make up today's virtual kirtan of ten songs that play for 68 minutes.

EnJOY!


1 - Anup Jalota - Maiya Mori Main Nahin Maakhan-Part1(must watch) 9:00

2 - Anup Jalota - Maiya Mori Main Nahin Makhan - Part2(must watch) 7:15

3 - Hanuman bhajan - Kumar Vishu 4:06

4 - Durga Chalisa 8:35

5 - Hanuman Chalisa (New) by Udit Narayan 7:07

6 - Om Jai Jagdish Hare ( Golden voice of Lata Mangeshkar )(must listen) 4:27

7 - Jai Mata Di - Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu - Maa Durga Mantra sung by Ram Shankar 9:10

8 - Krishna Govind Govind, Gopal Nandlal by Shri Vinod Aggarwal 5:25

9 - JAGJIT SINGH BHAJAN CONCERT  9:12

10 - Shiva Mahamrityunjaya Mantra by shri Ashwinkumar Pathak 4:30






Playlist url:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL84EEC70F6F54CC42