Vivek RadhaKrishnan

Vivek’s Review: The Habit of Winning

2011-11-28T23:53:00.001-08:00

I have recently purchased the book "The Habit of Winning" written by Mr Prakash Iyer, the book was a real eye opener for me, the book introduces us to many people who fought their way in life evethough all the odds were stacked against them – stories of determination to make it big in life come what may. I knew this author by reading many of his motivational articles in magazines like Careers 360.

In the book I was most captivated by the story about india's miracle batsman Sachin Tendulkar who was badly injured during match against Pakistan in Sialkot in December 1989 and was bleeding profusely when the cricket ball thrown by Waqar Younis hit his nose, eventhough everyone was expecting him to retire he said 'Main Khelega" meaning I will continue to play and went on to make 57 runs, he was just 16 years old at that time. The author wanted to explain through all this that it is attitude and determination to reach one's goals in life that makes the difference between winners and also rans in the long run.

Also there is the story of the 2 frogs that fell in a pot of milk and the one which escaped churned the milk continuosly with it's legs that made butter from the milk and was eventually able to escape by jumping off from the top of butter and to freedom whereas the other frog that perished and drowned after it lost hope and stopped churning the milk soon before the butter surfaced. It is a reminder to us all that in life it is not the able bodied that wins life's races, but the man who thinks he can and strives with appropriate means to reach his goals whether spiritual or material.

What impressed me most about this book was the way in which the articles were categorized under various pillars that make up for success like Vision and goals, Self Belief, Perseverance etc..

What is more unique about this book that I have observed unlike other motivational literatures which I have read so far is the absence of any cooked up methods that assure success, this is a very practical book which will definitely make you think on your feet by way of examples and cogent presentation of ideas and view the stories and apply them in relation with one's own life situations. I feel this book is one of the most genuine and interesting piece of motivational literature that I have read till now in my life, all the very best to the author.

Business Process Modelling

2011-11-28T10:08:00.001-08:00

I was fortunate enough to have been chosen by our top management to attend the training programme conducted by our italian colleagues from group head quarters for business process mapping using a specialized high end software application called MEGA. This tool enabled us to map the Maintenance process in our indian subsidiary. Our team went on to develop the context diagram and all descriptive word documents for explaining the work flow of the indian maintenance process and all the subprocesses that are involved in it, we have identified the following subprocesses under the maintenance activity:

Maintenance Planning
Maintenance Scheduling
Maintenance Execution
Subcontractor Management
Performance evaluation

These subprocesses hold good for maintenance activities done in all our indian subsidiary's cement plants as well as grinding units. The ultimate aim of making this work is to let our top management compare and do the GAP analysis between the various subsidiaries maintenance processes and subprocesses, if during the GAP analysis the company's subsidiary in one country is found to follow a better, effiecient and cost effective strategy, then we can propose to subsidiaries in other countries to follow the same.

Business process modelling is a niche field and comes under the broader spectrum of corporate governance. It helps companies to build a corpus of knowledge of their existing business processes(Production, Maintenance, Sales, Procurement, HR etc..) and helps to optimize the way in which the whole company itself is operated, From the context diagram we can identify clearly the interaction between different elements that make up the business process. More than just documentation work it helps companies to stream line their operations in a much better way and to have an upper hand over their competitors. This is strictly an intellectual property belonging to the company alone and is issued only after endorsement by top management.

Gaura Purnima ISKCON Bergamo 2010

2010-03-09T13:40:00.000-08:00

Gaura Purnima is the appearance day of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the secret avatar of Lord Sri Krishna in Kaliyuga to spread the holynames of Krishna and Rama in an age noted for its degradation, unrest, hipocrisy, deceit etc.... To save the conditioned souls of Kaliyuga Lord has descended on the earth some 500 years back in the holy land of Bharath Varsha to preach the congregational chanting of the holy Harekrishna mahamantra.
Chaitanya mahaprabhu is merciful on all living entities and he taught that the loving devotional service to god only can save the soul or jivas from the ocean of material existence in which the 4 fold miseries birth, death, disease and old age are repeating all over the material world.
Gaurapurnima was celebrated with pomp and joy by devotees in the ISKCON Centre in Chignolo di isola on 28/2/2010. There were Bhagavad gita class, ecstatic kirtan and prasada for everyone who attended the programme. May the blessing of lord sri chaitanya the master of the universe be upon all the suffering living entites of this world!

Keep It Strategic, Simon

2009-10-01T06:31:00.001-07:00

It’s all about Momentum. Methodically, one step after another, gradually build Momentum.

Work with what you have, invest it intelligently to get more. Then reinvest.

Follow the same principles: Contact, Cultivate, Commit, Coordinate. Everything that you build using the resources that you collect along the way has to stay within this formula. Don’t get deviated at any point to doing things that do not contribute to this strategic focus or you will lose momentum.

Don’t do anything “for the sake of doing it”, because “it’s a good idea”, because “it will please the devotees”, or in other words without a clear and rigorous understanding of how it fits in to this strategy. Each step has to have the following characteristics:

Strategic - this means that it contributes to the pipeline by either creating the next step in the pipeline or enhancing an existing one.
Sustainable - this means that you can sustain it without destroying your existing team or overly depleting your resources.
Synchronous - it’s all about timing. When you push a swing, if you push at the right time, it will go higher. Push at the wrong time, and you’ll stop it dead. Do the right thing at the right time to increase momentum. Do even a “right thing” (sustainable and strategic) at the wrong time and watch everything stop dead in its tracks. See this article of mine for a description of the symptoms of asynchronous ailments.

It’s all about creating, sustaining, and increasing momentum.

It’s kind of like playing Katamari Damacy. Not that I’ve ever played it, or even seen it, but I’ve heard enough about it to know what it is.

You have to have people with strategic leadership aptitude who can analyze each step to make sure that it will contribute to momentum, and isn’t simply a misstep. You have to measure things carefully and step back if you do take a misstep, and quickly, or you can get bogged down.

Lord Ganesha

2009-10-01T06:27:00.001-07:00

Five lessons from Ganesh

Of all the multitudes of deities and gods that constitute the Hindu religion, Lord Ganesha is probably one of the most loved and revered of all, regardless of individual beliefs and customs. Considered the god of good beginnings and wisdom, it is in his name that new ventures are undertaken and important life decisions made.

While there are many spiritual lessons to be learned from the stories of Lord Ganesha, there are some lessons that find a place in our every-day professional and personal lives as well. We take a look at some of them:

Act in good faith

Whatever Lord Ganesha undertook, he undertook with conviction and self-belief. It was the belief that his actions were in his and his mother Parvati's best interests is what governed his thoughts and translated into challenging acts, feats that improved his abilities and honed his skills.

It is this that we need to inculcate in ourselves, in the way we work. Any job, if it is worth doing, is worth doing well. Whatever the task you are faced with, face it with courage and conviction and do it to the best of your ability. At the end of the day, even if your effort goes unrecognised, you have the satisfaction of knowing that you gave it your best shot

Depend on yourself

One of the other names Ganesha is known as is Vinayak, meaning master of oneself. This signifies independence in thought and action. Whether in one's professional or personal life, one must act on one's beliefs after due consideration of relevant factors. Take ownership and responsibility for your actions and their outcome. Just knowing that you alone are responsible will make you take the decision that much more seriously.

Every obstacle can be overcome

Lord Ganesha is also known as Vigneshwara, one who removes obstacles. It is for this reason that he is invoked in times of crisis by believers and also why business ventures are started with a puja (prayer ceremony) in his name. Removing obstacles is his religion.

To take this a step further, one must believe that every obstacle can be overcome. One must also make removing obstacles a dharma in one's own life. Whether in your professional or personal life, with the right attitude -- a never-say-die attitude -- even what seems like the most insurmountable difficulty can be handled without your world falling to pieces. All you need is faith in yourself.

Modesty

Lord Ganesha is considered one of the most powerful gods in Hinduism, unlike the other gods who choose bejeweled chariots, his vehicle is the modest mouse. The mouse is seen to signify darkness and, as the Lord's vehicle, is believed to signify the journey from darkness (or ignorance) to light or enlightenment.

Another interpretation is that Ganesha wins hearts through simple methods, and this too holds a lesson. A shiny car or extravagant lifestyle might impress, but to win hearts, the simplest way is through one's actions -- through simple gestures of affection and respect.

Seek knowledge

While Lord Ganesha has been attributed with many of the qualities proverbially credited to elephants, the most well-known are the ears and trunk -- which suggest curiosity, the quest for wisdom and knowledge. His large head and ears are said to indicate an open-minded attitude that helps him accrue wisdom.

These are qualities that we could do well to adopt to improve and grow as a person. Read, explore, listen and learn -- nothing is irrelevant and nothing insignificant. Only when one educates oneself and listens to all sides of an argument can one judge what one truly believes in, what one wants and how it can be achieved. that every obstacle can be overcome. One must also make removing obstacles a dharma in one's own life. Whether in your professional or personal life, with the right attitude -- a never-say-die attitude -- even what seems like the most insurmountable difficulty can be handled without your world falling to pieces. All you need is faith in yourself.

Three Parrots -Funny story!!

2006-12-15T06:18:00.001-08:00

A man wanted to buy his son a parrot as a birthday present.The next day
he went to the pet shop and saw
three identical parrots in a cage.
He asked the clerk, "how much for the parrot on the right?
The owner said it was $250.
"$250", the man said. "Well what does he do?
"He knows how to use all of the functions of Microsoft Office 2000,
responds the clerk. "He can do all of your spreadsheets and type all of
your letters."
The man then asked what the second parrot cost.
The clerk replied, $500, but he not only knows Office 2000, but is an
expert computer programmer.
Finally, the man inquired about the cost of the last parrot.
The clerk replied, "$1,000."
Curious as to how a bird can cost $1,000, the man asked what this bird's
specialty was.
The clerk replies, "Well to be honest I haven't seen him do anything.
But the other two call him " Project Manager "

What is our natural condition?

2006-12-14T23:54:00.005-08:00

The greatest disease is false pride. I will recite an example from the
Bible. Lord Jesus Christ was traveling through out Palestine Jerusalem
area spreading the pure message of love of God. His message was seeking
out the kingdom of God but the kingdom of God is within you. Ah. If you
do not understand the kingdom of God within you, you are a sick man
because you are in an unnatural condition. In Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna
says, "mamaivamso jiva-loke jiva-bhutah sanatanah". That every living
being is part of God. All the qualities of God is within you, you are
eternal, you are full of bliss you are eternally the servant of God. In
the Upanishads it is explained nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam that
there is one supreme eternal person and there are infinite subordinate
dependent eternal persons who are we, and we are constantly depending
and under the supreme command of that one Supreme God. So this is our
natural condition to know God and to love God.

Source H H Radhanath Swami Maharaj

THE HONEST WOOD CUTTER

2006-12-14T23:54:00.003-08:00

Once upon a time in the olden days there lived a wood cutter in a
village in indian.His name was Gautham and he was very poor.One day he
went to the forest near by his village to cut wood.He started cutting
wood next to a river.As he started cutting the wood his axe which was
made up of iron slipped out of his hand and fell in the river.gautham
became verry sad as his only source of earning his livelihood is in
danger as he was too poor even to afford another axe.He started to
cry,upon hearing his cries the god of the river came up out of the river
and asks gautham th reason for his lamentation.Gautham narrates the
whole story-Now the god of the river tries to put him into test to see
whether he is honest or not.
The god of the river asks him not to cry and then vanishes into the
river and after some time bring out a golden axe and asks gautham
whether this is his axe or not-Gautham though surprised replied to god
that it was a golden axe and that his was made of iron.Now the god
vanishes into the river and after some time bring out a silver axe and
asks gautham whether this is his axe or not-again gautham remains
truthful.
The god of the river becomes very happy at his honesty and blesses
him-god gives him all the 3 axes and says to him that sell all the axes
in the maket and with that money live happily for the rest of your life.

MORAL-Honesty is the best policy

VARIOUS VARIETIES OF ITALIAN COFFEE

2006-12-14T23:54:00.001-08:00

I live and work in Italy for the last one year, one of the most striking things that I found about Italians was that they are great lovers of coffee.In fact offering coffee is considered to be a sign of good will.Italians drink coffee in the morning, afternoon after the lunch and in the night after having dinner (officially)-they may be drinking more in between also.
In my company there are coffee machines in each and every floor of our 6 storied building-all people from a common labourer to the manager loves to drink coffee.I have a friend working in my company who worked for the Italian coffee machines maker Saeco some years back.
Italian coffee is different from Indian coffee and sometimes Indians may find it them too strong to drink-but Italians are used to these things anyway-even a friendly talk begins over a cup of coffee.I have a coffee making machine in my house-Italians call it Caffetierà(of the Moka company).The various types of coffee available in Italy are-
Caffè Espresso(Is a very strong coffee without milk), Caffè Lungo(more in quantity with milk), Caffè macchiato, Cappuccino(common nowadays in India also in big cities), Cappuccino con cioccolato(Cappuccino with chocolate),Moccaccino,Latte Macchiato(very similar to Indian coffee), Caffè Decaffeinato, Caffè Macchiato Decaffeinato,Cappuccino Decaffeinato, Caffè d'orzo(coffee with oats in it), Caffè d'orzo Macchiato,Cappuccino d'orzo(Cappuccino with oats-orzo in Italian means oats).
In my office there are many coffee vending machines and we can select anyone of these by using the coffee key(la chiavè per caffè).Apart from there there are places called "Bar" where they sell coffee at a much higher price.The most intriguing thing I found in Italy is that there is no 'Cold Coffee' available-I tried this first in India in Vijayawada in a Caffè Coffee day franchise.

ARANMULA KANNADI-THE MIRROR FROM ARANMULA,KERALA

2006-12-13T23:47:00.005-08:00

Kannadi in Malayalam means mirror,the name of mirror conjures up in our
mind the image of a glass-but Aranmula Kannadi is made from a specific
metal alloy- the composition of which is a fiercely guarded secret by
the traditional craftsmen family of this area-this knowledge transfered
from father to son and no one outside the family knows about their
secret.
Aranmula is a place in central kerala in the alleppy district and is
famous for its craftsman who make world renowned Aranmula Kannadi or the
Aranmula mirror-these crafts men are associated with Aranmula Sri
Krishna Swamy temple which is famous for its "Palpayasam prasadam" like
Tirupathy Laddus.
Legend had it that the king of Aranmula once invited the forefathers of
these craftsmen to his kingdom for the construction of the temple of
Lord Krishna.The craftsmen were very talented people and they earned the
appreciation of the king very quickly for the expert work that they were
performing and they slowly began to get egoistic-on hearing this the
king ordered them to get out of his country since they started to boast
of their ability and they claimed that they are better than the king
himself-these developments did not amuse the King of Aranmula and he
ordered the the head craftsman to be hanged to death.Upon hearing the
verdict the whole craftsmen families were terrified and all of
them-young and old realized their folly of of becoming too proud of
themselves that they went to the Krishna temple and started praying to
Krishna for help to save themselves from king's wrath.
On that very night the head craftsman had a dream while he was fast
asleep that Krishna came to him and revealed the composition of a metal
mixture with which they should make the mirror and then present to the
king as a gift so as to calm him down-the next day morning the head
crafts man who got the dream assembled all his kinsmen and began to
explain what he has seen in his dream.Amazed and excited they at once
started to make the mirror which is the forerunner of todays famous
Aranmula Kannadi(Aranmula Mirror) and they presented this mirror as a
gift to the king.The king was so overjoyed that he allowed the craftsmen
to settle in Aranmula and continue making the Aranmula Kannadi.Aranmula
kannadi is in fact a marvel of mettalurgy in kerala.

DIWALI-The unique festival of lights

2006-12-13T23:47:00.003-08:00

Diwali or 'Deepawali',as it is known as,is the festival of lights.It is
celebrated all over India with great enthusiasm and joy. The celebration
of Diwali finds its roots in the Hindu religion. On this day Lord Ram
had returned to his kingdom Ayodhya after demolishing the demon Ravan.
The people enlightened the whole city with diyas to welcome Lord Ram. It
is thus a festival to mark the victory of good over the evil. Diwali
falls on Amavasya that is a 'no moon night' and people enlighthen their
houses to conquer the darkness. It is a five day festival.

The first day is called Dhanteras - On this day people buy new utensils
or anything in gold or silver.

The second day is Choti Deepawali - On this day diyas are kept at any
dark corner of the house to symbolize that no evil can enter the house
in the lights.

The third day is Deepawali - People decorate their homes with
diyas,candles and decorative bulbs and lights. Laxmi Ganesh Pooja is
performed and then people light up crackers and enjoy themselves.Sweets
and rich food is also prepared at home to celebrate the festival.

The fourth day is Govardhan pooja on which the Govardhan pooja is
performed to celebrate the great deed of Lord Krishna who lifted
'Govardhan Parbat' on a single finger and gave protection to the people
from the heavy rains.

And the last day is Bhai dooj on which sisters put 'roli teeka' on their
brother's forehead and pray for their well being.
Deepawali is thus a unique light festival filled with joys and
happiness!

Stone & Leaf goes for pilgrimage to Kashi

2006-12-13T23:47:00.001-08:00

This is an imaginary but funny story for children narrated to me by my
Grandma while I was a child.This story is about two friends-A stone & a
leaf who decide to go to kashi(Present day Benares) for pilgrimage-In
fact Kashi also know as Varanasi is in the state of Uttarpradesh in
India and this city is considered to be very holy-Mother ganga flows
through this city and also there is the famous Kashi Vishwanath temple
there.In fact Varanasi is renowned since the days of antiquity to be a
great centre of hindu religious learning.
Ok now let us come back to the story.After many days of journey the
Stone and the leaf reaches Kashi ,takes darshan in all the important
temples and bath themselves in the holy ganges.
Before going to Kashi our little friends the stone and the leaf had a
fight with rain and wind for some silly reason and on their way back
home a heavy wind starts to blow and the leaf gets afraid and says to
the stone that this wind will blow me away,so you please help me-the
stone reciprocates to save his leaf friend from getting lost by sitting
on top of the leaf like a paper weight the wind blows and blows,but
nothing happens to our friends.
Now the wind stops blowing defeated,now the rain decides to interfere in
the matters,rain starts falling.Now it's the turn of the stone to get
nervous because he says that I will dissolve away in this rain so he
tells the leaf to help him-the leaf immediately climbs on top of the
stone and shield the stone from the attack by rain like an umbrella.This
time rain also gets defeated and stops itself.
Now our friends stone and leaf becomes very happy and they start to go
home.Wind and rain again starts to plot against our friends and both of
them attack the stone & the leaf at the same time-now stone& leaf are in
a helpless situation because if the stone tries to help the leaf by
sitting on top of it so as to prevent the leaf from flying away the rain
will dissolve the stone and if the leaf tries to shield the stone from
the rain,the wind will blow it away-so the stone & the leaf are now in a
very bad situation.The wind blew away the leaf and the stone got
dissolved in the torrential rains.This is the tragic ending of the 2
friends.

What are the most simple yet profound secrets of life?

2006-12-13T07:19:00.000-08:00

I found the answers in my room.

Roof said: Aim high!

Fan said: Be cool!

Clock said: Every min. is precious!

Mirror said: Reflect before you act!

Window said: See the world!

Calender said: Be up-to-date!

Door said: Push hard to achieve ur goals!

THE PURPOSE OF BEING CHALLENGED IN LIFE

2006-12-13T07:11:00.000-08:00

Most of us complain of having so much problems in life-but is there some
purpose in these painful moments-something to be learned,something to
take heart of??.Don't worry if you have problems! Which is easy to say
until you are in the midst of a really big one, I know. But the only
people I am aware of who don't have troubles are gathered in little
neighbourhoods. Most cities and villages have at least one. We call them
cemeteries. If you're breathing, you have difficulties. It's the way of
life. And believe it or not, most of your problems may actually be good
for you! How does problems makes us stronger,more disciplined people?It
makes us more disciplined,take a good hard look at our
shortcomings-something like a SWOT analysis.

Let us take a small but profound example of this fact.

Maybe you have seen the Great Barrier Reef , stretching some 1,800 miles
from New Guinea to Australia . Tour guides regularly take visitors to
view the reef. On one tour, the guide was asked an interesting question.
"I notice that the lagoon side of the reef looks pale and lifeless,
while the ocean side is vibrant and colourful," a traveller observed.
"Why is this?"

The guide gave an interesting answer: "The coral around the lagoon side
is in still water, with no challenge for its survival. It dies early.
The coral on the ocean side is constantly being tested by wind, waves,
and storms -- surges of power. It has to fight for survival every day of
its life. As it is challenged and tested it changes and adapts. It grows
healthy. It grows strong. And it reproduces."

Then he added this telling note: "That's the way it is with every living
organism." That's how it is with people. Challenged and tested, we come
alive! Like coral pounded by the sea, we grow. Physical demands can
cause us to grow stronger. Mental and emotional stress can produce
tough-mindedness and resiliency. Spiritual testing can produce strength
of character and faithfulness.

Great personalities like Mahatma Gandhi had to face a lot of problems
while fighting for indian independence-he was beaten up by the
british,jailed several times etc.. But he did not loose his confidence
and his faith in Ahimsa or non violence principle and he won the
independence for the indian populace.

Infact there is a chinese saying that there is a silver lining in
everycloud-in the chinese ideogram for danger-there are 2 meanings one
side being adversity and other being opportunity.

Infact the great scientist Einstein said that opportunities knock at the
door and at the same time they wear the cloak of problems which mask
themselves effctively.
The erstwhile president of the US Mr Abraham Lincoln was one such great
personality-the son of a wood cutter his life was wreaked with
problems-he had to study under the street light during his school days
and faced many reverses & tribulations in life only to emerge as a
stronger individual in life.

So, you have problems -- no problem! Just tell yourself, "There I grow
again; stronger and powerful!" -COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

INTERACTIVE LEARNING IN THE VEDIC TIMES

2006-12-12T23:45:00.005-08:00

We are all aware of modern learning techniques such as brain-storming,
GD and mind-maps for modern subjects like Management studies, but how is
it OK to use these to study scripture ?"But if we look back at our
ancient seers, we will find that they too used dynamic teaching
techniques.

When the standard class or lecture is in progress, sometimes, for some
of us, our mind gets distracted and starts to wander. We stop paying
attention to what is being said. It goes in through one ear and out
through the other ear. When hearing or listening itself doesnot take
place, then, where is the question of proper understanding and proper
application of sastra ?

When the same thing occurs in a children's SB class, they will indicate
honestly that they are distracted - by counting the fingers on their
hands, by pulling out threads from their socks, by trying to touch the
tip of their nose with their hand going around the back of the head !

But as adults we are conditioned. We have been taught to cover up and
conceal. So externally we will be sitting in rapt attention, as if
soaking in the nectar. Internally we may be making a shopping list,
planning our lunch menu or composing the next e-mail !

But the Interactive method of teaching and learning doesnot allow this
to happen. Everyone is involved, they share views and realizations, do
things together, talk to each other. They participate. Learning, even
learning difficult subjects becomes fun.

At times, when we refuse to accept a point parents or family elders are
trying to tell us, they will say in exasperation, " You will learn this
one day ! Life will teach you ! "

How does life teach ? By putting us through a certain experience.

In the Interactive method, there is also something called Experiential
Learning. In this method, the teacher plans and sets up a certain
situation in the classroom, makes the students go through different
steps and by the end of that experience they have learnt what otherwise
they maynot have learnt if the teacher simply told them the same thing
in a lecture.

This is exactly what Angira Muni did to Citraketu.

This great sage visited the king with the intention of imparting
transcendental knowledge. But to his dismay he found the king enmeshed
in material affairs, in material consciousness . Not really interested
in all this transcendental stuff.The Muni knew that if he simply gave a
class on this subject, the matter would go in through one ear and out
through the other ear of the king, without much registering in the
brain.

But Angira Muni being a determined and expert preacher looked for some
weakness in the king's situation which he could use as an opportunity to
preach.

In other words, he used the modern, SWOT analysis technique.

The king had one weakness. He desperately wanted to have a son. All day
and all night he pined for, lamented and prayed for a son.

So the great sage did some sacrifices, gave some blessings and
Citraketu's chief queen, Krityaduti gave birth to a son. Meanwhile the
Muni had left the scene with a prediction that a son would be born, but
that he would be the cause of great joy and great unhappiness. This
prediction mystified the king but soon he got completely absorbed in his
affection for his son.

Then the other queens of the king got jealous and poisoned the king's
son.

When the king was deep in lamentation Angira and Narada Munis reappeared
to complete teaching their lesson to the king. By their mystic powers,
the dead son briefly came back to life and preached to his parents about
the eternality of the soul, the impermanence of the material body, the
foolishness of lamenting when the body of a loved one is gone. Now, the
parents, having been put through this whole experience, having undergone
great suffering and misery where in the right mood to hear this. They
eagerly accepted all this knowledge and intelligently cut off their ties
of affection with this son.

In this way Angira Muni's goal was accomplished using this dynamic,
interactive method.

Kurilan Photography-Russian experiments on the existence of the soul

2006-12-12T23:45:00.003-08:00

It is interesting that in Russia they did experiments using Kurlian
photography. Kurlian photography is a new invention where they can
photograph the aura or the subtle energy coming out from human bodies or
any living entity's body, even of plants. They took a picture of a plant
with Kurlian photography. They cut off part of a plant leaf and it
showed in the Kurlian photograph and it showed in the Kurlian photograph
that the aura of the whole leaf is there even though part of the leaf
was cut off.
Also, depending on the state of mind, if someone photographed is really
in an angry mood, they will have a red aura around them and if they are
really medtating, it will be green. I don't know the exact colour
breakdown but parapsychologists are using it quite a bit.

So in Russia they did an experiment. They put a person on ECG , brain
scan etc,. and when he was about to die, they photographed him using
Kurlian photography. Just for the cause of science you could do that.
This person agreed that you cn photograph me dying using the Kurlian
photography and they did this. It showed the person's aura around his
body. This was in a big science conference, science and religion
conference, and different scientists were showing how they have been
studying these type of things.
So the instruments showed how the heartbeat stopped, the brain waves
stopped, the body was clinically dead, but the aura was still there !
After about five seconds after being clinically dead, the aura lifted up
over the body, stayed there for about twelve seconds and then went off.

According to the Bhagavad-gita, we have two bodies ; a gross body and a
subtle body and the atma or the living force is connected with the
subtle body. When the gross body dies, the living force goes with the
subtle body which will include the aura and goes onto its next birth
which is decided by higher natural laws.

So, the Russian experiments would seem to support or substantiate the
Vedic version.

The form of yoga that is a more active type of yoga is basically what we
practice : chaning, serving and meditating while we are doing
activities.
There are several practices of yoga : Jnana Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, the
eightfold yoga system and the yoga in knowledge, the Yoga in bhakti or
devotion and intelligence. In Krishna Consciousness we follow the Yoga
of intelligence and devotion.

ONE GOD FOR ALL RELIGIONS IN THE WORLD

2006-12-12T23:45:00.001-08:00

Today most people have a very superficial ritualistic approach to God.
In America; probably in India as well; in the Christian churches most
people come and think that if they offer prayers if they give their
donation on Sunday then they are taking care of their religious part of
life. Religion is become more of a traditional social approach to God
rather than a deep heart felt approach; rather (than) a desire to
surrender. Now what did Jesus teach in the bible? Lord Jesus Christ
taught either you are hot or you are cold but if you are lukewarm I spit
you out. Now Jesus is a representative of God. There is one God for all
the religions of the world. Just like the sun in the sky. It is the same
sun for all the different countries of the world although in English we
call it the sun. In India you may call the Surya. In Spain they call
sol, but it's the same sun but according to different languages he is
addressed by different names. So similarly God has different names
Jehova, Allah, Rama, Krishna, Madhusudhana. But we are speaking about
different qualification, different qualities different characters that
one supreme infinite God who is the father of all livings beings.

Souce:-H H Radhanath Swami Maharaj

KADALA(Chick Peas) CURRY-Kerala Special

2006-12-11T23:46:00.006-08:00

This is the step by step procedure for making tasty Kadala(malayalam
word) curry which is a very famous South Indian Dish-excellent for
consumption along with Dosa,Idly etc...In English Kadala is known as
Chick Peas,in Italian Cecci ,in Hindi it is known as Chole...

Steps

(1)Wash the Kadala with pure water and keep it soaked in water for the
whole night so that it will be ready for cooking in the morning.
(2)Start to boil the Kadala in water,add turmeric powder,2/3 tablespoons
of chilly powder-if the water level goes down continue adding water just
to keep the solids submerged in water(Cover the vessel with lid).
(3)Add adequate quantities of Coconut,coriander powder,curry leaves and
mix it inside a mixie with a little water addition so that you get a
paste like mass.
(4)Clean and cut enough onions by removing the outer skin and washing it
properly and keep it in a separate plate.
(5)Take a pan like vessel,add small quantity of oil and heat in low
flame-when the oil becomes hot add small quantity of mustard seeds,when
the seeds get fried put 2/3 nos of red chillies cut into half its
size,add few curry leaves and allow it to fry.when that too gets fried
add the onion kept in the plate and stir the whole thing till onion gets
slightly reddish in colour.
(6)Now add the kadala already boiled into the above pan(in step
no:5).Now add coconut cum masala paste into the vessel.If garam masala
is available add a small quantity of it also and boil the whole thing
well in high flame.
(7)Add salt to your taste -add enough water and boil it till the gravy
becomes thick
(8)The delicious kadala curry is ready to be served!!!

Source:-The original author is a famous keralaite cook cum retired bank
employee who can be contacted at rkptvpm@yahoo.com if you need some
further clarifications....

THE EASY WAY TO LEARN DIFFICULT WORDS

2006-12-11T23:46:00.005-08:00

Language is actually the ripened fruit of human evolution,infact quality
of communication affects the quality of your life-Difficult words often
give us trouble for writing properly,pronunciation etc..We must learn to
link the foreign word with some other word which sounds similar in your
language.Pay attention to the differences in style and content.
I learn Italian language since I live in italy which is my first trist
with a European language other than English.There are many words in
Italian that sounds like English like Festa for festival,Finale for
final,Descrizione for description,Innovazione for innovation-so in this
way we must try to find out the links in the language which we must
learn with those we already know.These are some basic memory techniques
that can be applied in the process of learning any new language.
Another eye cathing example is the German word 'Kindheit' means
childhood in English.The sound of german suffix 'heit' is similar to
English 'hood' while 'kind' and 'child' sounds similar.Just think of the
German word 'kindergarten' which is used in English to describe a
nursery school or preschool.
Through these powerful yet sublime techniques and of course by patient
and rigorous training,followed by logical thought processes we can
tackle any difficult word in any language.

Sri Padmanabha Swamy Temple-Trivandrum,Kerala

2006-12-11T23:46:00.003-08:00

Location:
Sri Padmanabha Swamy temple is located in Trivandrum the beautiful
capital city of Kerala state in India.This temple is located almost in
the main centre of Trivandrum city known as East fort area.

Legend:
Infact the name of Trivandrum is a corrupted form of
Thiruvananthapuram-the city of Sri Anantha Padmanabha swamy-who is
Vishnu reclining on the famous serpent Anantha.This temple is very
ancient and is inseparable linked with the history of erstwhile
Travancore.Legend had it that when Padmanabha Swamy manifested himself
in this world his deity was 13 Km long which extended from
Thiruvallam(head portion) to Tripadapuram(feet portion).Villwamangalathu
swamy who was a great devotee of the lord was in charge of performing
poojas for Padmanabha Swamy-Villwamangalathu swamy was a very old
brahmana-it is said that in the morning he did poojas at bhagavans head
portion,in the afternoon he had to travel to eastfort on foot and perfom
poojas at bhagavans belly portion and in the evening he must travel to
Tripadapuram to do poojas at bhagavans feet portion-many days passed and
the old brahmana was getting tired of this and he personally requested
the lord to reduce in size and confine himself only to Eastfort area
where the temple and hence the deity is currently located.The form of
Vishnu that we see as Padmanabha Swamy is actually Garbhodakashayi
Vishnu.This temple is 8th most important in all the 108 Vaishnava
temples put together.The sanctum sanctorum is made from 10008 salagram
silas taken from the Gandaki river in Nepal.
Historically the rulers of Travancore are know as Padmanabha dasa
meaning servants of Padmanabha Swamy. The kings of travancore perform
Arattu festival where the members of the royal family lead by the king
personally carries the archa vigraha of Padmanabha Swamy to Sanghumugham
beach. Padmanabha Swamy temple is actually vaikuntha because of the
serene peace and anxiety less moments that you experience when you
enter the temple(Vaikuntha means without kunthas or sorrows).

Spiritual and Architectural marvel:

The temple is an excellent piece of South Indian temple
architecture-there are exellent stone carvings on the pillars and also
many beautiful oil and wall paintings.There is also the saptaswara
mandapa where there is a stone pillar which makes the saptasvaras.There
are many big vessles(including cheena bharani) for cooking for
Padmanabha Swamy that it was once used to make food to thousands of
pilgrims every day. It is also possible to see the the sea from the
gopura of this temple and also a scenic view of trivandrum city if you
go to the top of this gopuram.The kodimaram(flag post) of this temple
has a Garuda who is the vahana of Vishnu.Various sculptures expounding
the various aspects of hindu mythology like Kuchela
Vrithantham,Ganjendra Moksham,Killing of demon hiranya kashipu by
Narasimha deva are all depicted elaborately.
There is also the Padam(feet impression) of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who is
the incarnation of Lord Sri Krishna in Kali yuga-who spread the chanting
of Hare Krishna Mahamantra as a means of deliverance for all
conditioned souls in this material world
"HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE
HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE"
He said this mantra will spread in each and every town and village in
this world to deliver the fallen souls in Kaliyuga the age of quarrel
and hyprocrisy.
There is a hanuman statue in this temple which is covered by ghee and
once there was a fire in this temple but the ghee did not melt-devotees
still offer vadamala to Hanuman Swamy.Before enetering the sanctum
sanctorum of Padmanabha Swamy there is a Narasimha deva kovil.
Padmanabha Swamy can be seen through 3 doors-head,belly and feet portion
respectively.Recently while cleaning the statue of Padmanabha Swamy they
found golden ornaments hidden expertly in black for centuries to avoid
the Muslim invader-Tipu Sultan from Mysore looting the temple gold.There
is also brahma sitting on the lotus emerging from the navel of
Padmanabha Swamy.On the way out there is a Ram-Lakshman-Sita kovil.There
is also a very beautiful Krishna Kovil nearby.There is a well inside the
temple and its believed to be a wish fulfilling pond-throw a coin and
wish smething and you will definitely get it done. There is a pond near
the temple called Padmatheertha which is considered to be very holy by
many pious souls in olden days elephants were employed to clean the pond
through their massive footsteps.The elephants were introduced in the
pond and they agitate the whole pond and afterwards the water is drained
out.There are many varieties of fishes in this pond but fishing and
feeding them is strictly prohibited.There is also the famous Ananthan
Kadu near by Padmanabha Swamy temple.There is also a clock tower near
this temple called "Methan Mani" which is a mechanical clock-it looks
like an ordinary clock with the face of a muslim inside it and 2 toy
goats at the 2 sides of the face-suppose the time is 2 in the
afternoon,the bell rings twice and with each ringing of the bell the
muslim opens his mouth in a funny way and the 2 goats hit him on his
cheek.This is a very amusing sight to see.

MY INTENTION FOR DOING BLOGGING

2006-12-11T23:46:00.001-08:00

Hi blog friends,I am a new entry into the world of blogging.I created my
own niche in the world of blogging by opening my own blog site very
recently. I intend to share whatever good ideas,knowledge and
impressions about peoples,places,career,way of living-anything under the
sun you name it..... for the good of people all around the world.
I found blogger as a really amazing form/tool of existence & expression
of our personality on the net-It's free for all and people can express
whatever they want to at the same time remaining in a state of
anonymity(if they wish).Some internet sites provide chat rooms,mailing
services,instant messaging-all that is good but none of them have so
profound a reach as blogger.Blogger is some kind of an album or a canvas
where you express yourself freely and comprehensively.Earlier I was
thinking blogging to be a waste of time but now iam waking up slowly and
confidently to its potential.

CEMENT MANUFACTURING PROCESS PART (2)

2006-12-07T06:39:00.000-08:00

(E)Raw Meal Homogenisation:-After the raw meal powder is collected in dedusting devices they are send to Homogenising Silos(Pneumatic) for better homogenization inorder to produce a uniform kiln feed to avoid process problems.

(F)Pyroprocessing Section:- The homogenized raw meal is then fed into a Suspension Preheater with Precalciner arrangement where they undergo complete dehydration and partial decarbonation(upto 96%) in contact with the hot flue gases originating from the combustion process of fuels(coal,animal meal,plastics etc...) inside the kiln.The flow of material and gas are counter current with respect to each other.The various stages of Preheater tower are called cyclones which are connected by ducts.This partially calcined raw meal enters the kiln which is the heart of the cement manufacturing process and then in the burning zone the material becomes semi liquid and formation of clinker starts at temperatures of 1300-1400°C. The clinker so formed then falls into the clinker cooler where the clinker undergoes sudden cooling(quenching).This sudden cooling of clinker helps to arrest the clinker phases,helps in valuable heat recuperation back into the kiln,avoid formation of large periclase(MgO) crystals which are detrimental to clinker strength.
The various clinker phases are C3S,C2S,C3A & C4AF which are known as Alite,Belite,Aluminate and Ferrite respectively.Alite give early strength,Belite later strength,Aluminate hydration properties and Ferrite provides the colour.The average thermal consumption for the cement manufacturing process with Suspension Preheater and precalciner is about 650-750Kcal/Kg.Clinker.

(G)Clinker Storage and Cement Grinding stage:-The clinker so formed is transported to either clinker silos or a clinker storage shed where the clinker is stored for about 1-2 weeks prior to grinding-this process is called seasoning of clinker and gives better results with respect to cement properties.
The seasoned clinker which has a size of about 1.5-3 cm is transported to Cement mills(horizontal/VRM) where they are ground along with gypsum(set retarder),slag and flyash for making different varieties of cement.The ground cement size is expressed as residue on 90 and 212 micron sieves.

(H)Cement Packing and Despatch Section:-This is the last stage of the cement manufacturing process.The cement powder from the cement mills is collected in dedusting devices like ESP and Bag Filters and then transported to cement silos to be send as bulk cement or send to cement packers to be sold as cement packets.

CEMENT MANUFACTURING PART (1)

2006-12-07T06:38:00.000-08:00

A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF CEMENT MANUFACTURING
PROCESS

Hi friends I thought to share my knowledge about cement process with you
since i work in the industry for the last one year.The work in cement
field is challenging and stimulating.You have to be a process man,you
must know something about mechanical equipments like Fans,Weigh
feeders,Bucket Elevators,You should have minimum working knowledge of
electronics also because in cement industry we use a wide array of
sensors and sophisticated equipments for measuring various process
parameters like temperature,pressure,flow rate etc...,also you should
possess good interpersonal skills and should be a manager to coordinate
and to extract work from others which matters a lot.
Cement is a low value but high volume product requiring huge investments
with long term payback periods requiring careful maintenance of assets
at regular planned intervals.

Definition of Cement:-

Cement is a hydraulic binder which means it forms a semi solid paste
when mixed with water which progressively gains strength under water in
due course of time.

Raw materials:-

The main raw materials used in the manufacture of cement
are(1)Calcareous materials like Limestone,Shale etc.. which contains
Calcium Carbonate in them as a major component,and (2)Argillaceous
materials like clay which provide oxides of Iron and Aluminium.

Various stages in cement manufacturing process

(A)Raw material extraction stage:-The main raw material being limestone
is quarried from limestone quarries and hauled to the crusher using
trucks or belt conveyors to a crusher for size reduction.The limestone
quarry is open cast type in contrast with coal quarry which is
underground.The quarry for limestone is divided into various benches
from which limestone is extracted by drilling,blasting with explosives
and eventual hauling to the cement plant.Limestone accounts for almost
70-90% of raw mix.
The other raw material is clay which is extracted from clay quarries
near the cement plants-in some cases the clay requires drying on account
of their high moisture content and stickiness.

(B)Limestone Crushing:- The quarried limestone must be amenable to
cement manufacturing process,so we must crush the limestone to suitable
size to feed it to the cement process for subsequent processing.The
various types of crushers used in cement industry are Hammer
crusher,Impact crusher,Jaw crusher,Gyratory crusher etc....All these
differ only in the mechanism which they employ for size reduction of
limestone-impact,shear etc...

( C )Preblending:-The limestone originating from different benches in
the limestone quarry is of different quality and therefore must be
preblended using a stacker reclaimer to get uniform quality of feed.

(D)Raw material Grinding:-At this stage the raw materials-Limestone,Clay
and additives are fed to the Raw Mill-which can be either a Ball Mill or
a Vertical Roller Mill(VRM)-Mainly impact & shear forces are utilized in
these equipments to effect size reduction.The ground material is
collected with the help of dedusting equipments like Electro Static
Precipitators(ESP) and Bag Filters.

THE BIRTH OF THE BHAGAVAD GITA

2006-12-07T05:34:00.000-08:00

The Battle of Kurukshetra began on the day known as Moksada Ekadasi. On
that day, Krishna enlightened Arjuna with the knowledge of Bhagavad-gita
liberating him. Each year this day is celebrated as Gita Jayanti.

The first verse of the Gita refers to Kurukshetra as dharma-kshetra, or
the field of dharma, indicating that it was already known as a holy
place.Today one can find many ancient temples and sacred lakes at
Kurukshetra, an area of about one hundred square miles between the
sacred rivers Saraswati and Drshadvati in Haryana state.

Kurukshetra was formerly known as Brahmaksetra, Brghuksetra, Aryavarta
and Samanta Pancaka. It became known as Kuruksetra because of the work
of King Kuru. He went there on a golden chariot and used the chariot's
gold to make a plow. He then borrowed Lord Siva's bull and Yamaraj's
buffalo and started ploughing. When Indra arrived and asked what he was
doing, he replied that he was preparing the land to grow the eight
religious virtues : truth, yoga, kindness, purity, charity,forgiveness,
austerity and celibacy.

Indra granted King Kuru a boon that anyone who died there while fighting
or doing penance would be admitted to heaven.

It is at Jyotisar ( five miles from the town of Kuruksetra ) where Lord
Krishna spoke the Gita. The exact spot is marked by a marble chariot
under a banyan tree that is said to to be over five thousand years old.

It is at Kuruksetra that Lord Krishna was reunited with the residents of
Vrindavan after a long period of separation.The loving exchange between
Krishna and the gopis at Kuruksetra is the esoteric meaning behind the
festival known as the Rathayatra. So whenever Hare Krishna devotees put
on rathayatras in cities around the world, they are celebrating the
glories of Kuruksetra.

KURUKSETRA'S HOLY SITES

Brahma Sarovar:

Lord Brahma is said to have created the earth here.During solar
eclipses, pilgrims come to take a dip in the Brahma Sarovar, the largest
lake here, observing an ancient tradition.

Samanta Pancaka :

Kuruksetra is known as Samanta Pancaka ( five lakes ) because Lord
Parasurama made five lakes from the blood of the ksatriyas He killed.

Baan Ganga or Bhishma Kunda :

This is where Arjuna shot an arrow into the earth and produced Ganges
water that gushed out like a fountain to quench the thirst of Bhishmadev
as he lay dying on the bed of arrows. This place is three miles from
Kuruksetra.

There is a second Baan Ganga where Arjuna shot an arrow and produced
drinking water for his chariot horses during his single combat with
Jayadratha.

Karnavadha :

A long trench where the wheels of Karna's chariot were stuck before
Arjuna killed him.

Chakravyuha :

It is here that Dronacarya arranged his army in the form of a cakra or
discus. Abhimanyu, son of Arjuna and Subhadra got into this formation
but couldnot get out and was subsequently killed.

SRILA PRABHUPAD AT KURUKSETRA

Sumati Morarjee who in 1965 gave Srila Prabhupada a free passage on her
steamship the Jaladuta remembers meeting him here for the first time in
the 1950s. Srila Prabhupad was sitting under a tree in Kuruksetra,
chanting on his beads. Sensing that he was a distinguished sadhu, she
approached him.She was impressed with his humility and devotion and she
mentioned this to him when he went to her for help to get to America.

In 1970, he passed through Kuruksetra on the way to Amritsar. In 1975 he
went to Kuruksetra with several disciples.He visited Jyotisar and
inspected the place carefully.

In 1996, Prabhupad's Centennial year, devotees purchased a parcel of
land in Jyotisar.At present ISKCON runs a small temple in Thaneswar, a
couple of miles from Brahma Sarovar. Devotees are planning, designing,
and raising funds for the complex Srila Prabhupad wanted in Jyotisar.
In 1996 itself, a prominent square in the town of Kuruksetra was named
after him : Bhaktivedanta Swami Chowk.

HOW TO GET THERE, WHERE TO STAY

Kuruksetra is a four hour train ride from Delhi.There are also direct
trains from Mumbai, Agra, Baroda,Chandigarh and Simla.

There are several inexpensive dharamsalas there. The best hotel in town
is the Neelkanthi Krishna Dham Yatri Niwas. In Jyotisar you can try the
secluded Canal Guest House.

( Material for this article was taken from BTG, March 2004 , Indian
edition.)

........................................................................
.

DESIRE IS THE STARTING POINT FOR SUCCESS

2006-11-09T07:22:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

The first thing that will contribute to reaching your goal
is that you simply want to reach it badly enough.
You must learn how to desire with sufficient intensity to be successful.

If you have the desire you have the power to attain success.
You can really have anything you want in life if you go after it.
But you have to want it.

As a drowning soul desires air,
as a shipwrecked person craves fresh water,
so must you feel that intense, eager, insistent, demanding,
ravenous desire for your success.

Your desire for success must be so strong within you
that it becomes the very breath of your life.
It must be your first thought when you wake up,
and your last thought when you go to bed at night.

You can have anything you want if you go after it with intensity.

Bravo!!

2006-11-06T10:26:00.000-08:00

DESIRE IS THE STARTING POINT FOR SUCCESS

Dear Friends,

The first thing that will contribute to reaching your goal
is that you simply want to reach it badly enough.
You must learn how to desire with sufficient intensity to be successful.

If you have the desire you have the power to attain success.
You can really have anything you want in life if you go after it.
But you have to want it.

As a drowning soul desires air,
as a shipwrecked person craves fresh water,
so must you feel that intense, eager, insistent, demanding,
ravenous desire for your success.

Your desire for success must be so strong within you
that it becomes the very breath of your life.
It must be your first thought when you wake up,
and your last thought when you go to bed at night.

You can have anything you want if you go after it with intensity.

2006-09-28T10:09:00.000-07:00

Vivekz_blog

Ciao Ragazzi;Io parlo Italiano-è una bella lingua.Abito a Bergamo in Lombardia-Bergamo è una bella città.Mi piace Bergamo.....
Anche i cibi italiani-Pizza,Pasta, sono molto buono !!!

2006-09-15T08:27:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Iam Vivek-iam basically a chemical engineering graduate with a PG in cement technology working for Italcementi Group in Bergamo,Italy.I collect Stamps,coins and currencies of foreign countries and iam also an avid gardener-because flowers gives pleasure not only to the gardener but also to the passersby on the roads.

I love reading science magazines,Asterix comics and Reader's digest!! I like to travel and explore unknown locations of the globe.

Thats all for the start,

VIVEK ,

PROJECT ENGINEER,

CTG SPA,INDUSTRIAL INSTALLATIONS SERVICE,ITALCEMENTI GROUP,

BERGAMO,ITALY