The popes and their private lives versus public sermon – C.I. Issac

The popes and their private lives versus public sermon C.I. Issac

https://ramamohanraocheruku.blogspot.com/2016/02/the-popes-and-their-private-lives.html

In the theological point of view, Pope John Paul II had violated the spirit of the Seventh and Tenth Commandments. In the contemporary social and ethical point of view, he had cheated his fellow priestly society, fellow nuns and laity, who blindly retained the belief that “sex is sin”. That is why they still follow chronic celibacy. While one was popularizing the Church’s ethical and theological postulates relating to sin, his pragmatic approach was in contrary to it. This is the sum and substance of the contemporary Church.” – Prof C. I. Issac

Sonia Gandhi & Pope John Paul II. Earlier, in an article titled “Saints for Sale” (Vijayvaani, May 11, 2009), I wrote about the new trend of the mushrooming births of saints in the galaxy of the Catholic Church.  The Church now considers elevation of some as saints is the stratum to survive in the emerging adverse situations in contemporary Europe and elsewhere.

Pope John Paul II ushered in the canonization of 482 as saints in short duration, and put 300 on different stages of the road to sainthood, an all-time record in the long history of 263 pontiffs so far. He ushered in a new precedence by using fast-track proceedings to elevate persons to sainthood (beatified Mother Teresa on 19 October 2003, the last step to sainthood) through pontifical prerogative. Usually, more than a hundred years was the precedence of a beatification.

The same pontiff is now under a new controversy over illegal relations. Personally I am not against biological laws and do not count them as sin. But my question is whether the Church which stands for the chronic celibacy of shepherds is violating the same in the personal lives of its personnel is true or not?

Senior BBC journalist Edward Stourton has recently revealed a totally unknown face of Pope John Paul II. Stourton’s telecast of a documentary, based on Pope John Paul II’s personal letters, kept at the National Library of Poland, once again reveals the true parallels between pragmatism and sermons existing in the Church since its very inception.

Anna Teresa Tymieniecka and Pope maintained an uninterrupted relationship with a married Polish woman named Anna Teresa Tymieniecka, from 1973 until his death in 2005, a long span of three decades. It is said she died in 2014. Tymieniecka was not an ordinary woman. She was a well-known philosopher and writer of Poland. Edward Stourton had unearthed more than 350 letters between 1973 and till the death of the Pope. The tone of some letters expresses their intense feelings.

In the theological view, feeling and affection between opposite sex is not sin. The affection between Mary Magdalene and Jesus is well debated by present day intellectuals and the theological world. Anyhow, when the New Testament was composed by the Church in the fourth century CE, the editors of the New Testament blacked out the Gospel of Mary Magdalene for the reason that sex is “original sin“. They misconceived the spirit behind the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Holy Garden and the Seventh Commandment of Moses. The Church still retains the fourth century rustic Roman psyche. That is why the letters of the Pontiff to his loved one became a matter of curiosity.

In the theological point of view, the pope had violated the spirit of the Seventh and Tenth Commandments. In the contemporary social and ethical point of view, he had cheated his fellow priestly society, fellow nuns and laity, who blindly retained the belief that “sex is sin”. That is why they still follow chronic celibacy. While one was popularizing the Church’s ethical and theological postulates relating to sin, his pragmatic approach was in contrary to it. This is the sum and substance of the contemporary Church.

Pope John Paul II & Mother Teresa.  One can’t blame Pope John Paul II alone. His letters are the best specimens of the forbidden humanism of the Church. It is anyhow interesting to see the biological instinct of eating the “forbidden fruit“. He addresses her as, “My dear Teresa,” instead of “in the name of god, etc.” The tone of all letters to Teresa is full of such tender and thrilling loved phrases and idioms.

This is not a new experience to the Church. In its 1691 years of existence, the Church has seen several such Popes. History says that there were 39 Popes who had illegitimate relations with ladies. Some others retained more than one wife. These include: Pope Benedict IX (1032-1044), Pope Alexander (1492-1503), Pope Julius II (1503-1513), Pope Paul III (1534-1549). Pope Pius IV (1559-1565).

The Babylonian Captivity of the Papacy (1309-1377), when seven successive popes reigned from Avignon, France, rather than Rome, was another disaster that degenerated the papacy.

Some of the popes who reigned in the Vatican had illegitimate children: Pius II (2 children), Innocent VIII (2 children) and Clement VII (one illegitimate son). However the present news about John Paul II is nothing compared with the above popes.

John Paul II The paradox of the matter is that John Paul II was elevated to sainthood (canonized) by Pope Francis on 5 April 2014 (announced on 5 July 2013), by a fast-track process under the precedence created by him for Mother Teresa.

It was the age-old precedence of the Church that before beatifying a person, a close verification of all his letters, writings, personal relations, et al(Latin)(meaning and others), was necessary. Unfortunately, the Vatican is now silent on this aspect relating to John Paul II. Why did John Paul II’s beatification procedure bypass all these simple checks?

The answer is simple. He is the man behind the dismemberment of the USSR and the impoverishment of communism world over, both of which posed a formidable threat to the Catholic Church. Martyrs and saints are fuel material for the monstrous engines of the Church (just as jihadis are for the sister faith) without which it cannot sustain itself. So the Church is in need of an endless quantity saints, and let the quality of saints be damned. – Vijayvaani, 20 February 2016

» Prof C. I. Issac is a retired history professor and vice president of the Bharatiya Vichara Kendram. He is also a member of the Indian Council for Historical Research (ICHR).

Vvs Sarma While returning from USA in 1986 I had a stop over at Rome and briefly visited Vatican. After return I asked Guruji "Is it a holy place?" He suggested I read the history of RC Church. The lives of many earlier Popes are no different from Moghul rulers & Delhi Sultans. That is why there was Protestant movement.

TEN POINTS THAT MAY HELP KEEP YOU HAPPY

TEN POINTS THAT MAY HELP KEEP YOU HAPPY

https://ramamohanraocheruku.blogspot.com/2016/02/ten-points-that-may-help-keep-you-happy.html

1. Listen to your body’s wisdom, which expresses itself through signals of comfort and discomfort. When choosing certain behaviour, ask your body, ‘How do you feel about this?’ If your body sends a signal of physical or emotional distress, watch out. If your body sends a signal of comfort and eagerness, proceed.

2. Live in the present, for it is the only moment you have. Keep your attention on what is here and now; look for the fullness in every moment. Accept what comes to you totally and completely so that you can appreciate it, learn from it, and then let it go. The present is as it should be. It reflects infinite laws of Nature that have brought you this exact thought, this exact physical response. This moment is as it is because the universe is as it is. Don’t struggle against the infinite scheme of things; instead, be at one with it.

3. Take time to be silent, to meditate and to quiet the internal dialogue. In moments of silence, realise that you are re-contacting your source of pure awareness. Pay attention to your inner life so that you can be guided by intuition rather than externally imposed interpretations of what is or isn’t good for you.

4. Relinquish your need for external approval. You alone are the judge of your worth, and your goal is to discover infinite worth in yourself, no matter what anyone else thinks. There is great freedom in this realisation.

5. When you find yourself reacting with anger or opposition to any person or circumstance, realise that you are only struggling with yourself. Putting up resistance is the response of defences created by old hurts. When you relinquish this anger, you will be healing yourself and cooperating with the flow of the universe.

6. Know that the world ‘out there’ reflects your reality ‘in here.’ The people you react to most strongly, whether with love or hate, are projections of your inner world. What you most hate is what you most deny in yourself. What you most love is what you most wish for in yourself. Use the mirror of relationships to guide your evolution. The goal is total Self-knowledge. When you achieve that, what you most want will automatically be there, and what you most dislike will disappear.

7. Shed the burden of judgement — you will feel much lighter. Judgement imposes right and wrong on situations that just are. Everything can be understood and forgiven, but when you judge, you cut off understanding and shut down the process of learning to love. In judging others, you reflect your lack of self-acceptance. Remember that every person you forgive adds to your self-love.

8. Don’t contaminate your body with toxins, either through food, drink, or toxic emotions. Your body is more than a life-support system. It is the vehicle that will carry you on the journey of your evolution. The health of every cell directly contributes to your state of wellbeing, because every cell is a point of awareness within the field of awareness that is you.

9. Replace fear-motivated behaviour with love-motivated behaviour. Fear is the product of memory, which dwells in the past. Remembering what hurt us before, we direct our energies toward making certain that an old hurt will not repeat itself. But trying to impose the past on the present will never wipe out the threat of being hurt. That happens only when you find the security of your own being, which is love. Motivated by the truth inside you, you can face any threat because your inner strength is invulnerable to fear.

10. Understand that the physical world is just a mirror of a deeper intelligence. Intelligence is the invisible organiser of all matter and energy, and since a portion of this intelligence resides in you, you share in the organising power of the cosmos. Because you are inseparably linked to everything, you cannot afford to foul the planet’s air and water. But at a deeper level, you cannot afford to live with a toxic mind, because every thought makes an impression on the whole field of intelligence. Living in balance and purity is the highest good for you and the Earth.

Swasti. 

Internet of the Ancient India

Internet of the Ancient India (Enormous links with Infinite knowledge)

Internet, in today’s time has gone up to become oxygen for cyber world; even WW III doesn’t pose threat anymore than the shutdown of the Internet. According to statistics, Internet traffic till date is estimated to be nearly 32 terabytes per second; that sounds humongous isn’t it? But, you will be shocked to know that even before the existence of the modern day Internet; it was only India that had enormous information preserved in face of ancient literature.
Sanskrit language alone has countless books and pages of information that are impossible for the current generation to finish reading in their entire lifetime; even if they had nothing else do to. Every piece of information was so brilliantly connected and ensconced that it wouldn’t be wrong to call ‘it’ the Internet of ancient India.
Don’t believe us? This write-up might just restore your faith. To start with let’s just broadly categorize the ancient work in six kinds: Vedas, Upavedas, Vedangas, Puranas, Darshanas, and Kavyas.

1. Vedas

Large body of texts or ‘knowledge’ to be precise from the ancient Indian literature is termed Vedas. These foundational works of Hinduism are often called ‘Shruti’ (Sruti in Sanskrit: meaning- what is heard). They are considered ‘apauruṣeya’, which means ‘not of a man, authorless, impersonal’, and are believed to be devised by Lord Brahma (creator of life).

Four sacred Vedas of Hinduism

Specifically these Vedas are inscribed into four works: Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, and Atharvaveda. Further these works are sub-classified into four major text types: the Samhita (mantras, hymns, or shlokas), the Aranyaka (texts defining rituals, holy ceremonies, and symbolic sacrifices), the Brahmanas (notations, remarks, and interpretations of those rituals, ceremonies and sacrifices), and the Upanishads (manuscripts discussion spiritual knowledge and philosophy).

Upasana Veda

A few scholars of recent times have also voiced to infuse a fifth category- the Upasanas, which means worshipping these works. Multitude of knowledge is engraved within Samhitas and Upanishads of these works, which is impossible for a human to read completely in his/her present lifetime.

#2. Upavedas

These are credited as the secondary body of work within Hindu culture, in contrast to Vedas (note: context wise). If Vedas are more spiritual than Upavedas would be more secular. To understand the different within them more clearly, let us just say that Vedas focus on the inner world, while Upavedas focus on the outer world.
Upavedas are more inclined towards material and are further classified into four categories- Ayurveda (deals with wellness and health), Arthaveda (deals with transcripts of economics, polity, governance, etc.), Gandharvaveda (deals with art) and Sthapatyaveda (deals with ancientengineering, architecture, et al).
Of all known texts Shushruta Samhita, Charaka Samhita, and Ashtanga Hridaya come under Ayurveda, while Arthaveda covers Arthashastra, Panchatantra, and Hitopadesha. Texts like Kamasutra, Natyashastra, and Dhvanyaloka come under Gandharvaveda, and Manasara Mayamatam, Vishvarupam, and Rupavastumandana are all under Sthapatyaveda.

#3. Vedanga

Acknowledged as the limbs of Vedas, Vedanga are six assisting regulations to study and understand Vedas. These Vedangas help in building a strong foundation of the language. These six classifications are– Siksha (Sandhi, meaning pronunciation, phonetics), Vyakarana (grammar), Nirukta (semantic etymology), Chandas (prosody, poetic meters), Jyotisha (astrology, astronomy), and Kalpa (rituals, law, et al).
Siksha being the first discipline has 32 systems, each of them differently related to Vedas in order to teach morphophonology, phonetics, and phonology. The second comes Kalpa, which constitutes of huge texts related to teaching rituals, laws and dharma. Third one, Vyakarana is devoted to grammar, and the fourth one, Nirukta, deals with etymology. Chandas is the fifth discipline dedicated to Sanskrit prosody. And finally, the sixth discipline is Jyotisha, which is to measure time and movements of
planets, sun and moon.

#4. Puranas

Going by their literal meaning ‘ancient texts’, these are widely accredited as folklores or legends of sages and kings and their tales, which were composed for the purpose of educating commoners. At core, they contain the philosophy of the Vedas. Several of these texts are named after Hindu gods, like Shiva, Vishnu and Devi.

Ramayana and Mahabharat

In total there are 18 Mahapuranas comprising Bhagavata purana, Shiva purana, Brahma purana, Padma purana), and 18 Upapuranas. Legendary epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata, too come under Puranas.

#5. Darshana

One of the most sought out works of the ancient India is Darshanas. Their literal meaning signifies ‘point of view’; basically referring to philosophy. Around the world, there are six classical schools of Indian philosophy and three unorthodox schools.
These six classical schools are widely known as Sankhya (where method of reasoning and enumeration are taught), Yoga (where union of body and mind is preached), Nyaya (where various methods to study knowledge and learning are established), Vaisheshika (where study of existence and nature of reality is taught), Mimamsa (which teaches of philosophy of rituals), and Vedanta (which gives out introspective wisdom).
And, then there are the three unorthodox schools, which are Jaina (which preaches Jainism), Bauddha (which preaches Buddhism), and Lokayata (which preaches materialistic atheism). Apart from these are nine schools of Indian philosophy where students are trained to explore the fundamental philosophy of the world.

#6. Kavya

Any work of literature of the Hindu culture which evokes rasa (aesthetic experience) comes under Kavya. It can be poetry, epic poems, didactic verse, historic poetry, prose, songs, and plays. When we talk of Kavya ras, only one name comes straight to our mind- Kalidas. One of the greatest poets of the world, and till date his work remains unmatched.
There are over hundreds of prominent poets whose work have had a lasting importance engraved to Sanskrit literature. One can only imagine if not measure the brilliance and depth of knowledge of Sanskrit language given to us by our ancestors.

Pride of ancient India

India is only fortunate to inherit such a magnificent tradition, which remains unbroken for nearly 6,000 years.

Holy Man in India without Food or Water for 70 Years

Holy Man in India without Food or Water for 70 Years

Prahlad Jani, a holy man in India claims that he didn’t eat or drink for 70 years and lives without any kind of food or water. He claims that he was blessed by holy goddess, which has enabled him to survive without sustenance. But who is going to believe that right? Medical science tells us that human beings rarely survive more than a week without water, and a couple of months at most without food. How this person could survive all these years without essential minerals and water? Challenged to prove that he could survive without food or water, in 2003 he underwent his first hospital investigations for six days. Then in 2010, a team of 35 researchers all from the Indian Defense Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences (DIPAS) and other organizations observed and tested the old man Prahlad Jani from April 22nd until May 6th 2010. The yogi was under  24-hour observation in the western Indian city of Ahmadabad. Two cameras have been set up in his room, while a mobile camera films him when he goes outside, guaranteeing round-the-clock observation. Since the experiment began on April 22, Jani has had no food or water and has not been to the toilet.  The only contact with any form of liquid that Jani had was when he had an occasional bathing session, which first took place on the fifth day of examination; it was then when he would gargle some water. His toilet was also sealed to check the truth of his claims that he did not urinate or defecate. All his medical test results revealed no anomalies and doctors described his health status as being extremely good. This tells us that the claim is correct, and this man has really some kind of unnatural power.
ABC News reports: “WE STUDIED HIM FOR 15 DAYS WITH HIM TAKING NO WATER OR FOOD,” DR. SUDHIR SHAH TOLD ABC NEWS(ABC News is the news division of the American Broadcasting Company, owned by the Disney Media Networks )

division of the Walt Disney Company. . SHAH SAID THAT JANI GARGLED WATER AND TOOK BATHS, BUT CONSUMED NOTHING. WHILE THIN, JANI IS HEALTHY, DOCTORS SAID. “SOMEBODY DOESN’T TAKE WATER FOR SEVEN OR EIGHT DAYS HE SURELY DIES,” SHAH SAID.  
Attending a press conference at the Sterling Hospital in Ahmadabad, he said: “I am fit and strong today and even the doctors agree. They ran every test possible for 15 days and proved that I do not need food to keep me strong. I am strong and healthy, because it is the way God wants me to be.“ Prahlad Jani claims that he has left his home at the age of seven, searching for spiritual mystery, and at the age of eleven years, he underwent a religious experience during which he became a follower of the Hindu goddess Amba. Mr Jani believes that the goddess has sustained him ever since by feeding him with a lifegiving, invisible ‘elixir’, which has supposedly given him the strength to continue without food or water. For at least the past 40 years, Jani has been living, hermit-like, in a cave in the jungles close to the Gujarati temple of Ambaji. He rises at 4 am, spending most of the day meditating.

ATTITUDE

ATTITUDE

Please read carefully and relate with our life....you may enjoy more...

1) Heavy rains remind us of challenges in life. Never ask for a lighter rain. 

Just pray for a better umbrella. That is attitude.

2) When flood comes, fish eat ants & when flood recedes, ants eat fish. 

Only time matters. Just hold on, God gives opportunity to everyone!

3) Life is not about finding the right person, but creating the right 

relationship, it's not how we care in the beginning, but how much we care 

till ending.

4) Some people always throw stones in your path. It depends on you what 

you make with them, Wall or Bridge? Remember you are the architect of 

your life.

5) Every problem has (n+1) solutions, where n is the number of 

solutions that you have tried and 1 is that you have not tried. That’s life.

6) It is not important to hold all the good cards in life. But it’s important 

how well you play with the cards which you hold.

7) Often when we lose all hope & think this is the end, God smiles from 

above and says, `Relax dear it’s just a bend. Not the end'. Have Faith 

and have a successful life.

8) When you feel sad, to cheer up just go to the mirror and say, `Damn I 

am really so cute` and you will overcome your sadness. But don’t make 

this a habit because liars go to hell.

9) One of the basic differences between God and human is, God gives, 

gives and forgives. But human gets, gets, gets and forgets. Be thankful 

in life!

10) Only two types of persons are happy in this world. First is Mad and 

second is Child. Be Mad to achieve what you desire and be a Child to 

enjoy what you have achieved.

Eternal Truth

Modern science and engineering - A simple fact

Using Science and engineering products is different from saying and believing that every sentence in a science book is truth, whole truth, nothing but truth and every engineering artifact is 100% reliable. No piece of software, no electronic component is 100% reliable. There is only one absolute truth - satyam, jnanam, anantam Brahma. Science provides tentative explanation of the universe in which you are a part and engineering allows building of gadgets of some specified reliability, life and dependability.  Truth or falsehood is not a binary variable, there are many shades of truth and falsehood even in engineering.

Trust that Absolute Truth which is eternal and  the rest are aids  as they are preordained by fate or 

fortune, to follow.

How Far You Are Vegetarian?

How Far You Are Vegetarian?

Many people stop eating non-vegetarian food during Navaratri. If you are one of them, then you need to exercise some caution - there are some common food items which are easily passed with a 'vegetarian' tag but can actually be 'non-vegetarian'. Some of the ingredients used to make these items are actually derived from animal fat or even meat products. So the next time you crave for one of these foods, you need to know which food category they fall in to…

Soups

We Indians love soup. But do you know your favourite Manchow soup is actually non-vegetarian? If you are having this soup in restaurants then beware. Restaurants often add sauces to your soup which are made using fish or are fish sauces. So, if you think you are having something vegetarian, you are not! Next time do ask before ordering.

Naan

Our typical Indian lunch-out is incomplete without naan. But how the hell are naan non-veg? Well, not all naans are non-veg but many recipes for authentic naan call for use of eggs for kneading the dough to keep it soft and give it good elasticity. That's absolutely fine if you're an eggitarian but dear vegetarian, you better find some other option for your paneer tikkas.

How Far You Are Vegetarian?--2

Cheese

Indians have taken to cheese like a fish to water and we now add cheese to each and every recipe! So you have cheese pav-bhaji, cheese poha, cheese dosa and even cheese paratha! But did you know that the cheese you love might contain rennet, which is an enzymes derived from animal guts. Unfortunately for you, the cheese packets do not list the actual enzyme used but just a generic term "enzyme"

Oils

Remember that advertisement of 'heart-friendly' oil? That's actually not heart-friendly at all! Oils and juices that contain Omega-3 acids, advertised to be good for your heart are derived from fish oil. Also, some juices claim to have Vitamin D which is derived from Lanolin, obtained from sheep.

Salad Dressings

You ordered lettuce salad thinking you are safe. Think again! You know the vegetables are, well, vegetarian but have you ever wondered about the sauces? What exactly is in those sauces that make your salad so tasty? Most often salad dressings are not completely vegetarian and contain eggs. So the next time you order a salad or are buying your favourite salad dressing, please check the ingredients list thoroughly.

How Far You Are Vegetarian?--3

White Sugar

Did you know that while processing white sugar, to make it precisely as you like it, white, manufacturers send it through a cleansing process? And the cleansing process is done using 'natural carbon'. Wondering where that 'natural' in carbon comes from? Bone char. Yes, you thought right. Charred animal bones! The safest way out is to buy unrefined sugar or stick to brown jaggery.

Beer/Wine

Beer or wine makers often use isinglass - or fish bladders to clarify their beer. So the colour you love about, thanks to fish bladder! Well, most of the famous beer and wine brands in the world use isinglass.

Jelly

We all know what the main ingredient of jelly is. That's right! Gelatin. And gelatin is an animal derivative. However, in recent times, gelatin is being replaced by starch or other similar food products and chemicals so you might just be safe.

Potato chips

It's hard to believe but yes, even potato chips are non-vegetarian. Many chips, especially barbecue flavor, contain chicken fat. So next time you buy any chips packet, double check the ingredients

 How Far You Are Vegetarian? 4

Cake Mix

For people who eat egg, cake mixes doesn't makes any difference but for a hard-core vegetarian, it's difficult to digest. Some cake mixes contain pork fat or lard, especially imported ones.

Sauces

Here are some sauces usually added to dishes for flavouring or added as accompaniments with other foods or drinks.

Worcestershire Sauce – Lea & Perrins – contains anchovies (small, silvery fish).

Apple Sauce – certain brands contains carmine which is a red food colouring made from ground up cochineal beetles.

Cesar Salad Dressing – contains egg and Worcestershire sauce.

Along with the ingredient names, there are many ‘E’ numbers that are not vegetarian. E Numbers are codes for food additives. Therefore, once again labels should be observed in detail to ensure the food does not contain animal content.

E numbers that are definitely based from animal content include: E120 (Cochineal – colouring that makes many foods red), E441/E485 (gelatin), E542 (bone phosphate), E631 (Disodium inosinate – flavor enhancer), E635 (Disodium 5′-ribonucleotides – flavor enhancer), E1105 (Lysozyme – made from eggs), E913 (Lanoline – A wax from sheep), E904 (Shellac-a glazing agent which is derived from the lac insect) and E570 (Stearic acid). (From google search)

Keeping track of ingredients in food requires vigilance and understanding, therefore, read labels more carefully, if you are a vegetarian, following a strict animal free diet.