Sometime last year, I picked up a book called Only Love is Real by Dr. Brian Weiss and was blown away by its contents. I finished it almost in a single sitting and picked up Dr. Weiss's next book Many Lives, Many Masters - I was spellbound; I picked up another Same Soul, Many Bodies - each one of them as absorbing and unputdownable as the first.
Dr. Brian Weiss is a practicing Miami psychiatrist. Over 24 years ago, during one of his routine hypnosis episodes, one of his patients, Catherine regressed into a previous life, then another life, and another and stunned Dr. Weiss with her vivid descriptions and narratives which were verifiably true throwing Dr. Weiss into a turmoil of excited confusion, doubt, and disbelief. The scientist in Dr. Weiss rebelled. He was not a believer in reincarnation. During her sessions, Catherine began to give Dr. Weiss messages from what she called the "Masters" - it was obvious to Dr. Weiss that it wasn't his patient talking at all. Forced to accept a concept that he had disbelieved in for so many years, Dr. Weiss watched his patient progress through her therapy and heal herself through her regressions into her past lives.
Catherine's accidental regression led Dr. Weiss to explore the theory of past lives and reincarnation with his later patients which is the theme of all his books. Over the years, Dr. Weiss has learnt (as have many of his patients) that most of our self-inflicted limitations, fears, and conflicts have their roots in another lifetime. Dr. Weiss has successfully regressed and healed and many of his patients through this discovery. All of his books are based on real-life psychotherapy sessions with his patients.
According to Dr. Weiss, the common thread he has found in all his sessions with his patients is that a soul is reincarnated over and over till it learns all the lessons it needs to in the human form. Not only does it learn its lessons, it also chooses its future incarnations through the actions and thoughts of its present life on earth. It has a free will and chooses when it will be born, how, where, and which lessons to learn in each of its births.
In all his sessions with his patients, Dr. Weiss heard the same thing over and over - not only individual souls are reborn, but they're reborn as groups! So a daughter-monther in this life could've been brother-sister in the previous or grandaughter-grandmother or friend-friend; in Only Love is Real, Dr. Weiss unites two lovers who have been lovers over many lifetimes but never been united in any of them - they finally unite in Dr. Weiss's office when fate brings them to the same therapist in the same city at the same time but scheduled apart from each other, each unaware of the other's existence but both in their separate sessions with Dr. Weiss travelling to the same past lifetimes.
In Same Soul, Many Bodies, Dr. Weiss not only regresses his patients but also progresses them into future lives and continues to heal his patients through his regression and progression sessions.
For anyone interested in knowing how much we don't know - about ourselves and our universe and its mysterious laws and workings - whether you believe in what Dr. Weiss has to say or not, his books are a must-read.
Friday, July 28, 2006
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Preach some more
Here's an update on the Sabarimala farce: The priest of the temple was caught literally with his pants down in the company of prostitutes. What was that again about the idol needing cleansing? Maybe Jaiamala should be allowed to do the honours.
(If you've been forunate enough to miss this farce and don't know what I'm talking about, see "Yes, I'm fooled" below on this page)
(If you've been forunate enough to miss this farce and don't know what I'm talking about, see "Yes, I'm fooled" below on this page)
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Will the real terrorist please stand up?
What Israel is doing to Lebanon is nothing short of state-sponsored terrorism. Look at how blatantly it's being done! Where is the crusading leader of world peace now? If Israel kills innocent civilians, it's acceptable as long as the killers are Jewish and the victims are Muslims. Nobody would dare call that Jewish terrorism even though it's being done with the sanction of the state of Israel and the sanction of the rest of the "world community" - read hypocrites. But if one Muslim maniac blows himself up somewhere, then it's "Islamic fundamentalism" - the whole community is held accountable, crucified, and made to feel defensive for one mad man's actions. How much more hypocritical can we get? Even within this, there's hypocrisy. Pakistan's rep in India can sit here on Indian soil and tell us that wanted terrorists in Pakistan will not be handed over to India for investigation and get away with it without so much as a wrap on his knuckles - no peace process speech, no regional cooperation, nothing here. Iraq needs US interference to "bring democracy" to its people, but Pakistan can continue to be a dictatorship, it can continue to sponsor terrorism in India, its "leader" can continue to rule in his military fatigues - I salute Musharraf for one thing though - his spunk - he's a dictator, he knows it, he doesn't care, and he doesn't pretend to be anything else which is a lot more than I can say for Dr. No Backbone.
Bush is speeding up the process to sell bombs to Israel. That's his reaction to what's going on over there. So, if you're Israel, then the US will not make speeches about democracy, human rights, and the stability of the West Asian region but if you're Iran and even if you're Iran minding your own business and not threatening anyone's existence, you're a threat to world peace. The rest of the "world community" including "Dr." Manmohan Spineless Singh are fellow cartoons of Bush and Rice. Condoleeza Rice is visiting the region apparently - who is this good-for-nothing woman who goes around poking her nose in everyone's affairs? Who cares what she thinks? Does the world have to run according to her two-faced definitions of justice, democracy, and peace? How can people who are completely ignorant of other cultures, their way of life, their compulsions, their tragedies, and their triumphs still interfere to "bring democracy"? God has personally whipsered in Bush's ears that he leaves the world in his care. The man doesn't even realize what he's doing to his own people. Today, Americans everywhere are at threat, in their own land and outside; the world either hates them or treats them as dumb clowns - they have rightfully earned this reputation. By and large, they're arrogant, ignorant, and pathetically self-absorbed. They don't have an iota of respect or standing in the world community except with their no-good cronies, the Brits - even there, it's only the watery Prime Minister who wags his tail for every Bush trick - the people of Britain have made it well known what they think of Blair and Bush.
Will Bush include Israel in his "axis of evil" category? Does he have the guts to call Israel a Jewish terrorist state and suffer the domestic economic consequences? If he doesn't, this apology for a President should zip his delinquent lips and stay out of other people's business. Every country has the capability to deal with its problems - we don't need a man who cannot speak his own language efficiently trying to communicate with other parts of the world about right and wrong. Mercifully, this apology will be out soon - he can sit back smugly and look at the legacy he's left behind and feel happy - a vertically divided world where violence has touched almost every single nation today for which he and he alone and directly is responsible.
Every single evil act that takes place in today's world, Bush is directly responsible for. He has to live with the curses of every human being who has lost a daughter, a son, a mother, a father, or a sibling to acts of terror anywhere in this world - Bush, and not the terrorists, is responsible for this. He has made the world a lot more dangerous than it ever was and hopefully when the "President" leaves, his nation will come to its senses under a better leadership and there will be some semblance of sanity in the world again.
Bush is speeding up the process to sell bombs to Israel. That's his reaction to what's going on over there. So, if you're Israel, then the US will not make speeches about democracy, human rights, and the stability of the West Asian region but if you're Iran and even if you're Iran minding your own business and not threatening anyone's existence, you're a threat to world peace. The rest of the "world community" including "Dr." Manmohan Spineless Singh are fellow cartoons of Bush and Rice. Condoleeza Rice is visiting the region apparently - who is this good-for-nothing woman who goes around poking her nose in everyone's affairs? Who cares what she thinks? Does the world have to run according to her two-faced definitions of justice, democracy, and peace? How can people who are completely ignorant of other cultures, their way of life, their compulsions, their tragedies, and their triumphs still interfere to "bring democracy"? God has personally whipsered in Bush's ears that he leaves the world in his care. The man doesn't even realize what he's doing to his own people. Today, Americans everywhere are at threat, in their own land and outside; the world either hates them or treats them as dumb clowns - they have rightfully earned this reputation. By and large, they're arrogant, ignorant, and pathetically self-absorbed. They don't have an iota of respect or standing in the world community except with their no-good cronies, the Brits - even there, it's only the watery Prime Minister who wags his tail for every Bush trick - the people of Britain have made it well known what they think of Blair and Bush.
Will Bush include Israel in his "axis of evil" category? Does he have the guts to call Israel a Jewish terrorist state and suffer the domestic economic consequences? If he doesn't, this apology for a President should zip his delinquent lips and stay out of other people's business. Every country has the capability to deal with its problems - we don't need a man who cannot speak his own language efficiently trying to communicate with other parts of the world about right and wrong. Mercifully, this apology will be out soon - he can sit back smugly and look at the legacy he's left behind and feel happy - a vertically divided world where violence has touched almost every single nation today for which he and he alone and directly is responsible.
Every single evil act that takes place in today's world, Bush is directly responsible for. He has to live with the curses of every human being who has lost a daughter, a son, a mother, a father, or a sibling to acts of terror anywhere in this world - Bush, and not the terrorists, is responsible for this. He has made the world a lot more dangerous than it ever was and hopefully when the "President" leaves, his nation will come to its senses under a better leadership and there will be some semblance of sanity in the world again.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
It's SO good to be back!
I can write so much about this whole episode of the Ministry of Communication blocking our blogs, but I'd just like to say how happy I am that the blogging community came together on this and forced a rollback. Also, it feels great to know that our democracy with all its ails is still alive and kicking!
Monday, July 10, 2006
We still love you, Zizou
Like millions of watching fans around the globe, what I'd hoped to see was a legend walk off the field to tears, cheers, and thunderous applause for giving us some of our best sporting moments in soccer history. Instead, what we got was an errant school boy being marched off the field to an ignominous exit - it's not how Zizou's fans want to remember him, yet that one silly, uncalled for gesture is being played and replayed across TV screens a day after Italy shot their way into football history as World Champions 2006.
A usually unflappable Zidane turned on Materazzi charging him like a mad bull, knocking the stunned Italian down (I'm sure the shock kept the guy down on the pitch more than anything else) and earning himself the refree's rightful ire. And that's how Zinedine Zidane bade farewell to millions of his agahst fans. By descending from the sublime to the ridiculous.
Oh well...it was a human moment, an ugly one, but nevertheless human.
Zizou, we still love you...
A usually unflappable Zidane turned on Materazzi charging him like a mad bull, knocking the stunned Italian down (I'm sure the shock kept the guy down on the pitch more than anything else) and earning himself the refree's rightful ire. And that's how Zinedine Zidane bade farewell to millions of his agahst fans. By descending from the sublime to the ridiculous.
Oh well...it was a human moment, an ugly one, but nevertheless human.
Zizou, we still love you...
Sunday, July 09, 2006
The Final Countdown!
We're 6-1/2 hours away from the World Cup final.
Italy is my favourite team but Zizou is my favourite player and I'm torn between them! Who should I root for?
Whatever happens, Cheers Zizou, you're a winner!
Italy is my favourite team but Zizou is my favourite player and I'm torn between them! Who should I root for?
Whatever happens, Cheers Zizou, you're a winner!
Sunday, July 02, 2006
Yes, I'm fooled
Twenty years ago, a 27-year-old actress entered the sanctum sanctorium of the Sabarimala temple and touched the feet of Lord Aiyappa, one of the many bachelor Gods in the Hindu pantheon. Women under 50 are not allowed to visit Sabarimala - Lord Aiyappa has personally given strict orders to the fossilized temple priests at Sabarimala that his bachelorhood is in grave danger if a woman under 50 enters his premises - who knows, she might marry Him. Anyway, this woman entered - how dare she - she just materialized out of thin air, got into the sanctum sanctorium, and she touched the idol. That's the only way she could've got past the oh-so-holy fossil who is oh-so-faithfully guarding his Lord. She touched the idol's feet! Blasphemy! At least blasphemy if you did all this without greasing the palms of the fossil who's guarding his Lord. Not blasphemy if fossil sells tradition for money.
The fossils in Sabarimala and some fellow who calls him the "Devaswom" minister in the Kerala cabinet are baying for this actress's blood now - 20 years later. Like the Queen in "Alice in Wonderland" who keeps screaming "Off with her head." How did all this come to light? Because another fossil (in the guise of an astrologer) claimed publicly that Lord Aiyappa is hopping mad that someone has contaminated His aura and He needs to be cleansed (by the fossils who guard and protect Him from things like His devotees). This someone is either a non-Brahmin or a woman - again, this was personally whispered by Lord Aiyappa in the fossil astrologer's ears - all these guys are so holy (and so fossilized) that they have a direct hotline to the Lord...and when they don't they can read His mind.
When the actress heard about this, she confessed her "sin" to the Sabarimala fossils and also faxed an apology (Lord Aiyappa rocks, man. He'd rather have a faxed apology than someone rolling around His premises beating their chest and making asses of themselves begging for His forgiveness. A fax is neat and simple). The fossils assured her that her apology will be accepted by the rocking Lord Aiyappa and her "confession" will be kept confidential.
But you know how irresistible the media can be. Especially if you have one foot in the grave and the other in your mouth. So now we have a raging controversy. Of course, every other problem in Sabarimala has been solved. They just have to get this actress's blood for the "sin" she committed 2 decades ago, and lo and behold! Sabarimala will become...well, God's Own Country.
Lord Aiyappa definitely needs a holy bath to cleanse Him. Cleanse Him from who's touch? That's debatable.
Scream loudly about other people's sins and no one will notice your own. Nice try. Works sometimes.
The fossils in Sabarimala and some fellow who calls him the "Devaswom" minister in the Kerala cabinet are baying for this actress's blood now - 20 years later. Like the Queen in "Alice in Wonderland" who keeps screaming "Off with her head." How did all this come to light? Because another fossil (in the guise of an astrologer) claimed publicly that Lord Aiyappa is hopping mad that someone has contaminated His aura and He needs to be cleansed (by the fossils who guard and protect Him from things like His devotees). This someone is either a non-Brahmin or a woman - again, this was personally whispered by Lord Aiyappa in the fossil astrologer's ears - all these guys are so holy (and so fossilized) that they have a direct hotline to the Lord...and when they don't they can read His mind.
When the actress heard about this, she confessed her "sin" to the Sabarimala fossils and also faxed an apology (Lord Aiyappa rocks, man. He'd rather have a faxed apology than someone rolling around His premises beating their chest and making asses of themselves begging for His forgiveness. A fax is neat and simple). The fossils assured her that her apology will be accepted by the rocking Lord Aiyappa and her "confession" will be kept confidential.
But you know how irresistible the media can be. Especially if you have one foot in the grave and the other in your mouth. So now we have a raging controversy. Of course, every other problem in Sabarimala has been solved. They just have to get this actress's blood for the "sin" she committed 2 decades ago, and lo and behold! Sabarimala will become...well, God's Own Country.
Lord Aiyappa definitely needs a holy bath to cleanse Him. Cleanse Him from who's touch? That's debatable.
Scream loudly about other people's sins and no one will notice your own. Nice try. Works sometimes.
The myth of fact
In the June 28, 2006, edition of the Deccan Herald, the story titled "US House Panel okays N-Bill", there is a sentence that reads: "The 50-member House International Relations Committee approved by vote of 37 to 5 the legislation designed to make exemptions in the 1954 Atomic Energy Act to enable the US to sell nuclear fuel and technology in return for non-proliferation..."
In the June 28, 2006, edition of The New Indian Express, in the story titled "For nuke deal, India need not sign NPT", there is a sentence that reads: "The amendment to the Bill which seeks exemptions to Atomic Energy Act 1954 to enable US to sell nuclear fuel and technology in return for non-proliferation...(was) defeated in the 50-member House International Relations Committee..."
These are 2 leading newspapers in India. I'm a lay person, but I've been following this India-US nuke deal closely in an effort to understand if Manmohan Singh has grown a backbone of late and I can't decide if he has or he hasn't because these 2 newspapers give me 2 different versions of news. What am I to believe? I have no first-hand information about any of this. I depend entirely on the media to give me "facts" - I didn't watch the news on TV on June 28 to know what THEY were saying - but what's the difference? This already confusing story that I'm trying so hard to keep pace with just got incomprehensible. Have the amendments been approved or defeated? Depends on which newspaper you read, apparently.
What is fact? Fact is what the newspaper you subscribe to tells you.
Moral of Story: Read only one newspaper.
In the June 28, 2006, edition of The New Indian Express, in the story titled "For nuke deal, India need not sign NPT", there is a sentence that reads: "The amendment to the Bill which seeks exemptions to Atomic Energy Act 1954 to enable US to sell nuclear fuel and technology in return for non-proliferation...(was) defeated in the 50-member House International Relations Committee..."
These are 2 leading newspapers in India. I'm a lay person, but I've been following this India-US nuke deal closely in an effort to understand if Manmohan Singh has grown a backbone of late and I can't decide if he has or he hasn't because these 2 newspapers give me 2 different versions of news. What am I to believe? I have no first-hand information about any of this. I depend entirely on the media to give me "facts" - I didn't watch the news on TV on June 28 to know what THEY were saying - but what's the difference? This already confusing story that I'm trying so hard to keep pace with just got incomprehensible. Have the amendments been approved or defeated? Depends on which newspaper you read, apparently.
What is fact? Fact is what the newspaper you subscribe to tells you.
Moral of Story: Read only one newspaper.
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