Re: Wrong Way To Teach Children #3

From: @centercom...>

To: am-global@earthlink.net
Subject: Re: Wrong Way To Teach Children #3
Date: Fri Aug 03 2012, 22:54:36

Baba

== RE: WRONG WAY TO TEACH CHILDREN ==

~ Part 3 ~

(Note: This is the third letter in this series. Links to the two prior letters are appended below. - Eds)

Namaskar,

"If you give kids money as a means of motivating them to study, that type of psychology will spill over to other arenas of life. The day their mother is sick, they will only go to the store to get medicine if they get paid handsomely by their sick mother. So this idea of paying students to study will just make them spoiled and indulgent. It will wipe out their ability to grow into idealistic, sacrificing, and socially responsible human beings. Why? Because when they are young is the time to teach them these core values, but those are not inculcated. Instead, parents train them with monetary incentives. So children adopt materialistic, business relations as their ideal. In that case, everything is done for monetary return, and they are never given the chance to cultivate an inner drive to help and serve others."

Here is another off-shoot to this problem that abounds based on this same formula:

1. Some parents in the US give money to kids to do house chores.

2. But it is not at all good to create this type of business relation - rather it is most harmful.

3. It sets the tone that children merely have a business relation with their family members and the greater society.

4. If this continues then they never develop a sense of duty or responsibility. They think that everything is a commercial transaction. They totally miss out on the ideals of familial and loving relations.

PERSONAL STORY

I can never forget the poignant account that I heard from a friend. He had fallen in his own home and could not get up - his ankle was twisted and broken. So he asked his 9-year-old son to bring the walking stick that was 20 feet away in the corner. The boy just looked at his father and said, "If you give me ten dollars then I will bring you the stick." The father ended up lying there on the floor in his helpless condition for two hours because he did not have cash to give to his son. It was only when his wife returned home that he could get up. When I heard this from my friend (i.e. the father), I was aghast. I thought what kind of children are we raising nowadays.

JUST QUICK-FIX, NOT LONG-TERM SOLUTION

5. No doubt giving money to do chores or homework is a quick-fix for the immediate future or short-term. But over the long haul, by this way, children lose the opportunity to develop an inner sweetness and feelings of sacrifice. They become creatures of materialism - not human beings. They do everything for the dollar and never cultivate refined human sentiments and characteristics. All because that is how their parents trained them when they were young.

BABA'S MANDATE

6. We should adhere to Baba's mandate and awaken within children a thirst for knowledge and a sense of duty.

Baba says, "The thirst for knowledge will have to be awakened among students, and reverence, devotion, orderliness and discipline will have to be taught as well." (Problems of the Day, pt #33)

Namaskar,
Manomohan Deva

Note 1: BABA'S TEACHING:

MUST AWAKEN A GENUINE THIRST FOR KNOWLEDGE

Here below in so many ways Baba guides us that we are to awaken and support a child's development by nurturing their inherent thirst for knowledge

Baba says, "How many teachers try to awaken a genuine thirst for knowledge in their students?" (Human Society-1, Education)

Baba says, "Children are by nature most inclined towards play, so a thirst for knowledge will have to be awakened in children through the medium of play – children should be educated through play methods. Children are also by nature inclined to listen to fantasies and stories. Through stories children can easily be taught the history and geography of various countries, and they may also be taught the initial lessons of how to practise universalism in their lives. Children love play and stories almost equally, so in their case the two should be equally utilized." (Human Society-1, Education)

Baba says, "Students go to school and sit for examinations in order to pass. Examiners should bear this fact in mind. They should not adopt the rigid position that “Only such-and-such percentage of students will be allowed to pass.” Examiners should take into account only the range of knowledge and the extent of the thirst for knowledge the students possess." (Human Society-1, Education)

Note 2: LINKS TO EARLIER LETTERS ON THIS TOPIC

#1: http://www.am-global-01.blogspot.com/2012/07/wrong-way-to-teach-children.html

#2: http://www.am-global-01.blogspot.com/2012/07/re-wrong-way-to-teach-children-2.html

PRABHAT SAMGIITA

"Jiivaner uts hate je srote bha'siya'chila'm..."  (P.S. 3016)

Purport:

Baba, O' Parama Purusa, since the very origin of my life - since eternity - in which current I was floating, in that very flow, You were also present. But I did not see You.  

Baba, You were with me day and night, ever-awake, holding the lamp of effulgence in Your hand. But that time I could not recognise You.

O' my dearmost Baba, still today You remain along with me. Indeed each and every single moment You decorate this grand universe in hundreds of
forms, shapes, and colors. Baba, You are always dancing in that divine vibration, but I did not see You because I was keeping my eyes closed.

Baba, since eternity You have been along with me. Today You have made me realise this very cosmic truth: I am surviving only due to Your boundless grace, affection, and love...

Mahaprayan of Shrii Vinod Kumar Dev

Date: Fri 03 Aug 2012 22:55:46

From: Rajendra Singh
Subject: Mahaprayan of Shrii Vinod Kumar Dev
To: AM-GLOBAL

Baba

== MAHAPRAYAN (DEATH) OF SHRII VINOD KUMAR DEV ==

Namaskar,
It is much with sadness that we share with you the mahaprayan* (death) of our respected margii brother Vinod Kumar Dev. Vinodji underwent his mahaprayan today, Friday, 03 August 2012 in a hospital in Mumbai. Vinodji had been sick these last few weeks. This morning when his asthmatic condition became more severe and he had difficulty breathing, he was admitted into the hospital. There his condition declined and he was spitting up blood. Tragically, this young man of approximately 40 years of age met his premature mahaprayan in this hospital.

Vinodji's mahaprayan is truly a loss to our Marga. He was born into a margii family in Patna, Bihar where his father, Basawanji reached the high rank of Postmaster General. Throughout his life, Vinodji was a dedicated Ananda Margii who served as LFT and as magazine editor for the Bhojpuri Samaj Proutist wing. All along he was active in the Marga. The last ten years or so Vinodji was working in Mumbai.

It is our loss to that our brother Vinodji has encountered his mahaprayan (death). Many knew Vinodji as a hard-working, idealistic margii. He will not be soon forgotten. Our margii brothers of Mumbai will certainly have more to share about this.

May we all take solace in the fact that Vinodji was practicing sadhana regularly; certainly he will attain mukti or moksa, accordingly. Baba will lovingly bestow His grace.

With deepest reards,
Namaskar,
Rajendra Singh

Note 1: DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REAL MAHAPRAYAN AND FAKE MPD

Here it should be qualified that there is both real mahaprayan and fake mahaprayan. Real mahaprayan marks the death of any ordinary human being. This is the proper use of the term: To note a person's departure from this earth. That is the way mahaprayan is to be used.

Then there is the fake, or so-called, or dogmatic mahaprayan.That is when certain vested interests try to apply the mahaprayan term to Parama Purusa Himself. This is totally inappropriate because when Baba is that Divine Entity who is beginningless and endless and resides always in our heart, then it is totally wrong to proclaim that He is gone.

That is why rational margiis are protesting; because the Oct 21st program is so-called mahaprayan. So-called means that something is fake. Parama Purusa is eternal, thus for some vested interests to declare "mahaprayan of Parama Purusa" is nothing but so-called mahaprayan.

Mahaprayan only really happens in the case of human beings, not Parama Purusa.

Note 2: ASTERISK NOTE ABOUT MAHAPRAYAN

* Mahaprayan (Death):  Many are aware that mahaprayan (death) is the common term used in India and especially in Bengal to describe the death of an honoured or even ordinary person. In that way, the obituary columns of the newspapers of Bengal regularly cite the mahaprayan (death) of various persons of society who died or passed away.

Some may get confused and wrongly think that the word 'mahaprayan' (death) is one extraordinarily devotional term to be used in association with Parama Purusa. But that is not at all the case. Rather to do so is only to undermine the eternal presence of Parama Purusa. That is why no devotees ever use the word 'mahaprayan' in reference to Lord Shiva or Lord Krsna. Because Lord Shiva and Lord Krsna exist eternally. Then there is no question of Their mahaprayan (death).

Those who think that Baba is a mortal human being celebrate Mahaprayan on a particular day of the year related with Baba; but, in the true sense, Baba is Parama Purusa so He is eternal and there is no question of His mahaprayan.

And for those who need still more technical proof then all this can be clarified quite readily by referencing the dictionary. Specifically in the Samsad Bengali-English dictionary on page 742. Checking there it will be confirmed that the word 'mahaprayan' means death. Which is why it used to refer to the passing away of even common citizens.

Note 3: STORY- SITTING ON BABA'S LAP MEANS DIED?

(contributed by one margii)

Recently after dharmacakra, a senior margii was recounting his experiences of having dharma samiiksa with Baba.

He said, "After being punished by Baba, then He called me close and placed me on His lap - I remained there for some time soaking up His love - and He blessed me."

We all enjoyed hearing about his personal account with Baba during dharma samiiksa. When he finished telling his story, there was a call for questions. Various people posed their queries.

QUESTION BY A NEW MARGII

Towards the end, one new margii raised his hand and asked, "How did Baba bring you back to life?"

Everyone stared at the new margii in amazement. There was a look of astonishment all around - people were really shocked to hear him say this.

The new sadhaka sensed that something was awry.

He said very matter-of-factly, "I thought that sitting on Baba's Lap means that he (the margii) died - that is why I asked that question."

This was totally eye-opening for those of us in the room: Through our language and expression we had unknowingly taught someone to think that being on Baba's lap is the equivalent of death. Because it seems that nowadays people only use the phrase "Baba's lap" when a person has died, such as "Let him rest peacefully in Baba's lap", as if all who have died have accumulated there. Many emails have been written this way.

MUST NOT ONLY REFER TO DEATH

At that moment I thought that everyone, new and old, should be clear about the real and devotional meaning of this phrase, "being on Baba's lap." It should not become stigmatized such that it only means death. Because in its true sense, the phrase "being on Baba's lap" really does carry a highly devotional and sweet feeling.

It is just like how a small child sits on its parent's lap. In a similar way, a spiritual child (human being) sits on the lap of Parama Purusa. By Baba's grace this can happen anytime in one's sadhana, especially in dhyana. Such a phrase then should not become  stigmatized because too many people only use it at the time of death.

We should be careful that we do not relegate "Baba's lap" only to the point of death. All these following terms and phrases also only refer to death:

ve bhagavan ko pya're ho gaye
(he has been loved by God)

ve svarga sidhar gaye
(he has gone to heaven )

ve guzar gaye
(he passed away)

mahaprayan hoyeche
 (he died)

We should ensure that the same death connotation does not get attached to, "being on Baba's lap." Because the phrase - "being on Baba's lap" - is a devotional experience that can happen today itself in sadhana, and especially in dhyana. The phrase "being on Baba's lap" should not lose this quality and only mean death. It should not meet the same dark fate as happened with the term harijan.

MUST NOT MEET SAME FATE AS HARIJAN

As we all know, these days in India nobody uses the term harijan to mean "a devotee". Whereas 70 years ago it was used in that way. The term harijan did mean bhakta. But ever since the time of Gandhi when he glued the harijan term to the lowest so-called caste, i.e so-called untouchables, nobody uses the the harijan to mean devotee. Never. Because the term harijan has been stigmatized to mean "untouchable". Nobody uses it to mean "devotee", but that is the original and true meaning of the word.

The phrase, "sitting on Baba's lap", should not meet a similar fate. It should not lose its devotional quality and just refer to one's death. That will be very negative.

A VERY DEVOTIONAL EXPRESSION

There are thousands of recorded stories by sadhakas where they use the phrase, "on Baba's lap", when describing their experiences of being with Baba: He used to bless them and bring them on His lap. People should understand the deeply devotional value of this expression, and not just think that Baba's lap means death, i.e. that you can only sit on His lap at the time of death. Still today there are thousands of margiis walking this earth who sat in Baba's lap. And not only that, there are countless more sadhakas who were blessed by Baba in dreams and dhyana wherein they sat in His lap. And still today this deeply devotional experience is attainable by sadhakas, by His grace.

There are so many ways an aspirant can reach unto Baba's lap including in sadhana and especially during dhyana. That is the main idea that should be preserved. Sadhana is a devotional practice and one can sit on Baba's lap in dhyana. We should make it cent-per-cent clear to one and all that the phrase, "sitting on Baba's lap", does not mean death.

RECENT EXAMPLES

Here are quoted lines from recently posted emails on various forums, wherein the writer uses the phrase - "in Baba's lap" - with the occasion of death:

- "We are sure that Baba has taken him in His loving lap."
(written by Dada Kalyaneshvarananda on 01 May 2012 in reference to the death of Ac Pratapaditya ji)

So the above line was just posted today by Dadaji. Here following are more examples related with the recent passing of a respected margii sister. Here too the phrase, "in Baba's lap", is used in conjunction with death.

- "May her soul rest in Baba's lap for ever."

- "Let her rest peacefully in Baba's Lap - which she always desired."

- "now she is in beloved Baba's lap"

- "She is now in BÁBÁ'S loving lap"

All of the above lines were written at the time of death. And it is fine to write like this - only the point is that this same phrase "in Baba's lap" should be used when describing one's devotional practices and experiences as well.

Do You Think Doctors Are Your Friend

Date: 03 Aug 2012 06:33:47 -0500
From: "Dharmendra" dg4750@corpnet...
To: AM-GLOBAL
Subject: Do You Think Doctors Are Your Friend

Baba

== DO YOU THINK DOCTORS ARE YOUR FRIEND ==

Namaskar,
The amount of radiation from even a single x-ray is extremely harmful. Over the years, the cumulative effects of the radiation are quite dramatic on the body. So just think how harmful one CT scan is when a single CT scan exposes you to more than several hundred times the radiation of an x-ray.

X-rays are dangerous for everyone: They damage the DNA and within 10 to 15 years cancer cells will develop in the body. People around the globe are suffering from cancer due to x-rays. And while it is dangerous to all, it is especially ghastly for children because their tender bodies are still developing. Their cells are very sensitive and highly susceptible to cancer from radiation. In that case, CT scans are a tremendous health risk which are far more harmful than x-rays.

So be aware. Avoid CT scans as far as possible - especially for childnre. Only if there is absolutely no other option - and without it you may die - then and only then should one get a CT scan. The basic approach is to steer clear from these CT scans.

One key point to keep in mind is that we are living in the culminating phase of the vaeshyan era - this is capitalism at its peak. Even doctors and hospitals are business entities and follow the profit motive. They think more about earning money than about the well-being, or life and death, of the patient. They will even push you up to the jaws of death if by that way they will earn extra money. Of course not every single doctor operates this way but certainly the majority.

Such doctors and medical professionals are paid commissions by diagnostic companies when they recommend patients for medical screenings and tests, like CT scans. That is why they may even resort to fear tactics to pressure you into getting tested.

So this is the general trend nowadays with doctors. If you are fortunate you may get good doctor - as there are some that are more concerned with patient's care than their own profit. But again this is rare. Point being that if you see a surgeon they will almost always recommend surgery as that is they only way they earn money.

We should be careful. In order to diagnose a problem which may or may not exist, why invite cancer by getting a CT scan. Avoid this as far as possible.

In comparison, MRI's are relatively harmless. So if you need such a diagnosis get an MRI - they are more clear than CT scans, but more costly. Or find other another option like an ultrasound exam. The main aim should be to spare yourself from the radiation of a CT scan.

Only in the worst case scenario, if really there is no other option, then one may get a CT scan - but be sure to educate yourself about the dangers ahead of time. The following articles are good and point to how Americans are often over-diagnosed.

Namaskar,
Dharmendra

CT Scans Boost Cancer Risks For Kids

Children who get CT scans are at slightly increased risk for brain cancer and leukemia, according to a large international study released Tuesday.
CT scans create detailed images of the inside of the body. So they're great for diagnosing all sorts of medical problems — so great that their use has soared in recent years. More than 80 million are being done every year in the United States.

But the scans use a lot more radiation than standard X-rays, and evidence has been mounting that they may increase the risk for cancer. But no one could say for sure.

"This is the first study that's looked at patients that had CT scans and then looked at their subsequent cancer risk," said Amy Berrington de Gonzalez of the National Cancer Institute, who helped conduct the new study.
 
The study involved nearly 180,000 British patients who got CT scans between 1985 and 2002 before their 22nd birthdays. The researchers looked at kids because they are more sensitive to radiation than adults.

"We found that the radiation exposure from the CT scans was associated with a subsequent increased risk of both leukemia and brain tumors," she said.
Based on the findings, researchers calculated that the amount of radiation from two or three scans of the head before age 15 would increase the risk of brain cancer threefold. It would take five to 10 head scans to triple the risk of leukemia.

Now, the researchers stress that the overall risk for brain cancer and leukemia is very low, so the risk remains quite low even among those who get scans.

"During the follow-up period of our study, which was about 10 years, we estimated about one excess brain tumor and one leukemia per 10,000 head CT scans performed in young children," Berrington de Gonzalez said.
But scans of other parts of the body also look risky, and it's probably not just a matter of multiple CTs and leukemia and brain tumors among kids, she said. There's a good chance even one CT scan poses some risk to children — as well as adults — and possibly for all sorts of cancers.

"I think it's really a landmark paper," said Andrew Einstein of Columbia University Medical Center, who wrote an analysis of the study that's being published along with the paper in the journal The Lancet.

"It's the first paper that's convincingly established that radiation exposure at low doses — in this case from CT scans — is associated with an increased cancer risk to patients," he said.

Previous research has been based primarily on victims of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Now, Berrington de Gonzalez, Einstein and other experts stress that it's important to remember that CT scans save a lot of lives.

"There are clearly situations in which CT is indicated: major motor vehicle accidents where there's multiple potential organ injuries. In abdominal pain where surgery might be required for, say, a bowel obstruction or in some patients with apendicitis," said Donald Frush of Duke University, speaking on behalf of the American College of Radiology.

If we just focused on the negatives, there are lots of things in life we wouldn't do. "Just hearing the downsides of driving a car, or crossing a street or flying in an airplane," he said, "if you only discussed the risks of all of those things no one would drive a car or walk across the street or fly in an airplane."

Other experts agree. But many argue that a lot of CT scans — maybe as many as half — are unnecessary. So doctors have to be much more selective about how they use them, they say.

"It's absolutely fair if your physician suggests that you or your child has a CT scan to ask that physician, 'Why?' Ask, 'Are there good medical reasons why the CT scan is justified?' " said David Brenner, another Columbia University Medical Center researcher who has long studied the safety of CT scans.

Meanwhile, work is also under way to reduce the dose of radiation from each scan.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/06/07/154421129/ct-scans-boost-cancer-risks-for-kids

CT Scans Boost Cancer Risk in Young Patients, Study Finds

A study involving thousands of British children provides the first direct evidence that low-dose radiation used in diagnostic imaging produces a small but real increase in a child's risk of developing cancer within 10 to 15 years, researchers say. The study, published today in Lancet, found that two to three head CT scans can triple a child's risk of getting a brain tumor. Five to 10 scans that deliver radiation to the bone marrow triple the risk of leukemia, the research showed...

... the number of CT scans done in the United States is soaring. The most recent data suggests that U.S. doctors perform at least 70 million scans each year, 5 percent to 10 percent of them in children.

A CT scan—a computer-enhanced series of X-rays routinely used to identify brain trauma, cancer and other conditions that might be missed or take longer to diagnose by other means—delivers at least 10 times the radiation of a mammogram and up to 600 times the radiological punch of a single X-ray...

Children are especially susceptible to radiation-induced cancers, because their cells multiply rapidly. Radiation can damage the cellular controls that keep multiplication in check, over time transforming healthy tissue into tumors...

To avoid inappropriate scans—such as those for chronic headache, minor trauma, and low back pain—Swensen advises every person offered a CT scan—and every parent advised that their child might benefit from one—to ask the doctor:
• How could the test result change my (or my child's) care, if at all?
• Can you recommend an alternative, such as an ultrasound or MRI, that doesn't involve radiation?
• Can a dose at the low end of the scale be used?
• What is the accuracy of the test at the recommended center? Some operators are better at getting clear images than others, Swensen says.
• Do you have a financial interest in the scanner? Doctors that do, he says, have a greater incentive to refer patients for tests.
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/second-opinion/2012/06/06/ct-scans-boost-cancer-risk-in-young-patients-study-finds