February 2012 by 16Rounds

www.16ROUNDS.com FEBRUARY 2012

"We have become indentured servants for the Federal Reserve $ and most don't know it." -Cover story: Modern Day Bread & Circus (pg. 10)

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<(previous issue's cover)>

INTRO

THE FIRST DUTY OF A NATION IS TO BECOME SELF-SUFFICIENT 16Rounds to Samadhi 16Rounds is published: ● To propagate spiritual knowledge and to educate all people in the techniques of spiritual life in order to check the imbalance of values in life and to achieve real unity and peace in the world. ● To bring people closer together for the purpose of teaching a simpler and more natural way of life. ● To expose the faults of materialism. ● To bring about the well-being of all living entities. 16Rounds is an independent magazine compiled, written, and published by a few Hare Krishna monks. It is produced in an attempt to benefit its readers, for our own purification, and for the pleasure of our spiritual grandfather, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder and spiritual guide of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). The first copy is free. Additional copies of the same issue are $10 each. © 2011 16Rounds to Samadhi. All rights reserved.

16Rounds Staff: Editor: Mahat Tattva Dasa Mahat has been a monk since 1995 and is currently serving as the president of the Hare Krishna temple in San Diego. Graphic design: Coral McIntyre Coral has a degree in Creative Communications. At free time she is giving her creative services to enrich her community.

Layout: Bhismadeva Dasa Bhismadeva has been a monk since 2008 and is currently living in the ashram at the Hare Krishna temple in San Diego.

"Srila Prabhupada didn't like the idea of dependence on a cash crop. In Mauritius, sugarcane was the cash crop. His comment to those young people was "The first duty of a nation is to become self-sufficient." And that was an extremely profound statement because if you look at the world situation and you look at so many of the trouble spots, it's all about trying to exploit somebody else's natural resources - like America and Europe trying to exploit the oil resources of other areas. And if each country would take that seriously, becoming self-sufficient, you wouldn't have these major conflicts going on in the world." -Bhargava Dasa

"Trees and vegetables are essential, and they give happiness all year round, in all seasons. Trees and vegetables provide the real means of livelihood recommended for everyone. Trees and vegetables, not industry, provide the real means of life." -From Srila Prabhupada's commentary on Srimad Bhagavatam 10.13.59

"If I should sell my forenoons and afternoons to society, as most appear to CONTACT: 16rounds@gmail.com www.16ROUNDS.com 1030 Grand Ave. San Diego, CA 92109 Call/text 858-405-5465 facebook.com/16roundstosamadhi ADVERTISE www.16rounds.com/advertise Call/text Mahat at 858-405-5465. SUBSCRIPTIONS 10 issues = $25 www.16rounds.com/subscribe DISCLAIMER: Views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors.

do, I am sure that for me there would be nothing left worth living for … I wish to suggest that a man may be very industrious, and yet not spend his time well. There is no more fatal blunderer than he who consumes the greater part of his life getting his living."

poses threat, materially and physically, as it is stated in the following quote.

- Thoreau

"There seem to be but three ways for a nation to acquire wealth. The first is by war as the Romans did in plundering their conquered neighbors. This is robbery. The second by commerce which is generally cheating. The third by agriculture, the only honest way; wherein man receives a real Increase of the seed thrown into the ground, in a kind of continual miracle wrought by the hand of God in his favour, as a reward for his innocent life, and virtuous industry."

"Materialists imagine themselves to be wonderful enjoyers of the material nature, which suddenly turns against them and kills them just like the "tamed" animal that suddenly turns on its master and kills him."

-From the commentary on Srimad Bhagavatam 11.28.3

-Benjamin Franklin, Positions to be Examined, April 4, 1769

Ultimately, the reason for economic self-sufficiency through agriculture is to create the time and circumstances required for spiritual cultivation, individually and collectively. Materialism is a dangerous beast which constantly

MEANING OF “16ROUNDS” Yoga is a Sanskrit word that means “union” or “linking.” Meditation is a process of yoga by which the spiritual practitioner achieves union with the Divine. The recommended process of meditation for the age we are currently living in is mantra meditation. This process involves chanting of mantras. The Upanishads, the classical spiritual texts of ancient India, say that the best mantra is the Hare Krishna mantra: hare krishna, hare krishna, krishna krishna, hare hare, hare rama, hare rama, rama rama, hare hare. A “Mala” is a set of 108 beads strung on a thread, sort of like a rosary. The spiritual practitioner prayerfully and with great concentration recites/chants the whole mantra once for each bead of the mala. The mala or the string of beads is held in the ﬁst of the right hand and is meant to help us count how many times we chanted the mantra. It also helps engage the sense of touch in the process of meditation. Once we have chanted the mantra 108 times, or once for each bead, we have completed “one round.” Serious practitioners of this spiritual discipline take a vow to chant at least sixteen times round the mala every day; thus the name “16 Rounds.”

PHOTO CREDITS ©1 flickr.com/cimmyt ©2 flickr.com/kmo139 ©3 flickr.com/chicagogeek ©4 flickr.com/marcobellucci ©5 flickr.com/toadmahone ©6 flickr.com/miguelmichan ©7 flickr.com/72111876@N00 ©8 flickr.com/bleuman ©9 flickr.com/stephenpoff ©10 flickr.com/lancecheungmedia ©11 flickr.com/curiousdanielson ©12 flickr.com/anabadili ©13 flickr.com/stephenpoff ©14 flickr.com/susannajarian1 ©15 flickr.com/parl ©16 flickr.com/izarbeltza ©17 flickr.com/horiavarlan ©18 flickr.com/lightmash

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PHILOSOPHY

THIS TOO IS LIFE Lonely Guys and Lonely Girls By Mahat Tattva Dasa

and when things unfold smoothly and effortlessly. As a matter of fact, hardly ever does the world cooperate with us. For the most part, it is an uphill struggle.

The other

night I went on a bike ride with a friend. The moon was full, and it was somewhat cold outside. The Mission Bay, in San Diego, looked just charming. The sky was mostly clear with just a few clouds decorating it. The beautiful appearance of the clouds and water was arresting, as they reflected the moonshine. By the water front, there were two lonely-looking guys, sitting outside their apartment. They were bundled up, drinking something, and listening to the music coming out of an inexpensive boom box. Then, three lonely-looking girls passed by. They were talking, but when they

"THE AWKWARDNESS OF THE SITUATION WAS OBVIOUS GUYS WERE LONELY, GIRLS WERE LONELY, AND THERE THEY WERE, ALL IN THE SAME PLACE AT THE SAME TIME." reached the guys, they became silent. The awkwardness of the situation was obvious - guys were lonely, girls were lonely, and there they were, all in the same place at the same time. Naturally, they should have "hooked up." However, they did not know each other, so the girls decided to continue walking. At that time the refrain played from the boom box loud and clear: "I wonder whether you could be the one." The girls clearly heard it, sped up, and abandoned the scene. That was awkward. And that is also life.

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As a child, I used to think that animals and plants do not get sick. I thought that it must be quite nice to be an animal. I even heard many folks say things such as, “If I were to reincarnate, I’d love to be a poodle.” It made sense. There I was, suffering from occasional toothaches and other diseases, while animals, in my mind, were always healthy. After all I had never seen a hospital for animals, and when I eventually did learn about one, I thought it existed only for the sake of domestic animals. I thought that domestic animals, unlike the wild ones, were artificially made

to live in the human-created environments, against the natural laws, and were thus falling sick.

I was quite wrong. Not only do animals get sick, but plants do too. I remember the surprise, nearly a shock, I experienced at a Rainbow Family gathering in Mendocino County, California - a whole forest of oak trees was infested with a disease that made the trees die slowly. It was an epidemic, as I learned from a girl I met there.

Life does not only consist of blissful times when everything goes along with our desires and aspirations

You got to love the movies that end with romantic scenes where the couple, after a long struggle, is finally united. The ending gives the impression that the couple has happily continued the romance forever after. However, in most cases the result is neither “ever after” nor “happily.” If the movie is to continue playing, we would likely see the couple’s romance ending, and them entering the rough waters of marital crisis. There is no point in being like an ostrich - sticking our head in the sand of hallucinations, false expectations, dreams, and other such forms of non-objectivity, basically illusion. It is much better to know what life is like and soberly deal with it. Because the tendency of our desires, in real life, is to often be disconnected from the actual outcome, many people develop a pessimistic attitude. At the same time

our intrinsic nature yearns for harmony and pleasure. So what are we to do? Grow despondent? Become suicidal? Eww.

For many people this is a crossroad where they need to choose their path, their direction. Some choose to be plain ignorant, accept the painful existence as the norm and learn to live with it. Other people can not allow themselves to live a life of ignorance and thus they experience the existential crisis. For anyone to continue to exist, they need to have a reason, a goal to strive for. If they do not see enough brightness ahead, they lose inspiration to enter yet another moment of existence. That is called the existential crisis. Some people experience a sense of disorientation and confusion in the face of an apparently meaningless and absurd world. That is how existentialists such as Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus come into the scene. This group of philosophers, who produced volumes of “dark and depressing” literature, felt that there are many Cont'd on pg. 13 ›››

PHILOSOPHY

QUESTIONS?

Without Time For Logic Now even if we aren't immediately able to ascertain why these things happen, at least we can surmise that they do happen for a reason. By Abeer Saha

When I

think about life, I come up with a few questions that I beg for answers to. "Is this existence real?"

I pinch myself. It hurts; therefore this must be real.

However, for anything to be 'truly' real it has to be everlasting, or else impermanence surrenders it to a dream-like past. In other words, if something ceased to be and eventually its very memory evaporated, would it hold any value greater than that of a dream? So when I say 'truly' real, I mean eternally real. So in this new light, my question is now a lot harder to answer and can be rephrased as, "Do I exist forever?” For one thing, I can not imagine ceasing to exist, but

that in itself is not enough evidence.

However, consider this point. Our body is composed of millions of cells and scientific studies tell us that new cells are constantly forming and old cells are endlessly dying. In fact, most of the cells in our body today are different from the cells we had seven years ago. However, interestingly enough, we did not experience death and rebirth every time these cells - parts of our body - died or when new cells came into being. So in effect, our body has died and been reborn countless times and yet we did not experience the end of our existence as a person. This only suggests that there is indeed no correlation between our existence as a conscious being and the birth or death of our body. The key here is to under-

stand the body, which is separate from our 'self,' as merely a medium for us to perceive our earthly surroundings. In which case, the neurons in the brain are not who we are, they are simply a facility in place for us to understand and interact with the world around us. With the above notion of 'self' defined, we can now proceed to my next question. "Why do I exist independent of my body, and presumably even after my body's death?"

It is not as easy to verify, and you will find that to be the trend with questions asking ’why’. If you think about this one long enough, you may find that we hardly know why anything happens at all. Chew on this for a moment. Modern science explains to us how the sky is blue, but there is no scientific explanation for why the sky is blue. Yes, blue light refracts the most blah blah blah... and that's how the sky is blue, but why does blue light have that particu-

lar property and not red instead? In my opinion, it seems more like an artistic choice than an engineering one. An unintelligent or uninterested person might deem such things random; but, to conclude it as random is simply unscientific. Why? Well, have a look around you. Is it a matter of probability whether the ball that you throw into the sky will fall to the ground due to gravity, or whether the earth will remain on its axis this year? No, it is certain. Nature goes above and beyond to prove to us that there is reason and rationale behind everything in her purview, so to suggest that something that defines our very expe-

rience as sentient beings is a result of randomness, is a silly abstraction.

Some of the more existential why's that we need to confront are, why am I a boy and not a girl or vice versa? More specifically, why did those X and Y chromosomes turn out one way for me and not the other? Why was I born to this particular family in this particular country, on this particular planet of this colossal universe and why not somewhere else!? Are all the events of my life predestined? As you may have surmised, this can go on… Now, even if we are not

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Cont'd on pg. 13 ›››

SOCIETY

ON GOD AND HIGGS PARTICULARS The Relationship Between Society & Science

proach is demolition derby simple. The LHC hopes to collide (read ‘smash’ or ‘crash’) particles together at speeds near those of light. Monitoring every parameter of these collisions they know to measure, CERNians and other scientists hope to record evidence of the Higgs popping out during one of these meticulous mashes. 15 Million Gigabytes of Data, or 100,000 DVDroms worth of information, will be generated each year by the experiments being conducted inside the giant tube. Magnets, which are apparently good for more than the mounting of adolescent artwork, guide the protons around the 'track' at speeds approaching 99.99% that of light.

By Devin James O’Rourke

He wanted

to call it The Goddamn Particle, but the publisher thought it would offend even secular Americans. So Nobel prize winning physicist Leon M Lederman conceded in naming his book The God Particle: If the Universe is the Answer,

What is the Question? Never heard of it? Maybe he should have stood his ground. Few know the book, but the particle monikered after the all mighty has been getting an ever increasing amount of attention from laymen and scientists alike.

The scientific community refers to this provincial particle as the Higgs Boson. This title was conferred upon the particle because of the six men most involved in its advent; Peter Higgs was the best looking of the six. Either that or 'Higgs' is easier on the ears and tongue than Guralnik or Englert. Factually 6 men all purported the particles place in physics at nearly the same time.

The year we heard for the first time from the Surgeon General that smoking is officially bad for our health, the same year we heard the first plans for the World Trade Center; 1964, was the year the Higgs boson was prophesied. How many knew then that we would still be waiting today for it to show up.

Indeed, the Higgs is still a theoretical particle whose existence has yet to be substantiated by anything more than equations. This is what everyone finds so sexy about the Higgs though; it looks good in any equation. In fact, every equation needs it. The ice cream in the sundae, cream in the puff, cute in the puppy… without the Higgs existence no other particle has mass. That is to say, no other particle's mass can be accounted for within the Standard Model of Physics, which is everyone's favorite way to explain how the Universe works; and when we say everyone, you understand it to mean theoretical

JUST LIKE WE DO NOT NEED TO KNOW ABOUT JOBS TO UNDERSTAND APPLE, OR WALT TO KNOW DISNEY; SIMILARLY, WE DO NOT NEED THIS GOD FELLOW TO UNDERSTAND THE COSMOS AND THEIR WORKINGS.

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WE SEEM TO HAVE EQUATED OBSERVATION WITH OWNERSHIP, THINKING THAT BY SEEING WHAT'S BEING DONE WE ARE SOMEHOW IN CONTROL OF IT. Physicists with German last names.

And yet, “Calling it the ’God particle’ is completely inappropriate,” according to one Oliver Buechmueller, a lead scientist and prominent German last name at CERN. CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is famous for building the biggest toys boys ever conceived of on this planet. Known as the Large Had-

ron Collider, or LHC in geek speak, it lies on the border of France and Switzerland. Taking nearly 10,000 scientists from 100 countries 10 years to build, (talk about super-symmetry) the LHC is a 17-mile long race track for sub-atomic particles. For all the brainwaves that went into the design and development of this modern science marvel, the logic of the machine's ap-

All this pomp and precision leads scientists to loath the 'God Particle' nonsense that media and observers use to goad a naive public into believing they have a grasp on the implications of the Higgs relationship to its atomic associates. “The Higgs is not endowed with any religious meaning. It is ridiculous to call it that,” according to one Pauline Gagnon, a member of the Canadian CERN contingent. A CERN spokesman and physicist puts it this way: “of course it has nothing to do with God. But I can understand why people go that way because the Higgs is so important to our understanding of Nature.” Yes, no relation between this understanding of God and Nature. Just like we do

Cont'd on pg. 13 ›››

SOCIETY

REDEFINING WEALTH Cash In By Checking Out A radical new breed of economists and ecologists are conjuring up what could be the most timely revolution that the “free-market economy” has ever seen. By Yasodeva Dasa

Not

surprising, considering that the current slump in economic growth has been an inescapable nuisance for almost every developed nation in the world and, despite nearly four years of instability behind us, the economic crisis shows no signs of abating.

Of course, this is an affliction that third-world, undeveloped nations are already familiar with, right? So it’s quite reasonable to be more concerned with the wellbeing of the sensitive elite, right? That’s the uninspiring attitude that has perpetuated the same band-aid solu-

tions we’ve seen throughout history; that is, how to shift the brunt of burden onto the shoulders of the proletarian class, whether they’re in America or abroad. Like lambs to the slaughter, they’re encouraging us now with the same enchanting tune they’ve been singing for over a century: “Buy things you don’t need with money you don’t have. In this way, the gears of production and consumption will keep turning, and our fantasy of unbounded growth of business, in a world of inexhaustible resources, will be realized…”

HISTORIES (AND PRODUCTS) REPEAT THEMSELVES In 1929, a clever scheme was engineered by a prominent real-estate broker in New York to set the gears of industry in perpetual motion. The broker, Bernard London, proposed that every product on the market should have a predetermined “lease of life,” with an expiry date set by its manufacturer, and designed into its workmanship, so that the need for replacement or upgrade would come sooner rather than later, and so the consumer would be all but forced to purchase new products. This concept, which was dubbed “planned obsolescence”, was ignored by economists of the time. However (and perhaps worse than the idea of planned obsolescence by legal obligation, as Mr. London had envisioned), that shrewd business objective has frequently resurfaced since the time of the Great Depression, albeit unofficially, so much so that it has become an expected cultural norm, one to which the helpless mass of consumers does not hesitate to acquiesce. Pause for a moment and consider, the next time you’re purchasing any nonperishable goods like cloth-

LIKE LAMBS TO THE SLAUGHTER, THEY’RE ENCOURAGING US NOW WITH THE SAME ENCHANTING TUNE THEY’VE BEEN SINGING FOR OVER A CENTURY: “BUY THINGS YOU DON’T NEED WITH MONEY YOU DON’T HAVE. IN THIS WAY, THE GEARS OF PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION WILL KEEP TURNING, AND OUR FANTASY OF UNBOUNDED GROWTH OF BUSINESS, IN A WORLD OF INEXHAUSTIBLE RESOURCES, WILL BE REALIZED…” ing, electronics and home ware, do the manufacturers of this product really want me to be satisfied with its form and function or am I being lured into an interest in future models? Am I purchasing an enduring article or a fleeting status symbol? These are the themes that drive product development and keep businesses afloat. This phenomenon is easily noticeable in the field of cellular phones, a market

Try finding a battery for your mobile a year after you buy it and odds are you’ll be hunting for one on the Web, because your wireless carrier has long since moved on to newer models and doesn’t carry a replacement battery in stock.

into which new models are introduced, on average, and by almost every manufacturer, every four months. Try finding a battery for your mobile a year after you buy it and odds are you’ll be hunting for one on the Web, and that your wireless carrier has long since moved on to newer models and doesn’t carry a replacement battery in stock. In the United States, wireless carriers’ policies of heavily subsidizing phones when customers sign up for one- or two-year contracts reinforces the idea of change, even if you’re perfectly happy with the phone you’ve been using. This is one of the classic, back-handed tricks in business psychology, as explained by Allen Nogee, wireless infrastructure and

technology analyst for InStat Research, “Operators do this where they can because they know if the subscriber has a better phone, he or she is more likely to use services which more than pay for the difference in cost on the phone.”

ABUNDANT MALADIES

A reckless culture of prodigious consumption and production will never develop into a stable economy. As romantic as it may sound to strive for unlimited growth and innovation, in reality we see that, as a result of our so-called growth and innovation, the most promising industries of today are those involved with conservation Cont'd on pg. 17 ›››

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SOCIETY

UNITY IN DIVERSITY When Anarchy, Communism, Monarchy & Capitalism, Are In Love

By Giriraj Gopal Dasa

To be a capitalist or not to be a capitalist, that is the question...Or is it?

"It wouldn't make much sense for a limb to suddenly rebel and claim independence because of inequality due to a lesser role or variant job description of another body part."

Could

radically different ideologies such as anarchy, communism, capitalism, and monarchy ever

co-exist in a governing institution? The daivi-varnasrama of Vedic India is a cultural paradigm that scientifically

accommodates these four dissimilar social ideologies in perfect equilibrium under the one banner of service to the Absolute.

PROBLEM OF MATERIALISTIC EQUALITY The problem in this nation, in regards to the class war, is the very platform on which so-called equality is situated. When equality is based upon a purely materialistic understanding of the world, the idea that a living entity is nothing more than a composition of atoms and molecules, it is almost as if one has to develop a kind of voluntary blindness to objective reality.

Looking at people, you will find much in common, but looking further it is impossible to find equality in the truest sense of the term. Why? Because, no two thumb prints are the same.

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No two irises are the same. Get into DNA code and you will have yourself a limitless testimony to the unique blueprint of every living thing in existence.

What about abilities? Some people, let’s face it, are good at things that others just aren't. So, it seems that naturally some people will be able to do a service that is more in demand, which to the modern world, naturally translates into cash. Realistically, would we really ever be able to eliminate class differences in society? Yet, there is so much talk in this country about social equality. It is our Declaration of Independence that proclaims, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all people are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.” So, exactly what is it about us that is actually equal? Without this concrete understanding, the idea of

equality amounts to a sort of politically correct social etiquette at best.

EQUALITY VIA TRANSCENDENTAL UNDERSTANDING

What all beings have in common is the living force. Though all our bodies are different, our abilities differ, and our ideals may differ, there is something that we all share in common: we are all living, conscious entities. Regardless of the body, whether you are an insect, bird, human, or animal, this commonality is trans-species; it transcends the bodily, physical designations. Each living being in this world is trying to preserve its existence and express itself in a manner that brings about its own individual well-being. The Vedic knowledge elaborately explains the living force of each living entity as a non-material, eternal spark of divinity, irrespective of the physical vehicle (the body) it may inhabit. Those who are able to understand this fact will agree. Now we are left with the question: where does the social equality come from?

THE BODY OF VISHNU

In the Vedas of spiritual India, the concept of social equality is gracefully explained. In the Rig Veda, a passage known as the “Hymn of Creation” (purusa sukta) explains that at the beginning of time, the Supreme Entity existed alone.

SOCIETY This Supreme Entity became many individual spiritual entities and, although remaining separate and complete, entered into all varieties of the existence. Such varieties, though each with separate, individual existences, still maintain their qualitative identity with the original source. In regards to the manifestation of social division, the “Purusa Sukta” states:

“From the Supreme Being's head came the brahmanas. From His two arms came the rajanya (the kshatriyas). From His two thighs came the vaishyas. From His two feet came the shudras. - Rigveda (10.7.90.13)” Therefore, in terms of Vedic sociology, because such divinity is inherent in every living being, this is the only true solution to the problem of establishing genuine equality. The Vedic sociological science is perfected when every human being learns to perform their duty selflessly in service to the Supreme Entity, the source and pivot of all other entities. As in the case of a human body, the hands, legs, and eyes work in conjunction with one another to successfully feed the stomach. Similarly in spiritual consciousness, social equality is able to function only with individuals who have obtained self-realization of their inherent, non-material spiritual identity eternally

related with the Absolute Whole. Each part of the gigantic social body may perform complexly different tasks; however, being attached to the same body, it would not make much sense for a limb to suddenly rebel and claim independence because of inequality due to a lesser role or variant job description of another body part. From the Vedic sociological standpoint, we might mindfully deduce the fol-

lowing:

1) Brahmanas can be seen as spiritually and intellectually qualified anarchists. To practically function in the capacity duly prescribed for them in the Vedas, they really require a demilitarized ambiance wherein they may peacefully and creatively exercise their God-given right to be self-regulating, independently thoughtful people. Naturally, the independence afforded to them brings with it the highest constitutional

responsibility, namely selfless sacrifice in the direct service of Godhead (HTBD). They are the representatives of the head of the Supreme Entity. 2) Kshatriyas are basically noble-minded God-conscious monarchists. They are meant to enact policy on behalf of qualified brahmanas whose only interest is the spiritual elevation of human society. They are the representatives of the arms of the Supreme Entity.

3) Vaishyas are theistic charitable capitalists. They are the representatives of the legs of the Supreme Entity.

4) Sudras are theocentric, working-class socialists or communists. They represent the feet of the Supreme Entity. There is a place for anarchy in human society. There is a place for monarchy in human society. So also is there a place for capitalism and communism. The

daivi-varnasrama cultural paradigm scientifically accommodates these four dissimilar social ideologies in perfect equilibrium under the one banner of service to the Absolute. It is simply a matter of recognizing, facilitating, and suitably balancing the needs of different kinds of people. In view of social distinctions, on the basis of diverse individual psycho-physical dispositions, it would be irresponsible on the part of any one section of society to artificially impose a single ideology upon all. This would force a state of stultification upon the social order. Similarly, encroaching upon or crippling another’s God-given station hinders the affected individual’s natural socio-constitutional development (HTBD). Therefore, it is not necessarily the social structure, or the proposal of new political mandates that will change our society to reflect more individual equality. It is the development of a spiritual platform that the ideology of unity in the diversity may factually rest. � *(HTBD) The Heart of Transcendental Book Distribution

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COVER STORY

"We have become indentured servants for the Federal Reserve and most don't know it." -Cover story: Modern Day Bread & Circus

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COVER STORY

MODERN DAY BREAD & CIRCUS America Falls Like Rome Did By Jessica Robbins

Free

markets, subsidies, taxation, rise and subsequent fall of the economy, and inflation—sound like a familiar progression? Crack open any American history book and you see this theme threaded throughout. If we go back in time we see the same progression in Roman history. The emperor’s quest for political dominion gave rise to deceptive and duplicitous political policies in order to secure such power. The autonomy of the Roman people decreased along with their political sovereignty. This point can easily be deduced by us now, but at the time the Roman citizens had no idea their society would inevitably come crashing down. Why? The reason is because people became so distracted by what has been termed by Roman satirist and poet, Juvenal, as “Bread and Circus” (Martin, 2003). To maintain their post in office, Roman politicians ensured their public popularity by guaranteeing citizens free grain and by personally funding the Roman Circus Maximus, which includes a multitude of spectator games and brutal gladiator sports. With the citizens engrossed in such trivial matters and fully satisfied by the meager free handouts of bread, politicians took full control of state affairs knowing they would gain sufficient approval from the masses, not by exemplary public service or policy, but

by simply supplying bread and circus. And unbeknownst to the distracted Roman citizens, the civilization of Rome inevitably fell down (Moreell, 1956).

What does this have to do with America? Well, it appears the American people are up against a similar power-mongering force as were the latter-day Roman citizens: corporations. Yeah sure, politicians in America appear to have a lot of influence but I beg to challenge that independent, privatized corporations wield much more than any political talking head, and they sure outdo their roman emperor counter-parts in distracting

the masses away from their own ultimate benefit for the sake of their own advancement.

In fact, corporations essentially own and run the United States of America. In 1920 the Independent Treasury Act was established, which suspended the de jure (“by right of legal establishment”) or Treasury Department of the United States government (Hardison, 1996). Our congress handed the treasury over to the private corporation, the Federal Reserve. The Reserve is comprised of private banking interests such as: Rothschild Bank of London and Berlin, Warburg Bank of

Hamburg and Amsterdam, Israel Moses Seif Banks of Italy, and Chase Manhattan Bank of New York to name a few. None of the Fed’s stock is owned by our own actual government as most Americans assume (Brown, 2008).

This enshrouded turnover of power occurred because the United States went bankrupt in 1933. Control of our national currency was taken away from the people themselves and put into the hands of private individual corporations. America must borrow money from these individuals and as a result the debt we all hear about on the news steadily increases, not to mention in-

"TO MAINTAIN THEIR POST IN OFFICE, ROMAN POLITICIANS ENSURED THEIR PUBLIC POPULARITY BY GUARANTEEING CITIZENS FREE GRAIN AND BY PERSONALLY FUNDING THE ROMAN CIRCUS MAXIMUS, WHICH INCLUDES A MULTITUDE OF SPECTATOR GAMES AND BRUTAL GLADIATOR SPORTS."

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COVER STORY flation, as money is created out of thin air.

If you ask people who is it that runs America, most would arguably answer the government, right? But the reality is our government is considerably indebted to the Federal Reserve. As a result you and I run around and provide labor to pay off this debt via taxes (implemented by the Federal Reserve); in other words “bankruptcy action disguised as a tax action” (Hardison, 1996).

So, how did these international bankers become “creditors” (companies whom money is owed) to you and me? The answer lies in your very own birth certificate. The original birth record for every U.S. Citizen is on file in the official records in Washington, D.C. and the property and assets of every living U.S. Citizen is pledged as collateral for the National Debt. Our government has to pay up somehow and the only means they were able to think of was to utilize American citizens’ labor and potential to pay taxes as a form of credit to the private banking interests of the Federal Reserve (Traficant, 1993). Now, if you pause and break out the copy of your birth certificate or your social security card you will notice your name in all caps. This does not represent your actual self, but is a legal fictitious name which

represents yourself as a corporation that can generate wealth and subsequently pay taxes to repay the collateral that Uncle Sam borrowed from the Federal Reserve.

Secondly, you will notice on your birth certificate a series of red numbers, which is the tracking number for the commodity of your “corporate” self! In small print you will see “bank note company,” which is “an interestbearing document giving evidence of a debt issued by a government body or corporation that is sometimes secured by a lien on property and is often designed to take care of a particular financial need” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary of Law (1996)). In other words we ourselves are debt security for repayment of the loan taken from the Federal Reserve by our government! We have become indentured servants for the Federal Reserve and most do not even know it. We are taught in school to be good work force and citizens by paying our taxes. As a consolation we are given bread in the form of “jumbo deal” fast-food, social security, and medicade, and circus in the form of spectator sports and shows like American Idol and MTV. The international bankers secure their platform of power by distracting the American people by a false sense of happiness. It is no wonder that we are

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taught early on that making lots of cash is a sure means of happiness and a measuring stick of success with that awfully large debt that keeps on growing, along with the greed of the corporate banking enterprise itself. Just as in Rome, the potential of our country and civilization as we know it falling down due to the hubris of a small handful of individuals is indeed possible. So, is there a way we can transcend the current precarious situation we find ourselves seemingly shackled to?

The ancient Sanskrit teachings of the Bhagavadgita, spoken five thousand years ago by Krishna in India, tell us there are two kinds of persons: suras (spiritualists) and asuras (materialists). Suras are described as interested in purification of one's existence, cultivation of spiritual knowledge, selfcontrol, simplicity, truthfulness, freedom from anger, non-violence, compassion for all living entities, forgiveness, and freedom from envy and from the passion for honor, to name a few (Bg 16.1-3). Asuras, on the other hand, are solely interested in gratifying their senses and in fact are bound by the shackles of their own limitless desires! Always hankering for more, they become angry as there is no satiation for their incredulous lust. The Bhagavad-gita says such persons become “perplexed by vari-

ous anxieties and bound by a network of illusions, they become too strongly attached to sense enjoyment and fall down” (Bg 16.1316).

Each one of us can choose to go down the path of either sura or asura. From time immemorial we have seen many powerful leaders inevitably become corrupt from extravagant wealth and power. As such, they indulged in lavish affairs for their own enjoyment at the expense of those whom they had control over. Persons such as Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini desired more and more dominion and out of their arrogance they ended up losing everything. On the other hand, we have seen many great leaders like Martin Luther King or Mahatma Gandhi who, out of their compassion and motivated by a quest for truth and justice, sacrificed their own personal enjoyment for the sake of the upliftment of others.

The main difference between such leaders is their basic misinterpretation of the world and themselves. If we believe ourselves to be mere material creations, spurred by our biological urges like animals, then the world is our arena for sense enjoyment. As apparent in the realm of animals, the smaller are always exploited by the larger and more powerful, isn’t it? In our current society, the big

"IT APPEARS THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE UP AGAINST A SIMILAR, POWER-MONGERING FORCE AS WERE THE LATTER-DAY ROMAN CITIZENS: CORPORATIONS." control the small by giving shallow, superficial engagements in sense gratification or through creating fear by threatening to take such menial sense gratification away. This is what happens when our socio-political system is divorced from a spiritual view. When we lose our spiritual focus, how can we uphold higher principles of truth, compassion, and non-

violence? We should be concerned, but we must know the solution begins with a change of consciousness. The solution is to remove this philosophy of the asura, this materialist philosophy of searching for temporary sense gratification, which enslaves us to our own petty desires. We must cultivate the qualities of the sura, the spiritualist, and utilize our Cont'd on pg. 13 ›››

[ X ] MODERN DAY BREAD & CIRCUS Con'd from pg. 12 senses for the benefit of others and for a higher purpose: Krishna (God), who is Truth personified. Let us not be distracted by these bread and circus games, which are designed to keep us unaware of the higher truth! � References

Brown, E. (2008, October 8). Who Owns The Federal Reserve?. Global Research. Retrieved January 16, 2012, from www.globalresearch. ca Hardison, B. (1996, December 9). Who is Running America. Barefoot's World. Retrieved January 18, 2012, from www.barefootsworld. net Martin, T. (2003, August 12). Bread and Circuses. Writings of Thomas James Martin. Retrieved January 15, 2012, from www.thomasjamesmartin.com Moreell, B. (1956, January). Of Bread And Circuses. The Freeman. Retrieved January 14, 2012, from www. thefreemanonline.org

Traficant, J. (1993, March 17). The Bankruptcy of The United States. AFN. Retrieved January 15, 2012, from www.afn.org

THIS TOO IS LIFE Con'd from pg. 4 existential obstacles and distractions, including despair, angst, absurdity, alienation, and boredom.

Other people take on the stoic attitude: “Life sucks. There is nothing you can do about that. Proudly keep your head high and march off into life’s grinding machine.” Of course, for most folks, there is nothing stoic about life. Managing to pay bills, and keeping one or two semi-authentic relationships, one of which may include their dog, does not come across as a mighty ac-

complishment.

It is often at this point, at this crossroad, that some people start thinking about the plausibility of the existence of a categorically different life. This is often the beginning point of a spiritual search. It makes sense. On one hand, we all have an insatiable urge for a steady, constant, and perfect happiness, yet at the same time we are finding ourselves in a world where there are only sporadic appearances of such a state. These are some powerful clues that there is existence of a parallel world to the one we are experiencing. I think it worthwhile giving this thought a chance. After all, what is there to lose?

Perhaps the awkward experience the lonely guys and the lonely girls had at Mission Bay will add another drop of bitter substance to the cups of their lives, which, when it overflows, will set them on a spiritual journey. �

QUESTIONS Con'd from pg. 5 immediately able to ascertain why these things happen, at least we can surmise that they do happen for a reason.

This leads me forward in my loop of questions on life.

"If I do exist separate from the body, and there is a reason behind it, then what happens after the body dies?"

At this point in one's search it is best to admit that there is really no way to know besides turning to an authority on the subject - someone who has been there and done that - a bona fide guru or a spiritual teacher. On life's short journey our spiritual endeavor is destined to run out of gas unless we find someone who has already spent their life pursuing the truth, and who, having learnt the art from

their own guru, can transmit the knowledge down to us. The guru, no matter the tradition, must not be selfmanufactured; must come from the folds of a legitimate succession of teachers and disciples that can be traced back to the source of all knowledge - which of course may differ from tradition to tradition. People tend to get very uncomfortable at the thought of accepting a spiritual teacher. But for those who are serious about their real long term future - which lies beyond the physical body - there is really no better way than to search for a genuine guru. Our advantage in this age is that one need not scale the Himalayas in order to find an appropriate teacher; the spiritual preceptors of spiritual traditions and institutions, aware of the increasing demand for authentic spirituality, have spread this knowledge across the entire globe in order to reach out to those who seek it. This most important search may not be easy and will definitely not be quick, but bear in mind that truth awaits those who persevere. In conclusion, for us to grasp this existence, we must do two things sincerely - think deeply and get as much help as possible. Being fortunate enough to have found my own spiritual calling, I hope to share my happiness, peace, and satisfaction with you. �

ON GOD & HIGGS PARTICULARS Con'd from pg. 6 not need to know about Jobs to understand Apple, or Walt to know Disney; similarly, we do not need this God fellow to understand the cosmos and their workings. The pretension of such sentiments was foretold by another great German mind.

Before he himself lost his metaphysical marbles to a series of brain diseases, the German philosopher Ni-

etzsche made the famous and egregiously misused statement that 'God is Dead.' An intelligent read of the entire passage, out of which this is a few words, finds Nietzsche questioning the merits of our modern philistine approach towards knowledge. “What good is information without direction!” cries the madman (Nietzsche’s voice) to an audience of jeering nihilists. Lamenting, the mad man cries, “What did we do when we loosened this earth from its sun? Whither does it now move? Whither do we move?” Knowledge for the sake of knowledge is useless. If and when the Higgs or something more explanatory is discovered, it will be heralded as a great achievement. But what are the chances that the efficiency rate of coal burning to electricity output in power plants will still be sub 50%? And petrol? Will the world rid itself of carbons burden when this phantom is found?

The madman’s diatribe occurs in a marketplace, no doubt the sanctum of modern society, and Nietzsche understood it as such even before the Industrial Revolution made material luxury a middle class hallmark. When Mark Twain wanted to comment on the arbitrary nature of distinctions made based on the color of a man’s skin, he told a story set in the Deep South. When Nietzsche wanted to caution against the use of knowledge and understanding as a justification for skirting responsible human endeavor, he put his soap box in the market place. In the 21st century, the idea of the dollar being King is cliché, but perhaps it would not also be the truth had Nietzsche's 19th century warnings been heeded. It is completely illogical to think that knowing how the light bulb works means not having to pay the electric bill. Yet in what is characterized as our advanced modern society, this logical fallacy is

happily accepted because it justifies abdication of moral responsibility. Animals are not Gods creation, they are just biological machines devoid of consciousness or volition, so it is okay if I eat them because I think they taste good. Abortion's fine, because it is just getting rid of a zygote, which is nothing more than two gametes fused together. “Do we not smell the divine putrefaction?” Nietzsche's madman prophesies. Rain comes from a saturation of the atmosphere after enough water vapor has accumulated due to energy coming from the sun's rays. The earth's orbit is stable because of its gravitational relationship with the other comparatively massive objects around it. Somehow we have equated observation with ownership, as though by seeing what is being done we are ourselves doing it.

In his book, The Language of God, Francis Collins writes “uncovering the most remarkable of all texts was both a stunning scientific achievement and an occasion of worship.” Who is Collins? The chief biologist on the Human Genome Project -23,000 Genes, 3,000,000,000 nucleotides… all sequenced so that I could type and you could read these words. Every moment of his work was a relishable act of devotion, like sharing an amazing piece of music with a best friend for the first time. “Look what I've found!” Not that we made the music, that would be cheating both the person we care to share it with and the person who cared enough to create the work, but that we can enjoy it now together.

In his purport to the 15th text of the 7th chapter of the Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Srila Prabhupada writes, “Those who are not actually philosophers, scientists, educators, administrators, et cetera, but who pose themselves as such for material gain, do not accept the plan or path of the Supreme Lord. They have no idea of God.

They simply manufacture their own worldly plans and consequently complicate the problems of material existence in their vain attempts to solve them.”

The true problems of material existence, as stated in the Bhagavad-gita, are birth, old age, disease, and death. If and when the Higgs or some other explanatory particle is discovered, will these scourges be any less threatening? Four months ago, when it was asserted by several experimental findings that particles had in fact traveled faster than the speed of light, were any of the day-to-day issues affecting life on earth different? Cancer, malnutrition, air pollution... There is not an assumption more fundamental to modern science's understanding of the cosmos than the one which necessitates light as the fastest energy. Do Somalians need to know the value of c to have access to clean water? Saying the cart is coming before the horse is giving us too much credit. In our case the horse is an ass and the cart is a double wide trailer with a flat screen television, wireless internet, and a Dish TV hook up. So scientists might dislike the relationship between their beloved Higgs and God; however, without such perceived implications and enticements of such a discovery killing those last pesky possibilities of an absolute moral law, how else could the $10 billion dollars to build the LHC be justified.

As the story goes, a man finally got the courage to ask his platonic girlfriend if she would sleep with him... for a million dollars. She rolled her eyes at the absurdity and said 'of course!' without hesitation. The man’s next question was if she would do the same for $1, which insulted the girl and prompted her to ask if the man thought she was some kind of prostitute. 'We've already established that' he replied, 'now we're just talking price.' �

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OPEN MIC

LOST SOUL AND THE GPB Regardless How Gross, It's Gross M. Mind talked all day and night to distract Soul from his plight. Uncontrolled Senses served as L. Soul’s best distraction.

LOST SOUL LIVED HIS LIFE MOSTLY HOMELESS. HE RARELY SPOKE OR SHOWED EMOTION, BUT HE LISTENED TO CRIP. CRIPPLED INTELLIGENCE, AKA CRIP, WAS LOST SOUL’S CLOSEST FRIEND.

By Janice Gunn

Lost Soul

lived his life mostly homeless. He rarely spoke or showed emotion, but He listened to Crip. Crippled Intelligence, aka Crip, was Lost Soul’s closest friend. The nights were long and dark and there was always fear or danger on the streets. “Got your back,” Crip would say. Crip made plans for their survival; meanwhile L. Soul grew more and more sullen. Two other homeless companions to Lost Soul were Master Mind and Five Uncontrolled Senses. They

lived together as a team in allies, doorways or old buildings. M. Mind helped L. Soul accept the condition of each unseemly place. M. Mind talked all day or night to distract Soul from his plight.

Uncontrolled Senses served as L. Soul’s best distraction. With screaming cries which pierced the alley, U. Senses longed for good food or any other sensual delight. Soul tried to remember. Didn’t he and his companions use to share a condominium? He couldn’t quite recall it, but L. Soul thought he may have once lived in a fresh new building on the north end of town. Though they had spent

many lifetimes together, Lost Soul, Crippled Intelligence, Master Mind and Uncontrolled Senses were never peaceful. For the homeless to feel a lack of ease is a matter of daily routine. If we look around us, or even just study our own personal condition, we may notice that all the souls of this world are more or less lost. Only some of them don’t want to become accustomed to it.

RIDING IN THE GPB

L. Soul had a useful conveyance, Gross Physical Body. The Gross Physical Body carried him together with Crip, M. Mind and U.

“Not everyone, unfortunately, is ready to understand this, but you, my dear Lost Soul, can neither be burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind." 14

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Senses through a variety of experiences, learning the ways of the world, suffering or enjoying. According to Vedic wisdom, a human GPB is the best, as compared to that of the animals. It is an opportunity for becoming free from material distraction, for developing the life of a pure, happy soul. Human life is meant for self-realization.

But Crip would not allow it. He liked scheming too well. Their life was not very human at all. L. Soul, Crip, M. Mind and U. Senses loitered in the streets in the GPB, sometimes begging, other times cheating or stealing. When the hunt was over, they sat together at dusk to take pleasure in food remnants that were sometimes already chewed on. They leaned back against the fence and dozed. Crip studied L. Soul, who looked permanently embarrassed. “Have you thought you might have amnesia?” Crip laughed. “I don’t remember,” L. Soul answered.

“Well, you have all of the symptoms.”

From the Vedic wisdom, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami kindly explains, "In the material concept of life we are busy in the matter of sensual gratification, as if we were in the lower, animal stage. A little elevated from this status of sense gratification, one is engaged in mental speculation for the purpose of getting out of the material clutches."

“SO, WHO ARE YOU?” “WHAT? I DON’T KNOW,” SOUL REPLIED, UNSETTLED.

CRIP BEGINS TO QUESTION Crip began to seriously question the condition of Lost Soul. He pulled out an old and weathered, paperback copy of the Bhagavadgita and read out loud: “The working senses are superior to dull matter; mind is higher than the senses; intelligence is still higher than the mind; and the soul is even higher than the intelligence.” (BG 3.42) Turning to L. Soul he asked, “So, who are you?”

L. Soul glanced down the alley and back.

“I’ve told you before, Crip, I don’t know.”

“I am your intelligence. It’s my duty to tell you whatever I find out. Please, listen. This book, Bhagavad-gita, is all about you, Soul. It’s saying who you are. You are higher, you are better than this! You don’t even belong here! Now I know why you’ve been

“What? I don’t know,” Soul replied, unsettled.

“This is very important, Soul. Do you know who you are?” asked Crip.

OPEN MIC so embarrassed for so long. The distress, the cold, the violence, the bad food, you’re not meant for this. You are a blissful spiritual being, and you are eternally so.” L. Soul did not make any expression.

Crip laughed out loud. “Listen up, Lost Soul. I think we finally found out who you are. Do you understand?”

Soul felt the beginning of some new sort of feeling about himself. He would have smiled but night was coming. He curled up in the GPB and tried to sleep.

THE NEXT DAY

Morning came and M. Mind had an idea, “Why not take the GPB over to 5th Avenue. The dumpsters are usually full over there and,,m,mj you know, there’s the storefront with that big full length mirror...” “No!” L. Soul exclaimed and fell silent.

Crip cautioned M. Mind. “You know what happened the last time we did that. He was so disturbed by what he saw he didn’t respond to us for days. Don’t bring that up again, M. Mind.” Crip puzzled for a while.

“L. Soul,” Crip said, “Just raise up your hand so U. Senses can have a glance at it.” L. Soul shrugged. He raised the arm appendage of the GPB, which put the hand appendage level with

CAN WE PLEASE WAKE UP NOW, PEOPLE

his eyes.

“Look at it,” said Crip.

L. Soul studied his hand. There was the usual round, fleshy structure laced with protruding arteries, draped in a strong skin. There were five bony digits with knuckles covered by wrinkled flesh.

On the end of these five limbs was a hard covering to protect its furthest limit from the general abuse of life. As animals have claws so do men have nails. (This contrast suggests a non-carnivorous biology.) L. Soul pondered this extension of the GPB for some time. “What is this hand? Although attached to me, how is it mine? How is it me?”

By Ryan Hazlett

So Crip asked, “Is that you?”

“Is that me?” Soul asked incredulously. “Of course not, Crip. That’s my hand.” “Take a look at your arm.”

The arm to be studied was grimy. Black hairs sprung out of it in swirls. Freckles and pock marks from childhood, sun spots and scars from manhood - such was the population of that furry forest. L. Soul was surprised to notice the foreign appearance of this assemblage. “Sincerely I ask you, is that you?” “Why, no, Crip. I’ve got this arm, yeah, but it’s not me.”

“O.k. go ahead then. Kick off your shoe.” said Crip.

"I’M THE ONE WHO SEES IT ALL, I’M BEYOND IT…” “What? No, no,” said L. Soul. “Oh com’ on, the sun is rising now. Have a good look,” said Crip.

L. Soul removed his odiferous shoe. He examined his foot. Soon Crip had him examining his calf, then his knee. He also took into consideration his hips, his abdomen, and his chest.

“Are they you? Is any of it you?” Crip asked.

“Not me, not me, not me!” came the reply, and L. Soul actually laughed. “Then who are you?’

“Well, I’m the one who sees it all, I’m, I’m beyond it…” L. Soul trailed off and began to think maybe they

Cont'd on pg. 17 ›››

Every single day they're cutting the forest down, but I don't care as long as I have my wide-screen TV with surround sound.

And the Gulf of Mexico is turning black, just so I can fuel my unnecessarily large gas-guzzling hatchback.

This society is really lame, and because I fully buy into the bul*s#*t, one might wonder if I have a brain. Yes, they have made me nice and tame, so I don't question their greedy game. Can I have some more mind-numbing chemicals in this food I'm eating, so that I can continue nicely bleeting? I wanna be a good little sheep, fast asleep, in a pile of

bul#s*#t 100 feet deep.

Don't worry, I promise I'll never think.

No opinions or deep thoughts will my mind keep.

Because the price is too steep (hey man, if I really tried to stop all this insanity I might have to give up my unnecessary possessions and live a simpler, genuine existence). And we can't have that, now can we?

If I gave up my TV, they would have a harder time brainwashing me, and my mind would decrease in stupidity. Plus, I would have to talk to my family. Oh the agony. �

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OPEN MIC

HOW MANY WRONGS ARE IN THIS PICTURE?

NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2012

CONCEPT BY DEVIN JAMES O'ROURKE; ART BY PETE CONIFF

The act

was signed into United States law on December 31, 2011 by President Barack Obama. Those whom the president claims may be arrested and indefinitely held in custody, without a trial, including U.S. citizens. Are we seeing potential implications for abuse of presidential authority? �

FACEBOOK COMMENTS (FACEBOOK.COM/16ROUNDS): Nirmal Patel: That yellow carpet, instead of hanging it by clips, they could have just put it over the stand.

Patrick Duffey: Funny, I just left the IKEA store in Costa Mesa. What saddens me most here, is that the hide, the fur, so priceless to its owner, is sold here for only a few dollars. It will go on the floor for just a few months and then disappear into to the dump along with the pain and suffering caused by its creation/ production. Who is the animal; who is the greater being.?

Matthew McManus: Taking advantage of the results of fruitive activities, the gross materailsits are relegated to the status of sophisticated animals by dint of their symbols of status. Work hard like an ass for no happiness, but only suffering - it is a philosophy no sense gratifier, or sane man, would follow; yet ironically, that is going on in the name of unbridled lust under the flagship of economic development with its manifold branches of societies seeking to relish dif-

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ferent varieties of that which is chewed.

Devin James O'Rourke: Cow Hide Rug- $199 Cow Hide Purse- $129 Cow Hide boots- $109 Cow Hide Karma- Endless IKEA- Where smart shoppers come to suffer more for less

Jeannette Franks: @ ryan, good news is that is fake fur. I took a look at it when I was at IKEA last as I was pretty grossed out. What's wrong,with this picture? Rednecks perpetuating a stereotype.

Ondrej Tencer: Somebody is not wearing just their own skin. Anonymous: They better pick the one with least hair. (Caitanya Caritamrita: "Animal-killers are condemned to rot in hellish life for as many thousands of years as there are hairs on the body of the animal they kill.) �

"MEAT," FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION ONCE AGAIN!

By Arya Siddhanta Dasa

I hereby

proclaim that I am returning the term "meat" to its rightful owners. Those who do not indulge in the flesh of other living entities and who abstain from fish and eggs (basically ranging from Vegan to Lacto-vegetarian), should again use the term "meat" to refer to the form and bulk substance of the meal that God intended. But don't take my word for it.

As described in Genesis 1:29, “And God said, ‘Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for MEAT [food].’” You see, my brothers? Meat is what we eat! So let us reclaim the term "meat"! When we speak of food for humans, our "meat" is the vegetables and the fruits! There is no other "meat". �

[ X ] REDEFINING WEALTH

LOST SOUL & GPB

Con'd from pg. 7

Con'd from pg. 15

of resources, sustainability and waste management. Indeed, the idea of unbridled economic development will only produce an abundance of maladies: “Consequently, although there is no lack of money in the world, there is a scarcity of peace. So much human energy is being diverted to making money, for the general population has increased its capacity to make more and more dollars, but in the long run the result is that this unrestricted and unlawful monetary inflation has created a bad economy all over the world and has provoked us to manufacture huge and costly weapons to destroy the very result of such cheap moneymaking. The leaders of the big money-making countries are not really enjoying peace but are making plans to save themselves from imminent destruction by nuclear weapons. In fact, huge sums of money are being thrown into the sea by way of experiments with these dreadful weapons. Such experiments are being carried out not only at huge costs but also at the cost of many lives. In this way the nations are being bound by the laws of karma. When people are motivated by the impulse for sense gratification, whatever money is earned is spoiled, being spent for the destruction of the human race.” – A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

REDEFINING VALUE These criticisms of the “growth society” are familiar to most of us. We might even be inclined to say, with an air of exasperation, that we’ve heard enough. However, there is something to be said in this regard which is novel and worth getting excited about: that an interest is brewing in the appraisal of environmental resources and that people are becoming more educated about the monetary value of a more holistic world-view and a (comparatively) restrained

lifestyle.

For example, ten years ago the City of New York made a decision to spend over $1 billion to purchase land in the Catskills watershed to secure or restore the capacity of the natural ecosystem to purify the City’s water supply. The rationale? To build water-purification plants with the same capabilities would have similar initial and long-term costs. Usually, during periods of tight Government spending controls, environment protection programs constitute ready targets for restriction as the public demands that money be channeled into perceived priority areas. Is it possible that our “perceived priorities” could be undergoing a profound change?

Hence, I adamantly support the proposal that, just as the value of a natural resource can be defined monetarily, so too can the natural pleasures of human existence, such as health, family, and spirituality, be given credence in a more mature economic model. I think it’s high time for intelligent people to reflect upon the dismal history of the “unlimited growth” paradigm and consider redefining what is valuable in our lives. Are we really making progress? Or are we just running in circles? When is enough, enough!? Failing to wake up from the dream of perpetual economic development, we remain with the bitter axiom of Blaise Pascal: “We scarcely ever think of the present; and if we think of it, it is only to take light from it to arrange the future. The present is never our end. The past and the present are our means; the future alone is our end. So we never live, but hope to live; and, as we are always preparing to be happy, it is inevitable that we should never be so.” �

were on to something.

By process of elimination, L. Soul began to consider each of his body parts as quite distinct from him. He was in fact an Observer of his body. The old GPB was only a vehicle, not to be taken as one’s very Self. “The brain. I am the brain,” L. Soul spat out.

“If you are the brain then take it out and put it in your pocket and see if it will function independently…”

L. Soul was not interested in that suggestion. “Let’s check out 5th Avenue,” he said.

HERE COMES THE SUN

M. Mind became excited. Suddenly they were off, those fabulous four, L.Soul, M. Mind, U. Senses and Crip, those embodied passengers. They arrived at the storefront on Fifth Avenue and parked the GPB in front of the long mirror. Lost Soul wanted another look. This time he knew it would be different.

Countless people walked to and fro on the sidewalk, each sporting his or her own version of the GPB. But none of the people on the fashionable avenue could bear the vision of this stranger on their street. The mirror showed why. Soul’s GPB was dressed in layers of stained and ripped clothing, yellowed by outdoor light, darkened by automobile exhaust. We won’t discuss the fragrance. His head carried a layer of compact hair caked and soiled. The ears, mouth, nose, and other apertures had accumulated a grease of black. The sun was rising. Curious, L. Soul took advantage of the early light. He carefully examined the stark reflection shining before him. He quickly willed not to look, not at all. Then he looked into the eyes. He did

not startle away as last time, but strained to remember Crip’s words,

“…You are higher, you are better than this. Now I know why you’ve been so embarrassed for so long. The distress, the cold, the violence, the bad food, you’re not meant for this. You are a blissful spiritual being, and you are eternally so.” What relief to have this understanding!

“Is it everyone’s destiny to understand the Self beyond the body?” he asked Crip.

“Unfortunately, not everyone is ready to understand this, but you, my dear Lost Soul, can neither be burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind. You are unborn, eternal, undying, and primeval. No one can harm you. “You can only inhabit a gross physical body, and you are not the body not any more than a driver is his car, or a bird is his cage. Neither should you misidentify your Self with the experiences of the material mind and senses. You are an atomic part of the most fine, sublime energy constituted of complete bliss and full knowledge and higher power.” Crip repeated what he had learned from the Bhagavad-gita. The sun gleamed on the white sparkle sidewalk now crowded with hundreds of GPBs rushing by. The day was well underway. L. Soul smiled at himself as well as all those who would stare at him. �

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LIFESTYLE

STRESS RELIEF THROUGH MEDITATION Mindfulness Amidst The MADNESS By Sara Bock

If your

MEDITATION IS ANOTHER TECHNIQUE THAT BRINGS THE MIND TO THE PRESENT, OR TO “BE HERE NOW”, WHICH ALSO DECREASES STRESS.

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typical week involves deadlines at work, pressure to pay bills, driving in traffic, or studying for tests, then you are probably well acquainted with the word “stress”. Stress can be felt in the body – tightness of chest, tense neck and shoulders, furrowed eyebrows, and stomach aches, but stress can also be experienced in the mind. Much stress originates in the mind, in our thought patterns. Mental stress includes racing thoughts about things we have to get done, worries about relationships, anxiety over the future, and negative, self-critical thoughts. The mind and body are intimately connected, with one affecting the other. When our bodies hold stress, our mental energy is negatively affected, and similarly, when we think negative thoughts, we experience stress in our bodies. Do an experiment: think about a stressful event, and observe the immediate reaction in your body. Even

though this event is only occurring in your mind, the body reacts. Keeping our thoughts positive can help reduce stress, and meditation can teach us to control our thoughts. When we decrease stressful thoughts, we subsequently decrease stress in the body, and improve in overall health and well-being. Much stress and negative thought patterns involve the past (what went wrong last month) or the future (worries of the unknown). The past cannot be changed, and predictions of the future are often just predictions, with no solid basis in reality, and such thoughts distance us from experiencing the joy of the present moment. Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and bring your attention to the present moment, pushing aside thoughts of the past or future. Observe the result in your body, mind, and stress level. When watching a beautiful sunset, the mind turns to the present moment, and stress subsides.

When doing a challenging yoga pose, dance routine, or other activity that requires full concentration, the mind focuses on the present moment, and stress decreases. Meditation is another technique that brings the mind to the present, or to “be here now”, also decreasing stress. There are different types of meditation. In all the practices, it helps to sit tall with an erect spine, relaxed shoulders, and open heart, with eyes halfway closed. Try to practice every day to make it a routine. Morning time is ideal when the mind is fresh, or practice before bedtime. Almost anytime is a good time for meditation (but if you meditate while driving, please keep your eyes open!) You can simply breathe slowly and deeply, counting to four on the inhale, holding the breath for four, and counting to four on the exhale. Mentally follow the path your breath is taking in your body. Notice where it is smooth and flowing and where it is staggered, and listen to its soothing sound. Every time your mind wanders to thoughts of the past or future, bring it back to the sound of your breath. Sit and breathe for at least five minutes. Alternatively,

you

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practice mindfulness meditation. Take a simple activity like walking or eating, and without talking, perform this activity with full concentration. If eating, engage all your senses in feeling the food, tasting it, and smelling it, so that you stay in the present moment. If walking, walk slowly, feeling your feet connect to the earth, and observing the sights and sounds around you. When thoughts wander, bring them back to the present moment of the activity in which you are en-

IMAGINE IF YOU HAD A BIRD, BUT ONLY CARED FOR ITS CAGE WHILE NEGLECTING TO FEED THE BIRD INSIDE.

gaged.

Some people recite mantras as a form of meditation. In Sanksrit, man means mind, and tra means freedom. A mantra is a spiritual sound vibration chanted repeatedly, that brings the mind to the present moment, while simultaneously freeing the mind from materialistic thoughts and conceptions by the power of its sound. Whereas many other forms of meditation result in temporary, material stress relief (calmer mind, lower blood pressure, more positive thinking), mantra meditation brings spiritual stress relief and everlasting benefits. The root cause of all stress is that we identify our bodies as ourselves. We think we are a body (a man, woman, white, Asian, Indian, American, etc.) and thus experience great stress when we lose anything or anyone related to our body, when we feel pain in the body, when we lose bodily beauty, or when things don’t go our way. However, there is a constant, inner sense of self that remains from birth through old age despite our outward physical changes. That self, or sense of “I” that we all feel is beyond the body, and is our eternal and spiritual self. When we neglect to feed our spirits, and identify instead

with a physical and temporary body, we feel great stress on a spiritual level. Imagine if you had a bird, but only cared for its cage while neglecting to feed the bird inside. The bird would experience great stress and even die. Similarly, if we only feed our outward bodies, but fail to nourish our souls, we experience stress and dissatisfaction. Chanting proper spiritual mantras is one method to feed the soul, connecting us to the spiritual realm through the powerful sound vibration, and giving us the satisfaction we are longing for on a deep, spiritual level. In this day and age, when there are distractions all around us (cell phones, sirens, computers, loud music, to-do lists a mile long, family and obligations, etc.) that make quiet meditation difficult to perform, the Vedic scriptures tell us: harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha Translation:

“‘In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chant-

ing the holy name of Lord Hari.’ Adi 17.22

MANTRAS YOU CAN CHANT

Govinda Jaya Jaya Gopala Jaya Jaya Sita Rama Sita Rama And the maha mantra – Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare You can repeat these mantras quietly to yourself, or sing them with a group of people accompanied by musical instruments. These mantras are free, come with a lifetime warrantee, and have been known to produce side effects of joy, satisfaction, and spontaneous dancing in people around the world of all races, religions, and cultures. There is no risk in trying. If a hungry man eats, no one has to tell him to believe he is full, as he will feel it for himself. Chanting mantras produces a result such that if you simply try it, you will know for yourself what benefits it can bring to your life. Chant at home, while driving, or at your local Hare Krishna Temple with others. Chant and be happy. �

CHANTING PROPER SPIRITUAL MANTRAS IS ONE METHOD TO FEED THE SOUL, CONNECTING US TO THE SPIRITUAL REALM THROUGH THE POWERFUL SOUND VIBRATION, AND GIVING US THE SATISFACTION WE ARE LONGING FOR ON A DEEP, SPIRITUAL LEVEL.