YAMA NIYAMA OF YOGA

Eight folds of Ashtanga Yoga is like a ladder, stepping stones to Raja Yoga. Likewise all eastern philosophical entities are inextricably linked to one another. When one talks about the objectives of life Viz Darma-Artha-Kama-Moksha, one cannot separate it out. All four may be distinct; but like a vestibule in a train, they are interconnected.

Dharma is fulfillment of duties to oneself, family, to his employer, state, and society in general. In another words the job done systematically according to norms is called Dharma. And according to ones skills and abilities one can earn money in legitimate way and such money or possessions earned in legitimate way only will under the preview of ARTHA.

Enjoyment of Artha is called karma, i.e, our legitimate pleasures we get by virtue of our legitimate possessions. It could be possessions like cars, houses, money or sex. Flirting with somebody else's girl friend does not come under true KAMA.

APARIGRAHA is an important aspect of Niyama in yoga, non-possessiveness, non-holding through senses, non-greed, non-grasping, non-indulgence, non-acquisitiveness.

Even yoga teachers forget this important aspect of Niyama and see yoga as a way to earn money and such money earned is not ture 'Artha.' Even inaction sometimes can be considered as bad karma when one remains mute witness to atrocities and never raise his/her voice. Even the company of evil people can have negative impact on us as we are all answerable to the law of karma.

EMMA AND INNA

Still remembering you....Emma.......എന്‍റെ ദേശത്തിന്‍റെ കഥയിലെ എമ്മ എന്ന മദാമ്മകുട്ടിശ്രീ ധ ര നയച്ച അവ സാ ന എഴുത്തിലെ ഏടാണ്.... ഇന്ത്യയെ സ്നേഹിച്ച സ്വിസ് ജര്‍മന്‍ യുവതി. തീജ്വാല തലമുടിയോട് കൂടിയവള്‍ . ശീധരന്‍ എന്ന കാമുകന്‍ പിറക്കാന്‍ പോവുന്ന കുട്ടികളുടെ നിറം ആലോചിച്ചു അവളെ ഉപേഷിച്ചു.

ഞാന്‍ ഇവിടെ റഷ്യയില്‍ മറ്റൊരു 'എമ്മയെ' കണ്ടു. പേരിലും ഉണ്ട് സാമ്യം, INNA, ഇന്ന പക്ഷെ ഭാഗ്യവതിയാണ്. അവളെ കൊണ്ടോട്ടിക്കാരന്‍ മുഹമ്മദ്‌ അന്തസ്സായി മിന്നു കെട്ടി, രണ്ടു കുട്ടികളും പിറന്നു. ദേശത്തിന്‍റെ കഥയിലെ ശ്രീധരന്‍ ഭയന്ന പോലെ ചുവന്ന ചെമ്മീനിന്‍റെ നിറം ആ കുട്ടികള്‍ക്കില്ല. ഇന്ത്യയിലും റഷ്യയിലും ആയി അവര്‍ സുഖമായി ജീവിക്കുന്നു. Dear Mohammed you proved to be a bigger hero than the hero of the "Jnanpeed-winning novel Oru Desathinte Katha. God bless you!

KOTTAKKAL THOUGHTS

WHERE WILL WE WASH OUR SINS?

Woke up by an early phone call from an old college mate who was a staunch leftist and was the biggest critic of Aryavaidya Sala and referred it as 'aarante Vaidyasala.' We have even slogans like "Aaaradaa eee PK VARIER" during our student strikes against AVS. This friend was a leader in many strikes agaisnt AVS during our college days, I was plesantly surprised and amused by the paradigm shift in his attitude. Today he referred PK Varier as "satwa personified." But, which magical Gangawater will wash away our sins for calling padma laureate Varier as "EDAaa."

HERBAL MEDICINES AND WEST

It is known from reliable sources that from April 31 2001 all Ayurvedic, Chinese and otherr ormedicine has been banned all over European Union, but not in Eastern Europe of which Russia is a part. So no threat for herbal practitioners in this part of the world. It's height time that we concentrate more on documentation of clinical success so that we can prove it beyond doubt that herbal medicines do act positively.

As the research comes from west, it will be followed by rest of the world and many modern doctors in India like Dr.Saritha will be deliriously happy to read this news. On further reading I found that there exists even a ban on ginger (dry ginger) in some western countries citing reason that it can be harmful to the body. It was found that ginger can increase bleeding time and can cause problems if ingested. The surprising fact is that there are many modern drugs which are available over-the-counter in US (OTC) which are even more harmful. Aspirin has the same effect.

Don't be amused if westerners have to take a prescription to buy ginger from Malls.

We live in a world where cigarettes, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages are available everywhere knowing the side and after-effects of these harmful materials which is the direct cause of many an incurable disease including heart-related disease and cancers. No doctor raises his eyebrows and are focused only on the anything eastern or herbal.

One of the reasons why Kerala has high level of life expectancy in spite of having poor per capita income is availability of different systems of medicines coupled with malayalis robust commonsense to chose. As someone rightly said "for a westerner common sense is not so common."

As a practitioner of herbal medicine I can only empathize/sympathise with the poor patients who are denied these herbs in America and Europe.

Every year thousands of westerners are visiting India in general and Kerala in particular seeking quality Ayurvedic treatments. I will not be surprised if modern medical experts in these countries give warning to visitor to this part of the world to 'keep away from herbal medicine' akin to terrorists threats in some rogue countries.