VR1
(WE ARE ONE )
+VE NEWS
MAY YOU BE EVER HAPPY, WELL AND SECURE!
MAY YOU LIVE LONG!
MAY ALL BEINGS BE EVRER HAPPY, WELL AND SECURE!
MAY YOU ALWAYS HAVE CALM, QUIET, ALERT, ATTENTIVE AND
EQUANIMINTY MIND!
WITH A CLEAR UNDESRSATNDING THAT
NOTHING IS PERMANENT!
MERITS makes us HAPPY
MORALITY makes us HAPPIER
MEDITATION makes us HAPPIEST.
Mayawati warns against demolition of memorials Atiq Khan
Accuses SP, Congress of mischievous propaganda |
β PHOTO: SUBIR ROY
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, with Assembly Speaker
Sukhdev Rajbhar (third from left), her Cabinet colleagues Lalji Verma
and Naseemudin Siddiqui and BSP general secretary S.C. Mishra ( at
right), at the foundation-laying ceremony for the Manyavar Kanshi Ram
Green Garden in Lucknow on Thursday.
LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Thursday warned
that if the monuments and memorial sites dedicated to the Bahujan Samaj
Party icons here were demolished, a serious law and order situation
would arise in the country.
Presidentβs Rule would have to be imposed. βThe Congress and the Samajwadi Party would be responsible for this,β she said.
She was addressing a gathering after laying the foundation stone for the Manyavar Shri Kanshi Ramji Green (Eco) Garden here.
Denying that her government violated the Supreme Courtβs orders on
suspending construction work at the memorial sites, Ms. Mayawati
accused the Samajwadi Party and the Congress of indulging in a
βmalicious and mischievous propaganda.β
βWrong factsβ
She also accused a section of the media of presenting βwrong factsβ
pertaining to work at the memorial sites and cautioned the media
against becoming a tool in the Opposition game plan.
The Chief Secretary had submitted an affidavit in the court.
She said work was going on only at those sites against which no writ petition had been filed and no stay granted by the court.
The Chief Minister dubbed the Congress βanti-SC/STsβ and said
thousands of crores of rupees were spent on building memorials, parks,
statues and museums in the name of members of the Gandhi and Nehru
families.
βIt seems eminent persons belong only to these two families and when
crores have been spent on building memorials for them the Congress does
not say that money has been misused.β
The Green Eco Garden is being developed on 160 acres on which the old Lucknow jail once stood.
Uttar
Pradesh Government Determined
to usher
in
in the
State
Foundation Stone
Of
Manyavar Shri Kanshiram ji
Green (Eco) Garden
Laid by
Ms Mayawati
Honβble
Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh
On 17
September, 2009
At 4:00
p.m.
Place:
Manyavar Shri Kanshiram ji Smarak Sthal
Near
Ms
Mayawati
Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh
Population wise, Uttar Pradesh is the largest
state in the country. Naturally, therefore, our government has been very
conscious about ameliorating its environment from the very beginning. In view
of this, the government launched a special drive, last year, to plant 100
million saplings in the Bundelkhand region, which is pretty backward in terms
of greenery. In the next phase, a mega tree-plantation effort would be mounted
for other areas in Uttar Pradesh to better the environment with priority on
planting fruit-bearing and shady trees. Likewise, priority is being accorded to
enhance environment in other major towns of the state. Though there are quite a
number of small parks in the city, the absence of a large and majestic park in
Lucknow city-centre was being felt very seriously and, this is why the state
government has decided to set up, right in the centre of the city, Manyavar
Shri Kanshiram ji Green (Eco) Garden> Side by side, a green belt of 600 acres
is being developed on the outer periphery of the city of Lucknow. Similar
action is contemplated in respect of other big cities in a phased manner to
improve environment in time to come.
Transgressions unintended if any: U.P.
J. Venkatesan
NEW DELHI: The Mayawati government has refuted media reports that it
continued with construction at memorial sites in Lucknow even after
giving an undertaking in the Supreme Court on September 8 to stop all
activities forthwith.
Chief Secretary Atul Kumar Gupta, in his affidavit filed on
Thursday, said what was done after the September 8 order related to
repairs to the road, footpath, drain and toilet; finishing of stone
works/pedestals, grass turfing, and plantation of trees; removal of
stagnant water, and of unused and scrap material from various places;
and dismantling of steel pipes (scaffolding) along with repairs to and
touching up stone works.
The affidavit, filed in response to the court direction, said: βNot
only has the State government the highest regard for the orders passed
by the Supreme Court, but [it] has also issued appropriate instructions
and directions to ensure that the undertaking given to the court is
complied with in letter and in spirit. Notwithstanding this, if any
transgression has occurred, I tender the most profuse apology for the
same, and humbly submit that [if any transgression has happened] the
same was entirely unintended.β
Regarding the news item published in TheβHindu on
September 11, the Chief Secretary said chiselling and finishing work
was being carried out by the Public Works Department on the wall
running along Jail Road. The wall was constructed on the footpath of
Jail Road and was not part of the Kanshiram Smarak Sthal.
As for the work being carried out at Smriti Upvan, referred to in
the report, the affidavit said this site was not covered by the
undertaking given to the court. Therefore, the premise of the report
that the court order was violated was factually erroneous and
misleading.
The affidavit also denied the news reports of The Times of India and the visuals telecast by NDTV.
βThe undertaking given on September 8 is being fully honoured and the
question of the same being flouted does not arise at all,β the Chief
Secretary said.
Ravi files affidavit
Meanwhile, the Editor of TheβHindu, N. Ravi, filed
an affidavit along with the materials and photographs based on which
the news report was published on September 11.
ONLINE TRAINING ON PRECEPTS AND TRADE-77
An idea that is developed and put into action is more
important than an idea that exists only as an idea.
Buddha
7
Principles of Buddhist Macroeconomics
|
“As for those at the top — even if they have a hundred
|
All of what we have spoken about up
until now has concerned our personal economic habits — otherwise known as
Buddhist Microeconomics. However, the Buddha also gave economic guidelines
applicable on the national or global level — something we can perhaps call
‘Buddhist Macroeconomics’. We find such guidelines in the Kuu.tada.n.ta Sutta
(see
for economics on this level. The Buddha distinguished two level of
socio-economic groups in society:
Both the groups above and below have one thing in common — in that
they feel poor. For the group below it is not just a feeling of
poverty — they are poor because they live from hand to mouth, on the
breadline often, struggling to make ends meet — no matter whether they are
farmers, labourers or clerical workers. Shop-keepers and traders have to put
themselves in debt to get the stock they need to open shop. Clerks tend to be
treated unjustly and have a pitiable wage. All these groups are poor because of
a real lack of wealth.
|
In the Kuu.tadanta Sutta (D.i.127ff.) the Buddha is asked what sort of
grassroots
He taught that any |
As for those at the top — even if they have a hundred million or a
thousand million, they still feel poor — but their poverty is different from
those of the grassroots because the reason they feel poor is that their desires
are insatiable.
The majority of people in any country belong to the grassroots –
usually 80-90% — that is usually the figure for people in any country who lack
adequate wealth. As for those on top, although they are not very numerous,
their every move has some impact on the government and might even cause a
change of government in some cases. Those at the top are few but wield a lot of
power.
Government Investment
In the olden days, economic problems on a national scale would be solved by
making concessions to those at the top. However, no matter how many concessions
the government may make to such figures, it is never enough for them. Unfortunately,
when such giants make a fuss, their voice is loud. Even though those below are
more numerous, their ability to protest is reduced because they are struggling
even to keep their head above water — and can afford to set aside no time to
protest. Thus the government tends to protect its skin by giving concessions to
those at the top. However, even if you were to give them a hundred million, it
would hardly be enough (It is hardly enough for a good night out in
at the top just keeps the giants quiet without satisfying them — and meanwhile
the grassroots continue to die an undignified death.
If we turn to look at what advice the Buddha gave for government
investment, we find that He supported allocation of funds to those at the
grassroots — but with one important condition — that the recipients should be
carefully selected. If handouts are given indiscriminately, you may find that
the more impatient would rather kill the golden goose than wait for its eggs!
Thus when giving concessions or help to those at the grassroots, you
should look to see which people are virtuous (i.e. manage to keep the Five
Precepts and are established in Right Livelihood) but who lack the capital or
technology. They should be those who are diligent and have attained success at
a certain level — such people should be selected to receive concessions.
Helping such people will also be an example for others to follow — by helping
in such a way you will find that your investment doesn’t immediately disappear
as it would if helping the people at the top.
These are principles which it was easier to follow in the olden
days. A king would set out a ‘talent scout’ who would look for people of real
virtue deserving to be helped by the king. By helping such people, exemplars of
virtue would shine forth in the kingdom. Sometimes it might be traders of
exceptional virtue who lacked capital or honest civil servants who had been
mistreated or had received insufficient salary. However, the most important was
always to select those who were virtuous. Having helped such people, there
should be follow-up — to see how such people had responded to the help. Before
long there would be could get down to work, before long the products of their
work would start to become apparent. At that point, it would be appropriate to
involve some of the giants in order to help in the marketing and other high
level strategies.
However, in the present day it is difficult for anyone to accept
that one person might be more worthy than another of help merely on the
observations of a ‘talent scout’. The talent scout might be partial. Thus in
the present day it is usually more convenient for people to work as a committee
to look after allocation of local budgets. Even this arrangement might not be
failsafe, however, because some local councils are less honest than others.
This is why our society has developed the system of democracy [lokaadhipateyya]
(with all its faults) in place of the Buddha’s ideal system of government [dhammaadhipateyya]
(D.iii.220, A.i.147) where virtue alone and not the majority vote is the
deciding factor in government.
There is still the risk, however, that the money might easily
disappear when invested at the grassroots — but if the government afraid to
invest, they might never have the chance to train the ‘new blood’ in
responsibility. If they take the money and still fail you, maybe you should
just consider the lost capital as a the cost of ‘tuition’ in responsibility.
In the case the government cannot afford to risk losing money by
helping at the grassroots, they should bring in some of those at the top, such
as the local M.P. or the local head of the civil service or academics to help
set up systems and procedures for those who are less knowledgeable. The trouble
with many working at the grassroots level is that they don’t have the knowledge
of administration or any idea of how to set up systems in order to work
efficiently when starting out. If those at the top ‘put their man in’ to help
at the start-up of new enterprises and help by following up progress in the
initial months — concerning the accounts, legal matters, and accountability
they can help to create a feeling of collective ownership of a project (because
if it is a success it will benefit everybody in the locality). Accountants
should help to teach the recipients of the investment how to regulate their
finances — because otherwise, if the money invested should disappear because
good accounts have not been kept, who can be blamed?
When encouraging businessmen at the top to get involved with
investments in the grassroots, sometimes there will be something in it too for
the big businesses, sometimes not — but irrespective, as fellow countrymen,
they ought to feel proud that they are doing something for the nation –
even if it is only considered part of the company’s budget for ‘good works’. As
for the government, there is always a risk that the investment will be lost –
but in any case it is better than investing at the top because in that way it
would be lost for sure.
This is a problem of how investment in the lower sector can help
society to develop. Of course, no-one can expect 100% return with such
investments — but at the very least will upgrade the ability of the bottom
rungs of society to take responsibility for their own future. Success depends
on the follow-up and the degree of co-operation between all involved –
co-operating to develop members of society with truthfulness, the inspiration
to develop themselves without end, patience and self-sacrifice — the Virtues
of the Householder mentioned in the previous section — struggling against all
the things that prevent our society from having a fair economy.
Cleaning Up Society
Even on a national level, it is the ‘roads to ruin’ which do most damage to a
fair economy. If roads to ruin must continue to exist in society, then they
should be zone-restricted and with clear opening hours so as not to encourage
them to spread throughout society indiscriminately. Better than that, however
is to try to eradicate the ‘roads to ruin’ completely from our society –
something which can only ever happen if there is co-operation on all levels.
Wealth
is lost nothing is lost
INTERNATIONAL JIVAKA
PRESUMPTIVE HEALTH PROTECTION (IJPHP)
Every human being is the author of his own
health or disease.
Buddha
Health is lost something is lost
A BLUE PRINT FOR LIFE
ON THE FUTURE
THE WAY OF
DEVELOPMENT
People
willingly pay taxes with the hope that the nation
Will improve in the future. Bridges and roads are repaired
in
The hope that transportation will become more convenient.
Welfare is provided to relieve poverty with the hope that
the
social welfare system will not be lacking. The capable and
wise are elected with the hope that government will become
increasingly more democratic. Punishing corrupt officials is
done with the hope that the government will become impartial.
Everybody today hopes that there will be good weather for
crops the country will be prosperous, people will live in
peace,
and that the world will soon know peace
self-discipline) is lost everything is lost
FREE
ONLINE TRAINING ON BUDDHISM FOR CHILDREN-36
Grandma’s Blackie
[Loving-kindness]
Once upon a time, when King Brahmadatta was
ruling in
had a calf. This calf was of a noble dark color. In fact, he was jet black
without a spot of white. He was the Bodhisatta - the Enlightenment Being.
The old woman raised the little calf just as
though he were her own child. She fed him only the very best rice and rice
porridge. She petted his head and neck, and he licked her hand. Since they were
so friendly, the people began calling the calf, “Grandma’s Blackie’.
Even after he grew up into a big strong bull,
Grandma’s Blackie remained very tame and gentle. The village children played
with him, holding onto his neck and ears and horns. They would even grab his
tail and swing up onto his back for a ride. He liked children, so he never complained.
The friendly bull thought, “The loving
old woman, who brought me up, is like a kind mother to me. She raised me as if
I were her own child. She is poor and in need, but too humble to ask for my
help. She is too gentle to force me to work. Because I also love her, I wish to
release her from the suffering of poverty.” So he began looking for work.
One day a caravan of 500 carts came by the
village. It stopped at a difficult place to cross the river. The bullocks were
not able to pull the carts across. The caravan leader hooked up all 500 pairs
of bullocks to the first cart. But the river was so rough that they could not
pull across even that one cart.
Faced with this problem, the leader began
looking for more bulls. He was known to be an expert judge of the qualities of
bulls. While examining the wandering village herd, he noticed Grandma’s
Blackie. At once he thought, “This noble bullock looks like he has the
strength and the will to pull my carts across the river.”
He said to the villagers standing nearby,
“To whom does this big black bull belong? I would like to use him to pull
my caravan across the river, and I am willing to pay his owner for his
services.” The people said, “By all means, take him. His master is
not here.”
So he put a rope through Grandma’s Blackie’s
nose. But when he pulled, he could not budge him! The bull was thinking,
“Until this man says what he will pay for my work, I will not move.”
Being such a good judge of bulls, the caravan
leader understood his reasoning. So he said, “My dear bull, after you have
pulled my 500 carts across the river, I will pay you two gold coins for each
cart - not just one, but two!” Hearing this, Grandma’s Blackie went with
him at once.
Then the man harnessed the strong black bull to the first cart. He proceeded to
pull it across the river. This was what all one thousand bulls could not do
before. Likewise, he pulled across each of the other 499 carts, one at a time,
without slowing down a bit!
When all was done, the caravan leader made a
package containing only one gold coin per cart, that is, 500 coins. He hung
this around the mighty bullock’s neck. The bull thought, “This man
promised two gold coins per cart, but that is not what he has hung around my
neck. So I will not let him leave!” He went to the front of the caravan
and blocked the path.
The leader tried to push him out of the way,
but he would not move. He tried to drive the carts around him. But all the
bulls had seen how strong he was, so they would not move either!
The man thought, “There is no doubt that
this is a very intelligent bull, who knows I have given him only
half-pay.” So he made a new package containing the full one-thousand gold
coins, and hung it instead around the bull’s neck.
Then Grandma’s Blackie re-crossed the river
and walked directly towards the old woman, his ‘mother’. Along the way, the
children tried to grab the money package, thinking it was a game. But he
escaped them.
When the woman saw the heavy package, she was
surprised. The children told her all about what happened down at the river. She
opened the package and discovered the one thousand gold coins.
The old woman also saw the tired look in the
eyes of her ‘child’. She said, “Oh my son, do you think I wish to live off
the money you earn? Why did you wish to work so hard and suffer so? No matter
how difficult it may be, I will always care for and look after you.”
Then the kind woman washed the lovely bull and
massaged his tired muscles with oil. She fed him good food and cared for him,
until the end of their happy lives together.
The moral is:
Loving-kindness makes the poorest house into the richest home.