THE BHAGAWAD GITA
SIMPLIFIED
Why do you worry without cause?
Whom do you fear without reason?
Who can kill you?
The soul is neither born, nor does it die.
Whatever happened,
happened for the good;
whatever is happening,
is happening for the good;
whatever will happen,
will also happen for the good only.
You need not have any regrets for the past.
You need not worry for the future.
The present is happening...
What did you lose that you cry about?
What did you bring with you,
which you think you have lost?
What did you produce,
which you think got destroyed?
You did not bring anything,
whatever you have, you received from here.
Whatever you have given, you have given only here.
Whatever you took, you took from God.
Whatever you gave, you gave to Him.
You came empty handed,
you will leave empty handed.
What is yours today,
belonged to someone else yesterday, and
will belong to someone else the
day after tomorrow.
You are mistakenly enjoying the thought
that this is yours.
It is this false happiness that is
the cause of your sorrows.
Change is the law of the universe.
What you think of as death,
is indeed life.
In one instance you can be
a millionaire, and
in the other instance you can
be steeped
in poverty.
Yours and mine, big & small
erase these ideas from your mind.
Then everything is yours and
you belong to everyone.
This body is not yours,
neither are you of the body.
The body is made of fire, water, air, earth and
ether, and will disappear into these elements.
But the soul is permanent - so who are you?
Dedicate your being to God.
He is the one to be ultimately relied upon.
Those who know of his support are forever
free from fear, worry and sorrow.
Whatever you do,
do it as a dedication to God.
This will bring you the
tremendous experience of
joy and life-freedom forever.
Thanks for Reading
and Honestly Trying to
Implement the same,
in your Day to Day Life.
Please share this presentation with your friends.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Control Temper
Do you blow your fuse at the drop of a hat? Beware, because the more anger you experience, the worse the consequences when it comes to heart health.
Nirav, a 31-year-old senior manager with a reputed company, absolutely hates queuing up for movie tickets. At work, when his laptop takes a few more seconds to load a web page, Nirav clenches his fists and grinds his teeth, wishing he could bang his laptop against the wall. Driving too, is a nightmare for him as he curses other motorists liberally.
Nirav has what is known as the classic Type A personality pattern.
If we are to go by years of medical research, he is likely headed for some form of heart disease before the age of 40.
What is Type A behaviour?
Type A behaviours were first labelled in 1959 by two cardiologists, Dr Friedman and Dr Rosenman. After studying several cardiac patients, their findings led them to suggest a personality pattern that they later labelled 'Type A behaviours' (TAB). This personality displays high levels of agitation, an excessively competitive drive, impatience, time urgency and even hostility.
The Type A person is usually task-obsessed -- the typical workaholic who has a real need to beat the competition and get ahead. Just like Nirav, most Type As show single-minded attention towards their work, which costs them relationships and leads to loneliness.
Type As are also the ones with the proverbial short fuse, who tend to erupt at the slightest of reasons such as waiting to be served at restaurants or delays in meetings. They have also been labelled 'stress junkies' who feel compelled to do several things at once. Nirav eats his breakfast while writing out cheques and dialing a phone, all in the name of effective multitasking!
Nirav also shows typical physical signs which Dr Friedman lists:
Excessive perspiration on the forehead and the upper lip
Teeth grinding
Indentation of the tongue due to constant pressure against the top incisor teeth
Dark circles under the eyes
Type A link to heart disease
The Type A behaviour would have remained classified as just a personality pattern, but the initial link to heart disease observed by the two cardiologists was confirmed in later studies.
In the '70s, Framingham heart studies found that TAB characteristics were a strong predictor of some form of heart trouble. It could lead to Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) that could eventually result in severe chest pains and in worst case scenarios, to heart attacks.
After revealing possibilities in the mind-body link, the TAB-CHD studies have also been severely criticised. Researchers have found no indication or weak links suggesting that Type A behaviours signal future heart troubles.
Despite the whole plethora of censure over the TAB-CHD link, even the worst critic would not argue the fact that being tense, overly excitable and constantly angry sends out huge distress signals to the body. Contemporary research indicates that of all the Type A behaviours, hostility and aggression are the most significant risk factors that could lead to heart trouble later.
Physiologically, anger leads to:
A constriction of blood vessels, leading to a surge in blood pressure.
An escalation in the speed of one's heart rate, due to the secretion of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.
The release of cholesterol and catecholamines into the blood. Enhanced cholesterol levels aid in the deposit of fatty plaque in the heart and carotid arteries.
While this is the reaction of the body to protect itself in times of emergency and trauma, repeatedly losing your cool can lead to the damage of artery walls through these physiological reactions.
Several studies have determined that people who tend to fly into rages more often are more likely to suffer from a heart attack or heart disease -- in some cases, carrying three times the risk -- as compared to those of a more placid disposition.
Other chronic negative emotions such as stress and depression also have a similar outcome to aggression and anger.
What the Type A club can do
Interestingly, in contrast to the Type A characteristics, a spectrum of Type B traits was discovered, which described the slow, easy going, patient and trusting person. Type Bs are friendly, accepting, generally content and at peace with themselves and others. They are flexible, good team members and do things at a more moderate, relaxed pace.
If you think you may be Type A, one of the things to do is to start developing more Type B characteristics. Stress management programmes usually give the Type A person some tough things to do, such as sitting alone at the beach for an hour, leaving their watch/mobile at home for a day, standing in the longest line at the grocery checkout or taking an entire working day off to spend with a family member.
Whether or not being the Type A is a predictor of heart trouble, adopting a more relaxed, focused and balanced lifestyle can only have positive benefits.
Nirav, a 31-year-old senior manager with a reputed company, absolutely hates queuing up for movie tickets. At work, when his laptop takes a few more seconds to load a web page, Nirav clenches his fists and grinds his teeth, wishing he could bang his laptop against the wall. Driving too, is a nightmare for him as he curses other motorists liberally.
Nirav has what is known as the classic Type A personality pattern.
If we are to go by years of medical research, he is likely headed for some form of heart disease before the age of 40.
What is Type A behaviour?
Type A behaviours were first labelled in 1959 by two cardiologists, Dr Friedman and Dr Rosenman. After studying several cardiac patients, their findings led them to suggest a personality pattern that they later labelled 'Type A behaviours' (TAB). This personality displays high levels of agitation, an excessively competitive drive, impatience, time urgency and even hostility.
The Type A person is usually task-obsessed -- the typical workaholic who has a real need to beat the competition and get ahead. Just like Nirav, most Type As show single-minded attention towards their work, which costs them relationships and leads to loneliness.
Type As are also the ones with the proverbial short fuse, who tend to erupt at the slightest of reasons such as waiting to be served at restaurants or delays in meetings. They have also been labelled 'stress junkies' who feel compelled to do several things at once. Nirav eats his breakfast while writing out cheques and dialing a phone, all in the name of effective multitasking!
Nirav also shows typical physical signs which Dr Friedman lists:
Excessive perspiration on the forehead and the upper lip
Teeth grinding
Indentation of the tongue due to constant pressure against the top incisor teeth
Dark circles under the eyes
Type A link to heart disease
The Type A behaviour would have remained classified as just a personality pattern, but the initial link to heart disease observed by the two cardiologists was confirmed in later studies.
In the '70s, Framingham heart studies found that TAB characteristics were a strong predictor of some form of heart trouble. It could lead to Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) that could eventually result in severe chest pains and in worst case scenarios, to heart attacks.
After revealing possibilities in the mind-body link, the TAB-CHD studies have also been severely criticised. Researchers have found no indication or weak links suggesting that Type A behaviours signal future heart troubles.
Despite the whole plethora of censure over the TAB-CHD link, even the worst critic would not argue the fact that being tense, overly excitable and constantly angry sends out huge distress signals to the body. Contemporary research indicates that of all the Type A behaviours, hostility and aggression are the most significant risk factors that could lead to heart trouble later.
Physiologically, anger leads to:
A constriction of blood vessels, leading to a surge in blood pressure.
An escalation in the speed of one's heart rate, due to the secretion of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.
The release of cholesterol and catecholamines into the blood. Enhanced cholesterol levels aid in the deposit of fatty plaque in the heart and carotid arteries.
While this is the reaction of the body to protect itself in times of emergency and trauma, repeatedly losing your cool can lead to the damage of artery walls through these physiological reactions.
Several studies have determined that people who tend to fly into rages more often are more likely to suffer from a heart attack or heart disease -- in some cases, carrying three times the risk -- as compared to those of a more placid disposition.
Other chronic negative emotions such as stress and depression also have a similar outcome to aggression and anger.
What the Type A club can do
Interestingly, in contrast to the Type A characteristics, a spectrum of Type B traits was discovered, which described the slow, easy going, patient and trusting person. Type Bs are friendly, accepting, generally content and at peace with themselves and others. They are flexible, good team members and do things at a more moderate, relaxed pace.
If you think you may be Type A, one of the things to do is to start developing more Type B characteristics. Stress management programmes usually give the Type A person some tough things to do, such as sitting alone at the beach for an hour, leaving their watch/mobile at home for a day, standing in the longest line at the grocery checkout or taking an entire working day off to spend with a family member.
Whether or not being the Type A is a predictor of heart trouble, adopting a more relaxed, focused and balanced lifestyle can only have positive benefits.
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