Saturday, June 29, 2013

Do what you say to improve Doctor-Patient relationship – Dr. K K Aggarwal

Delivering the key note address on Doctor’s Day, Padma Shri and Dr. B C Roy National Awardee Dr K K Aggarwal, President Heart Care Foundation of India and Chief Patron IMA New Delhi Branch said that an analysis of complaints of over 1000 patients has shown that major cause of Doctor-Patient dispute is either lack of communication or lack of documentation. He said that the triad of ‘Plan, Communication and Documentation’ can be the answer to this, where ‘Plan’ means observations and treatment decided by the doctor and if the same is ‘Communicated’ to the patient, ‘Documented’ and then implemented, there can never be a dispute.   


A dispute arises when there is a disparity between your plan and the outcome. or example, if you say dispute.  If you communicate properly to the patient the risks involved in the surgery and that the patient is a part of risk then a dispute can never arise. 

Dr. Aggarwal said that the five components of better Doctor-Patient relationship are: Acknowledge, Introduce, Explain, Define the duration of time and finally Thank the patients.  If you cannot practice compassion-based medicine, then at least practice etiquette-based medicine, he said. Defining the ABC of a doctor, he further added that three components of a good doctor are: Available, Behavior and Competency.  Remember available and a well-behaved doctor is much more important than a doctor who is competent.

Dr. Kaushal Madan from Medanta - The Medicity delivered the guest lecture. He said that there are only two types of Hepatitis or Jaundice, one that originates from contaminated food and water, and the other, which spreads from blood and other internal secretions. Both are preventable.

Dr. Madan said that one should follow the principles of food and water hygiene to prevent Hepatitis A and E and strictly observe the following hygiene principles in the hospital settings to prevent Hepatitis B and C:

Avoid finger stick blood test without a disposable special non-hollow needle.
Avoid high risk sexual behavior without condoms.
Take all 3 doses of Hepatitis B vaccination for full protection.
Say no to blood transfusion unless it a must.
Say no to surgeries unless they are a must

Dr. Yugal Mishra, Director, Dept. of Cardiovascular Surgery at Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, who gave away ‘Doctor of the Year’ awards said that doctors should write legibly to prevent drug errors.  To error is human as long as prevention is taken. Even an experienced housewife can cut her hand while chopping vegetables in a kitchen. Similarly, an experienced surgeon too can have accidents while doing surgery. 

As long as you have taken precautions and you have communicated the risk, there is no Doctor-Patient dispute, he further added.

Awards Distribution
IMA NDB Lifetime Achievement Award was given to
Dr. Yugal Mishra, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute

IMA NDB Doctor of The Year Award were given to
Dr. P K Julka, Padma Shri Awardee; Dr. H K Chopra, President-Elect, Cardiological Society of India; Dr. Smitha Mishra, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute; Dr. D K Satsangi, G B Pant Hospital; Dr. Shekhar Agarwal, Sant Parmanand Hospital; Dr. Kaushal Madan, Medanta - The Medicity;Dr. Rakesh Gupta, President CSI Delhi Branch; Dr. Shakti Kumar Gupta, AIIMS; Dr (Prof.) Rani Kumar, Hindu Rao Hospital; Dr. Deep Goel, BLK Super Speciality Hospital; Dr. Ambrish Mithal, Medanta - The Medicity


IMA NDB Distinguished Service Award were given to
Dr. Anil Aggarwal, President DMA; Dr Anil Goyal, President-Elect DMA; Dr. Narendra Saini, Secretary-General IMA; Dr. Rajan Gadhiok, Moolchand Medcity ; Dr. Madhu Handa, Medical Administrator, Moolchand Medcity; Dr Ramesh Hotchandani, President IMA NDB; Dr. Vandana Chaddha, Secretary IMA NDB; Dr. Manoj Kumar, Moolchand Medcity; Dr. Shiv Chopra, Moolchand Medcity; Dr. Sudesh Rattan, Past President IMA NDB; Dr. Dinesh Negi, Past President IMA NDB; Dr Pavan Gupta, Past President IMA Haryana; Dr Rajiv Garg, Past President IMA NDB; Dr. Satish Mehta, Asst. Secretary DMA



Spiritual Blog:Neti Neti (Not This Not This)


(The Main Principle of Knowing the Truth)

The main figure in the Upanishads is that of the sage Yajnavalkya. Most of the great teachings of later Hindu and Buddhist philosophy and derived from him. He taught the great doctrine of “neti-neti”, the view that truth can be found only through the negation of all thoughts about it.

Brhadaranyaka Upanishad is the oldest and recognized as the most important of all the Upanishads, Brhadaranyaka derives its name from the “great forest-book”.

The greatest of Upanishadic philosophers, sage Yajnavalkya’s dialogues with his wife, Maitreyi are featured in the Muni Kanda or Yajnavalkya Kanda.  The doctrine of “Neti, Neti” in this Upanishad suggests the indescribability of the Brahman, the Absolute.  It is possible to describe Brahman as what ‘It’ is not but not as to what ‘It’ is.  Yajnavalkaya makes an effort to define Brahman.  The three cardinal virtues of self-restraint (DSmana), alms giving (DAna) and compassion (DAya) are also mentioned here (the three ‘DA’s).

Atman is “neither this, nor this” (“Neti, neti”). The Self cannot be described in any way. “Na-iti” - that is “Neti”. It is through this process of “Neti, neti” that you give up everything - the cosmos, the body, the mind and everything - to realise the Self.

After knowing the Atman in this manner, you will develop the attitude that the phenomenal world and all its creatures are made up of the same essence of bliss.

Brahman is infinite, amorphous, colorless, characterless and formless Universal Spirit which is omnipresent and omnipotent, and like cosmic energy, it is pervasive, unseen and indescribable.

1.            Neti-neti Meditation: The principle of Neti Neti has been used in meditation involving gnana yoga. Whenever a thought or feeling which is not the goal of the meditation — which is not the soul or the inner self — comes to the mind, the meditator simply has to say, “Not this, not this,” and dismiss the thought, image, concept, sound, or sense distraction. Any thought, any feeling, is discarded — patiently discarded — again and again if necessary, until the mind is clear and the soul/or the self is revealed.

2.            Neti Neti and the mind: When you get into the habit of “neti-neti,” you can  also discard thoughts of worry, doubt, or fear, and become established in the light of your inner self. You can, then, look back at worries and fears with deep insight and handle them.

3.            Neti-Neti and Medical Profession: One of the basic medical teaching is to diagnose a condition by way of excluding other similar conditions. This is called differential diagnosis and this is the main stay of allopathy. This also makes one investigative-oriented but is the only scientific way of knowing the truth.

4.            Neti neti and multiple-choice questions: In any modern exam today, the principle of Net Neti is used. A question has about four nearly similar answers and the student has to answer the correct one. He can only answer by the principle of negation.


5.            Neti Neti and police investigations: This principle is also used while handling  a criminal case. One suspects everyone on the crime and then starts elimination one by one.

Spiritual Blog: Facts about Soul and the Spirit



1.      Energy is the raw material of the universe.
2.      Information is the organization of energy into reproducible patterns.
3.      Consciousness is living information and energy (living energized
         information)
4.      Consciousness is, therefore, intelligence.
5.      Intelligence is information and energy that has self-referral or the ability to
         learn through experiences and the ability to reinterpret and influence
         one’s own information and energy states.
6.      Consciousness is live, advanced, software-driven energized information.


Nearest example: Advanced computer software which can type, correct, interpret, edit and store spoken or read information.

Friday, June 28, 2013

What are three great sentences of importance other than mahavakyas?


1.         Brahma Satyam Jagan Mithya Jivo Brahmaiva Na Aparah means - Brahman only exists truly, the world is false, and the individual soul is Brahman only and no other.

2.         Ekam evadvitiyam brahma means Brahman is one, without a second (There is one absolute reality, without any secondary parts)


3.         Sarvam khalvidam brahma means all of this is brahman

Thursday, June 27, 2013

MTNL Perfect Health Mela to extend for over a month on the theme Disaster Management and Practice etiquette based medicine



This year’s MTNL Perfect Health Mela will have its activities extending over a month. Announcing this in a press conference, Padma Shri and Dr B C Roy National Awardee Dr. KK Aggarwal president Heart care foundation of India said that the activities will start on 29th September World Heart day with a Dil ka Darbar and end on 31st October with CPR 10 Utsav at DPS Mathura Road. The main traditional mela will be held at Constitution Club of India from 23-26th October which will have exhibitions, competitions entertainment, checkups and workshops about all aspects of health incorporating all pathies under one roof.

Co addressing the conference  Mr Vinod Kumar, GM Marketing MTNL, Delhi; Mr Deepak Chanduka, GM Marketing MTNL Corporate; Dr. N V Kamath, and Dr. K S Baghotia from DHS; Dr. N K Yadav MHO MCD South, Dr. Ramesh Kumar, CMO NDMC and Dr Shally Kamra, CMO, PNDT said that the mela will focus on disaster management and prevention.

Celebrity guest for the event Pandit Jwala Prasad a music legend released the dates and the theme. He said that music and entertainment when combined with health can be more healing. 

1st July doctors day

Sixty percent of people do not discuss their sexual behavior and performance with the doctor when they go for consultation

A survey of 452 people was conducted by Heart Care Foundation of India and eMedinewS on the occasion of Doctors Day. The objective of the survey was to assess the perception of doctor-patient relationship among the people. 

The survey included patients, social workers, RWAs, morning walkers, college students and government employees from Delhi.  Data was collected using a questionnaire, which the survey participants were asked to answer. 

Elaborating on the observations of the survey, Padma Shri & Dr. BC Roy National Awardee,
Dr. K K Aggarwal, President Heart Care Foundation of India said that the data came up with some interesting changing trends among the people with regard to doctor-patient relationship.

Sexual preferences, choices and behaviors

a. The survey revealed that only 42% had a family physician. 
b. When suffering from an illness 52% of the people would directly opt to visit a specialist and not a family physician, which is not a good trend.
c. The traditional concept of a ‘family physician’, who looked after all the health needs of a family regardless of his/her specialization, is now changing. Everybody should have a family physician for better patient care.
d. Even today, 60% people do not discuss their sexual behavior and performance with the doctor when they go for consultation. 
e. 80% of the ties doctors also do not ask them about their sexual preferences, behaviors and problems. 
f.  This brings them to seek help from sex quacks and advise from friends and neighborhood.
g. People are sexually active even at elderly age. The proportion of man reporting no sex is 20% at age 51-60 and 87.5% at age above 75.  In women, reporting no se is 100% after the age of seventy. 16.17% of men reported that they are facing erectile dysfunction and 17.64% are having premature ejaculation during sexual act.
h. It is customary in US medical schools to be taught, when taking a sexual history, to ask whether someone is sexually active, and if so, what are his sexual preferences?
i. The questions asked in the history include as a routine:
Sexual history: "Do you feel comfortable with your sexuality?"
Sexual preference:  "Are you sexually attracted to men, women, or both?" 
Sexual high risk behavior: Do you have multiple partners

Young vs old doctors
a. 57% of people check the credentials and qualifications of a doctor before visiting them for consultation. This is a new trend in the society. 
b. But, even today 63% of people put their faith in the capabilities of their doctor and not on their dress code. 
c. Only 37% felt that their doctors should be well dressed in a suit and tie. 
d. While 65% still feel that senior doctors with white hair can provide better patient care than their younger fashionable counterparts as they have more clinical experience. 
e.  100% said that if you cannot practice “ compassion based medicine” at least practice etiquette based medicine”

Patients want privacy
40% of people did not want doctors to be their friends on Facebook. New International guidelines also warn doctors not to be connected with their patients on face book. 

Doc, no smoking please
Eighty-one percent people reported being disturbed when they saw their doctors smoking in public and would not like to be treated by a doctor who smoked in front of them.

Write legibly
67% felt that their doctors should have legible handwriting and favored an electronic prescription instead.

Please provide affordable, quality and safe medical care

78% people felt that that medical profession is becoming commercialized today and should be made more affordable for a common man. 59% felt that doctors’ charging less fee is not their concern. But, 41% were of the opinion that doctors should charge less as their profession is a noble one.

Patients want doctors to spend more time with them
a. 49% people I the survey reported being satisfied with less 15 minutes of a doctor’s time; 26% wanted their doctor to spend more than 15 minutes with them and the rest wanted time till they were satisfied. 
b. Even today 44% percent doctors do not advise their patients about adult vaccination. This needs immediate attention.
c. 55% people reported that their blood pressure had never been checked in both arms.
d.49% people preferred to take a dietary advice from their doctor and not from a dietitian.
e. Forty-seven percent persons did not have any health insurance. 49% of the patients did not know that when they are hiring a room in a private hospital, the insurance covers only 1% of the sum amount ensured for the bed.
f.  52% of the people do not know that error of judgment or difference of opinion is not an act of negligence on the part of the doctor. 
g.  48% are unaware of the fact that a doctor is supposed to possess only an average degree of skill and knowledge and not the maximum degree of skill and knowledge when treating a patient. 
h. 30% still did not know that creating violence in the hospital premises is an offence.

Patient wants second opinion from the same doctor
1. 60% would get a second opinion from their regular doctor if they are not satisfied, while 40% would like to take another opinion from another doctor
2. 72% of people do not want doctors to treat them just on clinical grounds but prefer getting investigated first. When advised investigations, 57% would ask their doctor to suggest a lab, while the rest said that they would choose their own lab.
                 .
Patient etiquette
1. 46% people said that they preferred to call their doctor directly to fix an appointment and not the secretary. 
2. When calling for an appointment, 53% would choose to call on a mobile number and not the landline, whether the call is to the doctor or the secretary.

ABC of a good doctor
Where A is availability, B is behavior and C is capability.  95% of the people said that the will be satisfied if the doctors is available and has practices etiquette based medicine.

Etiquette based medicine
Remember Mnemonic AIEDT
A: Acknowledge
I: Introduce yourself
E: Explain about your plan
D: define the time spam of your plan

T thank the patient

Spiritual Blog: Understanding who we are…………..

The classical description of ‘who we are comes’ from Adi Shankaracharya’s Bhaja Govindam, where he says that even the wife refuses to touch the same physical body after death, with which she has been fondling all these years and if she touches it, a ritual bath has to be taken. This means physical body is not what we are.

If we weigh physical body before and after death there will be no difference. The life force also called consciousness or atman has no weight, shape or dimensions. 

In Bhagavad Gita, Krishna in Chapter 2 describes its characteristics as “fire cannot burn it, air cannot dry it, weapons cannot cut it, and water cannot wet it. It is omnipotent, omnipresence and omniscient”. 

Though modern medicine may not talk about soul but it does differentiate life and death based on certain parameters.

Vedic description describes five different movement forces in the body: apana vayu expulses urine, stool, baby and menses; samana vayu controls the intestinal movements; vyana vayu controls the circulatory system; udana vayu controls the neurological impulses and the connection between soul and spirit; and prana vayu controls the brain stem reflexes. 

Soul or consciousness is linked to udana vayu and prana vayu. The best description of these five forces apart from Ayurveda text comes from prasannopanishad. 

A patient with brain stem death can be kept on ventilator for months together, as the body has normal vyana vayu, sana vayu and apana vayus. The patient will therefore, maintain blood pressure, GI functions, urinary functions and reproductive functions. These three vayus are controlled by the atmospheric oxygen and not by the life force. 

Can anyone remember the weight, height, abdominal circumference or size of collar, waist or shoes of Lord Krishna? He is only known only from his actions and the soul profile.

All of us have physical, mental, intellectual, ego and soul characteristics. Soul characteristics in all are same & are positive. The examples are love, compassion, care, humility, etc. These soul characteristics are influenced by the subtle mind, intellect and ego characteristics. 

While introducing ourselves, most of the times we talk about define our intellectual or ego profile and not the soul profile. When we describe our status, house, car or money, we are describing our ego profile and not the soul profile. Our aim in life should be to understand our soul profile, as without the soul nobody will come near us. The same very people will dispose off our body at the earliest opportunity they get. 

Most of us co-relate life span with the life span of the physical body, which has to perish sooner or later. When we ask people how long they want to live their usual  answers are 60 yrs, 70 yrs, 80 yrs or 90 yrs. Nobody thinks beyond physical death. People like Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Mother Teresa are not dead. Though their physical body does not exist, their good karmas, work, memories and the soul profiles are still alive.

The purpose of life should be to create an atmosphere or an aura in such a way that the society remembers us after the death of our physical body. This is only possible when we shift our thinking from the ego profile to the soul profile. 

Soul is nothing but an energized field of information and can be equated to the live information fed in any computer or mobile phone. Both computer and mobile phones with and without information weigh the same. Similarly, weight of radio does not change weather the radio is on or off. The live data information in the TV, radio or mobile phone can be termed as their soul. A computer without this soul is useless, so are the mobile and radio sets. 

The information is always static and still without any movements. This information in a computer requires a software to run. The static soul in our body also requires a software called life force.

Soul, thus van be described as a combination of the life force and the static information. In Hindu mythology this is called shiva and shakti. Some people describe them as prana and chitta. In vedic philosophy by controlling prana one can control chitta and vice versa.

For a computer to operate one requires two softwares: operational software and application software. Operational software makes the computer do basic work and application software helps one to manipulate the data the way one wants. 

All of us our born with the operational software or the life force. We develop and create our own application software over a period of time by using the triad of action, memory and desires. 


To understand oneself, therefore, one needs to control our own application software and do not let them go beyond its desired scope of work. 

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Spiritual Blog:Definition of Health



Health is not mere absence of disease; it is a state of physical, mental, social, spiritual, environmental and financial well being. All aspects of health are not defined in allopathy.

During MBBS, medical students are taught more about the physical health. Social and mental healthcare covered only in few lectures. Community health is a separate subject but never given its due importance. Spiritual health is not defined at all and financial health is hardly covered.

Yet, in day today practice it is the social, financial, spiritual and community health which is the most important during patient-doctor communication. It is incorporated in the four basic purposes: dharma, artha, kama and moksha.

 Dharma and artha together forms the basis of karma which righteous earning. You are what your deep rooted desires are. Most of the diseases today can be traced to a particular emotion, positive or negative. Anger and jealously are related with heart attack, fear with blood pressure, greed & possessiveness with heart failure. Unless the mind is healthy, one cannot be free of diseases. 

The best description of health comes from Ayurveda. In Sanskrit health means swasthya, which means establishment in the self. One is established in the self when there is a union of mind, body and soul. Most symbols of health are established around a shaft with two snakes and two wings. The shaft represents the body, two snakes represent the duality of mind and the two wings represent the freedom of soul. 

Sushrut Samhita in Chapter 15 shloka 10 defines the ayurvedic person as under:

Samadosha, samagnischa,
Samadhatumalkriyah,
Prasannatmendriyamanah,
Swastha iti abhidhiyate.

From ayurvedic point of view for a person to be healthy must have balanced doshas, balanced agni, balanced dhatus, normal functioning of malkriyas and mind, body, spirit and indriyas full of bliss and happiness.

Human body is made up of structures (Kapha) which have two basic functions to perform; firstly, metabolism (pitta) and movement (vata). Vata, pitta and kapha are called doshas in ayurveda. Samana dosha means balance of structures, metabolism and movement functions in the body. Agni in Ayurveda is said to be in balance when a person has normal tejas and a good appetite.

Ayurveda describes seven dhatus: rasa, rakta, mamsa, medha, asthi,majja, shukra and they are required to be in balance. They are equivalent to various tissues in the human body. 

Ayurveda necessitates proper functioning of natural urges like urination, stool, sweating and breathing and that is what balances in malakriya means.

Ayurveda says for a person to be healthy he has to be mentally and spiritually healthy which will only happen when his or her indriyas are cheerful, full of bliss and devoid of any negativities. For indriyas to be in balance one has to learn to control over the lust cum desires, greed and ego. This can be done by learning regular pranayama, learning the do’s and don’ts in life, living in a disciplined atmosphere and learn to live in the present.

Regular pranayama shifts one from sympathetic to para sympathetic mode, balances the mind and thoughts and helps in removing negative thoughts from the mind. For living a disabled life one can follow the yama and niyama of yoga sutras of patanjali or do’s and don’ts taught by various religious gurus, leaders and principles of naturopathy. Living in the present means conscious or meditative living. This involves either learning meditation 20 minutes twice a day or learning subtle mental exercises like mind-body relaxation, yogic shavasana, self-hypnotic exercises, etc.

According to Yoga Sutras of Patanjali a person who eats thrice a day is a rogi, twice a day is a bhogi and once a day is yogi. The take home message is: to live more one has to eat less. 

Swar yoga defines the importance of respiration and longevity. According to this yoga shastra, everybody has a fixed number of breaths to be taken during the life span. Lesser the number a person takes in a minute more is the life. It also forms the basis of pranayama which is nothing but longer and deeper breathing with reduced respiratory rate. To be healthy one can remember to follow the principle of moderation and variety in diet & exercise, regular pranayama & meditation and positive thinking.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Values, Morals and Ethics



1. Values are our fundamental beliefs. 
a. They are the principles we use to define that which is right, good and just.
b. Values provide guidance to determine the right versus the wrong, the good versus the bad.
c. They are our standards.
d. When we evaluate anything we compare it to a standard.
e. Typical values include: honesty, integrity, compassion, courage, honor, responsibility, patriotism, respect and fairness.
f. Ethics are universal

2. Morals

a. Morals are values which we attribute to a system of beliefs, typically a religious system, but it could be a political system of some other set of beliefs. 
b. These values get their authority from outside the individual- a higher being or higher authority (e.g. society). 
c. Right as defined by a higher authority. 
d. By that definition one could categorize the values listed above (honesty, integrity, compassion …) as “moral values” - values derived from a higher authority. 

3. Ethics

a. Ethics is about our actions and decisions. 
b. When one acts in ways which are consistent with our beliefs (whether secular or derived from a moral authority) we will characterize that as acting ethically. 
c. When one’s actions are not congruent with our values - our sense of right, good and just - we will view that as acting unethically.

d. The ethics of our decisions and actions is defined socially, not individually.

Monday, June 24, 2013

Spiritual Blog: Should doctors detach themselves?



In dealing with patients the traditional Patient-Doctor relationship model has been that doctor should remain cool, calm and collected at all times. 

Doctor’s approach needs to be strictly scientific, logical, objective, methodical precise and dispassionate.  This model has been since the era of William Osler, the father of modern medicine.  The term used is imperturbability which means coolness and presence of mind under all circumstances. 

Osler said a rare and precious gift to doctor is right of detachment.  The right of detachment insulates the doctors and protects them from the powerful emotions that patients display in their presence like anger, frustration, grief, rage and bewilderment.  It also insulates patients from the rolling emotions that doctors may at times feel towards them. 

However, a detached attitude also insulates doctors from empathizing with patients.  A detached doctor may talk in a language that is over patient’s head. 

Detachment is not like a light switch that you can turn on and off to suit the situation.  Detachment as a practice cannot be in isolation if it becomes your personal style of distracting from the world, it may not be just for the patients but also from your colleague, family friends and even yourself.


I recall when I joined by hospital the first lesson given to me by my boss was not to get unduly attached with patients.  As etiquette, we were taught not to socialize with patients.  Even today the new American Guidelines talk that doctors should not socialize with their patients on social media including Facebook.  Even doctors are human beings and their personal life should not be known to the patients.  As far as law suits are concerned, it is equally true that known close patient’s file a law suit much more than unknown people because over a period of time they know your weakness.  One should learn to empathize with the patients and yet be detached from its results.  Doctors who follow Bhagwat Geeta understand this concept very well.

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Spiritual Blog:Different Interpretation of the different flood disaster


Deepak Chopra, in his book, “How to know GOD”, he describes seven types of people with different consciousness levels. The first level is people with Fight and Flight response, who either fight or flight an adversity. Second level is people with reactive response, who are fault finders when an adversity comes.
 Third, fourth and fifth levels are people with restful alertness, intuitive, and creative responses respectively. These people treat every adversity as an opportunity to do something different and work in the interest of the community.
 Finally sixth and seventh levels are the people with visionary and sacred responses. These people are people with wisdom who understand consciousness and treat the microcosm within the body and the macrocosm of the nature as one.
 The present Uttarakhand Natural Flood Disaster can be interpreted differently by different leaders.
 People who share the fight, flight or reactive response, they would interpret it as if the God is punishing us for our sins.
 Those who are in the restful alertness, intuitive or creative response, would think of the disaster as a creative opportunity to create a globalization-based new humanity on the culture or compassion instead of exploitation. Finally those who are with visionary or sacred response might see a link between the turbulence in collective consciousness of the people and the turbulence in nature.
 Many theorists propose that the earth is a living biological organism. This is known as GAIA hypothesis. We and other biological organisms are just patterns of behavior in this living biological organism that we call Mother Earth. When we are agitated and turbulent our extended body or Mother Earth reflect that turbulence. In other words, the turbulence in nature and the turbulence in human beings co-arise inter-dependently.
 We all know that during full moon, the mind is more agitated than during the new moon. The high tides in the ocean influence the high tides (vata function) in the human body and the human mind.
 Many intellectuals have suggested that turbulence in nature can be managed by collective meditation (more than 1% of the population together at the same time) or through rituals by introducing intentions in the field of pure potentiality. This uses the principles of dharna, Dhyana, and samadhi of Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. This was the original purpose of yagnas which unfortunately today have become as empty rituals as they are not based on basic methodology of true consciousness.
 In the last Tsunami episode, not a single dead body of wild animals was found. Elephants broke their chains and ran upto the hills several hours before the earthquake occurred. So did the birds who began to fly away from the affected areas. This only proves that consciousness of animals and the consciousness of the earth are inter-linked. It must be true for the human beings also but we have so severely disturbed our links with the nature that it seems we have no communication with the nature and cannot pick up nature’s warning signals. Many of the tribals also escaped the episode proving their relative nearness to the nature.
 All these explanations are valid if you believe that consciousness is the primary force in the universe. You can also interpret the whole flood episode without introducing the concept of consciousness as tectonic shifts in the beds of the oceans and explain the whole thing in purely geological terms.
 Some have even suggested that the testing of nuclear weapons and other violent technologies on the beds of the oceans may have accelerated these geological shifts. I think there is truth to all these explanations depending on your level of perceptions.

 The present can be considered as a localized pralay involving the element of water. The classic pralay will involve all five elements. If a flood like instance occurs affecting the whole earth, it will be the pralay mentioned in Purans.

Spiritual Blog:The Lips of Truth Shall Be recognized For Ever But A Lying Tongue Is But For A Moment


The sutra from Bible has a very deep significance in day to day life. The truth is ever lasting and always ends up in internal happiness and self realization & in long run always gives you happiness and an all win situation. 

 On the contrary a lying tongue will only give you a momentarily pleasure but will end up in some difficulty later in life.

Spoken words cannot come back as in the case of a released arrow from the bow. Once lost one cannot get back  his youth, virginity, or respect,  similarly, spoken bad words cannot be taken back and once spoken will create negative waves in the other persons (on whom they were spoken) mind which will persist as repressed thoughts or memory in the people’s mind for ever.  Such bad memories will keep on coming back in the person’s mind causing damage to the personal relationships.

A spoken word is a karmic expression.  For every karmic action there is an opposite and equal reaction. For every negative karmic expression one has to pay the debt either now or in future The law of karma says that every debt has to be paid.

It is always better to avoid indulging into negative language both in spoken words as well as in the mind.  The yoga sutras of Patanjali describe thinking, speaking or doing any thing wrong having the same karmic significance.  We should not only purify our self in actions and spoken words but also in the mind.  If a person keeps negative thoughts in the mind sooner or later the same will be reflected to the outside world.

The momentary pleasure which one gets by “lying” has no spiritual significance as it only satisfies your ego sense or makes you attached to any of the five senses.  The transiant pleasure experienced by the body stimulates a chain of reactions, consisting of action, memory and desire leading to action again, which will only intensify the greed & attachments.

In the Mahabharata, Lord Krishna has given only two examples which works as an exception to such a situation. Any truth which harms others may not be spoken and any lie which does not harm anyone but benefit a few may be spoken.

Truth is the opposite of doubt & it is always better to clear all the doubts from the mind as any repressed doubts can end up into causation of heart attack, paralysis and cancer.

Truth also means taking conscious based decisions as the consciousness will never lie.  While taking any decision one should always ask oneself— Is it the truth?, Is it necessary? And will it bring happiness to me and the people around?.

Lord Krishna is also described as “SATCHITANAND” which only indicates the qualities like truthfulness, conscious based decisions and internal happiness. The practice of truthfulness has to be  practical over a period of time and made a part and parcel of your daily life. To start with a person may have bad experiences but in the long run truthfulness will always win.

Friday, June 21, 2013

Spiritual Blog:Dakshinayana is the start of negative state of mind

The uttarayana and dakshinayana are not only time periods mentioned in the Vedic literature but also the state of minds. Uttarayana means a period for a positive state of mind and Dakshinayana a period for relatively negative state of mind.

Dakshinayana is the southern transit of the Sun. The Uttarayana and Dakshinayana period is calculated differently in South and North India

Bhagwad Geeta talks about Moksha and liberation. Those who believe in the philosophy of rebirth know that once a soul is liberated at death, a person is not reborn. Those who believe that hell and heaven are in this birth only for them liberation means dying peacefully and without sufferings.

The theory of rebirth is well described in Bhagwad Geeta in Chapter 8.
The gist of Lord Krishna’s teaching is:
1. Whatever you think throughout your life will be your thought at the time of death.
2. Whatever is the state of mind at the time of death will be the atmosphere you will get in the rebirth. For example if your state of mind is in cruelty at the time of death, you will be born in a cruel family. If you are relaxed, thinking of God or Chanting AUM at the time of death, there are chances your soul will be liberated.
3. Fire, illumination, daytime, fortnight before the full moon and uttarayana are the paths for liberation. It means these are the periods / ways for spontaneous positive thinking. And the reverse is for dakshinayana 

From mental health point of view, this knowledge can be converted into medical prescription. Uttarayana means satwa, healthy state of mind and dakshinayana means a depressed negative state of mind. Performing and attending to Yagna, sitting in well illuminated lights or exposing oneself to the day sunlight can be an adjunct to depression treatment. During the first fortnight of full moon and during uttarayana, the psychotherapy and counseling invariable will work better and the requirement of drugs may get reduced. The reverse will happen in dakshinayana.

In chakra language , from mooladhara chakra to anahata chakra is the dakshinayana path and from anahata chakra to ajna chakra is the uttarayana path. Those who travel on the uttarayana path travel from anahata chakra. Those who travel on the dakshinayana path start from mooladhara.

The Chatur Mas or Four holy months in Hinduism falls during the period of Dakshinayana. Chaturmas begins on July 11 and ends on November 6. It begins on the Ekadasi day in Shukla Paksha in the month of Ashada and ends on the Ekadasi in the Shukla Paksha in the month of Kartik. It occurs during monsoon season and most important festivals take place during this period. It’s a four month period for observing fast, rituals, pujas and festivals.

Chaturmas has folowwing months 

1st Shravan month is dedicated to Lord Shiva, especially the Mondays. Is a month or Vata or air imbalance. The classical song " Savan ka mahina Pavan kare shor" explains the air imbalance in this month. The vata function in the mind is related to emmotional imbalance.

2nd Bhadrapad is the month of festivals including the Ganesh Chaturthi and Janmaasthmi. The month is again related to Vata or air imbalance. The classical Bollywood song "tere naina savan bhado phir bhi mera man payasa" explains the state of the mind in savan and bhado months. The state of the mind is negative with chances of more non fulfillment of desires.

3rd Ashwin month include, Durga Puja, Navratri, Diwali etc.
4th Kartik and Diwali celebrations end in this month.
It’s a saying to avoid green leafy vegetables in Shravan month, Curd in Bhadrapad, milk in Ashwin and pulses, the split variety in Kartik month.
No marriages or important functions take place in chaturmas for many reasons
1. Firstly it is a period of negative state of mind and hence more chances of divorce
2. For the same reason more chances of infertility
3. Due to rainy seasons more chances of worms on the surface and infesting the leafy vegetables
4. Due to Vata (movement) predominance, leafy vegetables will not be health friendly
5. Due to pitaa (metabolism) suppression the digestive fire will be weak
6. Many people avoid garlic and onion as it can stimulate unnecessary excitements, cause indigestion and distract devotee from pujas and prayers.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Spiritual Blog:What is charity?

Some time back after retuning from a free health check-up camp, I met a processor of Cardiology from Lucknow and started boosting that I saw 100 patients free today.  He said do not get excited.  Charity is a positive, but still not the absolute positive, unless it is done without any motive or done secretly.  He said that you were honoured on the stage, you got blessings from the patients and people talked about you in positive sense.  It was an investment in the long run and not an absolute charity.  When you serve never get honour on the stage by the people to whom you are serving.  If you get that then it is like give and take.  The purpose of life should be to help others without any expectations.

Understanding helping others.

When you help others, it should not end up in harming somebody else. If you help even if it is unconditional, if you end up in promoting no.2 by superseding another senior person who deserves is not a help as the person to whom you are helping will give you one blessing but the person to whom you have harmed will give you 10 curses. Ultimately you end up with minus 8 points.  Helping other means that you should give happiness to you, to the persons you have helped and also to others to whom you have not helped.

Helping always pays.

The difference between an American and Indian model is that Indians always think of now and do not invest in future.  Americans always plans for the future.  When we help somebody, we want that the same person should expect you by helping you when you are in need in a shorter run.  But charity does not believe in that.  Your job is to help others and negate your negative past karmas.  You never know, may be decades later you get a help from a person to whom you helped decades earlier.  Help should never be linked to returns.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Spiritual Blog:Desire, Hatred and Ignorance

According to Buddhism, the three negative emotions that cause a disease are ignorance, hatred and desire and accordingly physical sickness are classified into three main types.
1. Disorders of desire (Ayurvedic equivalent of Vata imbalance): These are due to disharmony of the wind or energy. The seed of these disorders are located in the lower part of the body. It has cold preferences and is affected by mental desires. In this, the person mainly suffers from the disorders of movement functions.
2. Disorders of hatred (Ayurveda equivalent of Pitta imbalance): It is due to disharmony of the bile. The seed of these disorders is centered in the middle and upper part of the body and is caused by the mental emotion of hate. The person suffers from metabolic and digestive abnormalities.
3.Disorders of ignorance (Ayurveda equivalent of Kapha imbalance): It is due to the disharmony of phlegm, the seed of which is generally centered in the chest or in the head and the disorder is cold in nature. It is caused by the mental emotion of ignorance.
Desire, hatred and ignorance are the main negativities mentioned in Buddha’s philosophy. They are all produced in the mind, and once produced they behave like a slow poison.
The Udanavarga once said, “From iron appears rust, and rust eats the iron”, “Likewise, the careless actions (karma) that we perform leads us to hellish lives.
According to the other scriptures, six afflictions are most troublesome, namely ignorance, hatred, desire, miserliness, jealousy and arrogance. Patience is the most potent virtue a person can acquire. According to the Shanti Deva, “There is no evil like hatred, and there is no marriage like patience. Therefore, dedicate your life to the practice of patience.”

Bhagvad Gita classifies the enemies as Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha and Ahankara; and out of them Kama, Lobha and Ahankara, are the three gateways to hell.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Spiritual Blog:I want to live after my death


In my workshops, whenever I ask the delegates as to how long they want to live. The answer I get from most of them is 60, 70 or 80 years. While answering they forget that they are only talking about the death of the physical body but what about the mental, social, intellectual and spiritual bodies.
It is well known that the soul never dies and so is your Sanskars and good work done. The aim of life should be that one should live even after the death of his or her physical body. It is your good Karmas which keep your memories alive even after your physical death.
It is equally true that even your bad Karmas can make you be remembered after death but that is not the purpose of life. We would like to be remembered as Rama and not like Ravana after death.
In Vedic language your present is decided by your past and your future is decided by your present.  To improve your future you need to work positive in your present.
When you start working positive in your present moment, you will start neutralizing your bad karmas. It is like washing a dirty shirt which will not become stain free in one washing. With repeated washings only it can become stain free. Similarly washing your bad karmas with good karmas will take time.
It is possible that when one start good Karmas one may still suffer as the sum total of past karmas may not have got neutralized by that time.
For example if a dacoit surrenders and wants to live a civilian life he may be pardoned to some extent but may still be jailed for a duration of time. In other word he may be pardoned from death sentence and given life sentence.
As per Bhagavad Gita whatever are your thoughts at the time of death will decide the atmosphere you will get in your rebirth.
It also says that whatever will be your thoughts throughout your life will be your thoughts at the time of your death.
So do not expect that you can acquire positive thoughts at the time of death if you have been thinking negative throughout your life
The gist is to start doing good actions in the present.

  

Monday, June 17, 2013

3d Projection Technology Was Available In Mahabharata Era

Three Christie Roadster HD18K DLP projectors were used for the first-ever transmission of live, interactive 3D holograms from London and Montreal to Orlando, Florida from June 17-19, 2009.

The interactive transmission process called Musion Live Stage telepresence offers a new way for people to holographically communicate face-to-face in real time, crossing the boundaries of geographic distance.

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s recently used this hi-tech 3D campaign in his election meetings delivering lectures simultaneously at four places. USD 1 million is the cost of 3D holographic projection at one site.

Modi’s speech was telecasted on specially erected screens in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot and Surat with the help of 3D holographic technology and satellite link-ups. The BJP leader claimed this was first such election campaign anywhere in the world.


In mythology this technique was available in India. Lord Krishna danced with every Gopi and Radha at the same time.

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Spritual:Prayer for Inner Happiness

Stress is defined as the physical and mental reaction to the interpretation of a known situation. In absence of a known situation there cannot be a stress. One cannot be stressful for a person who has just died in New York in an accident unless he or she is a known person.

There has to be a right, conscious based interpretation of the situation as the same situation can bring happiness to one and stress to the other.


The most important consequence physical or mental of stress, therefore, depends on the right interpretation of the situation.


The interpretation or judgment in the body is governed by chemical reactions and is controlled by the balance of autonomic balance system which in turn is governed by the interaction of para sympathetic and sympathetic nervous system.


During the phase of acute stress when the sympathetic system is predominant, heart rate and blood pressure rises and a person cannot take correct and decisive decision. He or she is likely to make mistakes which can often be detrimental to ones living. Sympathetic mode is basically the mode of flight or fight reactions of the body.


Right conscious based decisions can only be taken in a state of relaxed mind when the intention is inserted in the field of consciousness. The relaxed mind state of the body is the parasympathetic mode which is healing and is evident by reduction in heart rate, blood pressure and increase in the skin resistance. Most conscious based decisions will be based on truthfulness, will be necessary and will bring happiness to both the persons and the surroundings.


The yogic lifestyle by which a person learns do’s and don’ts of living, does regular practice of correct postures,  indulges in daily  pranayama and practices regular withdrawal from the outer atmosphere, helps in preparing a state of physical and mental body state which is more receptive for conscious based decisions. Yoga Sutras of Patanajli included them in his asthanga yoga as the processes of Yama, Niyama, Asanas, Pranayama and Pratihyar.
Prayers have no value when the mind is not at rest. All of us have participated in hundreds of mourning prayers each lasting two minutes of silence. This prayer has no value if the two minutes of silence is not observed. If prayer is done without it the mind will remain restless and we will keep on thinking these two minutes are not over yet. The process of silence does shift our awareness towards test and parasympathetic state and temporarily we get to be in contact with the memories of the departed soul and we pay homage to him or her.


Today a large number of organizations are teaching the process of meditation but the same cannot be taught unless a person practices procedures by which the mind gets relaxed.
The eight limbs of patanjali focus in detail about pre-meditation preparations and once that is learned one can go to the other three limbs which are dharna, dhyana and Samadhi. 


Yoga asanas are different from exercises. They stimulate and stretch all or one of the seven charkas, autonomic plexuses, and ganglion and there located ductless endocrine glands. Also during a yogasana the mind is in the exercise and not wondering here and there.


While yogic exercises at rest are termed yoga asanas and the same yogic meditative exercises with activity are called traditional Indian dances. Western exercises and dances do not follow the principles of yoga. Many international studies have shown that over one-third of the people during their lifetime pray either for their own illness or for somebody else.


All hospitals should have spirituals areas. The prayer and meditation rooms in a hospital setting invariably will provide an arena which will improve patient-doctor relationship and will reduce the rising disputes amongst them in the country.