My Belief In The Vedas By Gandhi Scholar: Dr. Ravindra Kumar

In many of my articles and works I have been quoting the Vedas, particularly the Rig-Veda, and other Vedic literature from time to time. Those quotations, especially the ones used in my articles, have been part of a critical study of various related subjects. Consequently, one of my friends from the United States asked me about my belief in the Vedas.

I want to clarify that it doesn’t matter to me if the Vedas are divine or composed by men. I am a theist. I am also monotheistic. I have faith in the authority of God. Therefore, wherever the Vedas encourage praying to God and speaking of God’s grace or His supremacy, I wholly and firmly believe in them. Since praying to gods [Devatas] is not a matter of importance to me, whenever there are mentions of praying to Agni, Indra or Varuna, etc., I consider them also to be prayers for the Supreme, God, or Brahman.

Secondly, when the Vedas speak of human equality, freedom, justice, and unity, when they call upon people to accept Ahimsa and values complementary to it in their day-to-day practices, I honour them totally. But I can never agree to any of the arguments that generate discrimination in society; it doesn’t matter if they are quite sound, as in case of the creation of the Varna system.

Thirdly, I cannot accept the use of violence by anyone, even in the pursuit of achieving a goal, unless the intention of the user is entirely free of self-interest. In this regard, violence committed against a person and against another a living being is similar to me.

Change is inevitable. It is a firm principle. No one is beyond the scope of it. All living beings, movable and immovable things, and places are within its range. Therefore, except for God and eternal values like Ahimsa [that too limited to its meaning or definition], all other things mentioned in the Vedas do not bind me in the end, unless they become refined or purified, as per the demand of time and space.

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**Universally renowned scholar, Indologist and writer Dr. Ravindra Kumar is the Former Vice-Chancellor of CCS University of Meerut, India.

INXS Star Gets The Boot

In 1997 when lead singer (Michael Hutchence) of the Australian rock band, INXS died,  fans of the group were devastated.

And in 2005 when the television show, Rockstar Inxs set about the acquisition of a new lead singer for the band aired on the CBS network,  those fans must have breathed a sigh of relief when they realized that the remaining members of the group were not going to just give up and do away with the band  that gave us  such big hits as: ‘Need You Tonight,’ ‘Mediate.’ ‘Never Tear Us Apart,’ and others.

So when Rockstar Inxs’ contestant, JD Fortune (real name, Jason Dean Bennison) won the 2005 Rockstar Inxs   show, fans must have been elated once again.

And it must have been a great run for JD Fortune. He sang and performed with the band from Down Under for almost two years, (23 months.)

But JD Fortune supposedly had a   Cocaine habit. One that other members of the INXS band must have got tired of. According to recent reports,  Mr. Fortune was fired abruptly  in a  Hong Kong airport by members of the group.

Sad to say, but   JD Fortune, who didn’t seem to save some of the money he earned while he was with INXS,  is currently   living out of his vehicle in his native Canada.

My Top Twenty Video Games

Here are my top twenty video games of all time. Games I have played, of course.

Enjoy.

1. ANIMAL CROSSING- CITY FOLK- Nintendo Wii

Because now you get to go the big city, where you can shop, ride on the bus to go to and from the city, and just have fun while trying to pay off that in game  mortgage.

2. ANIMAL CROSSING WILD WORLD- Nintendo DS.

I enjoyed taking it on the go, and shooting down those balloons to see what else was in them. Finding those space ship parts for Gulliver was also fun.

3. LEGEND OF ZELDA PHANTOM HOURGLASS- Nintendo DS

I had a notion there was more to this Triforce, and playing this portable game showed me just how significant it has been to the Legend Of Zelda series.

4. EARTHBOUND- Super NES

I never realized what a great game this was/is until after I played it. And if you haven’t yet played it, get a copy while you still can on ebay or amazon. It is a great game.

5. SUPER MARIO WORLD- Super NES/Nintendo DS/DS LITE.

Mario needed to run, jump, pounce on the enemies and sail through the air in his cape to teach Bowzer yet another lesson. Very addicting and fun to play over and over and over…well, you get the idea.

6. FINAL FANTASY II- Super NES

Cecil of The Redwings had to do something to save the world around him. A world he noticed that had begun to change…for the worse. Also available on the GBA as FINAL FANTASY IV Advance and on  Nintendo DS/DS Lite as FINAL FANTASY IV DS.

7. FINAL FANTASY III- Super NES.

Terra’s mind had been controlled and abused long enough for her use of magic. Come help her and memorable characters such as: Locke, Edgar, Sabin, Celes, Cyan and others defeat the ultimate villain, that is Kefka. Also available on GBA and Playstation as FINAL FANTASY VI.

8. FINAL FANTASY VII- Playstation.

AH! The love triangle. Cloud, Tifa, Aeris. All in all, another great RPG. Play as Cloud as he and Sephiroth battle it out.

9. FINAL FANTASY VIII- Playstation

When Squall and Rinoa first met, who knew they would end up falling in love, with each other, that is. Or is the case of yet another love triangle? Remember Seifer? Come and help Squall and other members of the elite SEED team maintain order in their world as they prepare to  take on Ultimecia.

10. BREATH OF FIRE- Super NES/GBA.

When you awake to the sights and sounds of your village on fire, what are you going to do?  Try and save it and the rest of your world from destruction, of course. Come help a young warrior, Ryu and others do just that in this excellent RPG.

11. BREATH OF FIRE II- Super NES/GBA.

Come join Ryu on yet another epic RPG.

12. PHOENIX WRIGHT GAMES- Nintendo DS/DS LITE.

Maybe I fantasized about being an attorney when I was a teen. Great games though, great games.

13. PROFESSOR LAYTON AND THE CURIOUS VILLAGE- Nintendo DS/DS LITE.

Do you enjoy riddles? If you do, here is an excellent game with quite a few of those. Come join Professor Layton and his assistant, Luke, unravel the mystery of this curious village with the aid of those riddles.

14. CHRONO TRIGGER- Super NES and Nintendo DS/DS LITE.

A great RPG, especially if you don’t mind stepping back or forward in time to rescue a friend or two.

15. HOTEL DUSK ROOM 215- Nintendo DS/DS LITE.

Every now and again I enjoy a good mystery. And helping former detective Kyle Hyde unravel this one was fun and addicting.

16. FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES RING OF FATE- Nintendo DS/DS LITE.

Reminding me more of a Legend Of Zelda game than a Final Fantasy one, I aided Yuri, his sister and others as they seek out the villain in this portable epic.

17. DRAGON QUEST IV  CHAPTERS OF THE CHOSEN – Nintendo DS/DS LITE.

This game is so great, I can’t wait to play it again or the next one in the series.

18. Millionheir- Nintendo DS/DS LITE.

If you enjoy a little point and click, spot the clues sort of game, you will certainly enjoy this.

19. LEGEND OF ZELDA A LINK TO THE PAST- Super NES and GBA.

Addicting, fun and just a great game from a great series.

20. FIRE EMBLEM THE BLAZING SWORD and FIRE EMBLEM THE SACRED STONES- GBA

A couple of good, strategy RPGs as you lead your team into battle. Addicting, and fun.

And those are my top twenty video games for right now.

February Sucks!

When you are in love and you feel as though everything is all right with your world because of your bliss, February can be a great month.

You know, it has the Valentine’s Day occasion. One more day out of the year to shower  that special someone in your life with as much roses, chocolates, other material possessions and displays of affection he/she can handle.

But if you don’t have a Valentine, it’s not your birthday month or anyone else’s whom you know, then this not so normal month can really suck.

As we all know, it has twenty eight days, twenty nine, if it’s a leap year. And with the rest of the months having at least thirty days, these twenty eight or twenty nine days can make someone feel a bit off centered.

Or incomplete. Leap year or not, it’s the one month that lacks thirty days. No matter which year we are in, be it a leap year or not, the month of February is always going to end without the thirty day effect.

And sometimes, depending on where you are, it can be colder, gloomy, and rainy.

The month that immediately follows January and rings in the merry month of March. It’s February.

The leap year needs it and so does Valentine’s  Day. But other than that, it’s also the one incomplete month that can make someone feel kind of incomplete.

But then comes March, a chance for us to feel whole once again.

Come Be A Hero Or Two Or Three…

Being the serious Action/Adventure/RPG video gamer that I am, whenever I feel like playing a new video game, and I go to the local Gamestop store to see what they got, I obviously start looking for new or not so new RPG video games I have not played.

And whether I leave the store with either a game in the Final Fantasy series, or some other game, one game I subconsciously see on the shelf is a game in the Dragon Quest series.

But usually, whenever that happens, I say to myself, maybe someday I will select you, but not today. Why? Because I have not played a Dragon Quest video game before and was not quite sure what to expect, should I decide to get, say a copy of Dragon Quest IV.
Sometimes playing all those Final Fantasy games can really spoil a video gamer.

Anyway, the day finally came when I  thought I should give Dragon Quest IV for the Nintendo DS a try. So when I got home and inserted the game card in my Nintendo DS, a feeling of forboding also set in with me wondering, did I just set some hard earned cash on a game I  might not even like?

I was in for a nice surprise. Subtitled: Chapters of the Chosen, I found this Dragon Quest IV game to be unique. For each chapter comes with a new hero or heroine, each with his/her own adventure.

And when you have aided the hero to do all the things he/she needed to do to bring a resolution to his/her quest, that chapter ends and another one begins with another hero and another adventure.

Broken down into a total of six chapters, the game’s heroes manage to come together to put an end to the villain who seems to have a knack for making people and entire villages disappear.

If you have not played this game, it is one you will thoroughly enjoy as you move from one chapter to the next, especially if you like playing RPG video games.

There is no voice acting here, but you will find stunning graphics, sound effects and engaging story lines.

Come along and meet interesting characters and heroes such as: Captain Ragnar, Princess Alena, Torneko, an aspiring arms dealer/merchant, the Mahabala Sisters and of course, yourself as you come together to fight the evil that’s plaguing the video game landscape of Dragon Quest IV for the Nintendo DS.

Rated E10 plus for:

Suggestive Themes

Alcohol Reference

Mild Violence

Animated Blood

Simulated Gambling

Mild Language

Michael Phelps Made A Boo Boo, Big Deal

Multiple Olympic Gold Medal Winner, Michael Phelps was seen smoking an illegal drug, (Marijuana) from a Bong. Big deal.

Being a role model to kids in our midst aside, I think most kids are well aware that no one is perfect. And due to Mr. Phelps’ hectic post Olympic schedule, which include appointments, interviews and appearances at certain swimming events, did it ever dawn on anyone that maybe the guy must have been a little stressed and must have been in need of a relaxer?

Since word of his ‘mistake’ broke, one of  Michael Phelps’ endorsers, Kelloggs, has reportedly dropped him.

And he was also dropped from the United States Swimming Association as well.

Now swimming is not one of my bright spots, but maybe, just maybe,  and I am not condoning or promoting what he did, but just maybe Michael Phelps felt a bit stessed and needed  a puff or two of that Marijuana plant.

A  popular side effect of this substance is the ability it has to relax the human mind and body a bit, from what I have heard, read  at least.

Give the guy a break, it’s  difficult to be perfect all the time when you are not a celebrity, and when you are, it makes being perfect almost impossible.

Jessica Simpson Is Not Fat

These days different people have ways of defining what the term ‘fat’ means. An insecure, and overly self conscious  teenager, for example, might consider everything he/she consumes to be adding some degree of fat to  his/her  system.

Whereas, someone else might think little or nothing of what they consume and move on. And  nowadays  obesity seems to be a major concern  no matter where  you turn, or which late night television channel you choose to watch. And I got used to that, so consider my surprise when I recently noticed that some people were fussing over Jessica Simpson’s weight problem.

And just so you know there is no bias on my end, let me inform you that I have never been overweight or fat, but I have always been on the slim side. Anyway, whenever I hear someone refer to another individual as being fat, I immediately conjure up an image of someone who is in excess of say, three hundred to three hundred and fifty pounds.

So I do not nor have I ever considered of what I have seen of Jessica Simpson to be labelled as fat. But in an age in which a strong dose of vanity and self consciousness seem to be ruling the better part of our society, you can’t win.

If you are too thin, someone might be quick to use the ‘A’ word,  anorexic, to describe you. And if you are not as slim or as slender as you were a couple of months ago, someone might refer to you as being fat.

It’s almost as if certain people want to punish you for being fat Yes, I have also observed how easily fat people are discriminated against. Discriminations that go quietly away in the night or most of them are never heard of or they go unnoticed.

There seems to be no middle ground here. If you are a celebrity and constantly in the public eye, apparently being skinny is a requirement. Don’t try to eat healthy and look as if you have gained a couple of pounds, because, you know, somebody just might say you are fat.

So You Are Good At Playing Guitar Hero or Rockband…

When I was a teenager, I fantasized about being a rock star just like most of the teenagers around me. And in this fantasy, I imagined being on stage, skilfully playing a guitar with many adoring fans before me.

But that was where my rock star fantasy ended. For as hard as I tried, I just did not have the knack for playing a musical instrument, let alone a real guitar. Enter the present where video games such as: Rockband and Guitar Hero might make you want to revisit your fantasy.

These games come loaded with tracks (later on you get to download more from the internet as your Guitar Hero/Rockband status improves) you play with the aid of your video game’s console controller.

And some players who have mastered the video gaming world of Guitar Hero and Rockband become convinced that since they are so good at the Guitar Hero/Rockband video games, that they are now ready to play the real instrument without taking a single lesson from a professional.

That too, is where their fantasy might come to a shocking halt. Certainly, there are  people who have a natural knack for playing a musical instrument, but that does not mean all of us can do that or we might have the knack for doing so.

I have watched and listened as  relatives and friends of mine  play this Guitar Hero/Rockband video game. And as they succeed and move on to different songs in the game, I have also asked if they have ever played a real guitar or drum.

I get the same response all the time. No, but now that they are so good at playing Guitar Hero or Rockband on their favourite video game console, they are convinced that they can.

Video games are fun. I should know, I have played enough of them to know that, but just because I am good at helping Mario (from the Super Mario Bros. video game) leap to the highest point on a flagpole does not mean that I might want to perform that feat for real.

If all of us were meant to be rock stars, we all might have been just that. Next time you feel a Guitar Hero/Rockband fantasy coming on, try playing a real instrument the  normal or hard way to see if you can make that fantasy come true.

If you do, and you find that you do indeed have a knack for it, that’s great. But if  the experience leaves you feeling as though artists like: Jimmy Page or Jimmy Hendrix are/were  a couple of the real talents out there, remember you will always have your copy of the Guitar Hero/Rockband video game.

The game that made you feel as if you could play any musical instrument without actually ever touching a real one.