learnings

Message For the Day…” Never be Afraid of Anyone Nor Should You Cause Fear to Others…”

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Within humans there is some residual animal nature and this nature must be refined and transformed. One who is able to transform this animal nature in man is Govinda. For an animal, human nature is inaccessible as a goal, but for human, Divinity is accessible as a goal. When green grass is shown to a herbivorous animal, it is attracted, comes close and expresses its pleasure by moving its tail. The same animal runs away if you take a stick to hurt it. Human beings today are attracted and come closer when they see wealth, but if someone is angry and shouts at them, they stay away from them. Is this not displaying animal nature? As human beings, never be afraid of anyone nor should you cause fear to others. Bhaja Govindam exhorts you to control your animal nature within and attain Divine proximity. Chant the loving Name of God daily and grow in faith and confidence in Him. 

Sathya Sai Baba

 

Why We Do Not Feel the Earth Spin …?

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Why can’t we feel Earth’s spin?

We can’t feel Earth’s rotation or spin because we’re all moving with it, at the same constant speed.

Earth spins on its axis once in every 24-hour day. At Earth’s equator, the speed of Earth’s spin is about 1,000 miles per hour (1,600 kph). The day-night has carried you around in a grand circle under the stars every day of your life, and yet you don’t feel Earth spinning. Why not? It’s because you and everything else – including Earth’s oceans and atmosphere – are spinning along with the Earth at the same constant speed.

Think about riding in a car or flying in a plane. As long as the ride is going smoothly, you can almost convince yourself you’re not moving. A jumbo jet flies at about 500 miles per hour (about 800 km per hour), or about half as fast as the Earth spins at its equator. But, while you’re riding on that jet, if you close your eyes, you don’t feel like you’re moving at all. And when the flight attendant comes by and pours coffee into your cup, the coffee doesn’t fly to the back of the plane. That’s because the coffee, the cup and you are all moving at the same rate as the plane.

Now think about what would happen if the car or plane wasn’t moving at a constant rate, but instead speeding up and slowing down. Then, when the flight attendant poured your coffee … look out!

If you're drinking coffee in a steadily moving car or airplane, no problem. But if the car or plane speeds up or slows down, your coffee sloshes and maybe spills. Likewise, as long as Earth spins steadily, we can't feel it move. Image by H.C. Mayer and R. Krechetnikov, via Science.

If you’re drinking coffee in a steadily moving car or airplane, no problem. But if the car or plane speeds up or slows down, your coffee sloshes and maybe spills. Likewise, as long as Earth spins steadily, we can’t feel it move. Image by H.C. Mayer and R. Krechetnikov, via Science.
Likewise, Earth is moving at a fixed rate, and we’re all moving along with it, and that’s why we don’t feel Earth’s spin. If Earth’s spin were suddenly to speed up or slow down, you would definitely feel it.

The constant spin of the Earth had our ancestors pretty confused about the true nature of the cosmos. They noticed that the stars, and the sun and the moon, all appeared to move above the Earth. Because they couldn’t feel Earth move, they logically interpreted this observation to mean that Earth was stationary and “the heavens” moved above us.

With the notable exception of the early Greek scientist Aristarchus, who first proposed a heliocentric (sun-centered) model of the universe hundreds of years B.C.E., the world’s great thinkers upheld the geocentric (Earth-centered) idea of the cosmos for many centuries.

It wasn’t until the 16th Century that the heliocentric model of Copernicus began to be discussed and understood. While not without errors, Copernicus’ model eventually convinced the world that Earth spun on its axis beneath the stars … and also moved in orbit around the sun.

Sky wheeling around Polaris, the North Star.

Sky wheeling around Polaris, the North Star.
A time exposure of the northern sky, revealing the apparent motion of all the stars around Polaris. In fact, this apparent motion is due to Earth’s spin. Image via Shutterstock
Bottom line: Why don’t we feel Earth rotating, or spinning, on its axis? It’s because Earth spins steadily – and moves at a constant rate in orbit around the sun – carrying you as a passenger right along with it.

SOURCE::::www.earthskynews.org

Natarajan

 

Message For the Day…” Ways for atoning our Sins …”

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In the course of one’s day to day activities a number of small creatures and insects may be destroyed. In these and other ways, sins may be committed, knowingly or unknowingly. For removing such sins, the scriptures have prescribed five types of Yajnas or worships –Brahma Yajna, Deva Yajna, Pitru Yajna, Manushya Yajna and Bhuta Yajna. Brahma Yajna is the study of sacred books and scriptures.Deva Yajna involves offering worship, bhajans, etc. Pitru Yajna refers to ceremonies to departed ancestors. The fourth one, Manushya Yajna, refers to extending hospitality to guests, invited and uninvited.Bhuta Yajna refers to offering food to animals, birds and insects, and looking after wild animals. By engaging in such service and thereby fulfilling the requirements of these Yajnas, we can atone for sins of various kinds that might have been committed  

Sathya Sai Baba

Message For the Day…” Primary Virtues Needed for a True Spiritual Aspirant…”

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Mind control, restraining the senses, transcending the worldly dualities, forbearance, unwavering faith, and equanimity are the primary virtues that must exist in a true spiritual aspirant. In addition, there must be an intense longing for liberation(moksha). This longing cannot arise from riches or scholarships. Nor can it emerge from wealth, progeny, rites and rituals recommended in the scriptures, or acts of charity. Moksha can come only from the conquest of ignorance (ajnana). A person might master all the scriptures along with all the learned commentaries written on them by experts, or propitiate all the gods by performing the prescribed modes of worship and ceremonies. But this cannot grant the boon of liberation. Just like a person who may have every ingredient needed for cooking, but if fire is not available, can he prepare the meal? Success in acquiring self-knowledge alone can confer salvation .

Sathya Sai Baba

Message For the Day…” When You are Ready to Receive the Teachings of a Guru …”

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You have worked very hard in your life discharging worldly duties and come to Prasanthi Nilayam, seeking rest for the body and peace for the mind. That being so, it might look strange if you were asked to undertake some kind of work here also. In the olden days the Guru would collect his disciples in the forest and give them different types of work, sometimes for 10 to 12 years. This was done with a purpose. One important object of work is purification of the Chittha (heart). Once the heart is purified one is ready to receive the teachings of the Guru.Therefore in earlier times the disciples were given work in the beginning so that they slowly get purified. Only when the teacher was satisfied regarding the student’s ripeness for receiving spiritual instruction, would he start teaching Brahma Vidya (the supreme knowledge).

Sathya Sai Baba

Meet Tanishq …9 year old Child Prodigy…Already a Student in American River College , California !!!

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Lets congratulate Tanishq for making India proud with his super intelligence. He took entire America by surprise when he was tested for extraordinary intelligence and scored 99.9 percentile. At 7, he gave lectures to students who were twice of his age. Today, he is only 9 and already completed one third of the credits needed for a college degree at the American River College in Sacramento, California. Tanishq is born to mother Dr Taji and father Bijou Abraham, speaks his mother tongue Malayalam at home and wants to become a scientist.

 

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We wish you a bright future ahead, Tanishq!!! Tanishq attracted intense media attention after he joined the Mensa programme for gifted children at the age of four-and-half years. He was recently featured on the premiere episode of Prodigies, a new bi-weekly YouTube series showcasing the youngest and brightest as they challenge themselves to reach new heights. I like particle physics, anti-matter, the fate of the universe and the Big Bang, he said in the video. It got a quarter million hits and lots of media publicity, both good and bad, according to his mother Dr Taji Abraham, a doctor of veterinary medicine. His father Bijou Abraham is a software professional.

In the last two years since Tanishq started to attend college, he finished two subjects each semester. More subjects are not allowed. He has already completed astronomy, geology, and biotechnology. He sits with students twice his age and earns straight As in all subjects. He topped the class in astronomy and geology. Of the 60 units needed for an associate degree, he has completed 24 so far.

Initially the students thought I am the student and Tanishq came with me, Taji said. When they knew that Tanishq was the student, they were surprised and curious. When some of the videos not fit for children to watch are shown in classes, she will ask him to close his eyes. Tanishq tapes the lectures as he is not good at writing by hand. He told India Abroad that while writing essays was most difficult, typing is no problem.

The media is not always kind, Taji said. A recent New York Times article criticised her, asking why she was letting him take on such an academic load. Others said that children ought not to be in college. We dont mind the criticism, Taji said. We are parents and we should take care of our children. We know their needs. He is happy going to college and studying there.The parents saw their childrens special skills when they were about two-and-a-half years old.

At age 4.5, Tanishq was tested, and he scored in the 99.9 percentile on the standardised intelligence test and was inducted into Mensa — an organisation for people with an IQ of 148 and above, or in the top two per cent of the population. Hes a real asset, Professor Stephen Sterling, Tanishqs physical geology instructor, was quoted as saying. Hes the top student. The students love him and look up to him because they respect him (as they would) a peer.

According to Dr Paulo Alfonso, another professor who taught astronomy and who is also in the video, He ended up in the class being the student with the highest grade. How many people at the age of seven or eight can discuss the expansion of the universe? He is different in a positive way. Tanishq is at the middle school level though he and his sister have been home-schooled. Their parents teach them and once a month the charter school officials come and check the status. The children do not want to go to school with other children.

They tried it earlier, but found that neither other students nor teachers were kind to them. Home-schooling has not affected their social skills, Taji said, adding that she spends all her time with the children. Both children know Hindi and watch Hindi movies frequently. To their surprise, Tanishq knows his mother tongue, Malayalam, though they have not taught him nor use it frequently at home. Tanishq wants to be many things, though the preference is for being a scientist, discovering something big.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

1. At age of 2, Tanishq could count from 1-100
2. At age of 4-1/2 he scored in the 99.9 percentile on the standardized intelligence test and inducted into Mensa
3. Skipped first grade to perform 4th and 5th grade math
4. Admitted to American River College at age of 8 – youngest student ever at school
5. Occasionally gives guest lectures to college classmates Performs in the San Francisco Boys Chorus
6. Sang the National Anthem at the San Francisco Giants and Oakland As games
7. Sister Tiara, 6, is in MENSA too scoring in the 98.8 percentile

SOURCE:::: http://www.mastegg.com

Natarajan

Image of the Day… Rare triple transit of Jupiter’s moons…!!!

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The images were taken with NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope’s Wide Field Camera 3 on January 23, 2015.

Hubble captures these moons in great clarity they can also be seen here on Earth with a small telescope or even a decent pair of binoculars.

The images on the left shows the Hubble observation at the beginning of the event. On the left is the moon Callisto and on the right, Io. The shadows from Europa, which cannot be seen in the image, Callisto, and Io are strung out from left to right. The images on the right shows the end of the event, approximately 42 minutes later. Europa has entered the frame at lower left with slower moving Callisto above and to the right of it. Meanwhile Io — which orbits significantly closer to Jupiter and so appears to move much more quickly — is approaching the eastern limb of the planet. Whilst Callisto’s shadow seems hardly to have moved Io’s has set over the planet’s eastern edge and Europa’s has risen further in the west. Image credit: NASA/ESA

The images on the left shows the Hubble observation at the beginning of the event. On the left is the moon Callisto and on the right, Io. The shadows from Europa, which cannot be seen in the image, Callisto, and Io are strung out from left to right. The images on the right shows the end of the event, approximately 42 minutes later. Europa has entered the frame at lower left with slower moving Callisto above and to the right of it. Meanwhile Io — which orbits significantly closer to Jupiter and so appears to move much more quickly — is approaching the eastern limb of the planet. Whilst Callisto’s shadow seems hardly to have moved Io’s has set over the planet’s eastern edge and Europa’s has risen further in the west. Image via NASA/ESA

Jupiter’s four largest moons are Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto, known as the Galiliean moons, after the 17th century scientist Galileo Galilei, who discovered them. Their complete orbits around Jupiter range from two to 17 days in duration. The moons can commonly be seentransiting the face of Jupiter and casting shadows onto its layers of cloud. But seeing three of them transiting the face of Jupiter at the same time is rare, occurring only once or twice a decade.

Missing from sequence of images is the Galilean moon Ganymede which was outside Hubble’s field of view.

The moons of Jupiter have very distinctive colors. The smooth icy surface of Europa is yellow-white, the volcanic sulphur surface of Io is orange and the surface of Callisto, which is one of the oldest and most cratered surfaces known in the solar system, is a brownish color.

Bottom line: New images taken by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope on January 23, 2015 capture a rare occurrence as three of Jupiter’s largest moons – Europa, Callisto and Io – parade across the giant planet’s banded face.

Read more from Hubble

SOURCE::::: http://www.earthskynews.org

Natarajan

Are Crows the Ultimate Problem Solvers ….?

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Bird brain eh?
Crows are known to be very smart birds. Some first nation people called the Crow “the great Joker.”
The Pacific Nations included the head of a crow on their totems……..
This crow is using its Bird Brain…        
                This is beyond good………this is stunning.
                Watch this crow work out the puzzle.
                 Please turn sound on!

  SOURCE::::: http://www.funstuffpeoplesendme.wordpress.com and http://www.youTube.com

Natarajan

 

Message For the Day…” Everything Changes with Time…”

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Even Rama, who had established Rama Rajya (the ideal kingdom) on one historic occasion, had to leave this world and pass away. Everything has to pass away some day. Nothing is going to remain permanently in this world. Even the Rama Rajya had to disappear and change. Everything changes with time and nothing remains unchanged. Many people have ruled over this land, but could any one of them take away even a small portion of the land? The only thing which you can carry and which you should take is the permanent grace of the Lord. A good name is all that you should aspire for during your life. We should do good and earn a good name, and thus lead a good life by doing good to others. This is the ideal which we have to hand over to the rest of the world.

Sathya Sai Baba