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- Welcome Note
- Art & War: Rumi and Afghanistan
- Space: Leonid Meteor Shower lights up sky
- After the War: Herat
- Spirituality: Guru Nanak's Birthday
- Body: The science of Caloric Restriction
- Science & Spirituality: The Global Consciousness Project and 11 September
- Astrology: The Blue Moon
- Wisdom: A Hopi message for these times
- Wisdom: C S Lewis
- Humor: Two new additions to the Periodic Table
- About Universal Quest
Welcome to the Universal Quest Newsletter #13
"I do not
know what I may appear to the world; but to myself I seem to have been
only like a boy, playing on the seashore, and diverting myself, in now
and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary,
while the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me."
Isaac Newton, just before his death.
Dear fellow Questors
Universal Quest is back! It took a major world disaster and a war to reawaken my passion for the Quest and for me to regain my desire to share my journey with you. It has been many months since I last published this newsletter, and much has happened in the world since our last conversation.
America witnessed a disaster in which thousands of innocent people paid a price for global political game-play, isolationism, religious fundamentalism, wealth disparity and intolerance. In one sweep the map of world politics changed overnight. New alliances were formed, new enemies were attacked, new evil was defined and a New World Order was drafted. Leaders who just a few months before were considered incompetent became national heroes and new empires were dreamed of.
This is nothing new. The world, throughout its history has been a wonderful stage for the great game, a cyclical play of intrigue and manipulation. Human beings have always shown the most remarkable ability to be destructive and evil towards one another. On the other hand, September 11th also demonstrated the other side of human nature, the more spiritual and universal side. Firemen rushed in selflessly to save people that they had never met before. Policemen gave their lives for the same reason. Millions of people around the world felt pain in their hearts as they watched images of destruction and fatality. Millions also poured out their feelings in donations and efforts and prayers. We all felt a sense of being kindred spirits and their pain was ours. This is the universal duality - for where there is pain or evil, there must also be compassion or good. One cannot exist without the other.
This feeling was scientifically recorded by a very interesting project at Princeton University called the "Noosphere Project" (see article below). The Noosphere is a Gaian concept of a shared global consciousness zone around the earth. 37 sensor EGG's placed around the world registered an unmistakable and profound response around the time of the disaster.
The word "disaster" has a very unusual origin. It is actually derived from the Greek word meaning "Bad Star", an astrological expression for an ill-fated day. It is also funny that words like Influenza and Mazzeltof have a similar origin in the stars. Until the scientific age, our study of the stars (astronomy and astrology) gave us a wonderful sense of universality and a profound sense of the interconnectivity and interdependence of all things - as above so below.
Now more than ever it is critical for us to nurture a similar sense of awe at the universe and our place in it. In this issue I will try and begin the process of bringing together ideas and thoughts from around the world, from mythology, from science and from spirituality - anything that might help you in your quest for truth, on the journey for a sense of universality and harmony within yourselves, with each other and with our world as a whole.
Peace to all of you.
Raja Choudhury
Founder
Raja@universalquest.com
"How does a part of the world leave the
world?
How can wetness leave water?
Don't try to put out a fire
by throwing on more fire!
Don't wash a wound with blood!
No matter how fast you run,
Your shadow more than keeps up.
Sometimes, it's in front.
Only full, overhead sun
diminishes your shadow.
But that shadow has been serving you!
What hurts you, bless you.
Darkness is your candle.
Your boundaries are your quest."
In
a time of chaos, intolerance and war in Afghanistan, it is refreshing
to discover that its most beautiful legacy is one of poetry, mysticism
and love. The poet Jalaludin Rumi is, without doubt, Afghanistan's greatest
export. The 13th Century poet is extremely popular in America
today, especially as he is often quoted by US mystics and New Age thinkers
like Deepak Chopra. He was born on September 29, 1207 in Balkh in the
northeastern provinces of Persia (present day Afghanistan). Rumi and his
family lived all over the Islamic world and he was mentored by the famous
Persian mystic Shams. His most famous work is the Mathnavi, written in
7 books, and 24,660 couplets - in Farsi and some Arabic. This work is
also commonly referred to as the Persian Quoran. He died at sunset on
December 16, 1273.
Leonid Meteor Shower lights up November Sky
Sky
watchers who saw it will never forget it: the 2001 Leonid meteor storm.
The display began on Sunday morning, Nov. 18th, when Earth glided into
a dust cloud shed by comet Tempel-Tuttle in 1766. Thousands of meteors
per hour rained over North America and Hawaii. Then, on Monday morning
Nov. 19th (local time in Asia), it happened again: Earth entered a second
cometary debris cloud from Tempel-Tuttle. Preliminary reports from China,
Korea and Japan indicate 2,000 to 6,000 meteors per hour - possibly more
- fell over East Asian countries and Australia. The sight was amazing
and you can see a wonderful gallery of pictures at this Web site:
http://www.spaceweather.com/meteors/gallery_18nov01.html
Photograph here by John E Cordiale of Glens Falls, New York.
Herat, Afghanistan's great hope
In this time of an end of a war and an impending end of Taliban rule, one great city of Afghanistan may re-emerge as a center of future prosperity and spirituality for a beleaguered nation. The city of Herat in western Afghanistan is an ancient oasis and is famous for its rich soil, its poets, its philosophers and its beauty.
The city, considered to have the most fertile soil in central Asia, was first settled 5,000 years ago. The ancient Greek historian Heroditus called it the breadbasket of the region and many ancient historians have described it in awe: "The world is like an ocean, and in the ocean is a pearl, and the pearl is Herat."
Alexander the Great came to Afghanistan in the 3rd century BC and Herat was already a prosperous place. Alexander, who was always known for his love for male virtues and the male form, fell in love with and married Roxanne, the sister of Oxyartes who he had defeated through cunning and clever manipulation. Alexander and Roxanne's love affair was legendary and has been glorified by artists and poetry through the ages. Alexander was known as Sikander in Afghanistan - possibly the root of the name Kandahar. The Macedonian rule of that nation was to be an uncomfortable one as the Afghan spirit, even back then, was always indomitable as many later invaders like the Persians, Mongols, Turks and Russians were to find out.
Herat's golden age was the time of the Timurids, in the 14th and 15th centuries. "In Herat if you stretch out your feet you are sure to kick a poet," said Ali Sher Nawai, a statesman, poet and artist. It was at this time that the beautiful palaces and mosques which still adorn the city were built. Herat was known as the "Florence of the East." The city isrenowned for its bazaars and is a still major carpet-making center.
After the war is done and the when the impending victory against the Taliban does bring the vibrant Afghani people some peace, Herat may once again become a center of wealth, of food for the people and of food for the soul.
"There is only one God, he is the Creator, Sustainer and Destroyer. "
"You are the Creator, O Lord, the Unknowable. You created the Universe of diverse kinds, colors and qualities. You know your own creation, all this is your Play."
"Thou created all thy Universe to please thyself, to enjoy the spectacle, the reality, which is the light of thy own self."
Today,
in 1469, is the birthdate of Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion.
Nanak was a philosopher with ties to an older tradition called the Sant
tradition. He was influenced by the legendary mystic Kabir. The Sant movement
dates back to the 13th century in Southern India, spreading to the north
two hundred years later. It reached its zenith during Nanak’s time.
The movement is analogous to the Protestant Reformation with its concern
for the layperson and its diverse pockets of teachers (sants) all articulating
a very similar message. Nanak taught that God was without specific form
(nirguna), an ineffable transcendental reality, and through mysticism
and meditation one can experience this mystery firsthand. In meditation
one would repeat a divine name (or names) of God (a practice called simran)
and as the soul ventured upwards to the highest spiritual realm, Sach
Khand (Realm of Truth), mystical sounds and lights (referred to as shabd)
would manifest. These interior visions would draw one closer to ultimate
realization. With each step towards that goal, feelings of devotion (bhakti),
love and a longing to be united (viraha) would intensify. The spiritual
teacher (guru) plays a significant role in all of this. He/She is generally
viewed as having succeeded in accessing these higher realities and thus
serves as a necessary guide to neophytes. Often the guru would be placed
in a position of adoration as the disciple saw within him/her a reflection
of the Divine. Inherent in this philosophy is native Indian concepts such
as karma and reincarnation. Sikhism is a living vibrant religion and is
practiced today by millions of people in India and all over the world.
Seeking immortality: The Science of Caloric Restriction
One of the few proven ways to extend the maximum life span (as opposed to the mean life span) of laboratory animals has been caloric restriction (CR). CR has been shown to extend maximum life span of animals up to 80%! Human research finds similar benefits of improved health and vigor, but comparable life-span research in humans has not been conducted. Those involved in the Biosphere II experiment were an example of human CR research. The big question has been why does CR extend life span. A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences sheds some light on this question. The study gives clues as to how CR actually reverses aging. The hope would be to eventually find ways to harness the biological effects of CR without having to eat less. This new study may be an important step in that direction.
The Life Extension Foundation has published an interview with a researcher in the study, Dr Stephen Spindler. Read the full Interview at: http://www.lef.org/featured-articles/spindler_press_release01.html
For related research topics visit: http://www.lef.org/weindruchprolla/
Contributed by Ian Goddard - http://IanGoddard.net
The Global Consciousness Project measures impact of September 11th
The September 11th attack was the first event in recent history that seemed to have a simultaneous psychic effect around the world at the same time. If you felt this you may not have been imagining things. A very interesting scientific research project at Princeton University called the Global Consciousness Project (also known as the Noosphere Project) has been trying to measure the possibility of a shared global consciousness for a few years now. Based upon the Gaian concept of a shared consciousness Zone called the Noosphere (as in atmosphere or biosphere), the project has received funding to measure human reaction to global events. The Project's network of 37 REG devices called "eggs" placed around the world responded during various periods of time surrounding September 11. These eggs generate random data continuously and send it for archiving and analysis to a dedicated server in Princeton, New Jersey, USA. The team at Princeton analyzes the data and determines whether the normally random array of values shows structure correlated with global events. The underlying motivation for this work is to discover whether there is evidence for an anomalous interaction driving the eggs to non-random behavior. In a metaphoric sense, they are looking for evidence of a developing global consciousness that might react to events with deep meaning. The EGG network registered an unmistakable and profound response.
Find out more by visiting:
http://noosphere.princeton.edu/terror.html
Friday is the night of "The Blue Moon", the second Full Moon in November, and it comes today as the Moon in Gemini moves opposite the Sun in Sagittarius. In various Christian calendars, the last day in November is feast of St. Andrew, patron saint of Scotland, Russia and Greece. The saint's name is a variant on the Greek Andros, "the man", an aspect of Dionysus who personified male virility. So if you are a man, enjoy this moon, and if you are on the receiving end, watch out!
A Hopi Message for These Times
"To my Fellow Swimmers:
There is a river flowing now very fast. It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid. They will try to hold on to the shore. They will feel they are being torn apart, and will suffer greatly. Know that the river has its destination. The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open and our heads above the water.
And I say, see who is there with you and celebrate. At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally, least of all ourselves. For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth and journey halt. The time of the lone wolf is over!
Gather yourselves. Banish the word struggle from your attitude and vocabulary. All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.
We are the ones we have been waiting for.
We are the ones we have been waiting for."
Contributed by Steve Nelson - an astrologer in the Jungian mythological tradition. SNelson1@carolina.rr.com
"I say the gods deal very unrightly with us. For they will neither (which would be best of all) go away and leave us to live our own short days to ourselves, nor will they show themselves openly and tell us what they would have us do. For that too would be endurable. But to hint and hover, to draw near us in dreams and oracles, or in a waking vision that vanishes as soon as seen, to be dead silent when we question them and then glide back and whisper (words we cannot understand) in our ears when we most wish to be free of them, and to show to one what they hide from another; what is all this bur cat-and-mouse play, blindman’s buff, and mere jugglery? Why must holy places be dark places?"
From "Till We Have Faces" by C S Lewis
Two new additions to the Periodic Table of Elements:
Element Name: WOMANIUM
- Symbol: WO
- Atomic Weight: (Don't Even Go There)
- Physical Properties: Generally soft and rounded in form. Boils at nothing and may freeze at any time. Melts when treated properly. Very bitter if not used well.
- Chemical Properties: Very active. Highly unstable. Possesses strong affinity for gold, silver, platinum and precious stones. Violent when left alone. Able to absorb great quantities of exotic food. Turns slightly green when placed next to a better-looking specimen.
- Usage: Highly ornamental. An extremely good catalyst for dispersion of wealth. Probably the most powerful income reducing agent known.
- Caution: Highly explosive in inexperienced hands!
Element Name: MANIUM
- Symbol: XY
- Atomic Weight: (180 +/- 50)
- Physical Properties: Solid at room temperature, but gets bent out of shape easily. Fairly dense and sometimes flaky. Difficult to find a pure sample. Due to rust, aging samples are unable to conduct electricity as easily as young samples.
- Chemical Properties: Attempts to bond with WO at any chance it can get.
- Also tends to form strong bonds with itself. Becomes explosive when mixed with KD (Element: CHILDIUM) for long periods of time. Neutralize by saturating with alcohol.
- Usage: None known. Possibly good methane source. Good samples are able to produce large quantities on command.
- Caution: In the absence of WO, this element rapidly decomposes and begins to smell.
Raja
Choudhury : Founder and Editor
A T Mann : Contributing Editor
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2001