Satsang
VOL. 27, NO. 1, NEW ERA 56,  May & June, 1999

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Soon epidemics of laryngitis, asthma and tuberculosis will break out—not actually
tuberculosis but symptoms of which are impossible to detect the difference.
Severe lung and throat problems will arise.  Not one of our people can get it.
There is a blanket of protection surrounding Fivefold Path family.  No one will be
harmed.  Agnihotra acts as a shield.
 
The energy cycle has been disturbed in such a way to warrant total emergency
programs in parts of Europe, Southeast Asian countries, America and Middle East.
Associations for prevention of pollution will now start.  Agnihotra can be
introduced.  We have to start quickly and in an unassuming way.
 
Plants will not be able to stay rooted in soil.  Trees which usually bear fruit will be
bare.  No fruit.  In fact, certain trees will not even bear leaves.
 
Planets affecting the Earth.  There is danger for lives now.  Many will be destroyed
by natural disasters.
 
Countless billions of universes, star systems.  Solar rays.  So much is seen by Us.
Small details all fit into perfect plan.
 
Chemical analysis of water is exposing certain amounts of semi-poisonous
substances from the Earth’s surface.  Pollution.
 
In New York City the number of people dead from pollution increases.  However,
these deaths are reported under heart conditions, chronic ailments and various
nervous and kidney diseases.
 
Subtle forces from other planets to have great effect on the nervous system of
man’s outer body.

(The following article is an excerpt from Bruce's upcoming book, Perspectives of
Happiness.)
 
If we look at the life of any normal man or woman, we find that life is a constant
succession of ups and downs, pleasure and pain, happiness and misery. Most of
the life is an attempt to maximize the pleasurable moments and minimize the
painful ones. In short, most people just want to be happy. But we soon come to
realize that no matter our station in life, whether we be a beggar or a king, it is just
not possible to have everything according to our wishes. Some circumstances are
simply beyond our control and impossible to change. And so it goes on the roller
coaster of pleasure and pain.
 
Can anything be done to avoid or at least alleviate this pain? Yes.  There are
certain practical methods which can be incorporated into anyone's daily routine,
no matter what his station in life, to usher in that state of lasting
happiness—happiness which is not followed by misery, no matter what the
circumstances with which he may be confronted—-simple techniques to get out of
that syndrome of "an ounce of pleasure followed by a ton of pain."
 
The main reason for most people's unhappiness lies in dependence:
1. Dependence on the favorable outcome of some future event.
If our happiness is dependent on some future event, how can we be happy
in the present, here and now? And what if the outcome of that future event
appears to be unfavorable to us? Our happiness is then pushed further into
the future.
2. Dependence on the gratification of a desire.
We may not be able to gratify all our desires. So, for every desire which is
gratified and makes us momentarily happy, there is usually another which
is not gratified and again we are miserable.
3. Dependence on a particular response from another person, especially those
close to us.
Each person is an autonomous being with his or her own free will. We
cannot accurately predict how another person will react or respond in every
situation. So, by making our happiness dependent on the responses of
another person means sooner or later we are bound to be disappointed and
the cycle of happiness followed by misery starts again.
 
How can we become free of our dependence on events, desires and people? As
our destiny unfolds in this life, we are confronted with many different
circumstances. It may not always be within our power to adjust these
circumstances in our favor. The only thing that we can be sure of is that we have
the power to control how we react to these external circumstances. And this
comes down to reactions of the mind. If we can train our minds to react
differently to these outside circumstances, then it is possible to reach that stage
where we are no longer dependent on them for our happiness. This is training the
mind to react with Love to each and every circumstance which life presents us.
This is the same as:
"Be ye transformed by the renewing of the mind."—Romans 12:2
Where do we start with this process of transformation of the mind? First step is to
begin to reduce tension on the mind. This tension arises mainly from four areas:
1. Physiological causes resulting from disharmony in the somatic system
(physical body).
For this, taking care of diet and Yoga ásanas are helpful.
2. Disharmonious flow of Práná (Life Force which pulsates through us and
connects us with the cosmos) through the nervous system.
For this Pránáyáma is helpful.
3. Atmospheric pollution.
For this Agnihotra is the most scientific method and simultaneously
nourishes plant life. Agnihotra is a technique from ancient wisdom tradition
for purifying the atmosphere.
4. Wrong habit patterns.
For this we need to tackle, among other things, the so-called six crocodiles
which trouble us as we cross the river of life - Desire, Anger, Greed,
Attachment, Pride and Envy.
 
For this mind training, a very powerful material aid is available. It is at once very
modern, totally compatible with today's hectic lifestyles, but also as old as
antiquity, forming the basis of the teachings of saints and prophets from all eras. It
is a five part program known as the Fivefold Path of ancient wisdom. Its origin is
Vedas, the oldest body of knowledge known to mankind. Only recently in terms of
human history have Vedas come to be associated with the Hindu tradition. But in
fact this treasurehouse of knowledge is the common inheritance of all mankind
and not meant exclusively for any one country or group of people. Vedas are
written in Sanskrit, the mother of all Indo-European languages. Sanskrit was never
the mother tongue of any people on this planet.
 
The five aspects of the Fivefold Path are:
1. Yajnya - a technical term for purification of the atmosphere through the
agency of fire which leads to purification of the mind. (Agnihotra is the
basic Yajnya tuned to the bio-rhythm of sunrise/sunset).
2. Daan - sharing your assets in a spirit of humility for reducing
attachments to worldly possessions.
3. Tapa - self-discipline for gaining control over the mind and the senses.
4. Karma - performing good action without attachment to the fruits thereof,
thereby loosening the chains of the law of "reap as you sow".
5. Swádhyáya - Self-study leading to unfoldment of the Divine within,
culminating in realization of the true nature of the Self.
 
In succeeding issues we will see how each of these five practices can help

On 27th September, 1944 the world witnessed an event of such great import that
this date will no doubt come to be known in later years as the commencement of
Satya Yuga. On that day Parama Sadguru Shree Gajánan Maháráj of Akkalkot,
India (known universally simply as Shree) took the most powerful vow at the feet
of His Guru, Lord Parshuram:
"I will resuscitate Vedas."
 
From this day we have been witness to a gradual waning of the hatred and
ignorance which have epitomized the previous Age of Darkness. From this day the
course of history has taken a dramatic turn. This day saw the sun rise on a new
era, the new Golden Age (Satya Yuga).
 
Since that momentous day in 1944, the first fifty years of the New Era have been
marked with many milestone events, the most important of which are outlined
below.
 
By the early 1950's many people were starting to visit Akkalkot for Shree's
darshan. Some became devoted disciples. Two such were Mr. Madhav G. Potdar
who first visited Akkalkot in 1954, and Mr. Vasant V. Paranjpe whose first visit
was in 1958.

In 1958 Mr. Potdar's mission of spreading Shree's message of Fivefold Path of
Vedas all over India began. First he was asked to translate some of Shree's
Sanskrit works into Hindi, including Sapta Shlokí (Seven Verses). Also he was
asked by Shree to write a biography of Swámi Samarth in Hindi. Then in 1959
Shree appeared in vision to Mr. Potdar and gave him the inspiration to write a
book in English developing the subject of 'that which cannot be procured by
spending any amount of money, that which cannot be achieved by any amount of
practice or any number of attempts.' Soon the realization came in a flash that the
subject to which Shree was alluding was HAPPINESS. Later that year the book, In
Search of Happiness was published. Shree's comment on first being shown the
book was, "This is the only complete book at this time."
 
The next phase of Shree's work was to command Mr. Potdar to spread the Divine
Message of Fivefold Path given through this book all over India. From November,
1959 to March, 1960 Mr. Potdar undertook five trips selling many copies of his
book and giving Shree's message to the atmosphere in all major centers of India.
 
In the twenty-fifth year after Shree's epoch-making vow, the small pilgrimage
town of Akkalkot in southern Maharashtra state hosted the staging of a major
milestone event in the establishment of the New Era.
This event actually took place at Shivapuri, two kilometers outside Akkalkot, which
was eventually to become Shree's place of residence in His later years from 1984.
For four days from twenty-eighth February, 1969, an elaborate Yajnya called
Somayag was performed. This Yajnya takes its name from the medicinal herb,
Somavalli, the juice of which is offered three times daily into Fire. The Somayag is
a very complicated affair involving recitation of specific Mantras from each of the
four Vedas. It has a profound healing effect on the atmosphere and in particular on
the clouds which then produce nutritious rains. Also, according to ancient wisdom,
Somayag has the capacity to repair a damaged ozone layer. The Yajnya was
performed according to Shree's instructions and guidance following strictly the
Vedic injunctions. In particular it was totally ahimsak (nonviolent) involving no
killing and no offerings of flesh and blood to the Fire. For the entire period of the
Yajnya Shree remained in standing position under a specially prepared sun-shade.
 
Concerning the Somayag, Shree later wrote:
"Lord Buddha's Divine birth took place to protest against the sacrifice of
life in the Yajnyas and to promote the performance of Yajnya strictly
according to the scriptures. To fulfill this task the Holy place known as
Shivapuri was established and this unparalleled Agnishtoma Maháyajnya
was performed here after several hundreds of years in 1969."
 
By instigating this unique Somayag the atmosphere was seeded with a certain
message especially directed towards the younger generation opening up
possibilities for a new awareness that life was something more than materialism
and sense indulgence.
 
There can be little doubt about the connection between this event, the first totally
pure Maháyajnya of the New Era, and another event which took place later in that
same year in New York state, USA, half way round the world from Shivapuri.
"Woodstock", the ultimate rock music festival, has now come to symbolize the
dawning of the New Age in the west. It clearly demonstrated the rejection by the
younger generation of many of the values of their elders, particularly materialism,
consumerism, territorialism, militarism and racism.
 
The early 1970's bore witness to the beginnings of the stupendous mission of one
of Shree's most devoted disciples, Mr. Vasant Paranjpe (now known all over the
world simply as Vasant). In December, 1970 when Vasant visited Akkalkot, Shree
asked him to read Mundaka Upanishad and instructed him in Satya Dharma
(Eternal Principles of Religion) for a period of several days. At the end of this
period, as Vasant was about to leave Akkalkot, he received a command from
Shree to write a book in English language. For this task Shree bestowed His
blessings saying, "Light is given." Even though Vasant had never before authored a
book in any language, nonetheless the outcome was the book Grace Alone, an
exposition on religion and Shree's message of Fivefold Path, first published in
India in 1971 and subsequently translated into several languages.
 
Then in 1972 Shree gave Vasant the Divine command:
"Our words which lead to bliss, convey them to all the people."
 
Shree had chosen U.S.A. as the center from which His teachings should spread
around the whole planet to people of all races and creeds on all continents. In that
same year Vasant travelled to USA where he started spreading Shree's message of
Fivefold Path, explaining it with reference to the Bible.
 
In 1973 Vasant established a non-profit organization, Fivefold Path Inc. in
Madison, Virginia with himself as founder president. Later that year Shree
commanded Vasant to begin publication of a fortnightly journal. The first issue of
Satsang saw the light of day on seventeenth May, 1973 with Vasant as editor. For
twenty-five years this journal has documented Vasant's work in spreading Shree's
message to a planet in dire need of that message.
 
Still later that same year on the autumnal equinox, 22nd September, Vasant
inaugurated the first Fire Temple in the world under Shree's new dispensation for
the New Era. Shree gave the name Parama Dham for this Fire Temple in Madison,
Virginia and also the English translation— 'House of Almighty Father.'
 
In May 1974 Vasant traveled for the first time to Europe introducing Shree's
message in Luxembourg, Holland, Belgium, Germany and Scandinavia.
 
The year 1976 saw the publication of two more landmark books written by
Vasant— Light Towards Divine Path, explaining in simple language the Fivefold
Path, and Ten Commandments of Parama Sadguru, a commentary on Shree's Ten
Commandments for the new dispensation. Both books have since been translated
into several languages.
 
Also in 1976 Vasant was accompanied by some of his young American charges on
a trip to India. This was to mark the beginning of the fulfillment of Shree's oft
repeated statement, "Fivefold Path comes to India." This is a direct reference to a
prophecy made by Swami Vivekananda at the time of the Parliament of World
Religions in Chicago in 1893, that knowledge would go from the East to the West
and at an appointed time return to the East from the West. Since 1976 there has
been an endless stream of Westerners traveling to India and neighboring countries
of Asia bearing Shree's message of Agnihotra and Fivefold Path.
 
On 9th September, 1978 another milestone event took place on a farm owned by
John T. Brown in Randallstown on the outskirts of Baltimore, Maryland. This was
the commencement of a special Yajnya which was destined to continue
uninterrupted twenty-four hours a day round-the-clock for the next sixteen years,
maintained by a group of dedicated American Agnihotris. The Mantra which
accompanied the Fire is a very special Mantra (Om Tryambakam). As far as is
known this was the first Yajnya of this kind to be instituted under Shree's New
Dispensation. Since then other round-the-clock Yajnyas have been conducted in
several countries including Germany, Chile and Australia for varying periods of
time.
 
Since 1976 Vasant has either personally visited or encouraged other Agnihotris to
visit many countries on six continents. The following list is not exhaustive:
North America: USA, Canada
Europe:  Luxembourg, Holland,    Belgium, Germany,
   Denmark, Austria,     Yugoslavia, Italy,
UK, France, Greece, Switzerland, Spain, Hungary, Poland,
Finland, Sweden, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Russia,
Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, Belorus, Croatia
Asia:  India, Bangladesh, Sri    Lanka, Japan, China,
   Indonesia, Kazakhstan
South America: Chile, Argentina,     Colombia,
Venezuela,    Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia,    Brazil
Central America:Caribbean Islands,     Dominican
Republic,    Panama
Middle East: Israel, Turkey, Syria,    Jordan
Africa:  Kenya, Ghana, Egypt,    Nigeria, South
Africa,    Uganda
Oceania:  Australia, New Zealand
 
In the 1970's German pharmacists, Monika and Berthold Jehle began
experimenting with and developing Agnihotra ash as medicine for helping with
prevention and cure of various diseases. Many people in different countries have
had spectacular success in treating various ailments ranging from sore throats to
cancer.
 
In December, 1987 the many devotees worldwide of Parama Sadguru Shree
Gajánan Maháráj were greatly saddened to learn that He had left the mortal coil on
sixth December. Ten days later His devoted wife followed Him. All Divine
Incarnations come to Earth with a specific mission which is to be completed
within a specific time. When Shree's mission was complete He left the physical
body.
 
Many great souls have been chosen to take birth in Harijan families in India, while
others have taken birth in the west in order to facilitate the grand design of the
Divine Plan. Taking birth in western countries whose cultures are antithetical, even
hostile to Vedic thought, is no doubt fraught with danger. Always there is the
possibility that one soul will identify so closely with his culture of birth that he fails
to recognize the messenger come to awaken him to the mission for which he has
taken birth. Part of the mission of Vasant was to locate these many souls in the
western countries.
 
1989 saw the publication of Homa Therapy - Our Last Chance, Vasant's definitive
text outlining the problems faced by humanity in the last decade of the twentieth
century and the remedies for those problems—practice of the scientifically-based
Agnihotra and Homa Therapy, a new term coined to cover all aspects of healing
consequent upon practice of Yajnya (Homa). This book has also been translated
into several languages.
 
Also in 1989 the seeds were sown for construction of a temple to mark the
sanctity of the site known as Shivadham in northern Maharashtra state, India.
Vasant explains that because Agnihotra and the Fivefold Path is not presented
within any religious context and does not derive from any particular religious
tradition, the construction of a Hindu temple is wholly and solely related to the
local religion practiced in that area. Important energy centers worldwide are
always marked by some structure which has sacred significance for the local
people in order that they should respect the site and not allow it to become
defiled. If Shivadham had been situated in a Christian country then a Christian
church or a shrine to Mother Mary would have been erected. In a Muslim country
a mosque would have been built.
 
On the subject of the significance of Shivadham the following excerpt is taken
from Satsang Vol. 21 Nos 14-15 of December, 1993:
"Shivadham is sacred ground. It is holiest of places. It is the place the
people can come to experience the presence of Almighty Father.
 
"From this place energy will be manipulated to save the planet from total
destruction. Kalka in Sanskrit means pollution. Kalki Avatar means
descent of Divine Power in human form for destruction of pollution. This
is being done by spreading the scientific anti-pollutionary techniques
given in ancientmost knowledge known to man, i.e. Vedas.
 
"While in physical body Kalki Avatar once visited the place where now
Shivadham is located…and said, 'Look what is in front of you. All this
land is a great land of Tapa (penance). Several great seers have done
penance here. From this place the greatest work will be done in
future…When things become difficult, when the planets collide, when it
will be time of deluge, Shivadham will be the shelter.'"
 
On sixteenth July, 1990, less than three years after Shree left the physical body,
another milestone event occurred, this time on the subtle levels. On that day the
Shree Shakti (Divine Power which was manifest as Parama Sadguru Shree Gajánan
Maháráj) entered into another manifestation for ushering in the New Age. This
Divine Energy descended on the planet on that day to "infiltrate the minds of men
with scientific techniques to get rid of all the mess we are in and lead us back to
the Home of the Father…Now a bent is given to the thinking of western scientists
to investigate Homa Therapy, the science of healing the atmosphere." (Quote from
Satsang Vol. 18 Nos 4-5, July 1990).
 
Another event of great importance took place in 1993. This was the inauguration
ceremony of the new Shakti Peeth (Seat of Power) at Shivadham on sixth May.
This event marked the transfer of Divine Power to its new abode at Shivadham.
The occasion was directed by Vasant and Westerners representing various
countries came to India to witness the event. Altogether over 125,000 people
visited Shivadham on that day and were given food, even though there was barely
enough to feed half that number. (Compare to the Biblical story of Jesus' miracle in
feeding the multitude with the loaves and fishes).
 
Several programs in different fields of interest were developed in the 1990's, all
based around Agnihotra, Homa Therapy and the Fivefold Path.
· Drug/Alcohol Deaddiction   Program
· Children's Yoga and  Meditation Program
· Parenting Program
· Establishment of Homa Farms
 
Two drug/alcohol addiction recovery centers were established in U.S.A.—one in
Baltimore, Maryland under the direction of Allen Hatton, and the other in Opileka,
Alabama on the Homa farm of Jerry and Toni Hodges. The programs were based
on bio-psychological techniques given through Vedas incorporating the following:
—Twice daily sunrise/sunset Agnihotra
—Several hours daily of additional pyramid healing fires
—Strict vegetarian diet coupled with juice fasting once a week
—Studying the mind training program by Vasant and the 12 Step
program devised by Alcoholics Anonymous
—Yoga exercises (ásanas) and breathing techniques (pránáyáma).
—Physically demanding, non-routine, outdoor work e.g. gardening
 
Fran Rosen, in collaboration with Bonnie Maltby, devised a children's Yoga and
Meditation program based on the Fivefold Path which was published in book form
in 1983, and the program is now adopted in many countries. Fran now teaches
the program in Poland. Maria Cecilia Mendez teaches it in Venezuela and other
South American countries. Fran has also published her autobiography with Lisa
Powers as editor, detailing her experiences with Agnihotra and the Fivefold Path
and also her relationships with Shree and Vasant.
 
Lisa Powers has developed a parenting program which has been presented in
several countries. The program is based around Fivefold Path principles and
covers areas such as:
· discipline
· parental consistency
· rules, limits and consequences
· responsibility in the child
· outside influences, etc.
 
Throughout the 1980's and 1990's Vasant has gradually laid more stress on the
use of Homa Therapy in agriculture, first with eight Farming Bulletins produced by
Agnihotra University and later incorporating two chapters on farming in his book
Homa Therapy—Our Last Chance. Mike Billian has given advice and instruction in
South American countries on practical implementation of Homa Farming, from
how to treat the seed to how to manage weeds and insect pests. Several other
people are also doing likewise in other countries.
 
And so we are now well past the fifty year mark in the New Era. Still much is to be
done before we see the actual physical manifestation of Kingdom of Heaven on
Earth. Many obstacles are yet to be removed and much purification is still
necessary on the planet, especially in the big cities. However, we can view these
first fifty years like the gradual unfolding of a flower. With gratitude we look back
on the tireless and unceasing efforts of many devoted souls who have shared the
common dream of the dawning of the Golden Age.

(From Light Towards Divine Path)
The ancient science of bioenergy given through the Vedas states that there are
numberless billions of solar systems of which our planet is a tiny speck. The layer
of useful atmosphere surrounding our planet Earth is very thin. Any change
induced in this layer of atmosphere auto-matically leads to a corresponding
change in PRANA, the life energy that pulsates through us all and connects man
with the cosmos. Prana and mind may be taken to be like two sides of the same
coin and hence, a change in the atmosphere is automatically transposed to the
realm of the mind.
 
The Vedic science of Yajnya states that mind is affected by rhythms of nature
corresponding to undulations of our planet. Yajnya is a process based on
biorhythms of which man is a prisoner. Various rhythms of nature corresponding
to the rotation of the Earth and other cosmic objects affect the human body and
mind. Burning specific organic substances into fire and uttering certain Mantras
under the conditions of certain rhythms of nature produce a specific effect in the
atmosphere. This is the modus operandi of YAJNYA.  The resultant effect is carried
to the realm of the mind and mind becomes tranquil. Our happiness depends on
the reactions of the mind and hence, Yajnya is a material aid to happy life.
AGNIHOTRA is the smallest form of Yajnya based on one circadian rhythm
correspond-ing  to sunrise and sunset.
 
The following was revealed in 1974:
 
AT SUNRISE THE MANY FIRES, ELECTRI-CITIES, ETHERS AND MORE SUBTLE
ENERGIES EMANATING FROM THE SUN EXTEND ALL THE WAY TO THE EARTH
AND PRODUCE A FLOOD EFFECT AT THOSE COORDINATES WHERE THE SUN IS
SAID TO RISE. IT IS AWESOME. THE FLOOD ENLIVENS AND PURIFIES EVERY-
THING IN ITS PATH, DESTROYING WHAT IS IMPURE IS ITS WAKE. THIS
TORRENT OF LIFE SUSTAINING ENERGIES CAUSES ALL LIFE TO REJOICE. AT
SUNRISE THAT MUSIC CAN BE HEARD. THE MORNING AGNIHOTRA MANTRA IS
THE ESSENCE OF THAT MUSIC. IT IS QUINTESSENTIAL SOUND OF THAT FLOOD.
AT SUNSET THE FLOOD RECEDES.
 
Thus, burning of specific substances and uttering of Mantra are to be synchronized
with the timing of sunrise and sunset. This, in short, is Agnihotra, the smallest
Yajnya which anyone in any walk of life can practise with a little effort.
 
The fire is to be prepared in a copper vessel which has a pyramid shape. The
metal itself, as well as the shape, have an effect on the subtle energies which
induce a change in the atmosphere leading to a beneficial change on the mind.
Agnihotra is a great material aid to unburden the mind and you begin to feel free.
THIS LEADS TO CONTENTMENT IN LIFE SINCE A PUSH IS GIVEN TO THE MIND
TO REACT WITH LOVE.
 
Agnihotra is also a process of fumigation which affects the intensity of pathogenic
bacteria. Agnihotra atmosphere gives nourishment to plant life. Within three
weeks you can notice the effect on plants if they are kept in a room where
Agnihotra is practiced regularly. Agnihotra atmosphere results in better absorption
of the sun's rays by the water resources on Earth. Thus, the energy cycle of the
planet is kept in rhythm.
 
Pollution in the atmosphere has a dastardly effect on the human body and mind
and hence we witness so much misery despite material plenty.  Agnihotra puts the
whole process in reverse gear and you feel free and happy. If you practice
Agnihotra you might very well say goodbye to psychiatric troubles.  When the
tension on the mind is lessened, one-pointedness of mind is achieved. Hence,
Agnihotra is a great material aid to happiness.
Our breathing is connected to phases of the moon. A definite change in breathing
rhythm takes place exactly at sunrise. If you are in bed at sunrise the change may
not be as nature has planned it. Practice of Agni-hotra automatically insures that
the change in rhythm will be in tune with nature. This avoids a disharmony in
equilibrium and thus proneness to disease is lessened.
 
Practice of Agnihotra leads us to a happy state of mind and you automatically
begin to experience more love.  Anger and envy are lessened.  What cannot be
achieved by reading several books or listening to several sermons is achieved in a
short  time by the performance of Agnihotra.  Agnihotra makes you  a better
person in your family.  The reason is simple.  It is transformation of the mind.
Agnihotra is an exact technique  for psycho-physiological  victory  over passion
and greed.
 
 Thousands of families all over the world on every continent  are practicing
Agnihotra.
 
Automobile pollution,  pollution due to exhausts from factory chimneys, water
pollution, noise pollution, nuclear radiation  and much more have terribly
disturbed the useful layer of  atmosphere around our planet. Many species of birds
and fish  are disappearing. All plant life is unhappy. The ancient science  of Vedic
medicine called AYURVEDA states that if the atmosphere is starved of the
nutrients which result from YAJNYAS we experience baneful changes in the
atmosphere, the seasonal cycle is disturbed and the medicinal qualities of plants
deteriorate.  AYURVEDA comes from ATHARVAVEDA where the science of
bacteriology is given.
 
Modern medicine is slowly veering towards the Vedic science of medicine and a
grow-ing awareness that health is influenced by subtler force of which it knows
little.  Many biological activities correspond to the rotation of our planet around
the sun. This leads to undulations in intensity regarding performance ability.
Manic depression, hypertension and several other disorders are influenced by
changes in biological activities that come about due to undulatory planetary cycles.
Agnihotra is based on one such cycle called a circadian rhythm (rhythm around a
day). The specific cond-itions of nature at the critical points of sunrise/sunset, the
effect of burning specific substances in a vessel of prescribed metal having a
prescribed shape and size, and utterance of specific vibrations have a combined
effect on the atmosphere. This affects our biological functioning and gives a push
to the mind in the direction of LOVE. If practiced regularly as a part of the Fivefold
Path it improves meditation. Then the stage comes when no special meditation
sittings are necessary. All the reactions of the mind spring forth from LOVE.
 
Today we notice that there is more disease despite advances made by the science
of medicine. There are more cases of cancer, leukemia and respiratory ailments.
We see old diseases in new forms and new diseases which defy solution. Pollution
in the atmos-phere disturbs the functioning of PRANA and since PRANA and mind
are like two sides of the same coin the disturbance is transferred to the realm of
the mind. We witness that two honest, intelligent, good-intentioned people find it
difficult to get along together. There is more quarreling, alienation and disorder in
family life.  Psychiatric clinics crowded with patients are a testimony to this.
Practice of Agnihotra means goodbye to psychiatry.  Mind is subtle matter and
Agnihotra gives a push to the mind to function in the direction of love. When our
car is stuck in mud we need
something to pull or push it.  The mind is in the grooves of habits (repeated
actions) and practice of Agnihotra enables the mind to get out of them and absorb
new reinforcers of TAPA.  By practice of Agnihotra you will experience how your
anxiety and tension become less and how you are catapulted into a state of joy.
This makes the journey on the Path of Light facile. 

If you are willing, both of you must work to rid yourselves of negative emotions
and resentments you have towards each other.  When one person says something
that hurts, you immediately take it to heart and believe whatever is said, even if it
is spoken in anger or out of that person’s own sense of insecurity.  The other
person deliberately tries to provoke you by hurting you or criticizing you.  This is a
rejection and it hurts the other person even more than you.  Use this most
precious time, for it is an opportunity for amazing inner growth for you both.
 
The more you hurt, the more he continues to hurt you.  Both of you must make all
efforts to break the cycle of abuse.  On some level the one who is abused feels
he/she deserves the abuse.  No one deserves to be abused.  All deserve to feel
loved, to be full of joy.  If you can rise above all this, it is true joy that awaits you.