********************************************* Antidote of Food Poisoning
Baba says, "Antidotes of poison - green turmeric, spinach leaves,
basil...mainly black basil and secondly white basil or any kinds of
basil." (SC-20 Bangla, disc 156)
Baba says, "If some negative effect is going on due to food
poisoning or because of eating poisonous fish, then without any
delay a sufficient quantity of spinach leaves should be eaten and by
that way the poison will be antidoted." (SC-20)
Note: These above quotes are excepts from a particular discourse in
Shabda Cayanika.
Baba This email contains three sections:
1. Posting: Woman's Mahaprayan in Rajasthan: MPD #16
2. End Quote: Who Is Intelligent
3. Links
WOMAN’S MAHAPRAYAN IN RAJASTHAN:
MPD #16
Namaskar,
Here is the scene from my Rajasthan where they are performing the
mahaprayan (death ceremony) of one woman. In the Jain tradition,
they parade the person through town to the cremation ground whereby
the deceased is in an upright, seated position. That way the
townspeople can see who died.
As you can see, they carefully wrap white cloth around the body of
the deceased - including the forehead - in order to ensure she
remains seated upright. No one should think this person is merely
injured, and still breathing. She is dead; this is the occasion of
her mahaprayan, and the white cloth is used to keep her propped up
in one grand chair so all can see her.
This is in stark contrast to most traditions were the deceased is
carried in a lying position with their face to the sky. One other
point of note is that people are said to acquire virtue for touching
/ carrying the dead body and that is one reason why many rally
around and are eager to participate.
Finally, family, friends, and well-wishers are paying their last
respects prior to bringing the deceased to the cremation ground.
Final preparations are being done.
And the newspaper announces this as a mahaprayan - as that is the
second to last word in the heading of the article. So the mahaprayan
program is common for ordinary citizens in my Rajasthan. But in my
Rajasthan nobody does the mahaprayan of Lord Shiva or Lord Krsna.
So no one should naively think that the mahaprayan program is
something glorious only to be used in a very special manner - for
Taraka Brahma. The mahaprayan program is for the death of any common
or unknown person who has made his departure from this world. That
is why this mahaprayan is not used for Taraka Brahma because He did
not depart - He is the eternal Parama Purusa. This is never done for
Lord Shiva and Lord Krsna. So the mahaprayan program is just for
ordinary humans, i.e. mortals. About this there should not be any
confusion.
And as we know, in our Ananda Marga, there is no such thing as a
yearly death ceremony or annual mahaprayan program.
"The period of mourning should not extend beyond twelve days."
(Caryacarya-1, Shraddha Ceremony)
Sadguru never dies - even those getting initiated today in Ananda
Marga will accept Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji as Guru. So we must
think deeply - must contemplate this matter. Baba is Sadguru and
eternally present. We must think how far it is just to observe the
mahaprayan (death) of that entity?
Namaskar,
in Him,
Champalal Sethi
Note: Search it on Google
Regarding the scene at this mahaprayan ceremony - to learn more
about this tradition you can search in Google: “आज निकलेगी
महाप्रयाण यात्रा”
== Section 2
==
The section below demarcated by asterisks is
an entirely different topic, completely unrelated to the above material. It stands on its
own as a point of interest.
************************************************************* Who Is Intelligent
"Undeveloped human beings consider themselves to be very intelligent
and thus at every step they invite innumerable obstacles in the
material world. Later on, after climbing some rungs up the ladder of
evolution, they realize form the core of their hearts the hollowness
of their psychic capabilities. It is the natural rule of the
universe that those who possess immense knowledge are quite
conscious of their intellectual limitations, whereas people with
superficial knowledge think just the opposite. The genuine way of
learning for seekers of knowledge is to consider always that they
know nothing." (AMIWL-10, The Cardinal Spirit of Action and the
Supreme Stance of Devotion)
WATCH VIDEO: For those who received this in email form, kindly scroll down to view the video.
POST-OPERATIVE COMPLICATIONS OF CIRCUMCISION
Namaskar,
Herein please find a video of a tragic case study of an infant that
died due to hemorrhaging (i.e. blood loss) from the circumcision
procedure. The short 2min video reviews the medical reports and
interviews the parents. It is an informative but not graphic
portrayal.
Also read important information from a doctors group about the
various harmful complications that often arise from circumcision.
OUTLINE OF HARMFUL COMPLICATIONS FROM CIRCUMCISION
(Courtesy of Doctors Opposing Circumcision)
The immediate postoperative complications of circumcision may be
classified as urinary retention, meatitis, meatal ulceration, meatal
stenosis, skin tags, adhesions, skin bridges, concealed penis, phimosis,
and miscellaneous complications. These complications are iatrogenic.
Urinary Retention
Circumcision sometimes results in urinary retention1 with possible
obstructive uropathy.2 Bandages used in ritual circumcision may cause
urinary retention.3,4 The plastic ring portion of the Plastibell® may
also cause urinary retention,5 which may result in a ruptured bladder,6
renal failure,7 or interruption of circulation in the lower
extremities.8,9 Urinary retention caused other complications that led to
death in one reported case.10 Urinary retention is not seen in
non-circumcised intact boys.
Adhesions and Skin-Bridges
The first step in the genital cutting of newborn boys is separation of
the inner surface of the foreskin from the glans penis, to which it is
fused at birth. The tearing, which Gracely-Kilgore (1984) compared with
“skinning a squirrel,”11 leaves the surface of the glans penis and the
inner lining of the foreskin raw. Newborn circumcision wounds are not
sutured, so the residual foreskin heals wherever it falls. The residual
foreskin may heal together with the glans penis, which results in
adhesions that may form a skin bridge,11,12 resulting in tethering.1
Gracely-Kilgore reports that 15 percent of boys seen in her practice had
adhesions and three percent required surgical correction.11 Adhesions
may require surgical separation by a urologic specialist.13 Adhesions
are not seen in non-circumcised intact boys.
Meatitis, meatal ulceration, and meatal stenosis are pathology only seen
in circumcised boys who have been deprived of the protective foreskin.
The connection between circumcision and these iatrogenic pathologies has
been known at least since 1921.14 The exposure of the unprotected glans
penis to the ammoniacal diaper (nappie) is generally believed to be the
cause of inflammation and ulceration.14,15 Persad et al. (1995),
however, have suggested that ischemia of the glans penis, caused by the
severing of the frenular artery at circumcision, may be the etiologic
factor.16 The ulceration may eventually result in the formation of scar
tissue, restricting the opening of the urethra. Leitch (1970) reported 8
cases of meatal ulcer and 3 cases of meatal stenosis in a series of 200
circumcisions for an incidence of 5.5 percent.17 A meatotomy may be
required to open the urethra.18-19 Meatal complications are not seen in
non-circumcised intact boys.
Urinary Tract Infection
Several studies find that more than 50 percent of urinary tract
infections (UTI) occur within 12-14 days after ritual
circumcision.20-22.
Post-circumcision Phimosis
Oddly enough, circumcision, which is touted to prevent phimosis,
actually causes phimosis.22,23 When the circumcision scar forms beyond
the glans penis, a phimotic ring results, causing phimosis. Blalock et
al. (2003) reported an incidence of 2.9 percent in circumcised boys.23
Leich reported that 11 out of 200 required recircumcision to correct
post-circumcision phimosis.17.
Inconspicuous Buried, Trapped, or Concealed Penis
This iatrogenic condition occurs secondary to circumcision.24-30 A second surgery usually is necessary to effect a repair.28-30.
Keloid Formation
Keloids are an overgrowth of scar tissue. Keloids are reported after
circumcision.31-33 They require surgical removal and repair.31-33.
Circulation Problems, Ischemia, Necrosis, and Gangrene
Circumcision severs arteries and veins including the frenular artery
that supplies the glans penis,16 so it is not surprising that
circulation problems are reported after circumcision. Gangrene of the
penis,34-36 and of the glans penis,37,38 have been reported.
Miscellaneous Complications
Miscellaneous post-operative complications include chordee,39 inclusion
cysts,40,41 lymphedema,40,41 neuromas,42 sub-cutaneous mass,43 and
cancer.44
SENIOR ACARYA DIARY ON CIRCUMCISION
Following is Baba's guideline from Senior Acarya
Diary where He clearly states that circumcision is not done in
Ananda Marga. This is not one of our accepted practices.
Instead, after reaching puberty the foreskin should be pulled
back. If for any reason, the foreskin cannot be pulled back,
then the below process should be done. Be aware that from
infancy up to puberty, there is no need to pull back the
foreskin.
CARYACARYA Part 2 - BANGLA EDITION
In the Bengali edition of Caryacarya part 2 and point #2 of Sixteen Points, Baba simply gives the instruction to pull back the foreskin. That is point #2 of Sixteen Points - there is no option given for circumcision.
Note: Beware that from
infancy up to puberty, there is no need to pull back the
foreskin.
CIRCUMCISION:
A DOGMATIC RITUAL THAT HAS NO PLACE IN ANANDA MARGA
And here below Baba further classifies
circumcision as a dogmatic ritual that has no place in our
Ananda Marga this as a dogma:
"Certain practices were not originally religious rituals, but
traditions or customs. Long ago the Jews started practising
circumcision. When Moses converted some of his contemporaries to
Judaism, and later when Mohammed converted some local people to
Islam, neither prophet dared to instruct their new followers to
discard the old customs they followed, consequently the old
customs continued after their conversion." (PNS-21, How to Unite
Human Society)
So circumcision is nothing but a holdover custom from thousands
of years; it not based on science or rationality. And it was
adopted by the Semitic religions. Thus this harmful tradition
has just been blindly passed on from one community to the next.
Baba This email contains two sections:
1. Posting & Video: The Immediate Complications of Circumcision & More
2. Links
If you already read this in email form and have come here to see the video, then scroll down to get the video...
THE IMMEDIATE COMPLICATIONS OF CIRCUMCISION
& MORE
Namaskar,
Here is one video (below) that details the process of one infant getting
circumcised. The child is loudly crying and suffering. This is typical
of circumcision whereby in the religious communities anesthesia is not
used.
In addition, please find important and key information from medical
professionals and texts from our Ananda Marga literature showing how we
do not support the dogma of circumcision.
MEDICAL HISTORY OF CIRCUMCISION (Courtesy of Video: Infant Circumcision Operation)
Infant circumcision was taken up in the United States, Australia and the
English-speaking parts of Canada, South Africa, New Zealand and to a
lesser extent in the United Kingdom. There are several hypotheses to
explain why infant circumcision was accepted in the United States about
the year 1900. The germ theory of disease elicited an image of the human
body as a conveyance for many dangerous germs, making the public "germ
phobic" and suspicious of dirt and bodily secretions. The penis became
"dirty" by association with its function, and from this premise
circumcision was seen as preventative medicine to be practised
universally. In the view of many practitioners at the time, circumcision
was a method of treating and preventing masturbation. Aggleton wrote
that John Harvey Kellogg viewed male circumcision in this way, and
further "advocated an unashamedly punitive approach." Circumcision was
also said to protect against syphilis, phimosis, paraphimosis,
balanitis, and "excessive venery" (which was believed to produce
paralysis). Gollaher states that physicians advocating circumcision in
the late nineteenth century expected public scepticism, and refined
their arguments to overcome it.
Although it is difficult to determine historical circumcision rates, one
estimate of infant circumcision rates in the United States holds that
32% of newborn American boys were being circumcised in 1933. Laumann et
al. reported that the prevalence of circumcision among US-born males was
approximately 70%, 80%, 85%, and 77% for those born in 1945, 1955,
1965, and 1971 respectively. Xu reported that the prevalence of
circumcision among US-born males was 91% for males born in the 1970s and
84% for those born in the 1980s. Between 1981 and 1999, National
Hospital Discharge Survey data from the National Center for Health
Statistics demonstrated that the infant circumcision rate remained
relatively stable within the 60% range, with a minimum of 60.7% in 1988
and a maximum of 67.8% in 1995. A 1987 study found that the most
prominent reasons US parents choose circumcision were "concerns about
the attitudes of peers and their sons' self concept in the future,"
rather than medical concerns. However, a later study speculated that an
increased recognition of the potential benefits of neonatal circumcision
may have been responsible for the observed increase in the US rate
between 1988 and 2000. A report by the Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality placed the 2005 national circumcision rate at 56%.
THE IMMEDIATE COMPLICATIONS OF CIRCUMCISION (Courtesy of Doctors Opposing Circumcision)
The immediate complications of circumcision may be classified as
hemorrhage, infection, surgical mishap, other miscellaneous
complications, and death.
Bleeding
The foreskin is highly vascularized,1 so hemorrhage is a particular
problem and risk when the foreskin is cut. An artery that passes through
the frenulum to provide blood to the glans penis is in danger of being
severed.2 Williams & Kapila (1993) report bleeding to be the most
common problem associated with circumcision.3
Special clamps are used to crush the skin to provide hemostasis. Old
clamps may be worn, deformed, and fail to provide adequate crushing and
hemostasis.4 When using the Plastibell® device, failure to tie the
string tightly may result in bleeding.5
When a newborn is circumcised, there is great danger from bleeding
because the prepuce is highly vascularized and because an infant’s body
contains only 85ml/kg of blood.6 With so little total blood volume, a
small loss of blood may cause exsanguination, hypovolemia, hypovolemic
shock, and death.7-9 The coroner of Dade County, Florida reported the
death of an infant from hemorrhage.7 Hiss et al. reported a hemorrhage
followed by death.8 The coroner of British Columbia reported the death
of a one-month-old infant from bleeding, exsanguination, hypovolemic
shock, and multiple organ failure.9
Infection
Infection may range from the trivial to the life-threatening systemic infection.3
Life-threatening infections, includind septicemia and meningitis,10,11
tuberculosis,12,13 wound diphtheria,14 staphylococcus,15 and
streptococcus,16 pyoderma17, impetigo,18,19 and scrotal abscess with
salmonella infection,20 also have been reported. Scurlock &
Pemberton (1977) reported a death from meningitis.11 The coroner of
Ontario reported the death of a two-week-old infant from infection with
Escherichia coli, intravascular coagulopathy, and hypoxic-ischemic
encephalopathy.21
There are several reports of a significant increase in urinary tract infection (UTI) after ritual circumcision.22-24
Necrotizing fasciitis25-27 and Fournier’s gangrene (gangrene of the
scrotum) have been reported.28 Such infections require extensive
debridement (surgical excision) of infected tissue, if the patient is to
survive.25-28
Circumcision infections may be spread by hospital workers.16,29,30,32,33
Hospitals are increasingly infected with antibiotic-resistant
pathogens. St. Catherines’s Hospital on Long Island experienced an
outbreak of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among
circumcised boys in the hospital nursery.31 Any invasive procedure
increases the risk of MRSA infection in the newborn nursery.32 Boys who
are circumcised have a twelve-times greater risk of CA-MRSA infection.33
Surgical Accident
Circumcision is an imprecise surgical procedure. It is difficult to
judge the amount of skin to excise. One problem is the removal of excess
skin,3 which may denude the entire shaft of the penis and require an
immediate corrective operation by a urologic specialist.34-36
Circumcision may also result in injuries to the urethra, including
urethral fistula,37-39 which requires corrective surgery by a urologic
specialist. A case of bivalving the glans penis caused by inserting the
scissors into the urethra has been reported.40
Due to the difficulty in judging the correct amount of skin to excise,
sometimes so little skin is removed that the penis does not appear to be
circumcised. This may generate parental complaints and requests for a
re-circumcision, although there is no medical indication for the second
circumcision. Leith (1970) reported that, in his study of 200
circumcisions, 19 were recircumcisions.41 There is danger of painful
erections if too much skin is removed.
More serious surgical mishaps include excision of part of the penis42-45
or glans penis,46-48 necrosis of the glans penis,48 necrosis of the
penis caused by electrocautery devices,49-51 and total ablation or
amputation of the penis.52
Death
Death may be the result of either bleeding7-9 or infection.11,12,15,21
There is no central registry of circumcision deaths, so the incidence of
death from circumcision is controversial. Williams & Kapila (1993)
characterize death as “rare.”3 Gairdner (1949), however, reported 16
deaths annually in Britain in the 1940s.53 Circumcision deaths may be
attributed to bleeding or infection rather than the underlying
circumcision. Few doctors are willing to acknowledge death from an
elective, unnecessary, non-therapeutic, allegedly “minor,” surgical
procedure. Gellis (1978) estimated there are more deaths from
circumcision than from cancer of the penis (which would mean more than
200 deaths per year).54 (Prevention of penile cancer is not a valid
excuse for circumcising. See Chapter 3.) Baker (1979) argued that there
are at least 229 deaths per year in the United States from
circumcision.55 Bollinger (2010) estimates 114 deaths in the United
States annually from circumcision-related causes.56
Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous immediate complications of circumcision include
life-threatening pulmonary embolism,57 apnea and projectile
vomiting,58,59 tachycardia and heart failure,60 pneumothorax,61 and
gastric rupture.62
ANANDA MARGA STAND ON CIRCUMCISION
Here below are two documents from our Ananda Marga
literature that clearly show that Ananda Marga does not support the
dogma of circumcision.
#1: From Senior Acarya Diary
#2: From Ananda Marga Social and Spiritual Practices
Summary: By the above two documents, it is very clear that Ananda Marga is wholly against the procedure of circumcision.
HOW CIRCUMCISION IS DONE (Courtesy of Video: Infant Circumcision Operation)
A dorsal slit is necessary to slit the foreskin open to open the
preputial cavity. After the foreskin has been cut open the bell can be
inserted and placed on the glans.In order to apply the clamp the
foreskin is grabbed with hemostats as the the bell and the glans have to
be maneuvered through the bevel hole.
The arms of the bell are here maneuvered through the bottom of the bevel
hole in the base plate. As soon as the bell arms are through the base
plate is worked down over the secured foreskin and the plate is seated
onto the bell. The top plate is swung around so that it sits over the
base plate and the arms of the bell are lifted onto the yoke.
Now the nut is tightened down as far as possible, thereby crushing the
foreskin between the bell (cone) and base plate. Tightening the clamp
forces the rim of the bell down against the frenulum, which responds by
either stretching or by tearing or bleeding.
With the scalpel blade the crushed foreskin is excised against the bell
at the base plate and bell junction. All remaining shreds of foreskin
above the plate are removed.
Now the nut can be loosened releasing the bell arms from the yoke.
Removal of the clamp allows the bell arms to drop back down through the
plate. Now the penis is circumcised.
VIDEO
Here is a link to a video that clearly details the
process of circumcision and shows how much pain and discomfort the baby
must endure. It is an emotionally moving video.
WRONGLY PRINTED IN ENGLISH CARYACARYA BOOK
Unfortunately, the publishers have wrongly printed the English edition
of Caryacarya part 2. Because in that book it states that circumcision
is a viable option in Ananda Marga. But that is wrong. This book must be
corrected at the earliest - accompanied by public announcment / errata
page by the publishers.
In Him,
Vijay
Note 1: REPLY TO AC JINANANANDA AVT
In his recent letter, Dada Jinananandji was asking for medical facts against the practice of circumcision.
Dadaji wrote: In fact this habit is not only common with Semitic people
but also many African countries, parts of Maharlika ... They might
need a sound explanation on the negative effects of circumcision. any
one ?
Reply: The above letter and video - as well as the below letter and
video in the links section - offer solid explanations based on medical
facts and Ananda Marga teachings why circumcision is dangerous and
harmful.
== Section 2 ==
Links
Here below is a link to another article and video about the medical dangers of circumcision.
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