Longer Life

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7174665.stm
Healthy living ‘can add 14 years’
Flats on an estate
Social class was
Taking exercise, drinking moderately, eating sufficient fruit and vegetables
and not smoking can add as much as 14 years to your life, a study has found.
Research involving 20,000 people over a decade found those who failed on all
criteria were four times more likely to have died than those who succeeded.
The findings held true regardless of how overweight or poor they were.
The Public Library of Science Medicine study suggests many could increase
their lifespan through simple changes.
The research was carried out by the University of Cambridge and the Medical
Research Council in the English county of Norfolk between 1993 and 2006.
Participants were aged between 45 and 79. They were socially mixed although
overwhelmingly white, and as far as they were aware at the time, did not
have cancer or any heart problems.
Taking off the years
A point was awarded for each of the following: not currently smoking,
consuming between one and 14 units of alcohol per week (the equivalent of
between half a glass and seven glasses of wine), eating five servings of
fruit and vegetables each day and not being inactive.
It means a large proportion of the population really could feel health
benefits through moderate changes
Professor Kay-Tee Khaw
University of Cambridge
This last category was defined as either having a sedentary occupation and
taking half an hour of exercise a day, or simply having a non-sedentary job
like a nurse or plumber.
Not only did the team find that those with four points were significantly
less likely to have died over the period than those with none, they also
found that a 60-year-old person with a score of zero had the same risk of
dying as a 74-year-old with the full four points.
"We’ve know that individually, measures such as not smoking and exercising
can have an impact upon longevity, but this is the first time we have looked
at them altogether," said Professor Kay-Tee Khaw, who led the research.
"And we also found that social class and BMI – body mass index – really did
not have a role to play.
"It means a large proportion of the population really could feel health
benefits through moderate changes."
Everyone gains
It was in the reduction of deaths attributed to cardiovascular disease where
the findings were most pronounced, with those scoring zero five times more
likely to succumb than those scoring four.
But there was also a relationship between score and cancer deaths.
While the main analysis excluded people with known disease, the researchers
found that those with serious conditions fared better the higher they scored
than those who scored lower.
Health campaigners welcomed the study.
"This is good news and shows that by living a healthy life, people can
reduce their risk of dying from heart and circulatory disease," said Judy
O’Sullivan of the British Heart Foundation.
"By not smoking, drinking alcohol in moderation, taking regular physical
activity and eating a diet rich in fruit and vegetables, people can improve
their chances of living longer."
A Department of Health spokesperson said: "Everyone has responsibility for
their own health, which was highlighted last year when we kickstarted the
Small Change, Big Difference initiative to show people that there are simple
changes they can make in their lives that will have a direct impact on their
health."
# – Prahladananda Swami – 8/1/08

Lecture – SB 7.6.1 Prahlad Maharaj… Wait, What Did I Just I Read – Video

Prahladananda Swami gave the morning class today. He begins by quizzing us on the previous verse and then continues with the first verse from the 7th canto 6th chapter. This is the start of Prahlad’s teaching to his fellow students.

The class ended prior to the end of the purport. I don’t know if we’ll have a followup class, but if we do I’ll get it posted.

Dallas, TX
2007-11-16

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam 7.6.1

sri-prahrada uvaca
kaumara acaret prajno
dharman bhagavatan iha
durlabham manusham janma
tad apy adhruvam arthadam

TRANSLATION

Prahlada Maharaja said: One who is sufficiently intelligent should use the human form of body from the very beginning of life — in other words, from the tender age of childhood — to practice the activities of devotional service, giving up all other engagements. The human body is most rarely achieved, and although temporary like other bodies, it is meaningful because in human life one can perform devotional service. Even a slight amount of sincere devotional service can give one complete perfection.

PURPORT

The whole purpose of Vedic civilization and of reading the Vedas is to attain the perfect stage of devotional service in the human form of life. According to the Vedic system, therefore, from the very beginning of life the brahmacarya system is introduced so that from one’s very childhood — from the age of five years — one can practice modifying one’s human activities so as to engage perfectly in devotional service. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (2.40), svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat: “Even a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear.” Modern civilization, not referring to the verdicts of Vedic literature, is so cruel to the members of human society that instead of teaching children to become brahmacaris, it teaches mothers to kill their children even in the womb, on the plea of curbing the increase of population. And if by chance a child is saved, he is educated only for sense gratification. Gradually, throughout the entire world, human society is losing interest in the perfection of life. Indeed, men are living like cats and dogs, spoiling the duration of their human lives by actually preparing to transmigrate again to the degraded species among the 8,400,000 forms of life. The Krishna consciousness movement is anxious to serve human society by teaching people to perform devotional service, which can save a human being from being degraded again to animal life. As already stated by Prahlada Maharaja, bhagavata-dharma consists of sravanam kirtanam vishnoh smaranam pada-sevanam/ arcanam vandanam dasyam sakhyam atma-nivedanam [SB 7.5.23]. In all the schools, colleges and universities, and at home, all children and youths should be taught to hear about the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In other words, they should be taught to hear the instructions of Bhagavad-gita, to put them into practice in their lives, and thus to become strong in devotional service, free from fear of being degraded to animal life. Following bhagavata-dharma has been made extremely easy in this age of Kali. The sastra says:

harer nama harer nama
harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva
nasty eva gatir anyatha

[Adi 17.21]

One need only chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. Everyone engaged in the practice of chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra will be completely cleansed, from the core of his heart, and be saved from the cycle of birth and death.

Download: SB 07.06.01 Prahlad Maharaj… Wait, What Did I Just I Read 2007-11-16

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Lecture – SB 7.5.56-57 – Spiritual Education – Video


Prahladananda Swami continued lecturing on the last verse of this chapter. The begining of the class is an interesting lesson on how well we actually listen and remember the verse. We do get it memorized eventually.
Download: SB 07.05.56-57_Spiritual Education_2007-11-15
Dallas, TX
2007-11-15

Continue reading below for the full verse and purport.
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam 7.5.56-57

te tu tad-gauravat sarve
tyakta-krida-paricchadah
bala adushita-dhiyo
dvandvarameritehitaih
paryupasata rajendra
tan-nyasta-hridayekshanah
tan aha karuno maitro
maha-bhagavato ‘surah

SYNONYMS

te — they; tu — indeed; tat-gauravat — from great respect for the words of Prahlada Maharaja (due to his being a devotee); sarve — all of them; tyakta — having given up; krida-paricchadah — toys for playing; balah — the boys; adushita-dhiyah — whose intelligence was not as polluted (as that of their fathers); dvandva — in duality; arama — of those taking pleasure (the instructors, namely Shanda and Amarka); irita — by the instructions; ihitaih — and actions; paryupasata — sat down around; raja-indra — O King Yudhishthira; tat — unto him; nyasta — having given up; hridaya-ikshanah — their hearts and eyes; tan — unto them; aha — spoke; karunah — very merciful; maitrah — a real friend; maha-bhagavatah — a most exalted devotee; asurah — Prahlada Maharaja, although born of an asura father.

TRANSLATION

My dear King Yudhishthira, all the children were very much affectionate and respectful to Prahlada Maharaja, and because of their tender age they were not so polluted by the instructions and actions of their teachers, who were attached to condemned duality and bodily comfort. Thus the boys surrounded Prahlada Maharaja, giving up their playthings, and sat down to hear him. Their hearts and eyes being fixed upon him, they looked at him with great earnestness. Prahlada Maharaja, although born in a demon family, was an exalted devotee, and he desired their welfare. Thus he began instructing them about the futility of materialistic life.

PURPORT

The words bala adushita-dhiyah indicate that the children, being of a tender age, were not as polluted by materialistic life as their fathers. Prahlada Maharaja, therefore, taking advantage of the innocence of his class friends, began teaching them about the importance of spiritual life and the insignificance of materialistic life. Although the teachers Shanda and Amarka were instructing all the boys in the materialistic life of religion, economic development and sense gratification, the boys were not much polluted. Therefore, with great attention they wanted to hear from Prahlada Maharaja about Krishna consciousness. In our Krishna consciousness movement, the guru-kula plays an extremely important part in our activities because right from childhood the boys at the guru-kula are instructed about Krishna consciousness. Thus they become steady within the cores of their hearts, and there is very little possibility that they will be conquered by the modes of material nature when they are older.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Seventh Canto, Fifth Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “Prahlada Maharaja, the Saintly Son of Hiranyakasipu.”

TRANSLATION

My dear King Yudhishthira, all the children were very much affectionate and respectful to Prahlada Maharaja, and because of their tender age they were not so polluted by the instructions and actions of their teachers, who were attached to condemned duality and bodily comfort. Thus the boys surrounded Prahlada Maharaja, giving up their playthings, and sat down to hear him. Their hearts and eyes being fixed upon him, they looked at him with great earnestness. Prahlada Maharaja, although born in a demon family, was an exalted devotee, and he desired their welfare. Thus he began instructing them about the futility of materialistic life.

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Lecture – SB 7.5.55 – Process of Devotion – Video

Prahladananda Swami – Lecture on Srimad Bhajagavatam 7.5.55. Prahlad Maharaj is preaching to the other students in his school.
(click below to read full verse and purport by Srila Prabhupada)

SB 07.05.55_Process Of Devotion_2007-11-14
Translation

Prahlada Maharaja, who was truly the supreme learned person, then addressed his class friends in very sweet language. Smiling, he began to teach them about the uselessness of the Read the rest of this entry »

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