Monday, July 27, 2009

Why humanity needs a Sadguru more than ever?


The modern man is at cross roads today. On the one hand unprecedented advance in science and technology has made life more comfortable and enjoyable. On the other hand greed, competition, jealousy and insecurity are threatening to tear the modern man apart.

Religion is individual, one has to seek it on one's own. It is not a social phenomenon, it has nothing to do with the crowd and the collective. It is a private thing, as intimate as love.

In one of His discourses Osho quotes Guru Nanak: "by the guru's grace"? Is not man's own labor enough? It is necessary to understand this very subtle point, because Nanak stresses the guru a great deal. Later Nanak says that without the guru God cannot be attained. What is the reason for this? If God is omnipresent why can't I meet Him directly? What is the need to bring in the guru?”

Osho adds, “There is no need of a guru -- provided you are capable of annihilating your ego yourself.”

“The greater your insensitivity, the more somnolent you are, the greater your need for a guru. Understand that. If you are fast asleep, how can you awaken yourself? Someone else will have to shake you. Even then the chances are that you will roll over and fall back asleep again.”

A Master simply teaches how to be alert with full consciousness. He teaches conscious awareness.

Osho says, there are two types of Masters in the world. The first type is the teacher. He teaches disciplines, virtue, character, but next day the student forgets. The second is the Master. He does not teach any virtue, he does not teach any character, he does not teach any ordinary humility, humbleness. He bores a hole into the being of the disciple so that light can penetrate, and the disciple can see for himself. The master tries to make one aware, full of light. That's the real Master. In the East we call him SADGURU, the right Master. Teachers are many; Sadgurus are very few and far between.

“If you are with a teacher you may become a good man, but you cannot become enlightened. And your goodness will always remain on a volcano; it can erupt any moment. If you are with a teacher he will teach you outward things -- how to discipline yourself, how to be good, how to be a servant, how to serve people, how to be non-violent, how to be loving, kind, compassionate. He will teach you a thousand and one things.

If you come to a Master, he teaches only one thing -- that is: how to become aware, how to bore a hole into your being so light can enter into your imprisonment. And in that light, everything starts happening of its own accord.
And when things happen of their own accord, they have a beauty to them. Then there is great benediction.”
OSHO

- Editor

Source:-OSHO WORLD(EDITORIAL)
LINK:-http://oshoworld.com/onlinemag/july09/htm/editorial.asp#1

* Sadguru, meaning the perfect master, is one complete word and should not be read separately as Sad Guru. Sadguru pronounced as Satguru in some of the northern belts in India, originated from Sanskrit word Sadguru meaning the true master.

Monday, July 6, 2009

INDIAN BUDGET-2009 ,HIGHLIGHTS


Highlights
Budget speech completed. Finance Bill-II 2009 introduced.
Customs duty on bio-diesel reduced.
Silver to cost more.
Textile units to receive tax holiday.
LCD TVs to cost less. Custom duty on LCD TVs cut from 10% to 5%.
Set-Top Boxes to cost more. Customs duty of 5% on set-top boxes.
To extend tax holiday for commercial production of mineral oil andnatural gas.
Fringe Benefit Tax abolished.
Commodity Transaction Tax abolished.
Personal income tax exemption hiked by Rs 10,000.
No surcharge of 10% on personal income tax.
Centralised processing center at Bengalooru to streamline taxation.
No change in corporate tax.
Increase in exemption slab for senior citizens by Rs 15,000.
Fiscal deficit at 6.8% of GDP.
Proposes Rs 500 cr for rehabilation of displaced persons ofnorthern and eastern areas of Sri Lanka.
Aila Relief proposed at Rs 1,000 crore.
Increased allocation for higher education. New IITs to be set up.Rs 2,113 cr for IITs and NITs.
Rs 25 cr each for AMU campuses in Murshidabad and Mallapuram.
Defence outlay goes up. One lakh dwelling units for paramilitaryforces personnel to be constructed.
Allowances to para-military forces at par with defence forces. Onerank, one pension for ex-servicemen.
One rank, one pension for ex-servicemen.
Allocation for Commonwealth Games to be raised to Rs 3472 crore
Online job exchange to be started with private partnership.
Unique ID plan to roll out in 12-18 months.
Top people from private sector to be given responsibility of vitalnational projects.
Interest subsidy for home loans up to Rs 1 lakh.
All BPL families to be bought under one smart card program.
50% of all rural women to be brought into self-help group programmes.
Rural mega clusters in Bengal and Rajasthan.
To add handloom clusters in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.
75% hike in irrigation projects.
Rural Housing: Allocation to Indira Awaas Yojna hiked by 63% to Rs8,883 cr. Rs 7000 crores for rural electrification scheme.
Rs 31,100 crore allocation for NREGA. NREGA gave employmentopportunities to more than 4.479 cr households.
Rs 100 cr one-time grant to expand banks in non-banking areas.
Banks, insurance to stay with Govt. Banking network to be expanded.
Expert panel to look into petroleum product pricing. Domestic oilprices must be in sync with global prices.
'Aam Admi' is the focus of all our programmes and schemes: Pranab
Tax system should be such that it shold encourage voluntary compliance.
Income Tax forms to be made user-friendly. Saral-II forms tosimplify taxation process.
Export Credit Guarantee scheme extended till March 2010.
Stimulus package to print media extended till December 31.
Farmers loan interest to come down to 6%. Interest subventionscheme for farm loans to be manitained.
Additional budget allocation for farmers.
IIFCL will refinance 60% of commercial bank loans in PPP. IIFCL to look at infrastructure needs.
Mumbai flood management allocation hiked to Rs 500 cr.
87% rise in urban renewal mission. Housing allocation hiked.
Fiscal stimulus at 3.5% of GDP
Allocation for NHAI up 23%
Trade in goods and services doubled in 2008
Job creation hit due to economic slowdown: Pranab
Govt took 3 stimulus packages so far.

Two worst quarters of the global economic crisis is now behind us: Pranab
One budget can not solve all problems: Pranab
Foreign capital inflow is important
Increased focus on growth and encourage nation's development
Sustain growth rate of 9% for a longer period. Farm sector growth at 4%
Union Finance Minsiter begins his speech. This is PranabMukherjee's 4th budget.
Cabinet approves Union Budget.

Taxes
Custom duty on gold re-imposed
Customs duty to be reduced on drugs for heart treatment
No new tax on edible oil imports
4 per cent excise duty on cotton products restored
Customs duty on bio-diesel reduced
Life saving devices on heart contidion exempted from custom duty
Small business exempt from advance tax
To maintain overall customs and excise duty structure
Tax holiday to natural gas extended
Tax slab raised
MAT hiked to 15 per cent of book profit
Commodity transaction tax abolished
New pension scheme
Tax holiday for exporters extended untill 2012
Personal income tax exemption hiked by Rs 10,000
Abolish fringe benefit tax
Tax holiday extended for textile units
Goods and services tax from April 1, 2010
Share of direct taxes has increased to 56 per cent in 2008-09
Federal Tax/GDP ratio is 11.5 per cent
No surcharge of 10 per cent on personal income tax
Increase in exemption slab for senior citizen
No change in corporate taxes
Hike in IT exemption for women to Rs 1,90,000
Govt committed to tax reforms
Increase automation in direct tax collection
New tax code in 45 days
Centralised processing center at Bengalooru to streamline taxation
Income tax forms should be user friendly
Tax system should be such that it shold encourage voluntary compliance
Saral form 2 will be introduced

Markets
Indian stock Markets was in the Red.
Sensex Down 870 Points

Prices
Branded jewellery to become cheaper
Mobile phone accessories to get cheaper
Set-top box to cost more
Silver to cost more
Reduce custom duty on LCD TVs cut from 10 per cent to 5 per cent
Customs duty of 5 per cent on set top boxes