January 21 is Squirrel Appreciation Day. My reflections on “CHAKRATA KARMA” with the help of a Squirrel Story.

January 21 is Squirrel Appreciation Day. It was established by Christy Hargrove, a wildlife rehabilitator from North Carolina, to draw attention to the importance of these remarkably widespread creatures. Native to five continents and currently living on six (there’s no Antarctic squirrel), there are about 285 species of squirrels in the world, ranging from the tiny African pygmy squirrel to the Bhutan giant flying squirrel (when in Bhutan, be ready to duck).

Like most squirrels, the Eurasian red squirrel pictured here eats primarily nuts and berries. It also has a habit of burying caches of food for later consumption—and even ‘pretending’ to bury food to mislead other animals that might be watching. But squirrel brain capacity being what it is, the squirrel inevitably forgets where some of the food has been buried. Out of that grows one of the humble squirrel’s most important roles in the forest ecosystem: It’s an inadvertent planter of new trees and bushes. Three cheers for the squirrel!

The Squirrel Story that I am sharing is about the fact of Squirrel’s Conscious behavior and actions. While the Squirrel could be forgetful, my memory of events in Chakrata, Uttarakhand, India are still alive.

A Squirrel Story to explore Consciousness — January 21 is Squirrel Appreciation Day. My reflections on “Chakrata Karma” with the help of a Squirrel Story.

A SQUIRREL’S CONSCIOUSNESS AND DISPLAY OF MATERNAL INSTINCTIVE BEHAVIOR LEADS ME TO EXPLORE CONSCIOUSNESS.

IRATE MOTHER SQUIRREL ATTACKED A VISITING TEACHER ON UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN CAMPUS:

The Ann Arbor News reported this story about a mother squirrel’s angry attack. A 52-year-old Detroit Public School teacher was with a group of students touring the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor on Thursday, April 23, 2010. She had spotted some baby squirrels that were outside of their nest. The teacher had tried to alert the mother squirrel that was at a distance about a baby squirrel that was left alone. The mother squirrel could instantly recognize that the teacher was giving unwanted attention to her baby. The mother squirrel was instinctively aroused, turned on the teacher. The teacher tried to run away from the angry mother squirrel. She slipped and fell on the ground and injured her ankle. Seizing the opportunity, the mother squirrel bit the teacher on her leg. The teacher managed to escape and went to the Hospital Emergency for treatment.

PARENTAL CARE IS AN INSTINCTIVE BEHAVIOR:

Parental care is an aspect of social behavior exhibited by all animals. This is a complex unlearned or innate behavior that is influenced by heredity(genetic basis) as well as experience. The study of behavior provides valuable information about relationships among animals. No animal is ever completely isolated from some kind of environment. Animals exhibit social behaviors and form parental societies to care for their offspring. This parental care/maternal instinctive behavior is highly organized amongst mammals. The young are part of the mother while growing inside the mother and are nourished before birth by the ‘placenta’ of the mother. After birth, the young still seek nourishment from the mother and suck or lap milk produced by the mammary glands of the mother. This ensures that there is a strong family association between the mother and the offspring.

BEHAVIOR AND CONSCIOUSNESS:

The mother squirrel while displaying its maternal instinctive behavior has demonstrated that it is a ‘CONSCIOUS’ entity. Consciousness is defined as the state of being ‘conscious’ which has two components. 1. Being ‘conscious’ means being aware or recognizing the fact of one’s own existence. 2. Being ‘conscious’ also means being aware of our natural environment and it represents the state of knowing what goes on around one. Being conscious gives us the ability to interact with our environment and display appropriate behavior.

In higher animals, this consciousness or awareness is also characterized by the presence of mental activity which includes an awareness of our own thoughts and emotions. A living entity is always conscious of its own existence. A living entity always exists in a state of consciousness.

We identify a person as ‘UNCONSCIOUS’ if the person is not spontaneously interacting with his environment. There are several medical conditions that alter and affect our state of consciousness. Several drugs and intoxicants such as alcohol and poisonous agents like carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide cause drowsiness, stupor, and various levels of semiconscious to deep unconsciousness. Consciousness is very important in evaluating people with head injuries and neurovascular accidents such as ‘stroke’. While a person is unconscious of his environment, he is still aware of his existence. This fact could be easily demonstrated by conducting tests. A living organism or a living cell responds when exposed to a stimulus. For example, an unconscious individual is evaluated by testing to see the response of the pupil of the eye which reacts by constriction of its size on exposure to a light beam.

A LIFE-THREATENING CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING INCIDENT AT CHAKRATA MILITARY HOSPITAL:

An organism uses its awareness to survive in the environment. I could illustrate this by narrating my personal experience.

On January 21, 1974, I was the Duty Medical Officer at the Military Hospital Wing, Establishment No. 22, Chakrata. We were using the buildings and the living quarters of the British while they ruled India.

On that cold winter night, after finishing the midnight round of the hospital wards, I arrived at the Duty Medical Officer’s Room along with the on duty Medical Nursing Assistants. The Duty Medical Officer is allowed to get some rest as the Duty Officer returns to regular working schedule at 7.00 A.M. at the end of the night duty. All other night duty personnel remain alert for they just work during their night shift. When we reached the room, I found a charcoal ‘sigri’ that was just lit a few moments before my arrival at that room. This type of cheap charcoal burners are used by the poorer working class Indian families to provide warmth during cold winter nights. It is not uncommon to hear about carbon monoxide poisoning associated with the use of such charcoal burners. However, in the Chakrata Military Camp, we were not using charcoal as a heating fuel and during the official inspection tours of the Camp I never discovered the use of the charcoal sigri for heating rooms. Some buildings such as the Officers’ Mess have fireplaces with chimneys and use firewood and not charcoal which poses the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning.

I was surprised to encounter a charcoal sigri for the very first time after arriving at Chakrata in 1971. The night duty personnel were not sure as to who placed the sigri in the Duty Medical Officers’ room. I never tried a charcoal sigri for room heating purpose while many Indians including my own family used wood coal for cooking purposes in the kitchen.

The Duty Medical Officer’s room at Chakrata Military Hospital is a small room that was not heated by any electrical space or personal heater, and the room had no fireplace or a chimney. I permitted the coal burner to remain in the room. The charcoal burns very slowly giving heat and it lasts for several hours and once the coal is lit, the burner needs no further attention. On that particular night, I did not recognize that the coal was of poor quality and it was not burning as expected and was giving away smoke while I turned off the light and resting in the bed. As the door and the windows of the room were shut, the smoke started filling up the room. The smoke is odorless and is lighter than the room air, and it slowly went up filling the room from the top without alerting me.

I was fully asleep in that dark room, unaware as to what was going on around me. I was suddenly alerted when I experienced ‘palpitation’, a consciousness of the beating of my heart (Heart palpitations, pal-pih-TAY-shuns, are the feelings of having a fast-beating, fluttering or pounding heart). I awoke but still could not see the smoke in the dark room. I evaluated my condition to understand my rapid heart rate. I was in good health and there was no reason to experience an increased heart rate. I decided to investigate my problem and walked up to the door to turn the light switch on. The moment I had turned the light on, I could immediately see the smoke-filled room and the fresh, clear layer of room air was below my bed level. I immediately left the room to get fresh air from outside and saved my life. I was feeling very nauseous and threw up while a fainting spell forced me to hit the floor. The hospital Duty Nursing Officer who was on her rounds watched it and rushed to me to provide assistance. She alerted other night duty staff. I recovered very quickly with the intake of fresh air. The Staff took out the offending charcoal sigri and fully ventilated the room driving away the smoke. With the charcoal sigri gone, the room became safe to be reoccupied. I returned to the room and returned to my morning work schedule at 7.00 A.M.

In my analysis, the charcoal sigri was intentionally planted in the Chakrata Military Hospital Room to harm and endanger my life. I make that claim as no person came forward to apologize to me for placing the charcoal sigri in the duty room. In my view, only an enemy agent would have the motivation to conceal his involvement in the unexpected appearance of a charcoal sigri at our Military Hospital.

Many people are not that fortunate, and we read about entire families losing their lives while sleeping in rooms that are heated by improper burners. I was not conscious of what was going on around me while I was sleeping. However, my body was aware and conscious all the time. The chemical sensors in my body worked alright, they sent signals to my brain centers, which in turn sent signals to increase my heart rate to improve the oxygen delivery. It, fortunately, worked like an alarm for me. Very often, people become more drowsy, become fully unconscious, and lose life while asleep in smoke-filled rooms.

THE SQUIRREL IN THE STORY OF RAMAYANA:

Indian Palm Squirrel - A squirrel story to explore consciousness. — January 21 is Squirrel Appreciation Day.My reflections on “Chakrata Karma” with help from a Squirrel Story.

Three-striped Indian Palm Squirrel, natives of India, and Sri Lanka are mentioned in the epic poem of Ramayana. All living entities are conscious. Just like the mother squirrel in Ann Arbor which demonstrated its consciousness, in the epic poem of ‘RAMAYANA’, the awareness and the behavioral response of a squirrel are described. The story narrates the construction of what is popularly known as “SETHU” or a bridge across the sea from the southern shores of Indian peninsula to the island of LANKA. The squirrels were apparently conscious of their environment. The Squirrel(s) observed the activities of thousands of monkeys throwing stones to build the ‘ADAM’S BRIDGE’, and recognized the presence of LORD Rama who had initiated the effort to build the bridge. The Squirrel(s) volunteered to help and in its behavior, it showed attributes of devoted service. The abilities of the Squirrel(s) are very small and yet it won the favor of the LORD and is blessed. The LORD is pleased with the Squirrel’s conscious efforts to offer devoted service and as per the Indian legend the stripes on the back of the Three-striped Indian Palm Squirrel represent the markings of blessings given by LORD Rama.

Lord Rama - A squirrel story to explore Consciousness. — January 21 is Squirrel Appreciation Day. My reflections on “Chakrata Karma” with the help of a Squirrel Story.

Dr. R. Rudra Narasimham, B.Sc., M.B.B.S.,

Special Frontier Force-Establishment No. 22-Vikas Regiment

My Musings on Monday, January 20, 2020. The relentless pursuit of Chakrata Karma. I am a Refugee. The Chakrata Legacy traps me in Slavery while I live in a Free Nation.

**My Musings on Monday, January 20, 2020. I am a Refugee. The relentless pursuit of Chakrata Karma. The Legacy of Chakrata Karma traps me in Slavery while I live in a Free Nation.**

Each year on the third Monday of January Americans observe Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and reflect on the work that still needs to be done for racial equality. This January 20, make the holiday more than just a day off and take time to reflect and take action on civil rights issues across the globe. The holiday was observed for the first time on January 20, 1986. It’s observed on the third Monday of January rather than directly on Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday because it follows the guidelines of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act.

**India – The Land of Karma.** **I am a Refugee. The relentless pursuit of Chakrata Karma. The Legacy of Chakrata Karma traps me in Slavery while I live in a Free Nation.**

The Land of India or Bharata Varsha is identified as KARMA KSHETRA or KARMA BHUMI.

The Sanskrit word Karma describes the totality of a person’s actions in any one of the successive states of that person’s existence. The Law of Karma governs all action and its inevitable consequences on the doer. Because of this deep-rooted belief in the inevitability of consequences on the doer, the Land of Bharat or India is identified as Karma Kshetra or Karma Bhumi. I can run but I have no place to hide or find shelter to avoid the consequences of Karma.

**I am a Refugee. The relentless pursuit of Chakrata Karma. I can run, but can’t hide from God.** **The Chakrata Legacy traps me in Slavery while I live in Free Nation.**

I left India on January 10, 1984 to avoid the trappings of Chakrata Karma. I can run but I can’t hide from God. The LORD provided a great fish to swallow Jonah and Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights (JONAH 1.1-16).

**My Musings on Monday, January 20, 2020. I am a Refugee. The relentless pursuit of Chakrata Karma. The Chakrata Legacy traps me in Slavery while I live in a Free Nation.**

Please explore the connection between the Law of Karma and Fate/Destiny at my Home Page of BhavanaJagat.

CHAKRATA KARMA: On June 03, 1972, His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama visited Headquarters Establishment Number.22, Chakrata, Uttar Pradesh, to inspect the Tibetan soldiers who serve in the multinational military organization called Special Frontier Force. I served as the Medical Officer at this military Establishment and my duties required the verification of mental, and physical preparedness of all the men. The Chakrata Legacy traps me in Slavery while I live in a Free Nation.

The reality of Lord God Creator is revealed by the power of grand illusion governing man’s mortal existence

The Grand Illusion Governing Man’s Mortal Existence

**Makar Sankranti, Wednesday, January 15, 2020**. **The Reality of LORD God Creator is revealed by the Power of Grand Illusion governing man’s mortal existence.**

In my analysis, man lacks the cognitive abilities to know God. The reality of Lord God Creator is revealed by the Power of Grand Illusion governing man’s mortal existence.

Man’s mortal journey on Earth’s surface is measured by the duration of the Sun’s apparent motions across sky which is experienced as Day and Night while the Sun shines all the time without performing movements characterized as Sunrise and Sunset. Man blissfully exists without ever experiencing true motions of the Sun around Milky Way Galactic Center. The Grand Illusion, the apparent motion of the Sun across the sky is the fundamental basis of Biological Rhythm that governs the man’s living functions.

MAKAR SANKRANTI, Wednesday, JANUARY 15, 2020. THE PERCEPTION OF CHANGING SEASONS

Whole Concept – The Perception of Time and Unchanging Reality: Happy Makara Sankranti to all of my readers. Indians observe and Celebrate the Movement of the Sun across the Celestial Sphere. Human Existence is conditioned by Illusion; the Apparent Motions of the Sun and not the Real Motions of the Sun influence the experience of Life on Earth.

UNDERSTANDING TIME AND THE CONCEPT OF UNCHANGING REALITY:

Makar Sankranti, Wednesday, January 15, 2020. Earth’s Rotational Spin provides experience of Time by causing changes in the environment which Man perceives as Day and Night. This cyclical change of alternating periods of Light and Darkness is synchronized with Man’s Biological Rhythm.

Time is defined as the period or interval between two events or during which something exists, happens, or acts; the duration is a measurable interval. Indian thinkers have described ‘Time’ or ‘KAALA’ as a Power or a Force that is eternal suggesting that ‘Time’ existed before the formation of this created universe, Time operates during the existence of this created universe, and Time remains after the total dissolution of this created universe. ‘Things in Nature change with Time’. Does Time exert a force entirely of its own to change things in Nature? If Time is viewed as a Power or Force, who controls this Force and what are the Laws that operate this Force?

**Makar Sankranti, Wednesday, January 15, 2020.** The Subjective Reality of Man’s physical existence is operated by the Biological Clock which may have a plan for Man’s Dissolution.

Everything that is born, everything that has come into existence, and everything that is conditioned arrives with its own plan for dissolution. Whosoever had arrived on this planet Earth, is sure to depart. Time operates this plan for dissolution. Time has the power to cause dissolution of the animate as well as the inanimate world and the physical universe. Whatever qualities, or attributes such as material wealth, social status, social position, and physical state of well-being that man cherishes and desires most would be dissolved and would be rendered useless by the effects of Time. Humans lack the material, and the biological abilities to transform their physical beings into sources of perpetual enjoyment. Time with its Power of Dissolution would eventually compel us to investigate and to explore the concept of Absolute and Unchanging Reality. This Subjective Reality of Man’s existence on this planet Earth which is a member of the Solar System would be dissolved by the influence of Time. Dissolution of the Sun and the Solar System would not lead to dissolution of this universe that we currently know and understand. Even when man is dissolved, the conditioned reality of this physical universe will continue and remains as before as Earth and the Sun do not describe the total reality of this conditioned universe.

THE PERCEPTION OF CHANGE AND HUMAN CONCEPTS ABOUT TIME:

**Makar Sankranti,Wednesday, January 15, 2020.The Moving Train and the Perception of changing landscape. Photo Credit: Indyeahforever.**

Many of you who learned Physics understand the term Speed and Velocity. A person riding in a train or any other moving object could perceive a change that is caused by the motion. The nature of this perception depends upon the Speed or Velocity of that moving object. If the person jumps out of the train, the change that he has been perceiving immediately stops. There would be no changing landscape. As the speed of train increases, perception of change also alters and at very high speeds man loses the ability of visual perception. The visual image becomes a blur. If man is viewing a Motion Picture, his visual ability to view the Picture could be destroyed by simply increasing the speed of the Projector.

Any given point on the surface of the Earth moves with the Speed of the Earth. Earth is moving at a great speed and man has no ability to perceive this motion or the speed. Man perceives a change in his environment and calls it day and night.

We run our lives by numbers on clocks and calendars. The clocks and calendars create the illusion that we live in a world of mathematically measured segments of time. Time is looked upon as a flow like a river. Sir Isaac Newton (1687) stated that the flow of Time is absolute; “It flows equably without relation to anything external.” In 1905 while postulating the Theory of Relativity, Albert Einstein had observed that Time is not absolute, and measurement of Time is affected by the motion of the observer. The Relativity of Time becomes significant only at great speeds. Gravity affects both Light and Time. Gravity bends both Space and Light. Time is affected by the gravitational field of each celestial body. Time is unique to any one spot in the universe. If you and I do not exist at the same spot in the universe, our experience of Time will not be the same. Thus, experience of Time on this planet is an illusionary experience and is not an absolute experience.

‘KAALA CHAKRA’ OR THE CYCLICAL FLOW OF TIME:

**Makar Sankranti, Wednesday, January 15, 2020.The Cyclical Flow of Time brings Cyclical Changes called ‘Seasons’ at expected Time intervals. Life exists because of the Cyclical Flow of Time.**

Herman Minkowski, a mathematician, added Time as the Fourth Dimension of Three-Dimensional Space. Time is seen as a Dimension as it gives meaning to events and the order in which they occur. Physicists describe Time and Space as the building blocks of this universe. Biologists see Time in the internal clocks that keep all living entities in sync with Nature.

Human existence and the existence of all other living entities depend upon this illusionary experience of Time. Life exists and operates only if Time flows in a cyclical manner just like a wheel that moves, rotates on an axle or axis. Man needs this experience of day and night during his entire life journey. Man needs the changing Seasons with its cyclical regularity.

Just imagine the consequences to human existence if Spring Season does not arrive at the Time it is expected. Planet Earth is not at the same location or place in Space as Time flows. Last year, we had experienced the Spring Season while Earth existed at an entirely different location and we look forward for the arrival of a new Spring Season despite the Change in the position. Despite Changes in location or position, in relative terms, the Spring Season is the Unchanging Reality of the Conditioned State of Human Existence.

Because of the Conditioned nature of Human Existence, Man always looks forward, and hopes that Time would flow in a cyclical manner bringing cyclical changes. Biologists describe Life in terms of Life Cycles. All living functions have a rhythmic or cyclical quality. The exchange of gases during a cycle called Respiration involves the cyclical events of Inspiration and Expiration. The vital functions sustained by Circulation demands cyclical flow of Blood. The Individual and his State or Condition of Individuality remains existing as an Unchanging Reality if he experiences the cyclical changes in his bodily functions and in the environment in which he exists.

I am that Unchanging Reality; the Reality of my Identity and my Individuality remains unchanged as my physical body experiences changes in its appearance and in the environment where it exists. My phenotype or morphological appearance or outward appearance undergoes a constant change and this change is synchronized with the cyclical change called alternating periods of Day and Night. The Biological Clock precisely measures this Time interval or duration of my existence relative to the illusionary change; the Sun is always shining with all His brightness with no significant change that I can perceive.

THE GOD CONNECTION:

Makar Sankranti, Wednesday, January 15, 2020. Face Recognition Technology helps Identification of an Individual. Under the influence of Time, the outward appearance undergoes changes all the time during Life’s Journey and yet Identity and Individuality survives the Time’s Power of Dissolution.

My Identity and my Individuality is the Unchanging Reality of my conditioned state of human existence. I had explored the Nature of this Unchanging Identity and Individuality. This Unchanging Reality of Identity and Individuality exists during the Time interval or duration of my God Connection. I know that Time existed before my creation, Time is operating during my existence as a created being, and Time would continue to operate after my physical dissolution. Time with its great power of Dissolution could not change my perception about my Unchanging Identity and Individuality because of my God Connection. It is rational, it is logical, and it is reasonable to reflect upon Absolute and Unchanging Reality as long as I maintain my Identity and Individuality which cannot be changed or altered by the flow of Time.

The Sun’s Apparent Motions Across Sky have Real Consequences for Life on Planet Earth.

Makar Sankranti, Wednesday, January 15, 2020. Man cannot dismiss Apparent Motions of the Sun across the Sky as Illusion. This Illusion has Real Consequences as it determines Man’s Existence as Mortal Being.

Man cannot dismiss Apparent Motions of the Sun across the Sky as Illusion. This Illusion has Real Consequences as it determines Man’s Existence as Mortal Being.

**MAKAR SANKRANTI, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2020. THE SUN’S JOURNEY ACROSS THE CELESTIAL SPHERE.**

THE SUN’S JOURNEY ACROSS THE CELESTIAL SPHERE REVEALS LORD GOD CREATOR’S GRAND DESIGN.

THE PERCEPTION OF CHANGING SEASONS. THE SUN’S PATH ACROSS THE SKY VARIES WITH SEASONS.

FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, MAN IS KEEPING TRACK OF THE SUN’S MOTION ACROSS THE SKY.

**MAKAR SANKRANTI, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2020. WHAT IS THE ECLIPTIC? ILLUSION IS MORE RELEVANT THAN THE SUN’S REAL MOTION OR REVOLUTION AROUND MILKY WAY GALACTIC CENTER.**

WHAT IS THE ECLIPTIC? ILLUSION IS MORE RELEVANT THAN THE SUN’S REAL MOTION OR REVOLUTION AROUND MILKY WAY GALACTIC CENTER.

**MAKAR SANKRANTI, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2020. THE SUN’S MOVEMENT ACROSS THE SKY HELPS TO MEASURE TIME. MAN’S LIFESPAN IS MEASURED BY THE APPARENT MOTION OF THE SUN.**

THE SUN’S MOVEMENT ACROSS THE SKY HELPS TO MEASURE TIME. MAN’S LIFESPAN IS MEASURED BY THE APPARENT MOTION OF SUN.

**MAKAR SANKRANTI, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2020. WHILE OBSERVED FROM EARTH, THE SUN DURING HIS ANNUAL JOURNEY ENTERS AND TRAVERSES THE ZODIAC OF CAPRICORN.**

WHILE OBSERVED FROM EARTH, THE SUN DURING HIS ANNUAL JOURNEY ENTERS AND TRAVERSES THE ZODIAC OF CAPRICORN.

**Makar Sankranti, Wednesday, January 15, 2020. Sun’s Annual Celestial Path. On this Day, the Sun begins to traverse across Zodiacal Constellation of Capricorn or “MAKAR.”**

Sun’s Annual Celestial Path. On this Day, the Sun begins to traverse across Zodiacal Constellation of Capricorn or Makar.

**MAKAR SANKRANTI, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2020. CONSTELLATIONS OF THE ZODIAC AND THE PATH OF THE SUN. MAN CANNOT OVERCOME THE POWER OF THE GRAND ILLUSION.**

CONSTELLATIONS OF THE ZODIAC AND THE PATH OF THE SUN IN MAN’S PERCEPTION UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE GRAND ILLUSION.

For God created Universe with Life on Earth, the Sun traverses across Earth’s Sky giving Man blessed opportunity to Measure Time and to prepare Calendars.

Makar Sankranti, Wednesday, January 15, 2020. For God created Universe with Life on Earth, the Sun traverses across Earth’s Sky giving Man blessed opportunity to Measure Time and to prepare Calendars.

SULTAN QABOOS OF OMAN, VERILY A BLESSED SOUL. MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM

**Living Tibetan Spirits deeply regret the loss of Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said of Sultanate of Oman**. **Verily a Blessed Soul. May Peace Be Upon Him.**

I was granted Short Service Regular Commission in the Indian Army Medical Corps during September 1969 while I was in Medical School and I was granted the rank of Lieutenant on July 26, 1970. While serving in the rank of major, as the Senior Regimental Medical Officer at the Army Ordnance Corps Centre (AOC CENTRE), Trimulgherry, Secunderabad, I relinquished my Permanent Regular Commission in the Indian Army Medical Corps on January 10, 1984. On the same day, I departed from India to serve in the Sultanate of Oman’s Land Forces ( the Royal Oman Army), Muscat, Sultanate of Oman as their Medical Officer of the Force Medical Services (FMS). I recognize Sultan Qaboos as a benevolent Ruler, verily a Blessed Soul.

I left Muscat on July 26, 1986 to continue my life in exile drawing inspiration from the national motto of the United States, “In God We Trust.”

**Sultan Qaboos bin Said al-Said of Oman, Verily a Blessed Soul. The Blessings of Peace be upon Him.**

On behalf of the Living Tibetan Spirits of my Consciousness, I deeply regret the loss of Sultan Qaboos of Oman. Sallāllāhu Alayhi Wa Sallam (Arabic: صلى الله عليه وسلم, Devanagari: सल्लल्लाहु अलैहि व सल्लम) is translated as “(May) Peace Be Upon Him” (PBUH) in English. May the Blessings of Peace Be Upon Him.

Rudra Narasimham Rebbapragada

Special Frontier Force-Establishment No. 22-Vikas Regiment

**Sultan Qaboos bin Said al-Said of Oman, verily a Blessed Soul. May Peace Be Upon Him.**

Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman Dead at 79

Oman’s Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the longest-ruling monarch in the Mideast, has died at that age of 79, the country’s state-run news agency confirmed on Saturday. The sultan was thought to be fighting cancer. The British-educated sultan is credited with reforming Oman when he came to power in 1970 during a palace coup, overturning harsh laws that banned electricity, radios, eyeglasses and umbrellas, according to the Associated Press. He was also instrumental as an important liaison who worked to balance diplomatic ties between Iran and the United States. May Peace Be Upon Him.

ON THE TENTH DAY OF JANUARY, 2020, SEPTUAGENARIAN LIVES TO MEET HIS REDEEMER

ON THE TENTH DAY OF JANUARY, 2020, SEPTUAGENARIAN DISCOVERS THE SEPTUAGINT

On the tenth day of January, 2020, Septuagenarian Discovers the Septuagint.

I acknowledge the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy on the Tenth Day of January 2020. At any given place, and time, the external circumstances impacting our living conditions vary as all of us have individualistic life experiences even while sharing a common living environment.

I seek Emotional Equilibrium or Emotional Balance or Mood Balance while preparing to face challenges posed in the new year of my life. I seek Wisdom shared by Septuagint, the Greek version of the Bible known to Jesus during His lifetime. He cautions people about hardened hearts, spiritual blindness, and deafness that makes people unresponsive to human pain and suffering. I should not hope or desire to find people who have the heart to know my problems, who have eyes to see my difficulties, and who have ears to listen to my pitiable groans.

It helps me to secure my Emotional Equilibrium by knowing Septuagint, particularly, the ideas shared by Prophet Isaiah which guided Jesus during His very difficult Life Journey.

I am not surprised to find that people do not understand the pain that I reveal in my writing. I am not surprised to find that people do not perceive the hardships that I endure. I am not surprised to find that people cannot hear my voice filled with desperation.

I am not perturbed for I live among people whose hearts have become dull. At least for now, I must live without the benefit of healing promised by Jesus.

Jesus speaks of conversion that leads to healing of hearts. Time has healing power of its own. Both physical wounds and emotional injuries heal under the influence of Time. In 2020, I need to wait with patience and ask for blessings of perseverance for the healing process to manifest its results. My Redeemer lives. I live on the hope of meeting Him.

Rudra Narasimham Rebbapragada
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA 48104-4162
BHAVANAJAGAT.ORG

THE STORY ABOUT MY BAJAJ VESPA SCOOTER OF 1974. THE CHAKRATA KARMA.

THE STORY ABOUT MY BAJAJ VESPA SCOOTER OF SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE: I AM SHARING THIS PHOTO ILLEGALLY OBTAINED BY A CHINESE SPY. THE PHOTO WAS TAKEN AT CHAKRATA ON 03 JUNE, 1972 WHILE HIS HOLINESS THE 14th DALAI LAMA WAS PRESENTED A GUARD OF HONOR BY MAJOR GENERAL SUJAN SINGH UBAN, AVSM, INSPECTOR GENERAL, SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE. **THIS PHOTO IMAGE IS MY EVIDENCE ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES OF THE ENEMY AGENTS AT CHAKRATA.**

The story of my Bajaj Vespa Scooter begins in Chakrata, Uttar Pradesh (Uttaranchal) while I served in Special Frontier Force, Establishment No. 22, Vikas Regiment. I had no need for a Scooter while I worked in Chakrata. I made this purchase at Canteen Stores Department (CSD), Dehradun just a couple of months prior to my departure from Chakrata when I got posted to the Bison Division, Bolarum, Secunderabad Cantonment in December 1974.

For the first time in my life, I received the riding instructions from a military driver and rode this Bajaj Vespa Scooter on the driveway of the Establishment No. 22 Transit Camp in Dehradun. I never ventured to ride this Scooter on the streets of Dehradun.

However, my Bajaj Vespa Scooter of 1974 inherited the “KARMA” of Chakrata. In January 1974, I experienced a life threatening incident plotted by the Enemy agent while I was the Duty Medical Officer at Military Hospital Wing at Chakrata. This inheritance followed me even after I departed from Chakrata.

In 1982, I experienced a serious mishap while riding the Bajaj Vespa Scooter. In my analysis, the Scooter mishap was plotted by the Enemy agent. I initiated an action for my Self-Defense which eventually shaped my actions to relinquish my Permanent Regular Commission in the Indian Army Medical Corps and depart from India for reasons of personal safety as well as keeping my family away from danger.

**VESPA 150 Cc Scooter,1961 Model is very similar to the Bajaj Vespa I purchased in 1974.** **In my analysis, the Scooter mishap I experienced in 1982 while stationed in Secunderabad was plotted by the Enemy agent.**

From 1974, for the next ten years I used my Bajaj Vespa Scooter with the same License Plate ( very similar to the License Plate of the Jeep in the above photo image taken at Chakrata) issued by Government of Uttar Pradesh. The License Plate on my Bajaj Vespa Scooter easily reveals my connection to Uttar Pradesh if not that of Establishment No. 22 or Chakrata. In fact, I spent my time in India until January 10, 1984 without ever mentioning the name Chakrata in any of my conversations either at home or at my workplace. Just like the secrecy around the name Chakrata, I kept my Story about my Bajaj Vespa Scooter as a personal secret and I never discussed about it before with family, friends, or my military colleagues.

Canteen Stores Department (Government of India / Ministry of Defence)
**DEHRADUN**
**Address : Araghar, 61, E.C. Road.**
Uttar Pradesh, U.P. (Uttaranchal State) The Story of my Bajaj Vespa Scooter I purchased at CSD Dehradun in 1974. For the rest of my Indian Army career, from 1974 to 1984, I used the Vespa Scooter for my daily commute to work and to perform all other errands.

VESPA 125 (VNA2)
1958
Produced in two colors, grey and beige, the 1958 Vespa 125cc marked a new era. This was the first Vespa with a body which was made by the conjunction of two sheet metal halves. This type of frame had considerable advantages in terms of industrial production and from 1958 started to be used on all models. With the new design a new compact engine was also integrated.

VESPA 150 (VBA)
1961
The Vespa 150 (VBA) was presented in 1958 with a few changes. The color was similar to its predecessors (metallic blue), however the side panels were decorated with aluminum air vents and the rear light was larger and fully chromed. This model made its debut during the Olympic Games in Rome in 1960 and became a great success thanks to its elegance and functionality.

I currently have no photo images of my Bajaj Vespa Scooter. The Scooter I purchased was made in India and looks very similar to the Italian Vespa Scooter models. It had its spare wheel mounted on the back of the Pillion Seat. I don’t remember making use of the spare wheel during the ten years time I rode my Scooter. As I was in military service, I had neither the time nor the inclination to give attention to the daily maintenance of my Bajaj Vespa Scooter. Apart from the maintenance of the spark plug, the Scooter essentially provided a service without any hassles. Fortunately, I served in Units that have Vehicle Workshops and provided me with assistance to perform any of the Scooter maintenance tasks.

One of the reasons that many of the **Bajaj scooters** look like **Vespa**’s is probably due to the fact that 40 years ago **Bajaj** was allowed to build **Vespa scooters** under licence from Piaggio. It was only in the mid 1970’s that **Bajaj** split from Piaggio and started with their own designs. My Indian Bajaj Vespa Scooter is Yellow but the seats had black upholstery.

**The Story about my Bajaj Vespa Scooter. The Indian Scooter I purchased in 1974 while Bajaj Auto Company was using the Vespa Brand name owned by the Italian Company Piaggio.**

**VESPA 150 – VL 1 (1954-55)**. The Story about my Bajaj Vespa Scooter of 1974. **I resigned my Permanent Regular Commission in 1983 after I experienced a serious Scooter mishap in 1982.**

The Original Indian Vespa. The Story About my Bajaj Vespa Scooter of 1974. My Bajaj Vespa was yellow in color. Otherwise, it looked like this Blue Vespa with the License Plate on the rear end.
It is said that Rahul Bajaj adored the famous Vespa scooters made by Piaggio of Italy. He loved them so much that at the age of 22, he became the Indian licensee to produce vespa. In 1960 Bajaj, pronounced “Bah-jaaj,” obtained a manufacturing license from the Indian Government. Under licence from Piaggio, Bajaj Auto Ltd started production of vespa 150 identical to the Italian VBA 150cc model built in Italy between 1958-1960. The original factory facility in Kurla was not up to Piaggio’s standards, so a new one was built in Akurdi, near Pune in 1963, the scooters were produced entirely in India, without any parts needing to be shipped from Italy.

But on 31st March 1971 the technical collaboration with Piaggio & Co. expired and the brand name of the vehicles manufactured by the company was changed from Vespa to Bajaj from April. This followed a lengthy legal battle with Piaggio for many years.

The Indian Vespa had a 3 speed engine, round back monocoque chassis, 8″ solid wheels and had no battery. Its is also said that the metal chassis was a thicker grade than that of the Italian made ones. They had an oval speedo but from 1966 these were changed to a round speedo. Over 150,000 genuine vespa badged and licenced scooters were build by the Bajaj factory. Their chassis and engine number started with V252, V402 or V462.

Today many examples still exist on the busy road of India, testament to their build quality. Bajaj went on to manufacture very similar looking scooters for many years on under their bajaj brand with models such as Chetak, Classic, Super and Cub until 2006 when production of scooters by the company ceased. But none had the looks and styling of the original vespa !

SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE-ESTABLISHMENT No. 22. THIS SHOULDER BADGE USED BY MEMBERS OF SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE IS ALLOWED FOR PUBLIC DISPLAY. I PURCHASED MY BAJAJ VESPA SCOOTER AT COD CANTEEN, DEHRADUN WEARING THIS SHOULDER BADGE ON MY INDIAN ARMY OLIVE GREEN UNIFORM.

My Bajaj Vespa Scooter traveled with me since the time I purchased it in CSD Dehradun in 1974 after obtaining a License Plate issued by the Government of Uttar Pradesh. I rode the Scooter in Secunderabad, Hyderabad, Pune, and Ambala Cities.

**The Story about my Bajaj Vespa Scooter of 1974. I rode my Scooter in Secunderabad Cantonment and adjoining areas such as Alwal, and Hyderabad City during 1974-75 while serving in Bison Division.**

I rode my Bajaj Vespa Scooter in Secunderabad and Hyderabad from December 1974 to December 1975 while I served in the Bison Division.

**Armed Forces Medical College, Pune. I rode my Bajaj Vespa Scooter in Pune while attending Courses from December 1975 to September 1976.**

My Bajaj Vespa Scooter accompanied me to the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune where I rode it during my Advanced Training in Pediatrics Course and Medical Officers Junior Command Course (MOJC 67/76) from December 1975 until September 1976.

**The Story About My Bajaj Vespa Scooter of 1974.** **From September 1976 to December 1978 I was stationed in Ambala Cantonment serving in the First Armoured Division wearing the Black Elephant shoulder badge.**

In September 1976, I moved my family from Pune to Ambala Cantonment while I served in the Black Elephant Division until December 1978.

The Story about My Bajaj Vespa Scooter of 1974. I rode my Scooter to commute to my work and for various personal errands from December 1978 to January 1984 while my wife used my Fiat Car to commute to work and for other family trips.

The Story about my Bajaj Vespa Scooter of 1974. In 1982, as I was riding the Scooter on East Marredpally Road near Shenoy Nursing Home, I sustained facial injuries as I crashed my Scooter hitting a Telephone Pole due to rear wheel brake failure.

Heritage Fresh Supermarket on Entrenchment Road/East Marredpally Main Road, near the Shenoy Nursing Home traffic junction. In 1982, Heritage Fresh was not present. I experienced the Scooter mishap just before crossing the Shenoy traffic junction.

**The East Marredpally Main Road- The Entrenchment Road is congested with heavy vehicular flow during the morning peak hours.**

**Scooter in India is often used as a family vehicle. It is not uncommon to find children riding on Scooters without wearing any protective gear such as helmets.**

My Bajaj Vespa Scooter mishap happened in 1982 while I was taking my daughter to Saint Ann’s High School (ICSE) on Sardar Patel Road while I lived at 10-3-30, 2nd Floor, East Nehru Nagar, Secunderabad- 500 026 on a side street next to the present location of Heritage Fresh Supermarket on Entrenchment Road/East Marredpally Main Road. I went to the Army Ordnance Corps Centre Medical Inspection Room (M I Room) to attend to my Daily Morning Sick Report work and came back home to give a ride to my daughter going to her School before 8.00 A.M. While I entered East Marredpally Main Road from the side street, I recognized that the rear wheel brake of my Scooter was not working. To avoid colliding with other moving vehicles on the road, I moved to the side of the road which I has no pavement. I could not still control the speed of my Scooter and it came to a halt after I hit a Telephone Utility Pole just before reaching the East Marredpally – Tukaram Gate Road Junction near the Playfield in front of Shenoy Nursing Home.

My daughter who was not wearing any helmet survived this collision without any injury. The news about the Scooter crash reached my home quickly and my wife provided the ride to my daughter in my Fiat car to take her to the School in time.

I sustained facial injuries and a few bruises and avoided a serious head injury after colliding with the Utility Pole. The AOC Centre Commandant was informed about the Scooter mishap. I did not go back to work on that day while I treated myself at my home for the injuries. The Commandant,and his wife visited my home to wish for my speedy recovery and to share their personal concern about the Scooter mishap. As I thought that the Scooter mishap was not an accident due to mechanical failure, I kept my concerns to myself and made no attempt to either document or report my injuries to Indian Army by following the standard protocol such as the filing of Injury Report which often results in a Court of Inquiry to investigate the incident.

VESPA 50R SCOOTER, 1972 MODEL. The Story about my Bajaj Vespa Scooter. Please take a careful look at the above image. The Scooter body shows Collision Damage. In 1982, my Bajaj Vespa sustained damage at the same place as it appears in this photo image.

I will submit my analysis of the Bajaj Scooter rear wheel brake failure mishap and give reasons as to why the mishap could be interpreted as a plot by the Enemy agent and not as simple mechanical failure in my next blog post.

Rudra Narasimham Rebbapragada

Special Frontier Force-Establishment No. 22-Vikas Regiment

DECEMBER 25, 2019–THE DOCTRINE OF PREDESTINATION

THE JOY OF CHRISTMAS – THE DOCTRINE OF PREDESTINATION:

Human existence could be viewed as a game of chess. Depending upon the nature of the opponent, human existence faces challenges from several directions which may not be anticipated and man may or may not be able to escape from the danger posed to his existence.

The popular game of Chess is played on a Chessboard by two players each with 16 pieces. The game pieces have varying abilities of movement over the Chessboard. The piece identified as ‘King’ can move in all directions but can only move by one space during a given move.

**Human Existence could be viewed as a Game of Chess. If I am the player, who would be my opponent?**

**In the Game of Chess, the King moves one space in any direction.**

The object of the Game of Chess is to ‘Checkmate’ the opponent player’s King. The move that is known as ‘Checkmate’ wins the Chess game by checking the opponent’s King so that it cannot be protected. The condition of the King after such a move indicates complete defeat or that the King is dead.

**The move is known as ‘Checkmate’ – Its relevance to Human Existence**

Human Existence could be compared to the Game of Chess. A variety of physical, chemical, and biological factors constantly challenge human existence. The man learns to survive by making the necessary moves and by deploying all of his defensive mechanisms and resources. During his life’s journey, the man eventually finds himself in a position without any escape route. Just like the ‘Checkmated’ King, the man may get cornered in a situation that is beyond his control. The Chess game pieces have no ability other than the movement that is allowed by the rules of the Game. Unlike the Chess Game, the man whose existence is ‘Checkmated’, the man whose existence is undefended; the man who is not capable of making any more moves to protect his own existence, may get rescued by an ‘Uplifting Power’; and such an ‘Upward’ move is not described in the Game of Chess.

MAN vs GOD – THE JOY OF GETTING ‘CHECKMATED’:

**IN HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH ‘SURPRISED BY JOY, C.S. LEWIS DESCRIBED A GAME OF CHESS.**

Clive Staples Lewis ( 1898 – 1963 ), Oxford and Cambridge Scholar, novelist, writer of stories for children, and Literary Critic, in his Autobiographical Sketch titled ‘Surprised by Joy’ has visualized his existence as that of a ‘Divine Pursuit’. It is not the man who searches and eventually finds God. It is rather God who pursues the man throughout his life’s moves. God is the one who searches for man and not vice versa. God goes about seeking the souls that are His. If a man wanders off, God goes to the man in order to reconcile him. God’s searching for man is serious and is not ostensible. If life could be described as Man vs God Chess Game; God skillfully places the man in a position which gives no option of escape and finally God captures the man. C.S. Lewis has entitled the penultimate chapter of his Autobiography as “Checkmate”. Lewis describes God as the Divine Chess player who gradually maneuvers him into an impossible position. “All over the board, my pieces were in the most disadvantageous positions. Soon I could no longer cherish even the illusion that the initiative lay with me. My Adversary began to make His final moves.” When God is the Divine Chess player, getting ‘Checkmated’ is only a moment of great Joy. The man who is defeated, the man who is pursued, and the man who is outmaneuvered, is saved by the ‘Uplifting Power’ of Mercy, Grace, and Compassion of the Divine Chess player.

THE UPLIFTING POWER OF CHRIST:

In the New Testament Book of the Gospel according to John, in Chapter 10, Jesus has described Himself. In verse 11, He states: “I am the Good Shepherd, the Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” And He further clarifies in verses 14 and 15 by stating: “I am the Good Shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me – just as the Father knows me and I know the Father – and I lay down my life for the sheep.”

**THE BOOK OF LUKE, CHAPTER 19, VERSE 10: “FOR THE SON OF MAN CAME TO SEEK AND TO SAVE WHAT WAS LOST.”**

THE SHEPHERD AND HIS FLOCK:

As the shepherd marches ahead, the sheep of his flock follow him from behind and recognize him by the commands of his voice. In the Book of Matthew, Chapter 18, verses 12 to 14, Jesus describes the Parable of the Lost Sheep: “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.” God is not really willing that any of us should be lost. In case we choose to wander off, He is willing to search for us, find us and take us back to His Home. And after saving the lost sheep, Jesus tells about the shepherd: “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.” ( Book of Luke, Chapter 15, verses 3 – 7 ). God actually delights Himself by finding the lost among us.

THE PROBLEM OF BLACK SHEEP:

**BLACK SHEEP – WHAT IS THE PROBLEM ???**

The problem of “Black Sheep” is not about its color. The word ‘black’ reflects the discredited status of the sheep. Black Sheep means a member of a family or group regarded as not so respectable or successful as the rest. The flock rejects one of its own, and the discredited member is described as the “Black Sheep”. The Shepherd tends to His flock of sheep who recognize Him and follow Him. In the Book of John, Chapter 10, verse 9, Jesus describes Himself as the Gate of His sheep pen, and said: “If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” What happens to the “Black Sheep” who is not a member of His flock? The non-member could be described as a disbeliever. Who would rescue the “Black Sheep” that has wandered off? As a discredited member of my community and my country, the concept of “Black Sheep” and its “Uplift” is of great interest and concern to me.

**THE PROBLEM OF “BLACK SHEEP” – WOULD THE GOOD SHEPHERD LOOK FOR LOST “BLACK SHEEP”?**

Jesus assures us that He is aware of the existence of sheep that may not belong to His sheep pen. In the Book of John, Chapter 10, verse 16, He gives a sense of great hope to others who may not know Him and may not live under His protection: “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to My voice, and there shall be One flock and One Shepherd.

**JESUS WOULD ALSO FIND THE OTHER SHEEP THAT ARE NOT OF HIS SHEEP PEN. THERE SHALL BE ONE FLOCK AND ONE SHEPHERD.**

THE JOY OF CHRISTMAS:

The Joy of Christmas comes from the fact that God knows you, and He takes pleasure in finding you and He gets you back into His Protection even if you have wandered away from Him and got lost. He is aware of the sheep that are not in His sheep pen. Even the “Black Sheep” belong to His sheep pen and He would rejoice when He rescues one lost sheep. My salvation is not a matter of personal choice. I am saved because my salvation is predestined.

Rudra Narasimham Rebbapragada

BHAVANAJAGAT.ORG

WINTER SOLSTICE 2019.THE CREATION OF SEASONS

WINTER SOLSTICE DESCRIBES THE MAGIC OF CREATION. THE ROTATIONAL SPIN OF EARTH CAN BE INTERPRETED AS PURPOSIVE ACTION AS NO OTHER CELESTIAL BODY SHARES THE SAME ROTATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS.

In my analysis, the natural phenomenon called ‘Winter Solstice’ describes the Magic of Creation. I ask my readers to make the distinction between Mechanistic Actions and Purposive Actions. The natural events such as Day and Night, the changing seasons are synchronized with fundamental living functions which are always guided, sequential, goal-oriented, and purposeful events.

Winter Solstice Describes The Magic of Creation. After creating the Heaven and the Earth, God created Light.

Winter Solstice Describes The Magic of Creation. After creating Light, God separated Light from Darkness to create Day and Night.

While the Sun shines all the time, man experiences alternating periods of light and darkness and varying Seasons as if there are two worlds on the same Planet. Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere is called Summer Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. This separation of Light from Darkness is unique to planet Earth. The man has already discovered thousands of other planets. None of them share the ‘Rotational Spin’ characteristics that set Earth apart from all other heavenly objects.

Winter Solstice Describes The Magic of Creation. Winter Solstice 2018 on Friday, December 21 coincides with Full Moon.

Rudra Narasimham Rebbapragada

PUMA PUNKU DIVINE SOCIETY

https://wholeangel.com/2018/10/15/the-flat-earth-the-grand-illusion-is-the-fundamental-basis-for-human-existence/

The map below indicates the position of the Sun and areas of sunlight versus darkness at sunset today in New York City, 4:32pm EST.

Winter Solstice Describes The Magic of Creation. While living on the surface of planet Earth, the man experiences different amounts of Light and Darkness depending upon his physical location.

Winter Solstice 2018: 10 Facts About the Shortest Day of the Year

BY Jane Rose

December 20, 2018

Winter Solstice Describes The Magic of Creation. Stonehenge is aligned to the Sunset on Winter Solstice.

Matt Cardy/Getty Images

Amid the whirl of the holiday season, many are vaguely aware of the approach of the winter solstice, but how much do you really know about it? Whether you’re a fan of winter or just wish it would go away, here are 10 things to note—or even celebrate—about the solstice.

1. IT HAPPENS ON DECEMBER 21 UTC THIS YEAR.

Winter Solstice Describes The Magic of Creation.

iStock.com/buxtree

The date of the winter solstice varies from year to year and can fall anywhere between December 20 and December 23, with the 21st or 22nd being the most common dates. The reason for this is because the tropical year—the time it takes for the sun to return to the same spot relative to Earth—is different from the calendar year. The next solstice occurring on December 20 will not happen until 2080, and the next December 23 solstice will not occur until 2303.

2. IT HAPPENS AT A SPECIFIC, BRIEF MOMENT.

iStock.com/yanikap

Not only does the solstice occur on a specific day, but it also occurs at a specific time of day, corresponding to the instant the North Pole has aimed furthest away from the sun on the 23.5-degree tilt of the Earth’s axis. This is also the time when the sun shines directly over the Tropic of Capricorn. In 2017, this moment occurs at 4:28 p.m. UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). For those of us on Eastern Standard Time, the solstice will occur at 11:28 a.m. on December 21. And regardless of where you live, the solstice happens at the same moment for everyone on the planet.

3. IT MARKS THE LONGEST NIGHT AND SHORTEST DAY OF THE YEAR FOR THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE.

iStock.com/rmbarricarte

As most are keenly aware, daylight hours grow shorter and shorter as the solstice approaches, and begin to slowly lengthen afterward. It’s no wonder that the day of the solstice is referred to in some cultures as the “shortest day” or “extreme of winter.” New York City will experience 9 hours and 15 minutes of sunlight, compared to 15 hours and 5 minutes on the summer solstice. Helsinki, Finland, will get 5 hours and 49 minutes of light. Barrow, Alaska, will not have a sunrise at all (and hasn’t since mid-November; its next sunrise will be on January 22), while the North Pole has had no sunrise since October. The South Pole, though, will be basking in the glow of the midnight sun, which won’t set until March.

4. ANCIENT CULTURES VIEWED THE WINTER SOLSTICE AS A TIME OF DEATH AND REBIRTH.

iStock.com/Eerik

The seeming death of the light and the very real threat of starvation over the winter months would have weighed heavily on early societies, who held varied solstice celebrations and rites meant to herald the return of the Sun and hope for a new life. Scandinavian and Germanic pagans lit fires and may have burned Yule logs as a symbolic means of welcoming back the light. Cattle and other animals were slaughtered around midwinter, followed by feasting on what was the last fresh meat for several months. The modern Druidic celebration Alban Arthan reveres the death of the Old Sun and the birth of the New Sun.

5. THE DAY MARKS THE DISCOVERY OF NEW AND STRANGE WORLDS.

Hulton Archive/Getty Images

The Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth on December 21, 1620, to found a society that would allow them to worship freely. On the same day in 1898, Pierre and Marie Curie discovered radium, ushering in an atomic age. And on December 21, 1968, the Apollo 8 spacecraft launched, becoming the first manned moon mission.

6. THE WORD SOLSTICE TRANSLATES ROUGHLY TO “SUN STANDS STILL.”

iStock.com/a_Taiga

Solstice derives from the Latin scientific term solstitium, containing sol, which means “sun,” and the past participle stem of sistere, meaning “to make stand.” This comes from the fact that the sun’s position in the sky relative to the horizon at noon, which increases and decreases throughout the year, appears to pause in the days surrounding the solstice. In modern times, we view the phenomenon of the solstice from the position of space, and of the Earth relative to the Sun. Earlier people, however, were thinking about the Sun’s trajectory, how long it stayed in the sky and what sort of light it cast.

7. STONEHENGE IS ALIGNED TO THE SUNSET ON WINTER SOLSTICE.

iStock.com/jessicaphoto

The primary axis of the megalithic monument is oriented to the setting sun, while Newgrange, another structure built around the same time as Stonehenge, lines up with the winter solstice sunrise. Some have theorized that the position of the Sun was of religious significance to the people who built Stonehenge, while other theories hold that the monument is constructed along with natural features that happen to align with it. The purpose of Stonehenge is still subject to debate, but its importance on the winter solstice continues into the modern era, as thousands of hippies, pagans, and other types of enthusiasts gather there every year to celebrate the occasion.

8. ANCIENT ROMANS CELEBRATED REVERSALS AT THE MIDWINTER FESTIVAL OF SATURNALIA.

A Saturnalia celebration in England in 2012.

Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

The holiday, which began as a festival to honor the agricultural god Saturn, was held to commemorate the dedication of his temple in 497 BCE. It quickly became a time of widespread revelry and debauchery in which societal roles were overturned, with masters serving their slaves and servants being allowed to insult their masters. Mask-wearing and play-acting were also part of Saturnalia’s reversals, with each household electing a King of Misrule. Saturnalia was gradually replaced by Christmas throughout the Roman Empire, but many of its customs survive as Christmas traditions.

9. SOME TRADITIONS HOLD THAT DARK SPIRITS WALK THE EARTH ON THE WINTER SOLSTICE.

iStock.com/Serjio74

The Iranian festival of Yalda is celebrated on the longest night of the year. In pre-Islamic times, it heralded the birth of Mithra, the ancient sun god, and his triumph over darkness. Zoroastrian lore holds that evil spirits wander the earth and the forces of the destructive spirit Ahriman is strongest on this long night. People are encouraged to stay up most of the night in the company of one another, eating, talking, and sharing poetry and stories, in order to avoid any brushes with dark entities. Beliefs about the presence of evil on the longest night are also echoed in Celtic and Germanic folklore.

10. SOME THOUGHT THE WORLD WOULD END ON THE 2012 WINTER SOLSTICE.

iStock.com/Delpixart

December 21, 2012, corresponds to the date 13.0.0.0.0 in the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar used by the ancient Mayans, marking the end of a 5126-year cycle. Some people feared this juncture would bring about the end of the world or some other cataclysmic event. Others took a newer Age-y view (literally) and believed it heralded the birth of a new era of deep transformation for Earth and its inhabitants. In the end, neither of these things appeared to occur, leaving the world to turn through winter solstices indefinitely, or at least as long as the Sun lasts.

A version of this story originally ran in 2015.

DECEMBER 19, 1998. PRESIDENT CLINTON IMPEACHED FOR THE WRONG REASONS

December 19, 1998. President Clinton was impeached for the wrong reasons.

On December 19, 1998, President Bill Clinton was impeached for the wrong reasons. In my analysis, President Clinton deserves to be impeached for invoking ‘The Clinton Curse’ upon this nation by enacting the Public Law 104 – 193, ‘The New Beginning’ that reintroduced Slavery in the name of reforming Welfare Rules and Regulations. President Clinton deserves to be impeached for enacting the Slavery Law of 1996 also known as PRWORA.

Rudra Narasimham Rebbapragada

Special Frontier Force-Establishment No. 22-Vikas Regiment

THE CLINTON CURSE. THE RETURN OF ORIGINAL SIN. THE UNITED STATES IS CURSED TO RUN ITS GOVERNMENT WITH BORROWINGS FROM FOREIGN NATIONS.

President Clinton impeached

After nearly 14 hours of debate, the House of Representatives approves two articles of impeachment against President Bill Clinton, charging him with lying under oath to a federal grand jury and obstructing justice. Clinton, the second president in American history to be impeached, vowed to finish his term.

In November 1995, Clinton began an affair with Monica Lewinsky, a 21-year-old unpaid intern. Over the course of a year and a half, the president and Lewinsky had nearly a dozen sexual encounters in the White House. In April 1996, Lewinsky was transferred to the Pentagon. That summer, she first confided in Pentagon co-worker Linda Tripp about her sexual relationship with the president. In 1997, with the relationship over, Tripp began secretly to record conversations with Lewinsky, in which Lewinsky gave Tripp details about the affair.

In December, lawyers for Paula Jones, who was suing the president on sexual harassment charges, subpoenaed Lewinsky. In January 1998, allegedly under the recommendation of the president, Lewinsky filed an affidavit in which she denied ever having had a sexual relationship with him. Five days later, Tripp contacted the office of Kenneth Starr, the Whitewater independent counsel, to talk about Lewinsky and the tapes she made of their conversations. Tripp, wired by FBI agents working with Starr, met with Lewinsky again, and on January 16, Lewinsky was taken by FBI agents and U.S. attorneys to a hotel room where she was questioned and offered immunity if she cooperated with the prosecution. A few days later, the story broke, and Clinton publicly denied the allegations, saying, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky.”

In late July, lawyers for Lewinsky and Starr worked out a full-immunity agreement covering both Lewinsky and her parents, all of whom Starr had threatened with prosecution. On August 6, Lewinsky appeared before the grand jury to begin her testimony, and on August 17 President Clinton testified. Contrary to his testimony in the Paula Jones sexual-harassment case, President Clinton acknowledged to prosecutors from the office of the independent counsel that he had had an extramarital affair with Ms. Lewinsky.

In four hours of closed-door testimony, conducted in the Map Room of the White House, Clinton spoke live via closed-circuit television to a grand jury in a nearby federal courthouse. He was the first sitting president ever to testify before a grand jury investigating his conduct. That evening, President Clinton also gave a four-minute televised address to the nation in which he admitted he had engaged in an inappropriate relationship with Lewinsky. In the brief speech, which was wrought with legalisms, the word “sex” was never spoken, and the word “regret” was used only in reference to his admission that he misled the public and his family.

Less than a month later, on September 9, Kenneth Starr submitted his report and 18 boxes of supporting documents to the House of Representatives. Released to the public two days later, the Starr Report outlined a case for impeaching Clinton on 11 grounds, including perjury, obstruction of justice, witness-tampering, and abuse of power, and also provided explicit details of the sexual relationship between the president and Ms. Lewinsky. On October 8, the House authorized a wide-ranging impeachment inquiry, and on December 11, the House Judiciary Committee approved three articles of impeachment. On December 19, the House impeached Clinton.

On January 7, 1999, in a congressional procedure not seen since the 1868 impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson, the trial of President Clinton got underway in the Senate. As instructed in Article 1 of the U.S. Constitution, the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (William Rehnquist at this time) was sworn in to preside, and the senators were sworn in as jurors.

Five weeks later, on February 12, the Senate voted on whether to remove Clinton from office. The president was acquitted on both articles of impeachment. The prosecution needed a two-thirds majority to convict but failed to achieve even a bare majority. Rejecting the first charge of perjury, 45 Democrats and 10 Republicans voted “not guilty,” and on the charge of obstruction of justice, the Senate was split 50-50. After the trial concluded, President Clinton said he was “profoundly sorry” for the burden his behavior imposed on Congress and the American people.

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/president-clinton-impeached

December 19, 1998. President Clinton was impeached for the wrong reasons. US Congress Slave Driver. Repeal PRWORA. Safeguard 13th Amendment Rights.

TIBETAN NATIONAL IDENTITY IS DEFINED BY MOTHER NATURE

In my analysis, the Tibetan National Identity is defined by Mother Nature and not by mere interpretation of the history of its people or by the history of foreign dynasties that conquered Tibet.

I ask my readers to give attention to the Natural Factors, Natural Conditions, Natural Causes, and Natural Mechanisms that work together to generate the experience unique to the Tibetan Nation.

Adventurers call Tibet’s Yarlung Tsangpo the “Everest of Rivers” for good reason. Stretches of it are some of the least-explored places in the world, and tales of failed expeditions abound. With headwaters in western Tibet near Mount Kailash, the river has the highest average elevation—4,000 meters (13,000 feet)—of any major river in the world.

For much of the river’s 3,000 kilometers (1,800 miles) course, it flows east through open valleys on the Tibetan Plateau. But at the eastern end of the Himalayas in southeastern Tibet, the river bends sharply, rushes through one of the most dramatic gorges in the world, and descends to the lowlands of the Ganges Delta.

The Yarlung Tsangpo gorge is defined by superlatives. Carved into granitic bedrock, it reaches more than 5,300 meters (17,000 feet) from top to bottom in some places, making it three times deeper than the Grand Canyon. It’s also one of the world’s longest canyons, stretching more than 500 kilometers (300 miles).

The first image above shows one of the most inaccessible and rugged sections, a part near the canyon entrance where the river passes between two major peaks: the 7,782-meter (25,446-foot) Namcha Barwa and the 7,294-meter (23,462-foot) Gyala Peri.

The first image above is a composite, draping a false-color view from February 25, 2004, over a three-dimensional model of the area. The images and stereoscopic data behind the model were acquired by the Advanced Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA’s Terra spacecraft. Vegetated areas range in color from red to pink; snow is white; water is black, and bare rock is earth-toned.