BREAST CANCER (Cancer Basics)

Cancer Basics

What is cancer?

• All living things - ourselves included - are made up of cells. Cells are microscopic packages of living material and we have billions of them. They come in many different types: liver cells, brain cells, blood cells and so on. In the normal adult, cells only grow and divide slowly and under very tight control to make sure that the number of cells in each tissue stays the same. Cancer begins when one cells changes and starts growing and dividing rapidly and out of control. This one cells divides to give two cells, then four, eight and so on until they form growing mass of cancer cells - called a tumour.


What do malignant and benign mean?


• In some tumours, the cells stay in the same place and as the tumour stops growing before it gets very large - often because it simply runs out space to grow. These are called benign tumours and they are not normally dangerous. We all have benign tumours, such as moles and warts. However, in other tumours the cells are able to invade the surrounding tissue and spread into nearby organs where they can cause serious and, eventually, fatal damage. These are called malignant tumours.


What is metastasis?

• In many malignant tumours, as the cells spread, they come across blood vessels. If they actually spread into the blood vessel, they get carried around the body and eventually get stuck in a smaller blood vessel in another part of the body. Here they begin to divide and grow again eventually forming a new tumour. These are called secondary tumours or metastases. This process of cancers spreading around the body is called metastasis.


Do genes cause cancer?

• Every cell carries a set of coded instructions for every activity or function that it can perform. Different genes are active in different cells, which is why a brain cell carries out many different activities from muscle cell. Genes also carry the coded instructions for basic functions of the cell such as the way cells grow and divide. The growth and division of normal cells is tightly controlled by the activity of certain genes. However, when these genes are faulty or when they mechanisms controlling the activity of these genes is damaged, it can cause the growth and division of the cells to go out of control - in other words, the become cancerous. Genes themselves do not cause cancer. When they function normally, genes prevent cancer. However, it is when some genes become damaged that they can malfunction and cause cancer.


Can you inherit cancer?

• Cancer itself cannot be inherited, but some people do inherit a higher risk of getting cancer. This is because they inherit, from their parents, a slightly damaged version of one of the genes involved in controlling cell division. On its own, this damaged gene is not enough to make cells cancerous. Normally, two or three different genes have to be damaged before a cell will become cancerous. That is why so very few of the billions of cells in our body ever become cancerous. However, if someone starts out with every cell in their body carrying damage in one of these genes, the chance of a cell getting the other types of gene damage and becoming cancerous is much higher. Some of these inherited damaged genes have been identified, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2 which increase the risk of getting breast cancer by five to seven times.


Do tumours need a blood supply?

• A tumour usually starts with a single cancerous cell that begins growing and dividing. The resulting mass of cancer cells soon gets large enough to need a new blood supply to provide oxygen and nutrients and to remove waste products. Without a blood supply, the cells in the middle of the tumour will die off. In fact, tumours without a blood supply are unable to grow more that about one millimetre across. As soon as they start growing, tumours release small, hormone-like molecules that cause nearby blood vessels to start growing towards the tumour until they actually form a new branch supplying the tumour with blood.

Understanding Breast Cancer

In this section, you can learn about how breast cancer develops, how many people get breast cancer, and what factors can increase risk for getting breast cancer. You also can learn more about signs and symptoms to watch for and how to manage any fears you may have about breast cancer.

What Is Breast Cancer?

Breast cancer is an uncontrolled growth of breast cells. To better understand breast cancer, it helps to understand how any cancer can develop.

Cancer occurs as a result of mutations, or abnormal changes, in the genes responsible for regulating the growth of cells and keeping them healthy. The genes are in each cell’s nucleus, which acts as the “control room” of each cell. Normally, the cells in our bodies replace themselves through an orderly process of cell growth: healthy new cells take over as old ones die out. But over time, mutations can “turn on” certain genes and “turn off” others in a cell. That changed cell gains the ability to keep dividing without control or order, producing more cells just like it and forming a tumor.

A tumor can be benign (not dangerous to health) or malignant (has the potential to be dangerous). Benign tumors are not considered cancerous: their cells are close to normal in appearance, they grow slowly, and they do not invade nearby tissues or spread to other parts of the body. Malignant tumors are cancerous. Left unchecked, malignant cells eventually can spread beyond the original tumor to other parts of the body.

The term “breast cancer” refers to a malignant tumor that has developed from cells in the breast. Usually breast cancer either begins in the cells of the lobules, which are the milk-producing glands, or the ducts, the passages that drain milk from the lobules to the nipple. Less commonly, breast cancer can begin in the stromal tissues, which include the fatty and fibrous connective tissues of the breast.

Over time, cancer cells can invade nearby healthy breast tissue and make their way into the underarm lymph nodes, small organs that filter out foreign substances in the body. If cancer cells get into the lymph nodes, they then have a pathway into other parts of the body. The breast cancer’s stage refers to how far the cancer cells have spread beyond the original tumor (seeStages of Breast Cancer tablefor more information).

Breast cancer is always caused by a genetic abnormality (a “mistake” in the genetic material). However, only 5-10% of cancers are due to an abnormality inherited from your mother or father. About 90% of breast cancers are due to genetic abnormalities that happen as a result of the aging process and the “wear and tear” of life in general.

While there are steps every person can take to help the body stay as healthy as possible (such as eating a balanced diet, not smoking, limiting alcohol, and exercising regularly), breast cancer is never anyone's fault. Feeling guilty, or telling yourself that breast cancer happened because of something you or anyone else did, is not productive.

Stages of Breast Cancer

Stage	Definition
Stage 0	Cancer cells remain inside the breast duct, without invasion into normal adjacent breast tissue.
Stage I	Cancer is 2 centimeters or less and is confined to the breast (lymph nodes are clear).
Stage IIA	No tumor can be found in the breast, but cancer cells are found in the axillary lymph nodes (the lymph nodes under the arm) OR the tumor measures 2 centimeters or smaller and has spread to the axillary lymph nodes OR the tumor is larger than 2 but no larger than 5 centimeters and has not spread to the axillary lymph nodes.
Stage IIB	The tumor is larger than 2 but no larger than 5 centimeters and has spread to the axillary lymph nodes OR the tumor is larger than 5 centimeters but has not spread to the axillary lymph nodes.
Stage IIIA	No tumor is found in the breast. Cancer is found in axillary lymph nodes that are sticking together or to other structures, or cancer may be found in lymph nodes near the breastbone OR the tumor is any size. Cancer has spread to the axillary lymph nodes, which are sticking together or to other structures, or cancer may be found in lymph nodes near the breastbone.
Stage IIIB	The tumor may be any size and has spread to the chest wall and/or skin of the breast AND may have spread to axillary lymph nodes that are clumped together or sticking to other structures, or cancer may have spread to lymph nodes near the breastbone. Inflammatory breast cancer is considered at least stage IIIB.
Stage IIIC	There may either be no sign of cancer in the breast or a tumor may be any size and may have spread to the chest wall and/or the skin of the breast AND the cancer has spread to lymph nodes either above or below the collarbone AND the cancer may have spread to axillary lymph nodes or to lymph nodes near the breastbone.
Stage IV	The cancer has spread — or metastasized — to other parts of the body.

Symptoms of Breast Cancer

Initially, breast cancer may not cause any symptoms. A lump may be too small for you to feel or to cause any unusual changes you can notice on your own. Often, an abnormal area turns up on a screening mammogram (x-ray of the breast), which leads to further testing.

In some cases, however, the first sign of breast cancer is a new lump or mass in the breast that you or your doctor can feel. A lump that is painless, hard, and has uneven edges is more likely to be cancer. But sometimes cancers can be tender, soft, and rounded. So it's important to have anything unusual checked by your doctor.

According to the American Cancer Society, any of the following unusual changes in the breast can be a symptom of breast cancer:

• swelling of all or part of the breast


• skin irritation or dimpling


• breast pain


• nipple pain or the nipple turning inward


• redness, scaliness, or thickening of the nipple or breast skin


• a nipple discharge other than breast milk


• a lump in the underarm area

These changes also can be signs of less serious conditions that are not cancerous, such as an infection or a cyst. It’s important to get any breast changes checked out promptly by a doctor.

Breast Cancer Risk and Risk Factors

By now you may be familiar with the statistic that says 1 in 8 women will develop invasive breast cancer. Many people misinterpret this to mean that, on any given day, they and the women they know have a 1-in-8 risk of developing the disease. That’s simply not true.

In reality, about 1 in 8 women in the United States — 12%, or about 12 out of every 100 — can expect to develop breast cancer over the course of an entire lifetime. In the U.S., an average lifetime is about 80 years. So, it’s more accurate to say that 1 in 8 women in the U.S. who reach the age of 80 can expect to develop breast cancer. In each decade of life, the risk of getting breast cancer is actually lower than 12% for most women.

People tend to have very different ways of viewing risk. For you, a 1-in-8 lifetime risk may seem like a high likelihood of getting breast cancer. Or you may turn this around and reason that there is a 7-in-8, or 87.5%, chance you will never get breast cancer, even if you live to age 80. How you view risk often depends on your individual situation — for example, whether you or many women you know have had breast cancer, or you have reason to believe you are at higher-than-normal risk for the disease — and your usual way of looking at the world.

Even though studies have found that women have a 12% lifetime risk of developing breast cancer, your individual risk may be higher or lower than that. Individual risk is affected by many different factors, such as family history, reproductive history, lifestyle, environment, and others.

This section is designed to help you better understand breast cancer risk and some of the factors that can increase risk.

Managing Breast Cancer Fears

So many women you know may have had breast cancer — friends and neighbors, coworkers, relatives. It seems as if every time you turn around, breast cancer is being talked about in the newspaper or on TV. You may be fearful of developing breast cancer for the first time or of receiving a diagnosis after a mammogram or other testing. If you’ve had breast cancer, you may be fearful of a possible recurrence or even of the possibility that breast cancer could take your life.

Even though you may have some of these fears, you are not necessarily going to get breast cancer. If you have had breast cancer before, it doesn’t mean that the cancer will recur. Still, it's normal to have concerns about a disease that you hear about and see around you relatively often — and that you may have experienced yourself or through a loved one.

Breast Self-Exams

It was once widely recommended that women check their own breasts once a month. But studies suggest these breast self-exams play a very small role in finding cancer. The current thinking is that it's more important to know your breasts and be aware of any changes, rather than checking them on a regular schedule. If you want to do breast self-exams, be sure to go over the technique with your doctor.

Breast Ultrasound and MRI

Besides a mammogram, your doctor may order additional imaging with breast ultrasound. An ultrasound can help determine the presence of cysts, fluid-filled sacs that are not cancer. An MRI may be recommended along with a mammogram for routine screening in certain women who have a higher risk of breast cancer.

What If You Find a Lump?

First, don't panic. Eighty percent of breast lumps are not cancerous. Lumps often turn out to be harmless cysts or tissue changes related to your menstrual cycle. But you should let your doctor know right away if you find anything unusual in your breast. If it is cancer, the earlier it's found the better. And if it's not, testing can give you peace of mind.

Breast Biopsy

The only sure way to determine whether a lump is cancer is to do a biopsy. This involves taking a tissue sample for further examination in the lab, sometimes through a small needle. Sometimes surgery is done to take part of or the entire lump for testing. The results will show whether the lump is cancer, and if so, what type. There are several forms of breast cancer, and treatments are carefully matched to the type of cancer.

Hormone-Sensitive Breast Cancer

Some types of breast cancer are fueled by the hormones estrogen or progesterone. A biopsy can reveal whether a tumor has receptors for estrogen (ER-positive) and/or progesterone (PR-positive). About two out of three breast cancers are hormone sensitive. There are several medications that keep the hormones from promoting further cancer growth.

The image shows a molecular model of an estrogen receptor.

HER2-Positive Breast Cancer

In about 20% of patients, breast cancer cells have too many receptors for a protein called HER2. This type of cancer is known as HER2-positive, and it tends to spread faster than other forms of breast cancer. It's important to determine whether a tumor is HER2-positive, because there are special treatments for this form of cancer.

Breast Cancer Stages

Once breast cancer has been diagnosed, the next step is to determine how big the tumor is and how far the cancer has spread. This process is called staging. Doctors use Stages 0-4 to describe whether cancer is localized to the breast, has invaded nearby lymph nodes, or has spread to other organs, such as the lungs. Knowing the stage and type of breast cancer will help your health care team formulate a treatment strategy.

Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer

Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells. It may be used after breast cancer surgery to wipe out any cancer cells that remain. It can also be used along with chemotherapy for treatment of cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. Side effects can include fatigue and swelling or a sunburn-like feeling in the treated area.

Hormone Therapy for Breast Cancer

Hormone therapy is an effective treatment for women with ER-positive or PR-positive breast cancer. These are cancers that grow more rapidly in response to the hormones estrogen or progesterone. Hormone therapy can block this effect. It is most often used after breast cancer surgery to help keep the cancer from coming back. It may also be used to reduce the chance of breast cancer developing in women who are at high risk.

Targeted Drugs for Breast Cancer

Targeted therapies are newer drugs that target specific properties within cancer cells. For example, women with HER2-positive breast cancer have too much of a protein called HER2. Targeted therapies can stop this protein from promoting the growth of cancer cells. These drugs are often used in combination with chemotherapy. They tend to have milder side effects compared to chemotherapy.

Life After Diagnosis

There's no doubt that cancer is a life-changing experience. The treatments can wear you out. You may have trouble managing daily chores, work, or social outings. This can lead to feelings of isolation. It's crucial to reach out to friends and family for support. They may be able to go with you to treatments, help out with chores, or just remind you that you are not alone. Many people choose to join a support group -- either locally or online.

Breast Cancer Treatment

Surgery is the mainstay of therapy for breast cancer. The choice of which type of surgery is based on a number of factors, including the size and location of the tumor, the type of tumor and the person's overall health and personal wishes. Breast-sparing surgery is often possible.

The cancer is staged, using the information from surgery and from other tests. Staging is a classification that reflects the extent and spread of a tumor and has an impact on treatment decisions and also the prognosis for recovery.

• Staging in breast cancer is based on the size of the tumor, which parts of the breast are involved, how many and which lymph nodes are affected, and whether the cancer has metastasized to another part of the body.


• Cancers may be referred to as invasive if they have spread to other tissues. Those that do not spread to other tissues are called noninvasive. Carcinoma in situ is a noninvasive cancer.

Breast cancer is staged from 0 to IV.

• Stage 0 is noninvasive breast cancer, that is, carcinoma in situ with no affected lymph nodes or metastasis. This is the most favorable stage of breast cancer.


• Stage I is breast cancer that is less than 2 cm (3/4 in) in diameter and has not spread from the breast.


• Stage II is breast cancer that is fairly small in size but has spread to lymph nodes in the armpit OR cancer that is somewhat larger but has not spread to the lymph nodes.


• Stage III is breast cancer of a larger size, greater than 5 cm (2 in), with greaterlymph node involvement, or of the inflammatory type.


• Stage IV is metastatic breast cancer: a tumor of any size or type that has metastasized to another part of the body. This is the least favorable stage.

Treatment is based on many factors, including:

• Type and stage of the cancer


• Whether the cancer is sensitive to certain hormones


• Whether the cancer overproduces (overexpresses) a gene called HER2/neu

In general, cancer treatments may include:

• Chemotherapy medicines to kill cancer cells


• Radiation therapy to destroy cancerous tissue


• Surgery to remove cancerous tissue -- a lumpectomy removes the breast lump; mastectomy removes all or part of the breast and possible nearby structures

Hormonal therapy is prescribed to women with ER-positive breast cancer to block certain hormones that fuel cancer growth.

• An example of hormonal therapy is the drug tamoxifen. This drug blocks the effects of estrogen, which can help breast cancer cells survive and grow. Most women with estrogen-sensitive breast cancer benefit from this drug.


• Another class of hormonal therapy medicines called aromatase inhibitors, such as exemestane (Aromasin), have been shown to work just as well or even better than tamoxifen in postmenopausal women with breast cancer. Aromatase inhibitors blockestrogen from being made.

Targeted therapy, also called biologic therapy, is a newer type of cancer treatment. This therapy uses special anticancer drugs that target certain changes in a cell that can lead to cancer. One such drug is trastuzumab (Herceptin). It may be used for women with HER2-positive breast cancer.

Cancer treatment may be local or systemic.

• Local treatments involve only the area of disease. Radiation and surgery are forms of local treatment.


• Systemic treatments affect the entire body. Chemotherapy is a type of systemic treatment.

Most women receive a combination of treatments. For women with stage I, II, or III breast cancer, the main goal is to treat the cancer and prevent it from returning (curing). For women with stage IV cancer, the goal is to improve symptoms and help them live longer. In most cases, stage IV breast cancer cannot be cured.

Prevention

The most important risk factors for the development of breast cancer are sex, age, andgenetics. Because women can do nothing about these risks, regular screening is recommended in order to allow early detection and thus prevent death from breast cancer.

Regular screening includes breast self-examination, clinical breast examination, and mammography.

Breast self-examination (BSE) is cheap and easy. Routine monthly examination may be helpful. Previously considered critical, more recent studies suggest that self breast exam may be less valuable than previously thought, especially for women who are having routine clinical breast examination and/or mammography.

• For women who are menstruating, the best time for examination is immediately after the monthly period.
• For women who are not menstruating or whose periods are extremely irregular, picking a certain date each month seems to work best.
• Instruction in the technique of breast self-examination can be obtained from your health-care provider or from any one of several organizations interested in breast cancer.

Clinical breast examination: The American Cancer Society recommends a breast examination by a trained health-care provider once every three years starting at age 20 years, and then yearly after age 40 years.

Mammograms are recommended every one to two years starting at age 40 years. For women at high risk for the development of breast cancer, mammogram screening may start earlier, generally 10 years prior to the age at which the youngest close relative developed breast cancer.

Obesity after menopause and excessive alcohol intake may increase the risk of breast cancer slightly. Physically active women may have a lower risk. All women are encouraged to maintain normal body weight, especially after menopause and to limit excess alcohol intake. Hormone replacement should be limited in duration if it is medically required.

In women who are genetically at high risk for the development of breast cancer, tamoxifen has been shown to significantly decrease the incidence of the disease. Side effects should be carefully discussed with your health-care provider prior to embarking on therapy. A second drug, raloxifene (Evista), which is now being used for the treatment of osteoporosis, also blocks the effects of estrogen and appears to prevent breast cancer. Initial studies showed that both tamoxifen and raloxifene were able to reduce the risk of invasive breast cancer, but raloxifene did not have this protective effect against noninvasive cancer. Studies are ongoing to further characterize the effectiveness and indications for use of raloxifene as a breast cancer preventive drug.

Occasionally, a woman at very high risk for development of breast cancer will decide to have a preventive or prophylactic mastectomy to avoid developing breast cancer. Additionally, removal of the ovaries has shown to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer in women who have the BRCA1 mutation and who have their ovaries surgically removed before they reach age 40.

There is still little agreement about whether lifestyle changes can prevent breast cancer. The best advice is to eat a well-balanced diet and avoid focusing on one "cancer-fighting" food. The American Cancer Society's dietary guidelines for cancer prevention recommend that people:

• Choose foods and portion sizes that promote a healthy weight


• Choose whole grains instead of refined grain products


• Eat 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day


• Limit processed and red meat in the diet


• Limit alcohol consumption to one drink per day (women who are at high risk for breast cancer should consider not drinking alcohol at all

https://www.breastcancer.org

Home Sweet Home

“The tongue and its taste are the husband and wife, the teeth are the relatives, and the mouth is the beautiful home. Lord Shiva’s cherished syllables [Ra + ma] are the children, and natural love for them is the wealth, says Tulsi.” (Dohavali, 24)
daṃpati rasa rasana parijana badana sugeha |
tulasī hara hita barana sisu saṃpati sahaja saneha ||
The key ingredients to a stable and secure existence are herein listed by Tulsidas, with the one exception being that no physical dwelling, outside association, or effort is needed to secure this wonderful lifestyle of peace and prosperity. After working very hard to educate oneself, the stable family life, full of the essential enjoyments, serves as the greatest comfort. Yet this lifestyle isn’t secured without much effort, pain and constant worry. Moreover, at the time of death, we must part company with the attachments and physical possessions. We can’t take our family relationships with us after death, only our consciousness. Therefore if the same ingredients that go into forming the happy home can be erected more easily and lead to a shift in consciousness, the greatest future benefit can be had.
The Bhagavad-gita, the Song of God and arguably the most widely read treatise on spirituality in the history of civilization, reveals information well-known to followers of the Vedic tradition since time immemorial. Religion connotes an element of faith, wherein allegiance to a particular doctrine or spiritual personality is required for gaining a future condition that is deemed better than the one currently experienced. With sanatana-dharma, however, the essence of spirituality is presented in such a way that its properties can never change. Religion can change on a whim based on the belief system subscribed to by the follower, but with dharma, the characteristics of spirit and matter remain constant, though the acknowledgment of these features may not always be present. Gravity will apply on all objects when they are dropped, regardless of whether the person releasing the object is cognizant of the predictable outcome. In a similar manner, the eternality of spirit and its inherent relationship to the spiritual realm are inseparable from every individual spiritual entity. Differences are only present in acknowledgment and action. Therefore sanatana-dharma is the true system of spirituality that should be followed by every person spanning every time period of the earth’s existence.
The Bhagavad-gita provides the most concise review of sanatana-dharma, with topics like material nature, the nature of fruitive work, the properties of matter and spirit, the Supreme Person, and the actions necessary for rekindling the relationship to Him discussed within. “We get what we want”, is the broadest generalization that can be formed off of the teachings presented by Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in the Gita. We are spirit souls identified not by our bodies but by our relationship to the Supreme Soul, who is more commonly referred to as God. At the time of death, depending on the nature of our hankerings and the results of the work we have performed, a new specific body is crafted. The consciousness is developed off of the subtle elements of mind, intelligence and ego, which subsequently accompany the soul to the next dwelling. Since consciousness is the most important factor in determining future fortunes of the macro level, the temporary gains and setbacks of material life become of secondary importance.
But because life in a temporary realm is so fearful and ignorance envelops the soul at the time of birth, karma and the scientific basis for reincarnation go ignored or, worse, completely rejected as being sectarian beliefs or part of a mythological tradition. In lieu of a spiritually situated consciousness, aims shift towards material acquisition. Under this model, the goal is to procure a lifestyle that is never short of enjoyments. For the security of steady enjoyment to be present, key ingredients are needed, all of which are mentioned in the above referenced verse from the Dohavali of Tulsidas.

“Merely a house is not a home, for it is a wife who gives a home its meaning. If one lives at home with his wife, together they can fulfill all the interests of human life.” (Lord Chaitanya, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Adi 15.27)

Lord Chaitanya, the preacher incarnation of Godhead appearing on earth some five hundred years ago, accurately remarked that the wife makes the home. Though some may take this as a sexist statement, if we remove all acquired prejudices, we can see that His assertion is most certainly true. Evidence of this can be seen in the lifestyle of the typical bachelor. Go to an unmarried man’s apartment or home and you will likely find a refrigerator stocked only with beer, soda and bare essentials. The place is also likely a mess, with minimal furniture and almost no attention paid to aesthetic detail. Take that same person after they get married and you’ll notice that their home is much more organized, with plush couches, carefully arranged decorations, and a fridge full of so much food that much of it will go bad because of not being eaten.
The marriage is seen as the source of steady material enjoyment because with it comes security in the form of a life partner. The institution of marriage comes from the varnashrama-dharma system of societal maintenance emanating from sanatana-dharma itself. In the householder stage of life, which is known as the grihastha ashrama, the husband and wife work together towards understanding God and being fully conscious of Him at the time of death. To further this end the couple is also responsible for giving in charity, feeding the Supreme Lord through offering prasadam, and graciously welcoming guests to the home.
But even when spirituality is lacking, the life partner in the form of a husband or wife is considered a great sign of security and wealth. Indeed, parents are the happiest when they can get their adult-aged children married off, for a great burden gets lifted when a partner is there to ensure the well-being of the now grown up child. With a devoted husband or wife, the individual can survive in tough situations. If they need to move, the spouse will come with them and offer support. Even if there is financial distress or sudden hardship, another person is there to help soften the blow.
After securing a life partner, the focus shifts to enjoying the company of relatives and friends. While it’s nice to spend time with your spouse regularly, it’s sometimes more enjoyable to have friends and relatives around, especially other couples who are married. The newly married couple desperately seeks a “go to couple” to hang out with on a weekend or to go on vacations with. Just as the spouse maintains security and gives protection from loneliness, the relatives serve as instant friends that share common interests and concerns.
What good are a spouse and relatives if there is no home to host them in? Thus in addition to getting married and having ample relatives around to spend time with, a nice home is required for the grihasthis. The home is tied to land, so if some nice property can be acquired, a home can be built. Even buying a prebuilt home is not an easy task, as every nuance must be considered at the beginning. The couple needs the proper number of rooms, a safe neighborhood, a strategic geographic location relating to retail stores and distance from work, and also a low cost of ownership. As they say, “home is where the heart is”, so after getting married, the home becomes the central point of focus, the field of activity that hosts the desired enjoyments in life.
Obviously the next step is having children. What is the use of getting married and having a home if you can’t have beautiful children running around bringing you tremendous delight with their childish sports? With the home secured, a spouse to help you in your child rearing, and relatives around to act as friends, the children are the next step to completing the puzzle. To maintain these key ingredients of a happy lifestyle, wealth is required. Therefore a nice job must be found, one that provides enough income to maintain everything at a satisfactory level.
While such possessions and relationships serve as sources of tremendous joy, they are not easy to acquire or maintain. Finding a proper match for a spouse is very difficult, especially in the modern age where most contact between men and women occurs voluntarily and prior to marriage. Therefore the covenant of marriage becomes more of a formality, a relationship where adherence to duty and the necessity to maintain the link at all costs are given secondary importance. Moreover, waking up next to the same person day after day for the rest of your life can be a little daunting. We may get into an argument with our friend and then not talk to them for a while, or we may have an argument at work and then go home to forget about it, but after disagreements with a spouse there is no escape route. Arguments must be resolved in a timely manner, otherwise life at home becomes miserable.
Maintaining relationships with relatives is just as difficult. Since the agrarian lifestyle is almost obsolete today, people must travel far and wide to secure occupations that match their field of interest. Therefore it is not surprising to see family members spread across hundreds of miles. This makes having relatives and close friends living near you a rarity. Moreover, once there is a slight disagreement with relatives - as there is sure to be from time to time - the distance of separation becomes more conducive to having extended feuds, wherein the arguing parties go months, maybe even years, without seeing each other.
The home and children become very difficult to maintain simply because of the fiduciary responsibilities. Wealth is required to keep up with the steep mortgage or rent payments and the monthly bills pertaining to food, clothing, electricity, heat and water. Each new child essentially comes with a price tag now, as concerns over space and bare necessities in life heighten with every new occupant in the house. All of this increases the burden on the donkey-like worker, who must bear every burden and continue to secure a decent enough living through his occupation. But with a donkey, there comes an eventual breaking point, where too much weight gets applied, causing the donkey to simply sit down and not move anymore.
The above referenced verse composed by Tulsidas is meant to alleviate the fears and concerns of those who either have failed to secure such material delights or are having difficulty in maintaining them. Though each of the above mentioned components serves as a source of enjoyment, the same level of delight can be had without ever having to acquire anything. For starters, we are all given a tongue and taste at the time of birth. These two items can be considered the husband-and-wife pair. The teeth can be considered the relatives, as they are many in number and surround the tongue. The mouth can be considered the home, for the tongue, taste and teeth are housed within.
But as we see with the stable and secure family life, the greatest source of enjoyment is the children. Therefore Tulsidas says to make sure to use all of the above mentioned God-given attributes to produce children in the form of the holy name of Rama. The two syllables that make up this name can be considered the two children, even one boy and one girl if that is the dream for the parents. These two syllables are especially preferred by Lord Shiva, who is also known as Mahadeva. In the Vedic tradition, Lord Vishnu is considered the Supreme Lord, the fountainhead of all forms of Godhead, the original source of matter and spirit. Sometimes Rama is taken as the original, or Krishna as well, but in any case there is no difference in the ultimate conclusion, as the Vishnu-forms all represent the same original person.
Lord Shiva is somewhere in between an ordinary living entity and Lord Vishnu. As the destroyer, Shiva annihilates this creation at the proper time, but his spiritual home does not undergo destruction. At the same time, he does not reside in the Vaikuntha planets, of which Krishnaloka, the home of Krishna, is considered the highest and most pleasurable. Lord Shiva’s most endearing quality is his devotion to Vishnu, with Lord Rama, the prince of Ayodhya, being Mahadeva’s most beloved form of the Lord. Lord Shiva spends all his time chanting the name of Rama, for the sound vibration representation of the Supreme Lord is non-different from Him.
We may not have a spouse, home and children, but by chanting Rama’s name, a delight and enjoyment of an even greater variety can be had, as direct audience with the Supreme Lord is acquired. Generally, the onus is put on seeing God, but the other senses of the body, such as hearing and tasting, are just as important. The tongue and taste, the husband and wife in this scenario, can create the children that are the syllables of Rama’s name and harbor a natural love for them to serve as their wealth. The love for the name of Rama means love for the Supreme Lord. Loving God serves as the greatest wealth because it allows for the loving home to remain manifest. We may have tremendous affection for our children with the purest of motives, but if our wealth should run dry, we will have a hard time supporting them. But in the spiritual world, the only requirement for service is spontaneous affection for the Supreme Lord. This serves as the only required wealth, as it guarantees that bhakti, or devotional service, will continue.
Tulsidas, though living the life of a mendicant sannyasi, erected the most wonderful transcendental home by using the above mentioned formula. He treated the syllables in Rama’s name as his beloved children and held onto his love and affection for the name as his most valuable asset. Therefore he was never in misery or poverty, though outwardly he had no possessions whatsoever. Bhakti-yoga is the most sublime engagement and a direct representation of the Supreme Lord because it is universally applicable. Large amounts of money, education, prestige, high parentage, or affiliation with a particular organization are not required for changing consciousness. Just as the Supreme Lord is universally benevolent, so is the topmost process that delivers the highest spiritual salvation, that of eternal association with the Supreme Personality in the spiritual sky. By following the formula laid out by Tulsidas, if we are ever down in the dumps or feeling lost in our journey through life, we can always take shelter of the “home sweet home” that is the mouth that protects and loves the name of the Lord and delights in His pastimes which are continually taking place to give pleasure to the devotees.

You’ve Tried the Rest

“According to the Vedic scriptures, the most perfect man surrenders unto the Lord after many, many lifetimes of culturing knowledge. The culture of knowledge reaches perfection only when the knower comes to the point of surrendering unto the Supreme Lord, Vasudeva.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shri Ishopanishad, 17 Purport)
When initially learning of reincarnation, or the transmigration of the soul through different body types, the mind may initially focus on just the future impact. “Okay, so if I’m overly sinful in this life I’ll be reborn as a rat or a dog in the next one? So reincarnation is sort of a punishment?” The chain of cause-and-effect is seen in many different activities, but for some reason it is difficult for the rational human being to believe that the effects can continue even long after the current life expires. The guaranteed delivery of death is wholly accepted, but what happens to the person residing within the body afterwards remains a mystery. The concept of reincarnation, which is so nicely presented by the Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India, is not only meant to inform the inquisitive mind about their future destination after leaving the human body, but it is also meant to serve as a wakeup call, a reminder that so much enjoyment has already occurred in previous lifetimes in forms lower than the human species. Therefore the advanced potential for intelligence gifted the human being is intended to be used for realizing the true purpose behind reincarnation and how to go about stopping it.

“I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know this perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 10.8)

To summarize the principle Vedic teachings, there is a God, who is accepted as the origin of all energies. Since He is Supreme it is difficult to accurately understand every single thing that He does. To make things easier, the Vedic seers, taking instruction from the original Person Himself, tell us that from God come three distinct energies. One is the spiritual force, which is non-different from the Lord Himself. Since He is referred to as a person, or entity, the Supreme Lord is personal, meaning He has transcendental qualities and features. He even has sportive tendencies which sometimes cause Him to make appearances before us in forms that retain their complete transcendence. The second energy is the material energy, which is considered inferior to God. This designation is there because the original Person’s presence is not directly felt in the material energy. We can liken the difference between the forces to the difference between our identity and our component body parts. The hands and legs are part of the body, but should they ever be separated from us, our individuality would not change. Similarly, the material energy remains apart from Krishna, but at the same time it is always under His control.
The third energy technically is the same as the spiritual force. The marginal potency, consisting of the individual spirit souls, is spiritual in quality, but since it is not equally as potent as God, there is a tendency towards association with the material energy, wherein the presence of the Supreme Lord remains temporarily forgotten. For the spiritual forces there is no such defect; there is never the chance of forgetfulness of God and the need to love and serve Him. When the marginal potency chooses in favor of the inferior energy, the spiritual sparks are sent to a temporary playing field, where they are provided different uniforms, or dresses, required for engagement in fruitive activity. When these forms cease to be useful, new ones are provided.

“As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, similarly, the soul accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 2.22)

This explains reincarnation in a nutshell. The desire of the marginal potency to remain apart from God’s personal presence keeps the engine of transmigration rolling. So from this basic information we can understand that coming under the jurisdiction of reincarnation is not ideal for anyone, for the natural home of the marginal potency is in the spiritual realm, where the association of similarly spiritual entities is found.
At this point the question may be raised as to why there is a variation in the species? Why are there dogs, cats, and human beings? Why not just have a uniform body type for everyone? The allure of material association is the chance to imitate God’s abilities in maintenance, creation, destruction and enjoyment. Since the imitation can follow a seemingly endless array of engagements, up to 8,400,000 different body types are awarded to the spirit soul, the marginal potency that chose in favor of the inferior energy. The human being is considered the most advanced because it is a form achieved after many lifetimes spent in inferior species, the fruit of spiritual evolution if you will.
From logical reasoning and direct perception, we can see that the dogs, cats, birds, beasts, and other animals enjoy eating, sleeping, mating and defending just like human beings do. In fact, that’s all that these lower life forms operate on; they have no other engagements. They don’t have to worry about going to school, holding down a job, making others happy, deciding on what movie to rent on a Friday night, or what to do during retirement. In this sense their ability to enjoy the senses is enhanced compared to the human species. From this information, we can understand that the human being must have a higher purpose, a mission to fulfill that no other life form is granted enrollment in.
The Vedas, which are the mouthpiece for the Supreme Lord, whose original form is described as all-attractive and thus referred to as Krishna, reveal that the human form of life is meant for realizing God. This is not that wild an assertion, as only the human being has the ability to make their choice to return to the spiritual land, the eternal home for the spiritual energy, known. Upon understanding the mission, the steps necessary for success need to be taken, with the first being limits placed on sense gratification. The life of unfettered and unrestricted enjoyment found in the animal species is not conducive to constructing a spiritual awakening. The true choice, the up or down vote as to whether the soul wants to return to Krishna’s company, is measured at the time of death. The consciousness, the mind’s contemplation, while quitting the body is measured by higher authorities. The predominant desires formed over the many activities undertaken during the days spent within the human form construct the consciousness. When the mind is pure and focused on the lotus feet of Krishna, liberation can be had.

“And whoever, at the time of death, quits his body, remembering Me alone, at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 8.5)

If the human being continues to imitate the animals, the opportunity for purification goes to waste. Indeed, there is no reason to continue unrestricted sense gratification, as we already know from our own remembered experiences that there is more to life than simply playing all day. As children, we enjoyed the same benefits that are found in the animal community. We got to play day after day, didn’t have to worry about the pressures of work, and didn’t have to maintain a family. But as we got older, we took on more important tasks, such as getting an education and learning how to master a skill that could help us to earn a livelihood. The independence of the adult human being is best utilized for choosing in favor of learning about God. Concomitant with this undertaking is the voluntary restriction placed on sense gratification. Since this restraint is initially considered painful, or a penance, it is referred to as tapasya.
Restriction on sense gratification is only viewed in the negative light in the beginning stages. This is because we don’t know any better. We have had so many lifetimes of unregulated sense gratification that we think that if we somehow starve ourselves of unrestricted enjoyment, we will end up the loser. But again, we can revert to our childhood memories to understand that this is not true. How many of us actually wanted to go to school for twelve years and then college afterwards? Speaking from personal experience, our humble self dreaded every single day of school we ever attended. But if the young child gets its wish, it will never be properly educated. The forced penance actually turns out to be a great boon, as the education received allows for a higher taste in adult life.
Similarly, if the mature human being puts restrictions on the activities driven by the impulses of the senses, there will be increased sobriety and a much greater chance for God realization. In fact, all of the inhibitions rooted in doubt of the existence of God, which is furthered by the preponderance of religious systems which each claim that theirs is superior, run away the more sober one becomes and the more they take to self-realization.
In addition to tapasya, there must be an active engagement. Sense demands are the natural instincts, tendencies which don’t have to be taught. There are cooking channels on television that show how to make delicious food preparations and where to grab the world’s tastiest burger, but the tendency for eating doesn’t need to be imbibed in anyone. Similarly, there are discussions on different sexual activities and what types of alcohol to drink, but these tendencies are also there in the animals, who have no education on these matters whatsoever.
To the human being, what actually needs to be taught is how to connect with God, how to purify consciousness, and how to remain dedicated in transcendental service. The beginning point is the chanting of the holy names, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”. The holy name is the gateway to the spiritual world. Though sound vibrations are considered part of the material nature, when they are used to address and glorify the person to whom we are inherently attached, they become fully spiritualized. In this way we see that the human being has the choice and ability to associate with the spiritual energy even before the time of death.
“Why should I chant ‘Krishna’? Why not just worship God? I believe in God, shouldn’t that be enough?” Chanting the holy names is wonderful because it addresses God in a loving way. The term “God” is actually quite vague, as it fails to describe the Lord’s transcendental features. The key ingredient in attachment and dedication in service is attraction. If we don’t find something palatable, why would we continue servicing it, giving it attention and making sure we have enough time to connect with it? When an entity is attractive, however, every effort is made to remain always in its company. The words “Krishna” and “Rama” are beautiful not only in the way they describe the Lord, but also in their ability to bring transcendental pleasure to the person who repeats them in a loving way.
The animal cannot chant these words. They are fully attached to Krishna because of their similar spiritual nature, but due to the inhibitions placed on their body type, their consciousness does not have the ability to fully develop. The human being can not only understand reincarnation, but they can also take the necessary steps to stop it. The tendency of the tired worker is to seek relief, a permanent vacation. “I can’t wait until the day when I no longer have to work.” By following the Vedic prescriptions of tapasya and the sacrifice of chanting in devotion, these desires are revised and extended to say, “I can’t wait until I no longer have to suffer the influences of the material world. When will that day come when all I do is think about and glorify Krishna? I’ve had all the sense gratification I could handle, and it failed to provide me any lasting happiness. But with Krishna, I can’t seem to get enough of His association. I see His smiling face and how He gives so much pleasure to the cows, and I immediately forget my past experiences, which never brought me anywhere close to the thrill I feel by being alongside Krishna.”
For any human being, at any stage in their life, so much time has already been spent trying the hand at sense gratification. As there is always the new search for happiness, which is evidenced by the popular self-help books that line the shelves at major bookstores, why not try the ancient art of bhakti-yoga, or the religion of love. A key component, a starting point if you will, is the restriction on sense gratification, and more specifically, refraining from the activities of meat eating, gambling, intoxication and illicit sex life. Throughout their many lifetimes in the material land, the marginal potency expansions have travelled down so many avenues of sense gratification. As the human form brings the best opportunity for advancement of consciousness, when there is full sobriety now and the ability to decipher between right and wrong and good and bad, why not take a stab at austerity mixed in with regular chanting of God’s names? The secrets of devotional life are never revealed to those who refuse to advance past the animalistic consciousness. On the other hand, when even a small, yet fully sincere, effort is made towards finding Krishna, that person becomes fully endeared to the Lord, as their devotion is noted and recognized as an indication that a piece of the marginal potency is taking tangible steps towards returning to their natural home.

Mice With Human Brain Cells? More Oversight, Please, Says U.K. Panel

by Gretchen Vogel 

 

Credit: The Academy of Medical Sciences

Mice with human-derived livers, goats with human blood cells, and other animals that contain human genes or cells are arguably valuable tools for medical research, but they also can raise tricky ethical questions and trigger public controversy. Acknowledging this reality, a report issued today by the British Academy of Medical Sciences recommends that the U.K. government establish an expert commission to help regulate certain types of experiments involving "animals containing human material."
The report's authors hope that early public discussion of potentially controversial work—before it is undertaken—will help to encourage wider acceptance of such research. "We are trying to get this issue out there before anything has happened," says geneticist Martin Bobrow of the University of Cambridge, who chaired the academy's working group. "If public has heard about something, they are less likely to get irritable when something does hit the headlines."
The report proposes that experiments with animals containing human material (ACHM) should be divided into three categories: those that should be subject to the same oversight and regulation as other animal experiments, those that should undergo extra review before receiving permission to proceed, and a few that should be entirely off-limits. Areas that should undergo extra scrutiny include experiments that modify an animal's brain to make it more "human-like," experiments that place functional human germ cells in animals, experiments that could make animals' appearance or behavior more human, and experiments that add human genes or cells to nonhuman primates.
Three types of ACHM experiments should be forbidden, the report says, because they "lack compelling scientific justification or raise very strong ethical concerns."

First, breeding animals that have or could develop human germ cells in their gonads should not be allowed. Second, the report recommends banning research that attempts to transplant enough human-derived neural cells into a nonhuman primate to prompt human-like behavior. Finally, scientists should not allow embryos that mix human and nonhuman primate cells to develop beyond 14 days. Currently U.K. law forbids allowing human embryos containing animal cells from developing longer than 14 days. However, embryos that are "predominantly animal," but still contain human cells are unregulated in the United Kingdom. The report recommends closing that loophole.
"We haven't come across any scientists who want to do category three [off-limits] experiments," working group member Robin Lovell-Badge told a press conference this morning. Lovell-Badge, a stem cell biologist at the MRC National Institute for Medical Research in London, said that several types of the "category two" experiments have been proposed or are underway in Britain. For example, he says, researchers studying infertility have grafted human testis and ovary cells under the skin of animals in an effort to better understand their development. And animals with human skin, he says, could help scientists better understand sunburn and its connection to skin cancer. "There are good scientific reasons one should do it," he says. "But if it's done, it should be watched carefully."
The U.K. government is revising its animal research oversight to comply with a recent European Union directive. "We hope they will take this [report] into account," Bobrow says, and establish better cooperation between the U.K. Home Office, which regulates animal research, and the Department of Health, which oversees research with human subjects. It is especially important, he says, to close the loophole that leaves unregulated experiments with animal embryos that contain human cells.
Source: Science
http://news.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2011/07/mice-with-human-brain-cells-more.html?etoc&elq=1d48a9e5de534bfea2f6c2e771781866
Comment:
And then a mouse takes your job...
Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek

Progeny

“The tongue and its taste are the husband and wife, the teeth are the relatives, and the mouth is the beautiful home. Lord Shiva’s cherished syllables [Ra + ma] are the children, and natural love for them is the wealth, says Tulsi.” (Dohavali, 24)
daṃpati rasa rasana parijana badana sugeha |
tulasī hara hita barana sisu saṃpati sahaja saneha ||
The true potency of the union between a man and a woman is seen in the resulting progeny, the children that emerge and are cared for afterwards. The children represent a lasting link between the parents, a bond that remains throughout the life of the child. In an ideal marriage, where the husband and wife remain together, the protection and care of the children become of paramount importance, especially because both parties had a hand in the bringing of a new life to the world. The joint effort brings added importance and responsibility. But for even those who are not married or don’t want to have children, a similarly powerful entity can be created with tools that are already gifted to every person. Indeed, this most bliss evoking child can be cared for with simple love and affection, thereby allowing the nurturing and loving of the most beautiful progeny to continue without interruption.
What exactly are we talking about? For producing children, much effort and sacrifice are required. An ideal match between a man and a woman must be found, and both parties must be capable of bearing their share of the responsibility in conception. The man must be potent enough to impregnate the woman, and the woman must have the ability to conceive, to hold a fetus in the womb and bring it to term. In the meantime, the regular maintenance of the body must continue, which involves eating, sleeping, having clothes, etc. Therefore regular work has to continue in addition to the responsibility of bringing the child safely into the world.
Once the child is born, the trouble really begins. The early years are difficult because the child remains completely helpless. So not only is constant attention required to ensure that the child can eat properly and be cared for on a regular schedule, but there is also constant worry over trouble, as the youngster will have no way of protecting itself from danger. Then as the child matures, the worries take on a new shape, as education must be had, a job must be secured, rules and regulations must be adhered to, and eventually, marriage should be entered into. These responsibilities continue for years and years, thus requiring a lot from the parents. The tremendous responsibilities can all be traced to the original sexual union, an act independently agreed to by both parties.
Wanting to have children and care for them is an outgrowth of the natural tendencies found within spirit.  The primary property of the soul is a penchant for service. We may claim to be independent and not in need of anyone else, but every person has a penchant to serve someone or something. Even the most selfish person in the world is serving their own senses, taking great delight in meeting the demands of the tongue, stomach and genitals. Therefore in every aspect of life, there is a desire to serve without any issues of coercion or infringement on independence.
The Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India, wholly acknowledge the independence given to all life forms. The main focus of attention for the sacred scriptures of the Vedic tradition is on how to utilize the wonderful independence given to man. After all, crimes and deviant behavior are simply byproducts of the free will spirit, choices in how to exercise independence that aren’t received well by others. So simply having freedom is not enough, for the misuse of it can lead to unpalatable results for both the performer and the affected members of society.
Since there is a natural desire to serve, it would make sense that the best use of independence would be to direct it towards serving that one entity who is most deserving. In this respect, there are varying and sometimes conflicting opinions. Each person will claim that their object of service is superior and thus worthy of universal adoration. This is also the major source of strife between politicians and their constituents. The tax code is so lengthy because over the course of many years, new politicians have created more and more objects of service that were deemed worthy of receiving aid from the government. Hence the annual conflicts now revolve around who will be benefitted by taxpayer dollars and who is due punishment.

“It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kunti, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 14.4)

Just as the infant comes from the union of a man and a woman, every living being is created from an original person, a singular entity that most of us refer to as God. In the Bhagavad-gita, the most concise and complete treatise on spirituality known the world over, Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, states that He is the seed-giving father who enters into the light of Brahman and makes possible the birth of all living entities. As spirit souls, we are eternally existing, full of bliss and knowledge in our qualities. But to reside on the earthly planet, where the independence is used towards furthering the interests of the body in lieu of serving God, a material dress is required. Therefore the mahat-tattva, the total cause of the cosmic manifestation, serves as the “store” from which our material clothes are bought.
Material nature, or the sum total of matter, can be considered the mother. But we still need a father, someone to implant the seed of existence into matter. This is where God comes in. He can be considered the original father of mankind. The souls exist eternally, but in order to appear in a realm where birth and death take place, an initial injection, a transcendental thrust taking the spirit soul out of the graces of the transcendental realm, is required. In this respect it would make sense that the ultimate object of service would be that one person to whom we are all related.
How to go about serving that entity and what His desires are form the trouble points for the conditioned entity deluded by the possessive mindset adopted at the time of birth. The scriptures came into existence to remove confusion in these areas. Though there are many religious systems around the world, the ideal goal of religion is still the same, that of loving God. The practices of spirituality that can help the individual reach this goal can be considered legitimate, and anything else can be deemed a waste of time. In this day and age especially, it is impossible to follow all the rules and regulations provided in the sacred texts. Fasting, studying at the home of a spiritual master for many years, performing regulative functions, and dedicating much time to meditation are not very easy to adhere to in the fast-paced modern world.
Not to fear though, as a shortcut method has been implemented, one that can actually provide all the benefits of performing every specific ritual and function enjoined in shastra, or scripture. This process is the chanting of the holy names, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”. “Hare” refers to the energy expansion of the Lord, the most exalted of the pleasure-giving sparks emanating from the original storehouse of energy. “Krishna” refers to the Supreme Absolute Truth’s all-attractive nature and form. “Rama” refers to His ability to give transcendental pleasure to others.
Goswami Tulsidas especially loved the name of Rama, for it not only describes God wonderfully, but it also addresses the Supreme Personality’s incarnation of Lord Ramachandra who appeared on earth in the guise of a warrior prince many thousands of years ago. Tulsidas, in trying to convey the wonder, beauty and importance of the holy name of Rama and the need for chanting it, makes a nice comparison to the key components of family life above. The mind of the disturbed individual is so accustomed to lamenting that whether one is married or not, there is constant fear. The married person regrets their decision to remain tied at the hip to another individual for the rest of their life. Surely they don’t always want out, but they definitely have to endure struggles, arguments, and being forced to compromise every now and then.
But then the person who isn’t married also laments. “What if I die alone? What if I never find anyone? Pretty soon I’m going to be too old to get married.” Thus there are always worries about family life and whether or not a stable one will be found. Tulsidas covers the basics of what are required for a secure family life. The couple, the husband-and-wife pair, is the first ingredient. A grihastha, or one in the householder stage of life, cannot be classified as such unless there exists a home with a husband and wife. Relatives are required next, for even if the couple has no money and no place to stay, they can lean on their relatives and close friends to help them out. Obviously the next step would be to get a home, a central base of operations for the daily activities of family life. But most important of all are the children, who are generated by the union of the man and the woman.
Just as the children are the most important aspect of the home, the holy name of Rama is the most important part of the internal, spiritual home created by the spiritually inclined individual. The Supreme Lord is so munificent that He doesn’t require wealth, scholarship or social standing to be worshiped. One can even be the poorest person in the world, without any friends, without any home and relatives, and still be able to purify their consciousness through remaining firmly linked to the spiritual world in thought. The name of Rama can be produced by the husband-wife pair of the tongue and its taste. The taste is the energy of the tongue, for without it the tongue would not derive any pleasure. Similarly, woman is the energy of man, the better half.
When the tongue and the taste combine together to create progeny in the form of the name of Rama - whose two syllables are forever dear to Lord Shiva, a divine figure and great devotee of the Supreme Lord - the most valuable possession is acquired. To have progeny, a perfect match between man and woman is required, but for chanting the name of Rama, just the basic items of the tongue and taste will do. Most everyone is endowed with these features at the time of birth, thus making the entire world eligible for creating the most loveable child that is the name of Rama.
When a valuable possession like a new child enters the house, the immediate concern shifts to maintenance, where wealth is required. Tulsidas says that having natural love and affection for the name of Rama represents the greatest wealth, for this will ensure that the name remains protected at all times within the home that is the mouth. The teeth serve as the well-wishing friends of the tongue and the taste, for they protect from outside attack. The mouth remains the eternal home, and through chanting the name of Rama, the entire dwelling becomes spiritualized.
Though the discipline of bhakti-yoga, or devotional service, can involve much more than just chanting, simply keeping the name of Rama as our most endearing child is enough to make the best use of our service propensity. Through service to the Supreme Lord, who is non-different from the names used to address Him, the real mission of life can be fulfilled. The material nature remains our home for only as long as the independence given to us by God remains misused. Through chanting the name of Rama, the true potency of the free will aspect of individual spirit takes shape. Gradually, the consciousness of the chanting person shifts to the point that they no longer desire separation from the spiritual realm. At the end of life, their wish gets granted, as a permanent release from the perishable realm, where even the beloved children of the husband and the wife are destined for demise, is granted.

Sai Geethanjali part I a.wmv