Sunday, November 11, 2012

Happy Dhan Teras ! Nov 11, 2012

http://www.diwalifestival.org/dhanteras.html
Dhanteras

Dhanteras marks the first day of five-days-long Diwali Festival. Dhanteras Festival, also known asDhantrayodashi or Dhanwantari Triodasi, falls on the auspicious thirteenth lunar day of Krishna Paksha in the Hindu month of Kartik (October/November). In the word Dhanteras, "Dhan" stands for wealth. On Dhanteras Goddess Laxmi is worshiped to provide prosperity and well being. Hence Dhan Teras holds a lot more significance for the business community.

Dhanteras Legends
A very interesting story about Dhanteras Festival says that once the sixteen year old son of King Hima. was doomed to die by a snake-bite on the fourth day of his marriage as per his horoscope. On that particular fourth day of his marriage his young wife did not allow him to sleep. She laid all the ornaments and lots of gold and silver coins in a big heap at the entrance of her husband's boudoir and lighted innumerable lamps all over the place. And she went on telling stories and singing songs.

When Yama, the god of Death arrived there in the guise of a Serpent his eyes got blinded by that dazzle of those brilliant lights and he could not enter the Prince's chamber. So he climbed on top of the heap of the ornaments and coins and sat there whole night listening to the melodious songs. In the morning he quietly went away. Thus the young wife saved her husband from the clutches of death. Since then this day of Dhanteras came to be known as the day of "Yamadeepdaan" and lamps are kept burning throughout the night in reverential adoration to Yam, the god of Death.

According to another popular legend, when the gods and demons churned the ocean for Amrit or nectar, Dhanavantri (the physician of the gods and an incarnation of Vishnu) emerged carrying a jar of the elixir on the day of Dhanteras.

Dhanteras Preparations
To mark the auspicious day, houses and business premises are renovated and decorated. Entrances are made colorful with lovely traditional motifs of Rangoli designs to welcome the Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity. To indicate her long-awaited arrival, small footprints are drawn with rice flour and vermilion powder all over the houses. Lamps are kept burning all through the nights.

Dhanteras Traditions
On Dhanteras Hindus consider it auspicious to purchase gold or silver articles or at least one or two new utensils. It is believed that new “Dhan” or some form of precious metal is a sign of good luck. "Laxmi-Puja" is performed in the evenings when tiny Diyas of clay are lighted to drive away the shadows of evil spirits. "Bhajans"-devotional songs- in praise of Goddess Laxmi are also sung.

Dhanteras Celebrations
Dhanteras is celebrated with gusto and enthusiasm. "Lakshmi-Puja" is performed in the evenings when tiny diyas of clay are lighted to drive away the shadows of evil spirits. Bhajans ir devotional songs- in praise of Goddess Laxmi are sung and "Naivedya" of traditional sweets is offered to the Goddess. There is a peculiar custom in Maharashtra to lightly pound dry coriander seeds with jaggery and offer as Naivedya.

In villages cattle are adorned and worshiped by farmers as they form the main source of their income. In south cows are offered special veneration as they are supposed to be the incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi and therefore they are adorned and worshiped on this day.

Go Wish

The object of this game is to consider the importance of your own end of life choices, and to help you voice those choices. Save and share these cards with your family and trusted friends. Consider a variety of scenarios, save them or print them. Compare your preferences with others. I liked the exercise of printing these out and sorting the pieces of paper, grouping different clumps on the table.
http://gowish.org/staticpages/index.php/thegame

Consider this: you may have very clear ideas of your personal priorities, but the usefulness of this exercise is to tell your health care proxy and decision makers, what those priorities are. if you know, but they don't, they cannot carry out your wishes. Whether you feel strongly that something is important or not, or even if you are undecided, that is valuable information for people you have designated to make your medical and care decisions for you, when you are not able yourself. The online version allows you to add your own comments, and put in a "wild card" - something not on the list but is important to you.

Finding a way to talk about this very difficult subject is far from easy.  But it is important to find a way.

http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2012/10/01/life-conversation-dad
There’s a subject most of us say is extremely important: making sure our family is not burdened by difficult end-of-life decisions. 
A recent survey by the California Health Foundation found that 60 percent of people feel that way. But the survey also finds that 56 percent of people have not communicated end-of-life wishes.

It’s called “The Conversation Project” and it aims to get families and loved ones talking about the kind of care they want at the end of their lives. One of the tools of “The Conversation Project” is a starter kit of questions. Carey Goldberg, co-host of WBUR’s Commonhealth Blog, sat down with her 85-year-old dad Charlie Ritz, who felt it was an important conversation.