Great Grandson of Henry Ford… Mr. Ambarish Das/Alfred B Ford

HENRY FORD’S GREAT GRANDSON…
Mr. Ambarish Das/ Alfred B Ford

Henry Ford’s Gr Grand Son had embraced Hinduism and took name of Mr. Ambarish Das converting from Alfred B Ford.. What he found and fascinated in Hinduism to embrace it.

Ambarish Das may not have been born Indian. His soul is Indian though.

Before he adopted his Hindu name, he was Alfred B. Ford. His mother is the daughter of Edsel Bryant Ford II, son of the legendary Henry Ford (founder of the Ford Motor Company). That makes him a fourth-generation Ford and a part of one of America’s most iconic families.

But this Ford has more on his mind than cars.

While studying at Tulane University, Louisiana, he heard Hindu religious music at the campus record store, for the first time. He broke down on hearing the record. It touched something deep in him. Thus began his involvement with Hinduism.

He married a Bengali girl and has since used his fame and wealth to spread the word of Hinduism and Krishna.
He travelled all over the world with his wife, also a devotee, to spread Krishna consciousness because he says “It is a spiritual science not just for Indians, but for everybody around the world.”
“I had a lot of questions when I was growing up. When I was young, I used to wonder how big the universe was, what’s on the other side of the sky, who was God, what was He like – those kind of questions and things”, he said.

“My great grandfather Henry Ford would have been happy to see my lifestyle today, as he was also very interested in spiritual life and Eastern philosophy.
He used to practice yoga daily and read many of the Hindu scriptures. He believed in reincarnation and was a vegetarian. He was also a good friend of Paramahamsa Yogananda.”

So he would have been very happy with the lifestyle I am leading and the things I believe in.
“I was looking for meaning in life and hadn’t found it in the faith I grew up in. I experimented and read several religious systems but as soon as I read the Bhagawad Gita, it was like a bell went off.
He said all the things that I was looking for: God is a personality. We have a relationship with God and by restoring that relationship we can go back to the spiritual world.”

“I lived as a recluse in the Rocky Mountains of Wyoming for many years – reading, chanting and cooking vegetarian food.“

“I believe in the concept of ananda – unlimited happiness. Happiness is not something that has a beginning and an end – it is endless.”

“Some people get happy if they go shopping, have a good meal, or do well in an exam, get a job, make some money etc. but how long does the happiness last? It doesn’t last very long.”

Happiness cannot come from sensory objects. It comes from self-realization. It comes from realizing who we are, what is our dharma, what are we supposed to be doing, who are we supposed to be serving.

Once we find that and feel comfortable in that position, then we realize that that position cannot end. No one can take it away. There is no fear involved. That is the beginning of happiness because it is not temporary.

When I married Sharmila that was a milestone for my parents.

They were very impressed with her, she had a PhD, very well educated, accomplished woman and, of course, they love my children, Amrita and Anisha, too.

He assisted in the establishment of the first Hindu temple in Hawaii and also donated $500,000 to help establish the Bhaktivedanta Cultural Center in Detroit which was completed in 1983.

Alfred Ford has made many significant donations over the years which have assisted ongoing projects such as to build the Pushpa Samadhi Mandir. He is also the chairman of the Sri Mayapur Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Ford also lobbied very hard to have a Vedic cultural centre made in Moscow at an estimated cost of $10 million but it was blocked by the communist government.
He has recently bought a $6000,000 mansion to convert it into a temple and learning center in Honolulu, US

Ghee – This Is Butter That Is Good for You

Boiling ghee

To some it’s known as clarified butter, to others it’s the golden elixir of healing – ghee is a staple ingredient in Indian cooking and Ayurvedic healing known for its versatility, great taste, and many health benefits. It’s derived from butter through a process of cooking off its milk solids until it becomes an easily digestible, healthier alternative to butter and oil, and it can be used for cooking or as an ingredient to add flavor and richness to foods such as kitchari.
Cooking benefits
Excellent cooking oil – Since ghee doesn’t start smoking until it’s heated to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, it will neither burn nor splatter easily. Its chemical structure also remains more stable than other oils when heated.
Stores well – Thanks to its low moisture content, ghee can go weeks without refrigeration. It can last up to six months in the fridge or one year in the freezer, according to the Ayurvedic Institute. The key to ghee longevity: store it somewhere cool, keep it covered, and make sure it doesn’t get contaminated by other liquids – don’t double dip!
Flavorful – Thanks to its strong flavor, not much ghee needs to be added to a dish to make it sing.
Health benefits
Easily digestible – The process of cooking off milk solids from butter burns off its lactose and cholesterol (says Holistic Chef Shani Cranston of hOMe Grown Living Foods). This makes it much easier to digest than butter or vegetable oils.
Anti-inflammatory – According to the Sushruta Samhita, a text of the ancient Indian healing system of Ayurveda, ghee is the ultimate anti-inflammatory food.
Whole body healing – Ayurvedic practitioners use the golden elixir for everything from rejuvenating skin to aiding digestion to balancing hormones.
Flexibility – Dr. Vasant Lad, founder and director of the Ayurvedic Institute, explains ghee’s popularity among yogis by stating that it lubricates connective tissues and makes the body more flexible.
Enhances your essence – As reported by Paul Pitchford in Healing with Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition, ghee boosts ojas, the underlying essence of body issues; this leads to an increased immune system and greater longevity.
Increases agni – In Ayurveda, proper digestion revolves around agni, the body’s digestive fire. Consuming ghee boosts one’s agni, leading to better digestion and faster metabolism.
Butter’s yummy richness adds to many a dish, yet its unhealthiness prevents people from using it. Though it still has a high fat content, ghee’s many health benefits make it a fine alternative to butter or oil that you can make yourself. See below for detailed directions from Holistic Chef Shani Cranston:
Ghee
Makes 2 cups
1. Melt 1 pound of unsalted butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add 3 or 4 cloves if you wish. This will aid in the clarification and lend a delicate flavor.
2. As soon as the butter begins to boil and foam, reduce the heat to a simmer. Keep the melted butter at a steady simmer until it is golden in color and no foam remains on top.
3. When the crackling sound stops, the ghee is ready.
4. Cool the mixture and strain it into a sterile quart jar. Discard the curds from the bottom, as they are almost pure cholesterol.
References:
The Ayurvedic Institute (http://www.ayurveda.com)
hOMe Grown Living Foods (http://www.hOMegrownlivingfoods.ca)
Yoga Journal: To Ghee or Not to Ghee (http://www.yogajournal.com/health/9…)
Paul Pitchford, Healing with Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition (Berkeley: North Atlantic Books, 2003)
About the author: Kiva Bottero works with a collective to publish The Mindful Word journal of engaged living (www.themindfulword.org). He also writes and edits for Dew Media, a company that specializes in providing custom publishing services for non-profits and social enterprises (www.dewmedia.org), as well as various magazines and blogs, such as Cleantech Authority (www.cleantechauthority.com).

By Kiva Bottero for Natural News
Originally at http://news.iskcon.com/node/4034/2011-11-24/ghee_this_is_butter_that_is_good_for_you

Steve Jobs and the Krishna Connection

Steve Jobs

The world continues to mourn the death of Apple founder and visionary Steve Jobs, who passed away on Wednesday, October 5, hailing him as an innovator who forever changed the landscape of our lives. In offering our condolences, Hare Krishna devotees might be especially interested to reflect on some interesting connections between this remarkable man and our own faith tradition. Here are three:

First, as a young man Jobs regularly attended the Sunday Feast at an ISKCON temple. He famously recollected that special time in his life, shortly after he dropped out of Reed College but continued to drop in on classes there, while delivering the commencement address at Stanford University in 2005. It wasn’t all romantic, he told students in the now iconic speech, I didn’t have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends’ rooms. I returned coke bottles for the 5 deposits to buy food with. And I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. The whole speech is an inspiring and thoughtful reflection, but it was that last bitabout depending upon the Krishna temple for his one good meal a week (and loving it)that ISKCON devotees especially latched on to. One of the most influential and admired men in the world once relished sanctified vegetarian food at a Krishna temple, and those meals played a defining role in his journey towards success against all odds. Understandably, Hare Krishna devotees were thrilled to hear him remember it fondly.

To watch Stanford commencement video click here: http://news.iskcon.com/node/3926

Incidentally, the episode has since expanded and morphed into something of an urban legend within the ISKCON world. More colorful versions are told and re-told, in which Jobs not only ate at the temple but stayed there for some time as well. Some devotees insist that a friend-of-a-friend vividly remember washing pots with Steve each week. In one re-telling, Steves visits supposedly came to an abrupt end after a particularly fanatical brahmachari insisted that he either join the temple full-time or stop availing himself of the free food, turning the story into a parable about the dangers of chasing away guests and burning bridges.

A second connection between Steve Jobs and Krishna consciousness was Steves interest in Eastern spirituality. In 1973, Jobs traveled to India with a friend (who later would become the first Apple employee) to study with popular guru Neem Karoli Baba. Although the Baba was not a Gaudiya Vaishnava, he considered kirtan to be central to his practice and teachings. He often chanted the Hare Krishna mahamantra, and encouraged others to as well. Neem Karoli Baba passed away before Jobs could meet him and the India trip was reportedly something of a disappointment for the young seeker. Eventually, he took up the practice of Buddhist meditation instead. Still, its quite likely that during his visit to the Babas ashram, Jobs chanted Hare Krishna with the other disciples there. And, according to one biographer, he returned to the West with Eastern philosophy on his lips, and sporting a freshly shaved head and loose-fitting Indian clothesan experience that most Hare Krishna devotees can relate to all too well.

Finally, a third, more indirect, connection: Hare Krishna devotees seem to love Apple products. I am not aware of a formal poll or survey on the subject, but empirical evidence seems to suggest that devotees tend to use Apple products computers, laptops, iPods, iPads and iPhones more than they do the non-Apple equivalents. Devotee festivals and GBC meetings abound with gadgets featuring that unmistakable apple-with-a-bite logo. Maybe this is not so surprising, considering the companys emphasis on innovation and thinking differently. Taking the alternative route and not being afraid to go against the grain are hallmarks of Krishna devotees, especially the early converts to Krishna consciousness. Business experts often spoke of Steve Jobs as a charismatic guru-like figure, and used terms such as Apple devotees or the cult of Mac. In fact, author Douglas Atkin explicitly suggested that Apple and ISKCON had much in common and favorably compared the two organizations in his book The Culting of Brands. For their part, Krishna devotees seem to playfully accept that Apple products are part of the new ISKCON culture. A prominent sannyasi and GBC member even quipped to me once, Since Ive started using an Apple, I realize that all other computers are non-vegetarian.

Thanks largely to social networking sites like Facebook, ISKCON devotees have already started expressing their condolences and appreciations for Jobs. The video of the Stanford commencement speech will likely go viral again, as devotees forward it on and post it on their profiles. I hope that along with basking in the line about his trips to the temple, devotees will also take the time to attentively hear the wisdom in the rest of the speech. By all accounts Steve Jobs was a remarkable man, empowered in a certain sphere, and connected perhaps in a way that we cannot fully comprehend to the Krishna factor.

By Venkata Bhatta dasa (Vineet Chander) for ISKCON News on 7 Oct 2011
Originally at http://news.iskcon.com/node/3939/2011-10-07/steve_jobs_and_the_krishna_connection