A disciple is the transmitter of the guru's shakti.For shakti to be transmitted;the wire has to be carbon-free.If there is accumulation of carbon in the wires that carry electricity from one bulb to another;the lights will not come on.Therefore;the aim of discipleship is to remove the accumulated carbon from our wires and ensure that they are always clean so that the current of divine grace can flow continuously and constantly;and that is the dharma of a disciple. The dharma of a disciple was the theme of the satsangs given in August 2010 at Ganga Darshan;after Swamiji returned from Guru Poornima celebrations at Rikhiapeeth.Beginning with insightful reflections on the guru tqttwa;Swamiji leads us to assess where we stand as a disciple;our character and it's strengths and weaknessses;and how we can move up from where we are fortyfying our base and acquiring the necessary attributes.The satsangs answer a fundamental spiritual question:what is the heighest truth that an adherent of the guru-disciple tradition must live by;in other words a regular SWOT test on oneself.
#1210583 in Books Alfred Scott McLaren 2008-01-25Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.25 x 1.00 x 6.13l; 1.34 #File Name: 0817316027242 pagesUnknown Waters A First Hand Account of the Historic Under Ice Survey of the Siberian Continental Shelf by USS Queenfish SSN 651
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. The Quiet PioneersBy JonesyThis is not great literature; seafaring or otherwise. Those seeking the next "Moby Dick" please go elsewhere. If you seek rousing true tales; you might start with Farley Mowat's "The Grey Seas Under".Captain McLaren gives a solid; under-stated; important accounting of the pioneering under-ice survey of the Siberian continental shelf done within the confines; constraints; and dangers of stark Arctic and Cold War realities. It stands as tribute to the men; machine; and organization.For those in the know and laity alike; one comes away with an insight into the excellence of this particular boat and crew; and of what many consider to be the best design and build of any submarine; the Sturgeon class. It is both sadness and celebration - the need; the boat; the mission; all come and gone; the voyages undertaken silently and courageously; crews retired and on final patrol; the boats scrapped and largely forgotten.We go blithely about our lives; unawares; unthinking; unknowing; of the undertakings under the sea. Well-earned is the moniker "Silent Service"; this book gives voice to some of it.5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Great Story -- Very low SalinityBy Opinion_SharerIn writing my review I feel that I need to warn some readers about the nature of Dr. McLaren's writing style. As some low star reviewers point out; it's military report writing and is somewhat dry. But the story he tells transcends all this. McLaren also manages to convey a great deal of information about the Arctic along the way. But the first thing you learn is that even nuclear submarines designed to survive under hundreds of feet of ice and water are really just fragile bubbles. The way the author writes conveys an ordered and matter-of-fact style of training; management and thinking which must become second nature to any military officer if he and his crew are to survive; let alone succeed in their mission. In short; he can't write his memoir any other way and still be true to the experience; the style should be considered a component of the story. If you want a salty sea-faring tale of Cold War daring-do; look elsewhere. This book is much more about exploration.All that being said; I tore into this book and read it in two days while on a Caribbean cruise. Before I read it; I had very little interest in the Arctic or the people who explored it. I found the fact that so little was known about the Arctic Ocean as late as 1970 to be incredible and fascinating.5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Solid and seriousBy S. JenkinsA good; serious book about oceanographic exploration.Of the several books in print on nuclear submarines in the cold war; McLaren's "Unknown Waters" is by a good margin the most thorough; serious account of actual submarine operations; in this case in the Artic. Calling it a "cold war" book would; however; be misleading. Its focus is on the scientific exporation and charting of the shallow seas north of Siberia. The author is impressively qualified to convey his material - an accomplished submariner and naval officer; a research scientist; President Emeritus of the Explorers' Club - this fellow is a true Renaissance man.Readers looking for daring exploits in the face of hostile Russians would do better to pick up Edward Beach's "Cold is the Sea;" or a Tom Clancy novel. The Soviet Fleet is only mentioned in passing in "Unknown Waters." The focus of the narrative is unquestionably exploration by nuclear submarine of waters that were in 1970 almost totally unknown. As a former naval officer; deeply interested in martime engineering; cartography; and oceanography; I found myself enthralled. That said; this is not a book for those whose interests do not run in similar directions. It is an aficionado's book - the writing; though clear and competent; is not inspired and the structure of the plot is more diary-like than I suspect some would enjoy.Those minor faults should not detract from a genuine appreciation of this book and its author; provided one takes them on their own terms: this is not Sean Connery flying a 25;000 ton "Red October" at insane speeds and impossible depths through fantasy canyons of digital rock - "Unknown Waters" is a painstakingly careful groping in the dark by a team of highly trained professionals; with no extraneous expressions of angst or drama; in a real-world exploit of science; technology; and the human spirit.
