Living with Epilepsy and first aid

Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures.

In a large majority of patients it is NOT hereditary – a big myth. Only in certain types of epilepsies the ability to develop epilepsy is inherited to an extent of 2-4%,which, means a great majority do not have hereditary factor. This is one of the greatest myths in epilepsy

 When Are Seizures not Epilepsy?

First seizures, febrile seizures, nonepileptic events, and eclampsia are examples of seizures that may not be associated with epilepsy.

About 50,000,000 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases are discovered in developing countries.

Onset of new cases occurs most frequently in infants and the elderly and it increases with age.

About 3% of people will be diagnosed with epilepsy at some time in their lives.

The prevalence of active epilepsy is roughly in the range 5–10 per 1000 people. Up to 5% of people experience non febrile seizures at some point in life; epilepsy's lifetime prevalence is relatively high because most patients either stop having seizures or (less commonly) die of it. Epilepsy's approximate annual incidence rate is 40–70 per 100,000 in industrialized countries and 100–190 per 100,000 in resource-poor countries; socioeconomically deprived people are at higher risk.

Seizure First Aid

During a seizure, we first ask that everyone involved stay calm and keep the child safe. Time the seizure with a watch or clock, as most seizures seem to be a lot longer than they really are. If the seizure lasts longer than five minutes, EMS needs to be called. Notice what the seizure looks like so you can give a good description to the paramedics and the child's doctor. Please DO NOT places anything in the child's mouth. They cannot swallow their tongue. If possible, gently lay the child on his side. Lastly, let the seizure run its course. Do not try to restrain the child. After the seizure is over, allow them to rest and completely recover from the seizure. Again, if the seizure does not stop after five minutes, 911 should be called. If there are any other unusual or concerning circumstances surrounding the seizure, also consider consulting medical personnel.

Seizure Precautions

These are some general precautions for children with a history of seizures or epilepsy. Discourage your child from climbing higher than 10 feet. Do not let your child take a tub bath alone, as some children have drowned in the bath during a seizure. If they are too old for supervision, they should take a shower and leave the door unlocked. There should be no unsupervised swimming; they should swim with other swimmers who are strong enough to rescue them. As with all children, children with epilepsy should wear a helmet when riding a bike or rollerblades. If your child is old enough to drive, they should not drive unless they have been seizure free for six months and you have contacted the physician. While there can't be a universal rule applicable to every possible situation and person, older children and adults also need to take reasonable precautions or restrictions with more dangerous activities, such as operating heavy machinery and playing contact sports.

Despite the above precautions, children with epilepsy should be encouraged to lead as normal a life as possible. Using common sense, there is no reason that people with epilepsy cannot participate fully in the vast majority of activities that life offer

First Seizures

Many people have a single seizure at some point in their lives. Often these seizures occur in reaction to anesthesia or a strong drug, but they also may be unprovoked, meaning that they occur without any obvious triggering factor. Unless the person has suffered brain damage or there is a family history of epilepsy or other neurological abnormalities, these single seizures usually are not followed by additional seizures. One recent study that followed patients for an average of 8 years found that only 33 percent of people have a second seizure within 4 years after an initial seizure. People who did not have a second seizure within that time remained seizure-free for the rest of the study. For people who did have a second seizure, the risk of a third seizure was about 73 percent on average by the end of 4 years.

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy

Beyond symptoms of the underlying diseases that can be a part of certain epilepsies, people with epilepsy are at risk for death from four main problems: status epilepticus (most often associated with anticonvulsant noncompliance), suicide associated with depression, trauma from seizures, and sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP).

Status epilepticus affects about 195,000 people each year in the United States and results in about 42,000 deaths. In UK epilepsy kills 1000 every year. While people with epilepsy are at an increased risk for status epilepticus, about 60 percent of people who develop this condition have no previous seizure history.

People with epilepsy who are otherwise healthy are known to have a risk of unexplained sudden death that is more than 20 times higher than the general population. Doctors call it sudden unexpected death in epilepsy or SUDEP.

However, that risk may be reduced by a variety of precautions, a new review of research finds.

The review, published online in The Lancet, should be understood properly by those with epilepsy, says researcher Simon Shorvon, MD, professor of neurology at University College London. "Life is full of risks," he says, ''and [it's] important to keep in perspective. "

For the review, Shorvon searched for published medical studies focusing on the seizure disorder epilepsy and sudden death from 1950 to 2010, finding 580 articles. He focused on those published in the past five years.

About 3 million Americans have epilepsy and seizures, according to the Epilepsy Foundation.

How to Reduce Risk of Sudden Death

Shorvon pooled the data from his analysis of risk factors. He found:

·         The more often a seizure known as tonic-clonic occurs, the higher the risk. These are a type of generalized seizure that affects the entire brain.

·         Men were at higher risk than women.

·         Those who had epilepsy long term were at higher risk than those who had it for a shorter time.

·         Those on many epilepsy medicines were at higher risk than those not taking many medicines.

Shorvon also found SUDEP usually occurs when people with epilepsy are not observed by others and often at night.

To reduce risk, ''reducing the number of convulsions is probably the single most important way of prevention [of SUDEP],'' Shorvon tells WebMD.

Other ways to reduce risk:

·         Take medication as prescribed.

·         If drugs are changed, the doctor should change them in a gradual manner.

·         Patients at high risk should be supervised at night. A person can supervise the patient or the patient can use alarms that are set off by seizures.

·         Epilepsy drugs that have potential cardiac and respiratory effects should be prescribed with care.

·         Doctors should discuss risks of sudden death with people with epilepsy.

The measures suggested to reduce SUDEP risk are only speculative suggestions, Shorvon writes, based on data about what leads to SUDEP. If medications don't help, Shorvon writes, epilepsy surgery can help make a patient seizure-free and probably reduces the risk of SUDEP.

What to Do if You See Someone Having a Seizure

If you see someone having a seizure with convulsions and/or loss of consciousness, here's how you can help:

1.     Roll the person on his or her side to prevent choking on any fluids or vomit.

2.     Cushion the person's head.

3.     Loosen any tight clothing around the neck.

4.     Keep the person's airway open. If necessary, grip the person's jaw gently and tilt his or her head back.

5.     Do NOT restrict the person from moving unless he or she is in danger.

6.     Do NOT put anything into the person's mouth, not even medicine or liquid. These can cause choking or damage to the person's jaw, tongue, or teeth. Contrary to widespread belief, people cannot swallow their tongues during a seizure or any other time.

7.     Remove any sharp or solid objects that the person might hit during the seizure.

8.     Note how long the seizure lasts and what symptoms occurred so you can tell a doctor or emergency personnel if necessary.

9.     Stay with the person until the seizure ends.

Call emergency services if:

1.     The person is pregnant or has diabetes.

2.     The seizure happened in water.

3.     The seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes.

4.     The person does not begin breathing again or does not return to consciousness after the seizure stops.

5.     Another seizure starts before the person regains consciousness – status epilepticus.

6.     The person injures himself or herself during the seizure.

7.     This is a first seizure or you think it might be. If in doubt, check to see if the person has a medical identification card or jewelry stating that they have epilepsy or a seizure disorder.

8.     After the seizure ends, the person will probably be groggy and tired. He or she also may have a headache and be confused or embarrassed. Be patient with the person and try to help him or her find a place to rest if he or she is tired or doesn't feel well. If necessary, offer to call a taxi, a friend, or a relative to help the person get home safely.

9.     If you see someone having a non-convulsive seizure – complex partial seizure (he may take away your belongings  . . . ), remember that the person's behavior is not intentional. The person may wander aimlessly or make alarming or unusual gestures. You can help by following these guidelines:

10.                        Remove any dangerous objects from the area around the person or in his or her path.

11.                        Don't try to stop the person from wandering unless he or she is in danger.

12.                        Don't shake the person or shout.

13.                        Stay with the person until he or she is completely alert.

Safeguard your kitchen

• Use oven mitts and cook only on rear burners
• If possible, use an electric stove, so there is no open flame
• Cooking in a microwave is the safest option
• Ask your plumber to install a heat-control device in your faucet so the water doesn't become too hot
• Carpet the kitchen floor. This can provide cushioning if you fall
• Use plastic containers rather than glass when possible
• If possible, cook when someone else is nearby.
• Use the back burners of the stove to prevent accidental burns.
• Use shatterproof containers as much as possible. For instance, sauces can be transferred from glass bottles to plastic containers for use.
• Limit time that is required using knives or other sharp objects. If possible, buy foods that are already cut, or ask someone to help in meal preparation.
•  

General Safety at Home

• Do not smoke or light fires in the fireplace unless someone else is present.
• Do not use space heaters that can be accidentally overturned.
• When alone, avoid using step stools or ladders, and do not clean rooftop gutters.
• Purchase power tools and motorized lawn equipment which have a safety switch that will stop the machine if you release the handle (a 'dead man's' switch).

Safeguard your bathroom

• Install a device in your tub and showerhead that controls temperature. This keeps you from burning yourself if a seizure occurs
• Carpet the floor—it's softer and less slippery than tile
• Do not put a lock on the bathroom door. If you have one, never use it. Someone should always be able to get in if you need help
• Learn to bathe with only a few inches of water in the tub, or use a handheld showerhead

A person with seizures may want to shower instead of bathe to avoid accidental drowning. If falls occur during the patient's typical seizure, a person should use a shower seat, preferably one with a safety strap.

• Use nonskid strips in your shower or tub.
• Never use electrical equipment near water. This prevents accidental electrocution.
• Consider changing glass in shower doors to shatterproof glass.
•  

Planning ahead for safety outside the home

Driving. For many people with epilepsy, the risk of seizures restricts their independence, in particular the ability to drive. The Epilepsy Foundation offers a state-by-state database of driving restrictions and regulations on its website. Find out more about driving and epilepsy.

Participating in activities. You can play sports with epilepsy, but it's a good idea to have someone with you who knows how to manage a seizure. Wearing head protection is also recommended when you participate in a contact sport that might cause you to fall or hit your head.

Here are some tips for picking the right physical activities when you are living with epilepsy:

• If seizures usually occur at a certain time, plan activities when seizures are less likely to happen
• Avoid extreme heat when exercising and keep hydrated with plenty of water to reduce seizure risks
• Check with your neurologist before starting any new exercise program

Some activities may be restricted if you have uncontrolled seizures, including:

• Swimming alone
• Climbing to unsafe heights
• Riding a bike in traffic

Driving and Transportation
Avoid driving unless your seizures are well controlled and/or you have permission to drive from your state's Department of Motor Vehicles

(DMV). Each state has different laws.

• If you ride a bicycle, wear a helmet and any other necessary protective gear.
• When taking public transportation like the bus or subway, stay clear of the platform edge.

Outdoor and Sports Safe

• Swimming is okay, but does present certain risks. Never swim alone, and tell friends what to do if you have a seizure while swimming.
• Wear appropriate protective equipment.
• Ski with a friend. If a seizure occurs, your friend can seek help, if needed. He or she can also help to get you out of the cold. Consider using a safety hook or belt while riding the ski lift.

Safety Issues for Parent

• Feed, nurse, dress, and change your infant while sitting on the floor, in a well-protected area.
• Childproof your house as much as possible. If you are home alone with your child, consider using a safe play area or playpen. Use child safety gates to prevent a child from falling down stairs or to prevent your child from wandering in the event that you have a seizure.
• As your child grows, explain what seizures are in terms that he or she can understand. Some people perform 'seizure drills.' Many people teach their children how to call 911 in an emergency.

For senior citizens –

• Seniors may react to medicines differently than younger people
• Seniors may need to take different doses than other patients
• Seniors may not easily detect side effects
• Some medicines may cause seizures in seniors with epilepsy
• Kidney problems may complicate treatment in some seniors
• Bone density may be an additional concern in treatment planning

Epilepsy at workplace –

Use carpeting or rubber matting on the floor of your workspace If you use a desk chair, choose one with armrests to prevent falls Have a buddy at work who knows how to help you if you have a seizure Take breaks when you need them Use the elevator instead of the stairs Avoid shift work or get plenty of rest. Lack of sleep can cause seizures

Prevention

If the seizures are related to another medical condition, identification and treatment of that medical condition is the key to prevention. If anticonvulsant medication is prescribed, taking the medication on the recommended schedule and not missing medication is important.

Some people with epilepsy are quite sensitive to alcohol. If this pattern develops, avoid alcohol. Others may have seizures only after ceasing heavy alcohol intake. The key to prevention is avoidance of alcohol.

Sleep deprivation and stress certainly may increase the frequency of seizures in some eople with epilepsy.

Does seizures cause brain damage ? Yes in long run

relationship of epilepsy & sleep? a) Sleep deprivation can precipitate seizures; b) Some seizures are more frequent during sleep state eg. Frontal lobe epilepsy, primary generalized epilepsy of genetic origin.

                                                     MYTHS      

DEVIL

MENTAL ILLNESS

CONTAGIOUS

LOW MENTAL ABILITY – NOT ALWAYS . . .

HEREDITARY – ONLY 2 TO 4%

MARRIAGE CURES

LIFE LONG DISORDER

RARE

GIVING KEY/SHOE!

CHILDHOOD DISEASE

SPOON IN MOUTH

As per the Motor vehicle Act in India - driving is not permitted once a person declares that he had / has epilepsy or even if he is free from epilepsy and off medication. In the western countries driving is allowed to drive personal vehicle if a person is free from seizures for 6 months - 2 years even while taking antiepileptic drugs (AEDs).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hVYA6JrVUA

Hinduism

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAOjW_RhmFs


Most of Hindus are following rituals just because their ancestors have been a part of it. The problem comes when someone asks you about your beliefs and why you have those beliefs.... at that moment...though many of the time our answer sound less effective because the person who asks the question is at advantage of being a superior to us – we are dependent on him economically/ academically . . . of authoritarian attitude of the person asking the question, most of the times we don’t know our religion . . . . Most of us don’t have time to refer the original texts . . . even Mahatma Gandhi had this confusion and dilemma when he was offered conversion to Christianity in London. Here are some facts, which will shed light upon our confusions.

As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion (i.e. Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism or Sikhism). All the Indian law applies to these groups . . . whereas Muslims are governed by Indian personal law board.

Hinduism is a conglomeration of distinct intellectual or philosophical points of view, rather than a rigid common set of beliefs.

Hinduism is formed of diverse traditions and has no single founder.

Vedas, conduct of the virtuous men, traditions and self-satisfaction – the fourfold basis of conduct of Hindus

Among its direct roots is the historical Vedic religion around which all the religions move either in its favour or against it – there have been vedic religions/ philosphies who believe in Vedas as infallible source of knowledge – astik six in number - and non vedic who do not believe in Vedas like charvak jain Buddhism, yogis . . . . Islamic invasion brought the ancient vedic religions closer to Buddhism and Jainism and also gave birth to a new religion Sikkhism.

The six vedic philosphies are –

1.     Samkhya.

2.     Yoga, a school emphasizing meditation closely based on Samkhya

3.     Nyaya or logics

4.     Vaisheshika, an empiricist school of atomism – scientific/ science - vigyaan

5.     Mimamsa, an anti-ascetic and anti-mysticist school of orthopraxy

6.     Vedanta, the logical conclusion to Vedic ritualism, focusing on mysticism.

Among the above, except the Vedanta, all other though accept Vedas as the revealed text/ infallible source of knowledge, but they don’t always follow them as the only way of life . . . like samkhya philosophy doesnot believe in gods described in vedas . . .

But the best of all about Vedas is, its a collection of works of all earlier sage by Ved Vyas. Vedas are the different rituals prescribed by different sages and thats why ways to perform rituals for the same god appears again and again . . . he also included ideas questioning the origin of these gods! In that perspective Vedas itself is very secular. in addition ved vyasa also wrote Mahabharata, Gita and Puranas – the story of lifes of gods and other divine creations which made the basis of  later life. Before him Valmiki ahd narrated the story of lord Rama . . . here interesting things to note is that neither Valmiki nor Ved Vyasa was Brahmins – a bold reply to usual blame game by our detractors – that Vedas/ Hinduism/ sanatan dharma is Brahminical religion and using Brahminism interchangeably with Hinduism/ sanatan dharma.

Hinduism does not have a single founder, does not have a specific theological system, does not have a single concept of deity, does not have a single holy text, dDoes not have a single system of morality, does not have a central religious authority, does not have the concept of a prophet.

Hinduism is not a religion in the same sense as any of the Abrahamic religion is – Judaism/ Christianity/ Islam; it is more like an all encompassing way of life.

This conglomeration has been possible because none of the Hindu gods/ scriptures advocated slaying of other human being only for the reason of his thought . . . his idea about gods . . . rather they advocated proving their superiority by discourses . . . shastraarth . . . life was never the punishment for difference of opinions . . . even among gods if there were differences in opinion, time was the leveller . . . at opportune time when the truth was obvious/ proved . . .  prayashchit/ paschaataap was the only solution . . . and in due course of time different opinions have found its role and place in the society . . .

Philosophers from different schools can still have a rich and meaningful conversation agreeing on many points while differing on subtle points of difference.

Competition and integration between the various schools was intense during their formative years, especially between 800 BC to 200 AD. Some like the Jain, Buddhist, Shaiva and Advaita schools survived, while others like Samkhya and Ajivika did not, either being assimilated or going extinct.

Jain tirthankars find exclusive mention in the Vedas and the Hindu epics. During the Vedantic age, India had two broad philosophical streams of thought: The Shramana philosophical schools, represented by Buddhism, Jainism, and the long defunct and Ajivika on one hand, and the Brahmana/Vedantic/Puranic schools represented by Vedanta, Vaishnava and other movements on the other. Both streams are known to have mutually influenced each other.

Vedas, conduct of the virtuous men, traditions and self-satisfaction – the fourfold basis of conduct of Hindus

Vegetarianism or nonvegetarianism is not the issue –

1.     food is a personal issue – till it hurts others specially other human

2.     we all know that human as an species were nonvegetarian and idea of vegetarianism have come only later impoverisation . . . in fact if we see the methods of sacrifice explained in Vedas . .. there is no dearth of the examples . . . if we see the vedic rituals of sacrifice, its horrifying . . . from that we can guess, how far humanity has travelled . . .

3.     Slaying of cow giving milk is not allowed in Vedas - among ancient scriptures, hindu traditions, nonvegetarian food is practiced . . . even cow and horse flesh and sacrifice is mentioned at many places – in Vedas/ manusmriti . . .

4.     pure vegetarian food is more an influence of Buddhism and Jainism (Satvik – without Garlic and onion)

5.     there are many castes like chamar and tribes . . . and this world is full of such people . . .varieties of human beings . . . few people take lizards . . . frog . . . snake . . . we should be able and ready to embrace them . . .

6.     last but not the least - economy is an issue as goat flesh or cock/ hen/ chicken is costly for the poor people

the difference with other religions specially with Abrahamic/ Ibrahamic religions – specially in india  is not on food . . . but the attitude –

1.     They teach intolerance to others – mosses killed 3000 followers of his own brother – and did not harm the brother who had told them to do so!

2.     All three major Abrahamic religions preach - They are the only truth

3.     They believe in the instructions through the ghosts . . . ours is a direct conversation with god

4.     Biggest and practical problem is Muslims or Christians are either invaders who looted/ exploited  and left (thats was the introduction of Indians to muslims or Christians) or those traiters who changed religion for money/ power . . .

5.     There is no harm in believing some other god . . . some other name of superpower – that’s how we have been brought up and every Indian has that attitude towards other religions specially Abrahamic/ Ibrahamic religions . . . but they too should  remember – India is the land of gods . . . But they feel mecca/ Israel as their own – not India - difference with other religions specially with Abrahamic/ Ibrahamic religions – specially in india  - the place of birth of gods . . . most of their political leaders/ religious leaders, never talk of common welfare of every Indian – they talk only of their community – however small it might be. They have kept their masses isolated and blame the system for their poverty/ illiteracy and backwardness.

Most of the recent converts to Christianity/ Islam are poor and mostly belonging to the untouchable community . . . are they moving in a better direction?  

One more issue of concern is all the ancient texts are being corrupted . . . I can see even on net . . . paragraphs are missing or are being added . . . ! so we need to keep an eye and preserve the originals.

Bull in Mythology

The worship of the Sacred Bull throughout the ancient world is most familiar to the Western world in the biblical episode of the idol of the Golden Calf. The Golden Calf after being made by the Hebrew people in the wilderness of Sinai, were rejected and destroyed by Moses and his tribe after his time upon the mountain peak (Book of Exodus). Marduk is the "bull of Utu". Shiva's steed is Nandi, the Bull. The sacred bull survives in the constellation Taurus. The bull, whether lunar as in Mesopotamia and Egypt or solar as in India, is the subject of various other cultural and religious incarnations, as well as modern mentions in new age cultures.

Stone Age
Aurochs are depicted in many Paleolithic European cave paintings such as those found at Lascaux and Livernon in France. Their life force may have been thought to have magical qualities, for early carvings of the aurochs have also been found. The impressive and dangerous aurochs survived into the Iron Age in Anatolia and the Near East and was worshipped throughout that area as a sacred animal; the earliest survivals of a bull cult are at neolithic Çatalhöyük.

The bull was seen in the constellation Taurus by the Chalcolithic and had marked the new year at springtide by the Bronze Age, for 4000 - 1700 BCE.

Bronze Age

Mesopotamia

The Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh depicts the killing by Gilgamesh and Enkidu of the Bull of Heaven, Gugalana, first husband of Ereshkigal, as an act of defiance of the gods. From the earliest times, the bull was lunar in Mesopotamia (its horns representing the crescent moon).

Egypt

Hathor as a cow, wearing her necklace and showing her sacred eye – Papyrus of Ani.

In Egypt, the bull was worshiped as Apis, the embodiment of Ptah and later of Osiris. A long series of ritually perfect bulls were identified by the god's priests, housed in the temple for their lifetime, then embalmed and encased in a giant sarcophagus. A long sequence of monolithic stone sarcophagi were housed in the Serapeum, and were rediscovered by Auguste Marriete at Saqqara in 1851. The bull was also worshipped as Mnewer, the embodiment of Atum-Ra, in Heliopolis. Ka in Egyptian is both a religious concept of life-force/power and the word for bull.

Eastern Anatolia

We cannot recreate a specific context for the bull skulls with horns (bucrania) preserved in an 8th millennium BCE sanctuary at Çatalhöyük in eastern Anatolia. The sacred bull of the Hattians, whose elaborate standards were found at Alaca Höyük alongside those of the sacred stag, survived in the Hurrian and Hittite mythologies as Seri and Hurri (Day and Night)—the bulls who carried the weather god Teshub on their backs or in his chariot, and grazed on the ruins of cities.

Minoa

The Bull-Leaping Fresco: Knossos

The Bull was a central theme in the Minoan civilization, with bull heads and bull horns used as symbols in the Knossos palace. Minoan frescos and ceramics depict the bull-leaping ritual in which participants of both sexes vaulted over bulls by grasping their horns. See also "Minotaur and The Bull of Crete" (below) for a later incarnation to the Minoan Bull.

Indus Valley

Nandi the bull can be traced back to Indus Valley civilization, where dairy farming was the most important occupation. The bull Nandi is Shiva's primary vehicle and is the principal gana (follower) of Shiva.

Cyprus

In Cyprus, bull masks made from real skulls were worn in rites. Bull-masked terracotta figurines and Neolithic bull-horned stone altars have been found in Cyprus.

Levant

The Canaanite (and later Carthaginian) deity Moloch was often depicted as a bull.

Exodus 32:4 "He took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, 'This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt'."

Nehemiah 9:18 "even when they made an idol shaped like a calf and said, 'This is your god who brought you out of Egypt!' They committed terrible blasphemies."

Calf-idols are referred to later in the Tanakh, such as in the Book of Hosea, which would seem accurate as they were a fixture of near-eastern cultures.

King Solomon's "bronze sea"-basin stood on twelve brazen bulls, according to 1. Kings 7:25.

Young bulls were set as frontier markers at Tel Dan and at Bethel the frontiers of the Kingdom of Israel.

Much later, in Abrahamic traditions, the bull motif became a bull demon or the 'horned devil' in contrast and conflict to earlier traditions.The bull is familiar in Judeo-Christian cultures from the Biblical episode wherein an idol of the Golden Calf is made by Aaron and worshipped by the Hebrews in the wilderness of Sinai (Exodus). The text of the Hebrew Bible can be understood to refer to the idol as representing a separate god, or as representing the God of Israel himself, perhaps through an association or syncretization with Egyptian or Levantine bull gods, rather than a new deity in itself.

Crete

For the Greeks, the bull was strongly linked to the Bull of Crete: Theseus of Athens had to capture the ancient sacred bull of Marathon (the "Marathonian bull") before he faced the Bull-man, the Minotaur (Greek for "Bull of Minos"), whom the Greeks imagined as a man with the head of a bull at the center of the labyrinth. Minotaur was fabled to be born of the Queen and a bull, bringing the king to build the labyrinth to hide his family's shame. Living in solitude made the boy wild and ferocious, unable to be tamed or beaten. Earlier Minoan frescos and ceramics depict bull-leaping rituals in which participants of both sexes vaulted over bulls by grasping their horns. Yet Walter Burkert's constant warning is, "It is hazardous to project Greek tradition directly into the Bronze age"; only one Minoan image of a bull-headed man has been found, a tiny seal currently held in the Archaeological Museum of Chania.

Hellas

When the heroes of the new Indo-European culture arrived in the Aegean basin, they faced off with the ancient Sacred Bull on many occasions, and always overcame him, in the form of the myths that have survived.

In the Olympian cult, Hera's epithet Bo-opis is usually translated "ox-eyed" Hera, but the term could just as well apply if the goddess had the head of a cow, and thus the epithet reveals the presence of an earlier, though not necessarily more primitive, iconic view. Classical Greeks never otherwise referred to Hera simply as the cow, though her priestess Io was so literally a heifer that she was stung by a gadfly, and it was in the form of a heifer that Zeus coupled with her. Zeus took over the earlier roles, and, in the form of a bull that came forth from the sea, abducted the high-born Phoenician Europa and brought her, significantly, to Crete.

Dionysus was another god of resurrection who was strongly linked to the bull. In a cult hymn from Olympia, at a festival for Hera, Dionysus is also invited to come as a bull, "with bull-foot raging." "Quite frequently he is portrayed with bull horns, and in Kyzikos he has a tauromorphic image," Walter Burkert relates, and refers also to an archaic myth in which Dionysus is slaughtered as a bull calf and impiously eaten by the Titans.

In the Classical period of Greece, the bull and other animals identified with deities were separated as their agalma, a kind of heraldic show-piece that concretely signified their numinous presence.

Eucharist analogies

Walter Burkert summarized modern revision of a too-facile and blurred identification of a god that was identical to his sacrificial victim, which had created suggestive analogies with the Christian Eucharist for an earlier generation of mythographers:

The concept of the theriomorphic god and especially of the bull god, however, may all too easily efface the very important distinctions between a god named, described, represented, and worshipped in animal form, a real animal worshipped as a god, animal symbols and animal maskes used in the cult, and finally the consecrated animal destined for sacrifice. Animal worship of the kind found in the Egyptian Apis cult is unknown in Greece. ("Greek Religion," 1985).

Iron Age

Roman Empire

Tauroctony of Mithras at the British Museum London

The bull is one of the animals associated with the late Hellenistic and Roman syncretic cult of Mithras, in which the killing of the astral bull, the tauroctony, was as central in the cult as the Crucifixion was to contemporary Christians. The tauroctony was represented in every Mithraeum (compare the very similar Enkidu tauroctony seal). An often-disputed suggestion connects remnants of Mithraic ritual to the survival or rise of bullfighting in Iberia and southern France, where the legend of Saint Saturninus (or Sernin) of Toulouse and his protegé in Pamplona, Saint Fermin, at least, are inseparably linked to bull-sacrifices by the vivid manner of their martryrdoms, set by Christian hagiography in the 3rd century CE, which was also the century in which Mithraism was most widely practiced.

In some Christian traditions, Nativity scenes are carved or assembled at Christmas time. Many show a bull or an ox near the baby Jesus, lying in a manger. Traditional songs of Christmas often tell of the bull and the donkey warming the infant with their breath. This refers (or, at least, is referred) to the beginning of the book of the prophet Jesaja, where he says: "The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib." (Jes 1,3)

Gaul

A prominent zoomorphic deity type is the divine bull. Tarvos Trigaranus ("bull with three cranes") is pictured on reliefs from the cathedral at Trier, Germany, and at Notre-Dame de Paris. In Irish literature, the Donn Cuailnge ("Brown Bull of Cooley") plays a central role in the epic Táin Bó Cuailnge ("The Cattle-Raid of Cooley").

Pliny the Elder, writing in the first century AD, describes a religious ceremony in Gaul in which white-clad druids climbed a sacred oak, cut down the mistletoe growing on it, sacrificed two white bulls and used the mistletoe to cure infertility:

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The druids — that is what they call their magicians — hold nothing more sacred than the mistletoe and a tree on which it is growing, provided it is Valonia Oak…. Mistletoe is rare and when found it is gathered with great ceremony, and particularly on the sixth day of the moon….Hailing the moon in a native word that means ‘healing all things,’ they prepare a ritual sacrifice and banquet beneath a tree and bring up two white bulls, whose horns are bound for the first time on this occasion. A priest arrayed in white vestments climbs the tree and, with a golden sickle, cuts down the mistletoe, which is caught in a white cloak. Then finally they kill the victims, praying to a god to render his gift propitious to those on whom he has bestowed it. They believe that mistletoe given in drink will impart fertility to any animal that is barren and that it is an antidote to all poisons

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Irish mythology features the tales of the epic hero Cuchulainn, which were collected in the 7th century CE "Book of the Dun Cow."

Different names of God

Yahweh is the name of God in the Bible!

The word Yahweh is a modern scholarly convention for the Hebrew יהוה, transcribed into Roman letters as YHWH and known as the Tetragrammaton for which the original pronunciation is unknown. The most likely meaning of the name may be “He Brings Into Existence Whatever Exists", but there are many theories and none is regarded as conclusive. The traditional rendering of the name, as found in English Bibles, is "I am who I am" or "I am that I am".

The Bible describes Yahweh as the god who delivered Israel from Egypt and gave the Ten Commandments and says that Yahweh revealed himself to Israel as a god who would not permit his people to make idols or worship other gods "I am Yahweh, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, or My praise to idols."

Whom should we abuse today

There is a cold country in siberia who gives 24 hours to its inquiry officials to deicde about the fate of a more than 4000 year old monument . . . and here in India we have courts and administrators who cant decide even after 37years . . .

Gita has Extremism Potential?

For every Indian and any Indian (Indian includes Hindu, Muslim, Christian . ..  and so many others), the possibility of Gita (in its any form . . . even in its worst form) being branded as a text which can support extremism, has come as a surprise.
Hindus (including Sanatan Dharma/ jainism/ Buddhism/ Sikkhism and all other religions/ sects originated from this part of the land - in essence all have the supremacy of human intellect as the core value - the religions based on discourse)  for last 2, 500 years, more so at present all over the world, have faced the dictating/ instructing religions and have found themselves at disadvantage of no single "instruction"! Although when we are at home/ in safe heavens/ not dependent for our livelihood or other issues essential for life (for example if we are not made to pay jajiya tax), we are the best . . . has been proved many times . . . including in Chicago where  fire balzed from the tongue on September 11, 1893. But when we are humbled by our livelihood requirements, which is the situation for our migrant populations, an authoritative guideline is needed to counter those who preach and dictate and claim that all those who dont believe in "my" almighty, is a sinner . . . will go to hell . . . will be punished . . . and for that they are waiting for their "final day".
"I am the only master"! "Everything originates from me and everything dissolves in me"!
Nowhere else in Hinduism before Gita such authoritative statements are made (after Gita authoritative statements are made in Manusmriti).
Many a times (rather for ancient litterateurs most of the time) understanding the statement becomes difficult in-spite of knowing the word meanings . . . . More so in present world where everything is being analyzed and preached as suitable to the preacher and their sponsrer!
Although most of the Indian preachers as well as the listeners understand this and this ambiguity is in the air of the ambiance . . . . everyone remembers that India is the land where almighty has descended to show the way . . . so many times . . . and its not always easy to understand the gods . . . But if some one among us need to counter those who claim that only their ghost messengers say the truth and that the almighty cant take a human shape . . . we have Gita as the best text with us which can accompany us "I am the only truth!"
ISKCON is "located" among the frontiers of such psychological jehad. If its literature has made someone (who follow the ghosts) to feel that they spread extremism, I dont wonder at all. Because the extremism which they have been following in their lives has met its superior . . .
Starting from opposing the human intellect in giving a shape to the almighty (up to the extent of wiping out streams of lateral thinking perennially) by the order of the ghosts, to the seizures of equating the world at the monetary level, all to be done at the swords' end . . . they are the ones following extremism . . . for thousands of years . . .
Its only the ghost of fear of getting defeated in long run and the habit of finding fault only with others which has made them feel that Gita is extremist . . .
Yes, Gita has the potential to support extremism . . . because Gita is the only truth

Open letter to police and media

I have lived for more than nineteen years in Tamilnadu and travelling all around in the country for more than 21 years. I think for any person living on his own in this country (without beacon lights), it will be obvious perception that the social fabric in our country in weak. At present starting form Raj Thakarey to Sheila Dikshit, people are running for the neck of north Indians/ Hindi waalaas in general and Biharis in particular. In Tamilnadu, condition of Hindi speaking people is not hidden to anyone. Frequently fights among the students at various educational institutions are reported in media on the basis of states.

Today Times of India, Chennai edition, on its main page has published an article with heading “7 Bihari students nabbed for terror links”. I don’t want to comment about the inside story as it may sound humiliating either to the police or the person in press who has prepared the article (noting that the person whom they wanted to arrest has escaped and he had come from Delhi!), but altogether it’s a premature press release by the police (I am sure they understand the value of the information passed on to the general public) and a poor presentation by the press.

Such language of reporting is irresponsible and insensible on the part of media. It’s like reporting in Gujarat that & Muslims arrested for terror links!

By the way of presentation, it appears that neighbors, out of their irritation (Biharis are notorious for their ill mannered behavior – being a Bihari I have experienced that) have reported to the police against the students and police has arrested them . . .

Moreover, we all know that there is no identity called “Bihari” as such as there is no clan or religion or caste or language or race called Bihari. In such a situation, mentioning a state name for such defaming news is just ignorance. If they would have given the name and address of those arrested, it’s understandable.

In past I have read news heading as “Two north Indians spoiled the journey” while reporting use of drug to rob the co – passengers (by some other newspaper), and I also know that people in Tamilnadu like such presentation and is not going to stop because of my this writing, still as a reflex I am doing it by writing to the Tamilnadu Police (Complaint No: E11CHI609), Times of India editor and putting it before all of you.