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By Sant Kirpal Singh, in Oakton, Virginia, USA, 29 September, 1972
There are so many yogas – different kinds of yoga. Each has its own scope. Hatha Yoga is there to keep your body fit. Prana Yoga is there to prolong your life. In Bhakti Yoga you have to make a hypothesis before you reach the ultimate goal. And in Gyan Yoga you have to draw an inference – not direct contact. That's the work of very intellectual giants – not for everybody.
But the yoga that you have been put on is the most natural, quickest way of reaching the ultimate goal – God. So, in this yoga there are three pillars. First: the God-Himself-into-expression-Power, which is to be reached. The natural yoga, called Surat Shabd Yoga, which you are following is the direct way back to God. If you just catch the ray of the sun, that will take you – where? To the sun from which it emanates. So in the Surat Shabd Yoga you have to catch the God-into-expression-Power, which has two phases: light and sound. When you have a contact with that, that is called Satsang. As I told you, there are three pillars: Sat Naam, Satsang, and Satguru.
So, we will talk all about the Satsang today. What is called "Satsang"? "Sat" means "eternal" – which never falls away in dissolution or grand dissolution. That is God Himself. God does not die. And "Sang" means "to come in contact with It". So, who has to come in contact with that God-into-expression-Power? That is our own soul. That cannot be contacted by outgoing faculties or mind or intellect. So it is we who have to contact God – not the Absolute, but the God-into-expression-Power. That is the Creator of all the world over – all universes. That Power is controlling all this creation – and also controls us in the body.
So to contact Him, first we will have to know our selves. Do you know who we are? We have got the man-body, we have got the intellect; but we are conscious entities. God is All-Consciousness, and our soul is a drop of the Ocean of All-Consciousness. This – our consciousness – is identified with mind, outgoing faculties, and all the world outside. We are identified with them so much so that we have forgotten our self. So, the first thing to have a contact with the God-into-expression-Power is to know our self. Knowing our self is at two levels: at the level of feelings, or drawing inferences. Feelings and drawing inferences are both subject to error. Seeing is above all. Seeing will arise – to whom? Your self. And you will first find your self or know your self. So it is a matter of pure self-analysis.
We say, "It is my body", "It is my handkerchief", "they are my spectacles". Now, it is a quite different thing to say, "It is my handkerchief", or "spectacles", or "coat" and "my body". Those three things we can take off. But can you "take off" your body? It is our body ... my body ... my outgoing faculties. So it is a matter of self-analysis. All Masters who came in the past – that first thing that they gave out was to know one's self. Philosophers of the West or the East all say (the same) in their own languages. So a demonstration (is necessary) of how to analyse our selves from the outgoing faculties, mind, or intellect. That's a matter of demonstration, which can be given by one who rises above body-consciousness daily, who has realized God, who has become the mouthpiece of God, who speaks as inspired by God. So, the first thing is that attainment, when you know your self – when you know (by first-hand experience within).
As I told you just now, our soul is under the control of the mind; mind is under the control of the outgoing faculties. And the outgoing faculties are absorbed in outer things. The first thing will be: "How to rise above body-consciousness".
It is we who give strength to all these outgoing faculties and body. When the indweller, soul, just leaves the body (at the time of death), the body lies intact as it is but it cannot work. So all Masters have said, "Please man, know thy self." When you know your self – you also reside in this very man-body. You cannot run away out of it, although there are eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and other things. Some Power controls us in the body. That Power is called "God-into-expression-Power". That very Power controls all the universe over. We reside in this man-body, and that Power whom we have to contact also resides in this very body. Those who go out to find Him, they are never successful. Those who come to a Master, He tells them, "All right, please, tap inside! (The One) whom you are after, He is within you already. Why are you going on wandering outside?"
So when you sit at the feet of the Master, He gives you some first-hand experience how to rise above body-consciousness: withdraw from outside, withdraw from the body below, and come to the tenth door of the body which is at the back of the eyes – which is the seat of the soul in the body – from where it (the soul) plunges, it is ushered into the beyond. Then you know you are soul. When you know it, then you find that that Power is controlling you. The first, the highest class of Satsang is to know your self and come into contact with the God-into-expression-Power.
Now, so long as we do not come in contact, by rising above body-consciousness, with that Power which is controlling us in the body, (we need) the company of those who are in contact with that Power, conscious contact; they may be learned or unlearned. In their company they can teach us how to rise above body-consciousness and come in contact with that Power which is already within us. The company of the Saints, those who are the mouthpiece of God, who are conscious of that Power within them all the time, is also called Satsang. They are competent to give us first to know our selves by withdrawing us from outside and from the body below; they drag us up, and open the inner eye. We see the light of God, we see God, come in contact with God.
So, it is said, there are two such Satsangs: first class, when you have a contact with It; or (second class) sit in the company of somebody who has got that contact and can give you a contact. Do you follow? This (Satsang) is one of the pillars of the Surat Shabd Yoga. Each (pillar) has its own work: Sat Naam, Satguru, and Satsang.
So Masters tell us, they pray, they tell us how to pray, that's the point. They have that contact, but still they tell us something so that we may know how to pray and what to pray. Guru Ram Das, the fourth Guru of the Sikhs, prayed, "O God, bring me in contact with the Guru who works like a philosopher's stone." The quality of a philosopher's stone is given that whenever it comes in contact with any metal, that is turned into gold – any kind of metal. So He prayed, "O God, let me meet such a Guru who, like a philosopher's stone, would turn me to gold." He said, "I did pray, and my prayers were heard."
You see what sort of prayer is heard? As I told you the other day, (it is) the prayer which comes out of the heart and that is in unison with what you say by the word of mouth, and what you think. If the prayer comes, and the three (mind, intellect, and tongue) agree there, then that is a true prayer. When that prayer comes out, that Power who is also within us hears, "This child is after me." Then He will catch you by the hand, "Well, child, tell me what you want." So such a prayer is heard. Perhaps you have read the book "Prayer". That gives you all these things.
Guru Ram Das says, "My prayer was heard. Thank God. I was under the impression that the philosopher's stone would turn me into gold only; but strange enough, I met such a Guru who did not make me turn into gold but made me a philosopher's stone itself. Now, whoever comes in our contact, they also turn into a philosopher's stone."
Every king wants his son to be a … what? Do you know? A king – not a minister. Every Guru wants anyone coming to Him to become a Guru. So Guru Ram Das said, "My prayer was heard and I got such a Guru who made me like this philosopher's stone. Now, those who come in contact with me, they are also turning out to be philosopher's stones." He further says, "Strange enough, that qualification spoken of about the philosopher's stone is that if any metal comes in contact with that it is turned into gold." He says, "I was not the metal; I was the rust! Still worse. And, even then, I was made into the philosopher's stone." That bespeaks of the beauty of what he became after meeting the Guru. So the meeting or having the company of such a man is called Satsang.
The first Satsang you get inside – first class. Another Satsang is coming in contact with suchlike people who have got first-hand contact with God. What do you want? That's the point. Do you want God? Or do you want worldly things? This is to be decided. If you have got true desire, yearning, to know God, then God will make arrangement to bring you in contact somewhere where He is manifest, where He is the mouthpiece of God, and He will enable you to contact God who is within your own self already.
Guru Ram Das says, "What is the world after?" In the world, what do you find? We find (that we pray), "O God, give us higher planes, heavens!" Some say, "(Give us) all enjoyments of the world hereafter" or "the enjoyments of this world". When you pray, what do you pray for? For these worldly things or for your children, or your possessions, or your position, or that you may have enjoyments in the life after death? Generally this is what people pray for. Guru Ram Das says, "I have not prayed for that." They (people) get that for which they have truly prayed. They get it! Guru Ram Das says, "I wanted only Him and Him alone, and I got such a Guru which has not turned me into gold but made me a philosopher's stone itself." Now, those who are really after God, these (other) things don't appeal to them, you see. They simply want a glimpse of Him.
It is said that Lord Krishna once stayed away from a group of his followers, who were called "gopis", for some time. Those who wanted his company always, who could not live without his company, they cried. They were feeling a very strong yearning, a very strong separation, and could not live without him, away from him. So when he heard about their state of affairs, whatever they were undergoing, he sent one devotee of his to give them some consolation: "Look here, the word Krishna comes from the root 'kiru', 'kiri'. 'Kiri' means (the one) who is nearest to your soul – that is God. God resides in you. Why are you crying?" So that devotee went to see them and explained, and gave them all kinds of quotations from the scriptures, this and that: "God resides in you. Why are you crying?" They simply replied, "Look here, friend, what you say is alright: 'He is the very soul of our souls, He resides in our body, He is our controlling Power in the body, He is so near that He is nearer than the hands and the feet.' But tell us, for the eyes that are yearning to have a glimpse of Him, what is the remedy?"
Those who want to have a glimpse of God don't care for these heavens or anything like that; they don't even care for redemption from life – from coming and going (reincarnation), too. They simply want to have a glimpse of Him. Bhai Nand Lal was such a devotee of the tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh. He says, "O my Guru, my Satguru, I had no desire to come to the world but to follow You. As You have come to the world, I also followed You. Otherwise, what is lying in this world? You have incarnated, You are manifesting in the man-body here; so as I was fond of You, I also have come to the world to be with You." Hafiz is a great poet, mystic poet. He said, in Arabic, in one poem: "O man, if you want to come in contact with God, leave all worldly things. Go out to some lonely place to find Him, to go within you." And Nand Lal addresses Hafiz: "Look here, Hafiz, God is standing here. Here is God-in-man. Why should we leave this world and go to outside things? Here is God standing!" Well, this is the fate of those whose inner eye is open, you see. (It is the same God when He appears within.) Excuse me, they were persecuted like Christ. Were they not persecuted? Mansur was put to the stake. Shamaz-I-Tabrez's skin was taken off. Some were burned alive. Who did all this? Who did all this? (Those) whose (inner) eyes were not open. The others (those whose single eye is open) do say, "He (the Master) is the moving God-on-earth." They say, they see God is manifesting in Him. But when is it said? When your inner eye is open. So those who want a glimpse of Him (God), they never care for the possessions or all enjoyments of this world, or the world hereafter. They can only be satisfied if they have a glimpse of Him – that's all.
Take the example of a mother whose son has been away. She yearns to see her son – perhaps he is lost. There may be people who give evidence saying, "He is alive; I have seen him." (The mother says), "O no, unless I look at him I cannot be satisfied." You see? Something, a strong yearning like that. I mean to say those who are yearning really to see God. Man's highest goal is to have a beatific vision of God, to see God. This is the ultimate goal of what the Saints pray for. "See and then say." If you don't see …? Sometimes in prayers we sit, we shed tears, we cry; when that very thing for which we yearn and cry comes in front of you, how satisfied you feel!
So whatever you are doing, all of these practices outside which relate to the outgoing faculties, body, or intellect, in that you do not see. You simply feel a strong yearning to see so. Surat Shabd Yoga gives you a vision of that Power. All other yogas I mentioned have got different scopes. In Surat Shabd Yoga you have got direct contact with the God-into-expression-Power. If you pursue that way, regularly, with all devotion, He will always be face-to-face with you. He resides with you. Whenever you want to, you close your eyes, rise above body (-consciousness) and then see Him. Guru Ram Das tells us, "This is the state of those who really want to see God." They are not after this world's possessions. They simply want to have a glimpse of Him. That is the fate of few. How many people are seen crying, breaking their heads, for worldly things. But how many are there who are crying to see God? Rama Krishna Paramhansa tells us, "If a man continues three days regularly in his yearning for the Lord, God will appear to him." We cannot even yearn for an hour. So the point is, you see, those who are after having a vision of God – beatific vision – no other thing can appeal to them. They are not satisfied unless they see. But others, the world is full of them – why don't they yearn to see God? The reason is they are under a grand delusion. That delusion starts from where? From the man-body. He is the indweller of the man-body, but he is identified with the body so much so that he has forgotten himself. He works from the level of the man-body, which is made of matter and matter is changing every moment of life. And the world around is also changing, being of matter, at the same speed as our body is changing.
So, when two things are moving at the same speed, to those who are identified with it, to them this appears that it is all stationary. It is a grand delusion. Take the example of a boat in which some people, say five, six, seven or so, are rowing. The boat is going down the stream. One man is standing on the side (shore) of the river. He cries out, "Dear friends, you are rowing down the stream!" They look at the water around it, and the boat appears to be stationary – not moving. Is it not a grand delusion? The learned and the unlearned, both are under a grand delusion.
Now ... that is why they are just under delusion and always receiving impressions from outside. The man whose fate is like that, how can he escape from receiving impressions from outside, through the outgoing faculties? Whoever is in that state of affairs, naturally he is affected by outside life – all these impressions from outside. He has already become unclean or black-sooted, you see. In a house where there is black soot all around him, naturally he will have that very black colour. Those who do not yearn for God – why is it so? Because, on account of that, first, they are under a grand delusion; and moreover, from day-to-day, they are gathering impressions from outside. They are already black, and more black is being added. So they cannot even recognize the Masters, too, as I told you before. But those whose inner eye is opened see God working in all creation. We are waylaid by the outer changes of the world, as I told you yesterday. And all at once somebody passes away: "What is all that?" Such people (whose single eye is open) see this changing panorama – the body is also changing and we have to leave this body some day – but they are not affected. They are in the world: their boat is in the water, but water is not in the boat. (Do you see) the reason why? The boat has so many holes in it; if they are all closed, then the water won't enter the boat, and the man sitting in the boat won't be drowned. If there are holes, then the water will enter, and the boat will sink; and along with that, the man also sinks.
This man-body is the boat given to us to cross over the ocean of life. If there are other outlets from outside, which are our outgoing faculties, through which all impressions can come within us. As I told you the other day, about eighty percent of the impressions are received through the eyes. Fourteen percent from the ears, and the other from other senses. So, naturally, every day, from day-to-day, from hour-to-hour, he (the average person) is just under delusion, more delusion, and (still) more delusion. But those who rise above these outgoing faculties, with the grace of God or with the grace of the God-in-man, don't receive impressions from outside. They use these outgoing faculties at their will and pleasure, whereas the average man is being dragged away by these outgoing faculties. Outward enjoyments drag the outgoing faculties, and the outgoing faculties drag the mind. Mind is dragging our soul. The Masters, when they come, give the right way out: they give you a first-hand demonstration of how to rise above body-consciousness and all of your outgoing faculties. When you have a permanent seat here (behind the physical eyes), then outward impressions do not affect you: there are no holes in the boat to drown you. The boat may fill with the water of impressions from outside. So the Masters are in the world – they appear to be in the world – but they are not of it. This is what you get from the society, from the Satsang, from the company of the Saints. This is what they give you. They also give you higher contact with the nectar, the water of life, by raising you above these outgoing faculties at the back of the (physical) eyes. That (contact with the water of life within) has more taste; and when mind gets more taste within, all of the other enjoyments leave; he is not affected by the outer enjoyments. This is the blessing that you have at the feet of the Master, from the Satsang.
Satsang does not mean your bodies are sitting by Him and your minds are wandering outside. I give you an example of two friends. They were going out, and one had a strong mind to attend church. The other friend said, "I want to go to the play-ground." Each had his own way. One went to the church; the other went to the play-ground. Now, the man sitting in the church was thinking, "My friend must be kicking the football." His body was there, but his mind was elsewhere. The man in the play-ground was thinking, "He must be saying his prayers now." So who is the better of the two? To sit by the Master just like that does not give you an effect. You don't even receive the radiation because you are not receptive. So, Master defines how to attend a Satsang.
Soamiji says, "Hold a Satsang, attend some Satsang meeting." How? "When you go there, forget the world outside. When you sit there, forget all environment – who is sitting by you. When you sit there, you forget your body, too. Your whole attention should be absorbed! Eyes are the windows of the soul!" Masters define how to attend a Satsang! Instead, when attending so many Satsangs, why do we not derive full benefit? Because our bodies are there, of course, but we are not there: our attention is outside – in the play-ground. So, Soamiji says the right way to attend the Satsang is just like that (with full, absorbed attention). To be at a Satsang (physically) is not sufficient; your mind may be wandering outside, while your body is there. Another man sits there – whole-hearted, with whole attention: "The eyes are the windows of the soul" – (and absorbs) by radiation. If you are receptive, you will be affected (by radiation). So, Soamiji says, this is how we can derive full benefit from the company of the Satsang.
Further Soamiji says, "What is the whole creation? It is the expression of God. It all came out of Him. There is no place where He is not."
The world, you see, is His expression only. The Masters give us an example: there is a tree that is a perfumed tree. When you rub a piece of the wood of that tree, it gives you perfume. Sandal, sandalwood, it is called. Soamiji says, "The whole world is a sandalwood tree." It is said that the poisonous snakes are in contact with the sandalwood tree, lying around the tree – to give them some peace, or some satisfaction, you might say, or some cooling effect. When these snakes bite or sting somebody, the man who is stung feels like fire in that place, he gets a burning pain. Those snakes remain attached to the tree. Soamiji says, "If you want to have the juice of that tree, how will you have it? The only way is to cut the snakes with your sword and have the juice of the tree." This is an example to show that this whole universe is the sandalwood tree – it is all God's expression; but this delusion, the snake of delusion, is all around the tree. So what is the way out? How to rise above, come out of the delusion?
Soamiji says, "With the sword of 'Gyan'". What then is "Gyan"? "Knowledge". "Gyan" is not just literary findings, but it is just rising above body-consciousness and coming in contact with the God-into-expression-Power and see Him. This is the true meaning of the word "Gyan".
He says, "Take the sword of 'Gyan'" – that is, rise above body-consciousness, – "and you will see. You will have that enjoyment of God within you."
All Masters tell us how to come out of this delusion by rising above body-consciousness, which is the source of all delusion, because you are identified with the body, which is changing every moment of life; and the world around us, being made of matter, is also changing at the same rate as our body is changing. Because we are identified with this (body), the world appears to be stationary. If you come out of that delusion, you will find that your inner eye is open; you will see that it is all an expression of God outside. So, this is the way.
What will happen if you come in contact (with God), have a conscious, beatific vision of God? The result will be that all your sins which you have committed in the past up to this date, ever since you left the Father's Home (Sach Khand), will be washed away.
He (Soamiji) gives an example: there are great stores of wood and if you just put a little fire in them, they will burn down to ashes. Similarly, you have got innumerable sins ever since you left the House of the Father. If you take a little bit of the light that the Master gives you, all of these sins will be burned away with it. The reason is that when you become a conscious co-worker of the divine plan, the ego is lost, who will suffer? In all other actions, good or bad, we are the doer: "As we sow, so shall we reap." If you see that it is that Power which is working, not we, we are mere puppets in His hands, naturally there is nobody to bear the fruit of it. "As you sow, so shall you reap." There is nobody to reap it because you have become a conscious co-worker of the divine plan. So, you can get that light from the Master. By coming in contact with that God-into-expression-Power, the two aspects of which are light and sound, you will burn away all your sins, accumulated ever since you have left the Father's Home.
Masters always say, "Please, whatever you have been given, just stick to it like anything." Now, Guru Ram Das says, "This is what the Master gives you." And the Master – what is He? He is "Word made flesh." He is light personified, He is sound personified. When you come near Him, that very thing which He personifies – the "Word made flesh" in its two aspects of light and sound – that radiates from the body of the Saint, the Master. If you just sit in that field or area and you become receptive, you will have that radiation. As is the case with perfumed flowers, if you sit by them – near them – you will get perfume, isn't it so? Without touching them! If there is a room and you keep some perfumed flowers in it, the whole room will be perfumed. They say, "What to do? Just sit in the company, have a Satsang in the company of such Saints who are 'Word made flesh', and be receptive to them" not being like the man sitting in the church and thinking of the play-ground!
There is radiation. Each man has his (own) radiation. Those who have got stronger radiation, that radiation gives what is already within them. Because they are "Word made flesh", that is radiated. To sit in the field or area of the radiation of the Saints gives you all these things straight away. The only thing required is to be receptive. Maulana Rumi says, "If you have the chance of sitting by a Saint even for an hour" – in the manner as I am explaining to you – "that will give you better results than to sit in penances for a hundred years long!" When you sit by fire, you get heat or warmth; when you try to rub wood against wood, and (strike) stone against other things, how will you get the heat? The radiation works. The physical presence of the Master cannot be underrated. Of course, those who have developed receptivity can derive that benefit even from thousands of miles. Just like radios and televisions – you hear the voice from thousands of miles, and you can see who is speaking and what he is speaking. Similarly, if there is nothing remaining between you and the Master, maybe (you are) living on the other side of the seven oceans and the Master on this side, direct your attention to Him. If you have developed that receptivity, you can derive the full benefit of being near Him. That (receptivity) has to be developed. It (to be near the Master even from thousands of miles) is the fate of those who have developed receptivity. But for others, naturally sitting in the physical presence of the Master gives them radical change if they are receptive.
So Masters tell us what to do. "Sit in the company of the Saint within whom He is manifest." Then he goes further to say, "To sit in His radiation and come in closer contact with Him", as a man has got a cloth perfumed, you will touch him, pass by him, your clothes will be perfumed. A man who has got dirty clothes, if you touch him, you will get the bad odour, your clothes will be smelling bad. The whole thing is to sit within the radiation, in the field of action of radiation; you will derive wonderful (results). Not like: (suppose) some people sit here, then (they say), "I did not hear (anything)", (it is) because he was not there; the body was there of course. So when you'd like to derive full benefit of the physical presence of the Master or suchlike man, then there should not remain anything between you and Him, not even your thinking of the body, either. Look! The eyes are the windows of the soul. These are things written in scriptures.
Now Guru Ram Das speaks about other things: "Those who are coloured with the worldly colour, those who have got bad odour", He says, "Don't go near them. They are not in contact with God inside them, they are in contact with the life of the senses outside. All filth is within them. And that very filth is radiated: a bad odour."
Kabir says, "If you find such a man, you run away from him. You should not pass near by him because you might get an infection." If you happen to talk to such a man, it is just like a scorpion when it stings. Do you know? It is like an ordinary pinprick, but later on there is terrible pain. If you come across such a man, naturally at that time you won't be feeling much, but later on that develops more and more. So Saints advise, "Don't have the company of those who are imbued with the filth of the world." Their radiation gives you all that filth; the atmosphere is charged with that. Kabir gives you an example, as follows: "If there are some threads, with all knots in them, what will you get from them? Because all knots are there, you cannot draw a long thread out of that, and the cloth cannot be woven." Similarly He says, "Those people are already in doubt; they have not seen God. They are just given up to outer enjoyments like anything. That very thing radiates from (them in) their company. So, avoid that." Then again He says, "What should you do? Seek the company of a Saint. Go near Him. Try to remain receptive to the radiation – maybe at thousands of miles, or close to Him – with full receptivity." The God or Word which is manifest there will give you an incentive or boost: you will find that very God within you, with only a little thought of His! Hundreds may sit; He (the Master) gives a little thought, and the outward expression of our soul, the attention, is withdrawn from outside, from the body, and you have a glimpse of Him (within). Is it not wonderful?
I was defining Satsang, what Satsang is. Make the best use of it. Moreover, Christ said, "When more than one man sit in my name, I am there." When you sit together in the sweet remembrance of the God-into-expression-Power, or the human pole in which He is manifest, you will have the effect by radiation. When people sit in such rapt attention, they sometimes see the form of the Master, too, with open eyes. This is the feat of receptivity. We should learn how to hold Satsang.
The Master prays, "O God, You are the highest of the highest. We are wearing physical bodies, astral bodies, causal bodies, supercausal (bodies). We are on the earth, You are in the sky. How can we meet You, unless we rise up to that level?" You see? "Is there any remedy for that?" They say, "How to come up to that level where You are, nearer to You?" That (remedy) is the company of the Saints, when you become receptive.
Masters tell us in detail everything that is given in the scriptures. To have the right interpretation thereof, you must have somebody who has experienced that (mentioned in the scriptures). I have just been explaining to you one pillar (Satsang) of the three pillars which are most important in the Surat Shabd Yoga.
They (the Masters) give you a contact with Sat Naam within you, and in the company of the "Word made flesh" you have a boost. All other Masters also say the same thing, in their own languages, of course: "To come into contact with the God-into-expression-Power is coming in contact with the water of life, the nectar of life. That is the bread of life." That comes from where? From heaven. "Whosoever partaketh of it shall have everlasting life." This (inner) contact can be given by whom? By Him who is already "Word made flesh" – no intellectual can give you that. Of course, if he who is the mouthpiece of that Godpower is a learned man, he will tell you these things, giving so many instances from literature and elsewhere. Even if he does not have any degrees of outward education, He can give you a contact. You can have that by radiation by coming near in the field of action or the area. That's the only difference.
So man-body is the highest in all creation. In this man-body, the ultimate goal is to have a beatific vision of God. That's all – before we die!
Amongst the Hindus, there is a custom that when a man is just ready to die, people light a candle and put it on the palm of the dying man and tell him to look into the flame of this candle. The mantra which they read out means, "This light will accompany you hereafter." The light and the palm of the dying man remain here. What is (the value of) that candle which is outward? "Take heed that the light which is within you is not darkness", that's all.
Do you now see the beauty of the Surat Shabd Yoga you have got? No other yoga can vie with it; they have their own scope. That's right.
What is to be done? When you have got it (the inner contact), enjoy it. Make it a point, you see. That is the most important and most personal question, private work that you have got. We do not find time for that, and for worldly things, which will not accompany us, we put in (time) from morning till night. Then we come and say we have got not time to attend to that (spiritual practices). At least, in that case, if you have got "no time", then surely you will have time to repent, to cry, to shed tears, at a time when nothing can be done.
So that is why all Masters enjoin, "Catch the time by the forelock. Don't put off till tomorrow what you can do today. Procrastination is the thief of time."
That does not affect your (outer) labels ethically. You are a man, you see; man-body is the temple of God: you are simply to invert (your attention). How to invert? That demonstration is given by a Master; follow it accurately! Every Saint has his past and every sinner a future. So, please, "Time and tide wait for no man." You know? "Time and tide wait for no man." Time is passing away. Make the best use of the time at your disposal. What has passed is past; what will come in the future, we will see. Live in the living present. Let no second pass, no minute pass without it (inner remembrance).
This (inversion of attention) is what the Masters want from those who come to them, who are sent by God to them, of course. "It is He who sends and it is He in Him (the Master) who gives, not the son of man." We respect that son of man (living human pole) through whom this thing (inner contact) is given and in whom He (God) is manifest. Wherever such Masters put their feet, those become the places of pilgrimage. He is the "moving (place of) pilgrimage" on earth. Wherever He sits, that becomes a place of pilgrimage. Make the best use of the radiation you receive in the company of a Saint. Whatever you have got, put more time into it by regular practices. Snatch away as much time as you can for that purpose, because that is your and your only work. That will help you here and hereafter – in both the worlds. All other things will leave you, but the Word and the Word made flesh will never leave you, not even after death. He will be extending all feasible help and protection to you wherever you are, near and far, that makes no difference. All Masters, all scriptures say these things.


text:
Why hire a car from Enterprise in Stafford, United States?
Booking at Rental24.co.uk is as easy as counting to five. You fill out a search form, get a list of
available offers, compare them, select the best one, and confirm the reservation. A fast search engine with
smart filters makes it simple to catch the perfect Enterprise deal. Also, you can benefit from small but
• Book a vehicle a couple of weeks before packing your bags
• Consider alternative locations within Stafford, United States
• Add only the necessary extra options to your auto
Having a personal car at hand is a great way to make a trip bright and memorable; even more so if you are
collecting it from a reliable and reputable company. Luckily, Enterprise in Stafford, United States offers a
wide range of vehicles
and you can find the perfect deal on our website.
According to Enterprise car hire reviews, the company received a rating
of 7.1 out of 10, which is a pretty decent
result. It shows customers` attitude to the prices, services, and pick-up/drop-off processes. View the table
on the right for more details on all suppliers' key characteristics in Stafford, United States.
Enterprise hire cars in Stafford and other relevant vehicles
Enterprise hire cars in Sugar Land Regional Airport [SGR] and other relevant vehicles 8.11 km / 5.04 mi
Enterprise hire cars in Houston Hobby Airport [HOU] and other relevant vehicles 28.4 km / 17.64 mi
What is Enterprise Rent a Car?
Enterprise car rent is the missing element of your ideal trip to Stafford, United States. Find your vehicle in a convenient location on the ground and start the adventure of your dreams.
Are you going to conquer the city and explore the local cultural highlights? Choose the manoeuvrable compact model for easy parking and driving. Are you planning to rent a car and go on an exciting day trip? Opt for something bigger and more powerful.
Rest assured that Enterprise will cover you in any travel situation. The company provides an extensive vehicle fleet to suit your practical needs and aesthetic tastes. Thus, you can count on a positive travel experience with Enterprise car hire Stafford, United States. If you need more information about the supplier, please check the following section below.
Company name:
- Unlimited mileage
- Founded in 1957, Enterprise is considered the largest car rental brand of North America.
- The company features over 7000 offices worldwide.
- Currently, Enterprise's rental fleet exceeds 800,000 vehicles.
- According to Forbes, Enterprise has won the 16th position in the top 100 private companies of the US.
- Enterprise is dedicated to satisfying the high requirements of its customers. Therefore, the company constantly strives to make improvements. For example, they have developed a special training programme, helping new employees to provide an excellent service.
- Enterprise also specializes in truck rentals.
- Very often Enterprise car rental deals are cheaper in comparison with the other vendors. Especially, with regard to weekend rentals and rentals for over one week.
Take your chance to experience the benefits of Enterprise rental cars through rental24h.com - fill in our main search form at the top of the page!
Documents required to hire a car from Enterprise in Stafford, United States
Read the company's Terms and Conditions carefully before confirming your booking. Among the car hire documents required in Stafford, United States are:
- A credit card in the driver's name. Make sure the card complies with the payment policy and has a balance sufficient to pay the full vehicle price, equipment, and deposit.
- Full driving licence. The minimum term for which you must own a licence is 1 year. Also, an International Driving Permit (IDP) may be required if your domestic licence is not in the Latin alphabet. However, you can't pick up a vehicle with only an IDP at hand.
- Confirmation voucher. We send you a confirmation voucher which you must present at the counter as proof of payment.
Other Enterprise hiring documents may include a utility bill, passport ID, and a return flight ticket. However, they are usually required when using alternative payment methods.
Car rental minimum age requirement in Stafford, United States
According to the supplier's policy, the minimum car rental age in Stafford, United States is 21. However, until you reach 25, the company applies a daily underage charge and may limit the list of available vehicle categories.
The minimum legal age may vary by location. At some pick-up points, you can drive from the age of 19. At the same time, in most countries, including Ireland, Greece, the Netherlands, and Australia, Enterprise provides a car rental for 21-year-old customers as a minimum age limit.
Enterprise car hire locations near Stafford, United States
If you don't want to start your trip at the airport, pick up your vehicle at another Enterprise Stafford, United States location within a short drive of the facility. A list of alternative points is available below. For your convenience, we have indicated the distance to nearby offices so that you can plan your trip.
Keep in mind that you must appear at the Stafford, United States rental car counter on the date and hours specified in the voucher. The grace period for which you can be late without consequences is 2 hours. However, Enterprise doesn't guarantee that the vehicle you have booked will be available after this time.
Nearby car hire locations at airports
Sugar Land Regional Airport [SGR]
8.11 km / 5.04 mi
Houston Hobby Airport [HOU]
28.4 km / 17.64 mi
Houston George Bush Intc Airport [IAH]
43.53 km / 27.05 mi
Nearby downtown car hire locations
Stafford 12230 Southwest Fwy
0.75 km / 0.46 mi -
Houston Southwest Freeway
5.48 km / 3.4 mi -
Houston 6628 Wilcrest Dr
6.41 km / 3.99 mi -
Houston 9722 Fondren Rd
6.48 km / 4.03 mi -
Sugar Land
8.09 km / 5.02 mi -
Missouri City
8.66 km / 5.38 mi -
Houston 7766 Highway 6 S
8.73 km / 5.43 mi -
Houston 12280 Westheimer Rd Ste 300
10.06 km / 6.25 mi -
Houston Dyersdale (texas)
10.84 km / 6.74 mi -
Houston Bellaire (texas)
11.76 km / 7.31 mi -
Houston West University Place (texas)
12.32 km / 7.66 mi -
Houston 5803 Richmond Avenue
12.56 km / 7.81 mi -
Houston Piney Point Village (texas)
12.68 km / 7.88 mi -
Houston Bunker Hill Village (texas)
13.43 km / 8.35 mi -
Houston 2829 West Loop S
14.54 km / 9.04 mi -
Houston Memorial City Way
14.89 km / 9.25 mi -
Houston Hedwig Village (texas)
15.35 km / 9.54 mi -
Houston 910 Highway 6 S
15.4 km / 9.57 mi -
Houston 12150 Old Katy Road
15.43 km / 9.59 mi -
Houston 3777 S.w. Freeway
15.61 km / 9.7 mi
Houston 6829 Greenbriar St
16.44 km / 10.21 mi -
Houston Astrodome
16.8 km / 10.44 mi -
Houston Spring Valley Village (texas)
16.86 km / 10.48 mi -
Houston 1406 South Loop West
16.97 km / 10.54 mi -
Houston 4807 Kirby Dr
17.1 km / 10.63 mi -
Houston Hilshire Village (texas)
17.54 km / 10.9 mi -
Houston 3305 W Sam Houston Pkwy N
19.44 km / 12.08 mi -
Pearland Country Place Golf Club (texas)
19.67 km / 12.22 mi -
Houston Downtown (texas)
21.35 km / 13.26 mi -
Katy 20777 Katy Fwy
21.79 km / 13.54 mi -
Houston 2101 Travis
22.08 km / 13.72 mi -
Houston Hunters Creek Village (texas)
22.34 km / 13.88 mi -
23.26 km / 14.45 mi -
Katy 22103 Katy Freeway
23.41 km / 14.54 mi -
Houston Galena Park (texas)
23.54 km / 14.63 mi -
Houston 537 North Loop West
23.98 km / 14.9 mi -
Pearland (texas)
25.26 km / 15.69 mi -
Copperfield Downtown
26.45 km / 16.43 mi -
Houston Hudson (texas)
27.05 km / 16.81 mi -
27.61 km / 17.16 mi
Houston Pasadena (texas)
28.42 km / 17.66 mi -
Houston Northwest
30.53 km / 18.97 mi -
Houston 9203 North Fwy
31.17 km / 19.37 mi -
Cypress 13800 Cypress North Houston Rd
33.67 km / 20.92 mi -
Houston 14900 Gulf Freeway
37.44 km / 23.26 mi -
37.5 km / 23.3 mi -
Houston Champions
37.62 km / 23.37 mi -
Cypress (texas)
37.72 km / 23.44 mi -
Houston 14101 North Freeway
38.55 km / 23.95 mi -
Houston 3341 Fm 1960 Rd W
39.76 km / 24.71 mi -
Ron Carter (texas)
39.92 km / 24.8 mi -
Tomball 22702 State Highway 249
40.63 km / 25.25 mi -
Deer Park (texas)
43.39 km / 26.96 mi -
North Houston Downtown
43.72 km / 27.17 mi -
44.04 km / 27.36 mi -
47.48 km / 29.5 mi -
48 km / 29.83 mi -
Spring 23530 I-45 North
48.03 km / 29.85 mi -
League City
48.36 km / 30.05 mi -
Humble (texas)
48.62 km / 30.21 mi
Stafford, United States car rental map with Enterprise locations
For a better visual experience, check all available Enterprise rental places on the Google Maps service. You can find the required location with reference to a nearby attraction, hotel, or train station. Click on the desired point to see the distance to the main airport on the ground and proceed to the booking.
What type of car to hire from Enterprise in Stafford, United States?
It all depends on your travel goals and personal preferences. You can choose from small economy and compact vehicles to large SUVs and minivans. When booking, you actually order a specific car hire type, not make and model. Therefore, in the end, you get a model that is similar in basic technical characteristics to the vehicle displayed on the reservation page. in Stafford, United States, you get access to the following auto categories at Enterprise: Economy, Luxury, Van, Minivan, SUV, Pickup Truck, and 7 seater.
Can't decide what you need? Find your desired rental car group in the following list and click on it for more information.
What rental car brand to select in Stafford, United States?
Enterprise classifies its vehicles into groups. However, when searching on our website, you may see a reference brand and model that belongs to a particular category and is listed at the top of every deal. Thus, you may focus on a car rental specific model and imagine what auto to get at the end when travelling to Stafford, United States.
Also, Enterprise indicates 'or similar' next to the model name. This means the company undertakes to provide a vehicle similar in characteristics to the reference vehicle. According to ACRISS (Association of Car Rental Industry Systems Standards), each category bears a unique 4-letter code that indicates its major specs, including body type, number of doors, transmission and fuel type, and air conditioning availability. That is, you get a vehicle that is equivalent in these features.
However, you may collect a car hire guaranteed model as well. Look for Stafford, United States car hire deals with the corresponding inscription in the search results. If your goal is to book a vehicle of a specific brand, find it in the following catalogue.
Car rental review of Rental24.co.uk: Enterprise car hire in Stafford, United States
Still in doubt about choosing the right company for your upcoming road trip to Stafford, United States? Check at least one Enterprise car rental review from previous customers in the catalogue below, and you won't hesitate in your choice. They provide an honest and informative point of view that makes it possible to take the decisive step in finding a reliable supplier in Stafford, United States.
FAQs - Enterprise car hire in Stafford, United States
How much is it to hire a car from Enterprise in Stafford, United States?
The cost depends on the vehicle class of course. Also, the trip duration and seasonal demand matter. The lowest Enterprise car rental price in Stafford, United States is £47 per day. The average rate for Enterprise deals is £66, and the maximum daily price tag can reach £109. When calculating Stafford, United States rental rates on a long-term basis, the company lowers its prices.
Therefore, you get even better value from Enterprise if you book at least for a week at minimum. The minimum price for such period is £249. The average rate per week is £348. And if you're picking up a high-end vehicle, expect to pay a maximum cost of around £576 per week.
The main tip for the cheapest price is to book in advance. Also, take advantage of the simple car hire Stafford, United States price comparison available on our website in order to find the best deals.
What is the cheapest car to hire from Enterprise in Stafford, United States?
Сheap Enterprise car rentals in Stafford, United States are real! The cheapest car hire deal is the Economy Kia Rio available for £47 per day. While the highest Enterprise car rental price you will pay is £83 per day for a Luxury Chrysler 300.
Is it cheaper to pre-book a rental car in Stafford, United States?
Elect Enterprise to book a rental car, and plan ahead to get the cheapest rates near Stafford, United States. The optimal period for reserving is 1-2 weeks before the pick-up date, although you can start checking the best deals a month in advance.
What is the age limit for hiring a car from Enterprise?
The exact Stafford, United States legal driving age depends on the specific car hire company. Before confirming the booking, check the details in the Terms and Conditions on the vendor's website. At the same time, you can check the minimum and maximum age limit to hire a car at Enterprise in the following card.
What does off-airport car hire mean at Enterprise?
Travellers booking a set of wheels for leisure or business purposes in Stafford, United States have two pick-up options to opt for:
- On-airport. The counter is available at the terminal, within walking distance of the baggage claim area. The car park is in the same building.
- Off-airport. The supplier sits outside the terminal but within driving distance of the facility. You can reach the office with the Stafford, United States car rental shuttle bus leaving near the terminal.
Is Enterprise on-site in Stafford, United States?
The following vendors sit on-site, within the terminal: .
Use the Enterprise shuttle service to get to the office. After landing in Stafford, United States, follow the signs to the Ground Transportation/Shuttle Pick Up and board the bus with the appropriate plate. Shuttles run every 5-10 minutes within the company's business hours.
Is Enterprise the best car rental company for a one-way trip in Stafford, United States?
Enterprise offers reliable and cheap one-way car hire in Stafford, United States. This option adds flexibility to your ride and can be useful for:
- trips between distant destinations or across the country
- spontaneous decisions while travelling
- saving time by not having to return to the original location
- cases when your flight is delayed or cancelled
A large selection of economy, full-size sedans, SUVs, minivans, and pickup trucks are available for car rental one-way in Stafford, United States. If you would like to check the availability of a one-way option, please complete the search form for the selected locations on the top of this page.
How to avoid Enterprise one-way car hire drop-off fees in Stafford, United States?
When you decide to return the vehicle to another location, Enterprise applies a one-way charge, also called a drop-off fee. This is a kind of payment for the service the company provides by returning the vehicle to the original pick-up point. In this regard, travellers often ask how to avoid rental car drop-off fees. Are there any ways to do so?
Customers pay one-way charges when travelling between destinations over significant distances. At the same time, there are no associated fees when moving between two locations within the same city.
If you have booked a round trip, but decide to choose another Stafford, United States car hire drop-off location, you will pay a one-way charge on top of the total price. However, some corporate locations make it possible to avoid this charge. If you would like to check drop-off rates for selected locations and find discount deals, please fill out the search form at the top of the page.
What is rental car insurance at Enterprise company?
Enterprise rental car insurance services cover the temporary vehicle you drive on your trip. This protection has multiple components and among all of them, you can find the desired.
Does my car insurance cover international rentals in Stafford, United States?
Standard auto insurance provides minimal coverage from third-party claims in foreign countries. Use Enterprise rental car insurance in Stafford, United States to cover you in case of potential damage or theft.
What does car hire Excess insurance cover?
Enterprise car hire Excess insurance protects you from extra charges related to damage or theft of your vehicle in Stafford, United States. However, it doesn't cover damage to third-party property. Also, it doesn't compensate for medical expenses and the cost of any personal property inside the auto.
What insurance should I get with a rental car?
Actually, you get basic car hire insurance from Enterprise when picking up one of their vehicles. If necessary, the company provides additional or comprehensive plans. However, you can also use your personal auto policy if it covers driving a rental vehicle abroad. Other available options are to take advantage of the insurance that comes with a credit card, or use coverage from a third-party company.
How long does Enterprise charge you for damages?
You are financially responsible for everything that happens to the vehicle, from the moment of pickup near Stafford, United States to closing the agreement upon return. This even applies to damage that occurs after an overnight drop, or before an employee accepts the vehicle after you leave. Enterprise car hire company will charge you immediately on the counter for reported damage. However, in the case of unreported damage, the supplier may withdraw compensation within 28 days of the vehicle's return.
What is the Enterprise car rental gas policy in Stafford, United States?
According to the Enterprise gas policy in Stafford, United States, you can refuel yourself. Also, this option is called full-to-full or same-to-same. In this case, you must return the vehicle with the same amount of fuel in the tank as there was upon pick-up. Otherwise, you have to make up for the missing litres at a price higher than the local pump rate.
Another way to refuel is to prepay for it. Prepaid fuel saves you from visiting the gas station and costs almost the same as at the local pump. When comparing available fuel approaches, car hire in Stafford, United States with the pick-up-full return-full option is more beneficial due to the cheaper pump price at the gas station.
Most popular car hire locations in United States
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Dr Tom Finnegan from the Iona Institute on the fundamental contradiction for Catholic Primary Schools in the proposed new Education about Religions and Beliefs curriculum.
The Iona Institute promotes the place of marriage and religion in society. We defend the continued existence of publicly-funded denominational schools. We also promote freedom of conscience and religion.
What we need to know about … and talk about …
The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) are conducting a public consultation about proposals for a curriculum in Education about Religions and Beliefs (ERB) and Ethics. The proposal to develop a curriculum in ERB and Ethics was recommended by the Final Report of the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector (Coolahan et al, 2012). The NCCA published a consultation paper in November 2015 and have invited submissions by March 30th. They are inviting people to complete an online survey onwww.ncca.ie/consultation/erbe with a further option to make your own written submission.
NB – an advisory group gathered by the Council for Catechetics of the Irish Bishop's Conference and the Catholic Schools Partnership suggest that written submissions would be the better option.
What is the NCCA proposing?
The following text is taken directly from the NCCA consultation paper (emphasis added)
ERB helps children to know about and understand the cultural heritage of the major forms of religion, belief traditions and worldviews which have been embraced by humankind. It does not nurture the belief or practice of any one religion; instead it focuses on fostering an informed awareness of the main theist, non-theist, and secular beliefs including key aspects of their cultural manifestations…
A curriculum for ERB and Ethics is for all children attending primary schools in the Republic of Ireland…
Each school patron has a right to develop a programme that supports and contributes to the ethos of their school. The Education Act (1998) 30 (2) (d), requires the Minister for Education and Skills to ensure that a 'reasonable amount' of time is set aside in each school day for 'subjects relating to or arising from the characteristic spirit of the school'. A curriculum for ERB and Ethics, for all children, is separate from these programmes and is part of a new phase of work to develop the primary curriculum beginning with the areas of Language and Mathematics…
Key Concerns
Religious education in faith-based schools is inseparable from the characteristic spirit of the school. The secular world view offered by the NCCA proposal is at odds with that of a Catholic school where the Catholic faith is embraced and where the Catholic children receive religious formation and not just religious knowledge. The NCCA proposal clearly states it 'does not nurture the belief or practice of any one religion'. It is the difference between saying 'Christ is the way, the truth and the life' and 'Christ is a way, a truth…'
The Education Act specifically requires the Minister to have regard for the characteristic spirit of the school in exercising his or her functions with regard to curriculum {section 30(2)(b)}. Further, the Minister must allow reasonable instruction time in the school day for subjects relating to or arising from the characteristic spirit of the school {section 30(2)(d)}. There is a clear concern about Curriculum overload in regard to the NCCA proposal.
Catholic Schools are already places where children learn about other religious traditions particularly those of the children of other faiths in our schools. Catholic schools strive to achieve best practice when it comes to inclusion. The actual percentage of children within Catholic primary schools who are physically 'opting out' of the traditional 'religion class' is very low. There is a clear concern that the NCCA proposal does not reflect the good practice within Catholic schools in regard to inclusion.
Regardless of where the ERB and Ethics sits in regard to the existing RE programme approved by the Catholic Church (as a stand-alone curriculum or somehow integrated with the Patron's programme), the above concerns remain. A faith school is defined by its faith. This is the very cornerstone of denominational education and indeed religious liberty. While there is a legitimate need to increase the provision of non-faith schools (a need which the Catholic Church supports), this does not justify asking a faith school to take a secular view of religious education.
The final date for submissions is March 30th
Written submissions can be sent to:
Education about Religions and Beliefs and Ethics Consultation,
National Council for Curriculum and Assessment,
35 Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin 2


text:
South China Sea: Malaysia Eyes Harder Response
Spotting a large vessel off the coast of Sarawak state in March, officers on a Malaysian patrol boat were shocked when it steamed towards them at high speed, blaring its horn before veering off to reveal "Chinese Coast Guard" emblazoned on its side.
According to an officer from the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), Chinese Coast Guard vessels have been sighted several times before around the South Luconia Shoals, off the oil-rich town of Miri. But such an aggressive encounter was a first.
"To us, it looked like an attempt to charge at our boat, possibly to intimidate," said the officer, who was not authorized to speak publicly.
Spurred by the incident and the appearance of some 100 Chinese fishing vessels in the area around the time, some in Malaysia are hardening the nation's previously muted responses towards their powerful neighbor China.
One senior minister said Malaysia must now stand up against such maritime incursions as China flexes its muscles along dozens of disputed reefs and islands in the South China Sea.
China's growing assertiveness has already alarmed the Philippines, Vietnam and other claimants. It has also increased U.S.-China tensions, with the two heavyweights trading accusations of militarizing the vital waterways through which some $5 trillion in trade passes each year.
But heralding its "special relationship" with China, and heavily reliant on trade and investment, Malaysia's previous responses to China's activity in the region have been described by Western diplomats as "low-key".
It downplayed two naval exercises conducted by China in 2013 and 2014 at James Shoal, less than 50 nautical miles off Sarawak. And in 2015, concerns raised by Malaysian fishermen in Miri about alleged bullying by armed men aboard Chinese Coast Guard vessels were largely ignored.
But when scores of Chinese fishing boats were spotted in March encroaching near South Luconia Shoals, a rich fishing ground south of the disputed Spratly Islands, Malaysia sent its navy and uncharacteristically summoned China's ambassador to explain the incident.
China's foreign ministry downplayed the matter, saying its trawlers were carrying out normal fishing activities in "relevant waters."
Just a couple of weeks later, Malaysia announced plans to set up a naval forward operating base near Bintulu, south of Miri.
The defense minister insists the base, which will house helicopters, drones and a special task force, is to protect the country's rich oil and gas assets from potential attacks by Islamic State (IS) sympathizers based in the southern Philippines, hundreds of kilometers to the northeast.
Some officials and experts however say China's activities off the coast are a more important factor.
"If you beef up security for oil and gas assets, you are protecting yourself from non-state and state actors so there is some plausibility to what he's saying," said Ian Storey, a South China Sea expert at Singapore's ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute.
"But is it really being driven by Daesh? I don't think so," Storey added, using an alternative name for IS.
Underscoring the hardening attitude, one senior federal minister said that Malaysia must take more decisive action on maritime incursions or risk being taken for granted.
The minister, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, highlighted the contrast between Malaysia's response in March to a similar incident just days earlier in neighboring Indonesia.
"When the Chinese entered Indonesia's waters, they were immediately chased out. When the Chinese vessels entered our waters, nothing was done," the minister said.
Last month in parliament, Malaysia's deputy foreign minister also reiterated that like other Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Malaysia did not recognize China's controversial Nine Dash Line, which it uses to claim over 90 percent of the South China Sea.
Asked about the incident described by the MMEA officer, China's foreign ministry said both countries had a "high degree of consensus" on dealing with maritime disputes through dialogue and consultation.
"We are willing to remain in close touch with Malaysia about this," spokeswoman Hua Chunying said.
Malaysia's reliance on China goes some way to explaining Kuala Lumpur's reluctance to react more strongly.
China is Malaysia's top export destination and Malaysia is the biggest importer of Chinese goods and services in the 10-member ASEAN group.
Corporations owned by the Chinese government also paid billions of dollars last year to buy assets from debt-riddled state investment firm 1MDB, which has been a major embarrassment for Prime Minister Najib Razak.
China's influence in Malaysia's domestic affairs has always been a concern for the Malay-majority nation. Ethnic Chinese in Malaysia account for about a quarter of the population.
Diplomatic ties between the two countries were tested in September when the Chinese ambassador visited China town in the capital Kuala Lumpur ahead of a pro-Malay rally, and warned that Beijing has no fear in talking against actions that affect the rights of its people.
The ambassador was summoned to explain his comments but the Chinese foreign ministry defended the envoy.
Seeking to balance its economic and national security interests, Malaysia is pursuing various strategies including bolstering its surveillance and defense capabilities while promoting a code of conduct between China and ASEAN countries signed in 2002.
A more sensitive option is to seek closer military ties with the United States.
One senior official said that Malaysia has reached out to the United States for help on intelligence gathering and to develop its coast guard capabilities, albeit quietly to avoid angering Beijing.
Storey said moves to secure closer U.S. military ties could be twinned with soft diplomacy to try to convince China to be less assertive on its claims, but resolving the issue would be difficult regardless.
"None of these strategies work very well, but what can you do?" Storey said. "This dispute is going to be around for a very long time."


text:
Heat Stroke
Heat stroke should be treated as a medical emergency—it can be fatal.
Symptoms of Heat Stroke
- Dry, hot, and flushed skin—dark or purple in color
- Dilated pupils
- Rapid, weak pulse
- Shallow breathing
- High temperature—may be in excess of 106˚ Fahrenheit
Treatment of Heat Stroke
- Wrap in a sheet and soak with cool—not cold—water.
- Fan, but don't over-chill.
- Get to a hospital immediately.


text:
Cuddie Funeral Homes provide quality and compassionate service and care to the families of Loyal, Greenwood, Thorp, Willard and Lublin.
We take great pride in our service to our communities and in the level of personalized attention we are able to offer all of our families. We offer a complete range of quality services from burial to cremation that may be tailored to meet your family's special, individual needs and customs. We are committed to providing you with exceptional service and attention, and are available to answer your questions 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
We invite you to visit our facilities and talk with us about your plans. It is our goal to support you through every step of your arrangements and to pay tribute to the special memory of your loved one.


text:
Tree Under the Moonlight MDF Panel Painting
Tree Under the Moonlight MDF Panel Painting
Regular price
Rs. 2,499.00
Regular price
Rs. 4,999.00
Sale price
Rs. 2,499.00
Unit price
FLAT 10% OFF on Prepaid Orders
- Material - high-grade 7 MM MDF or engineered wood for frames and thick gloss fabric for printing the painting
- Total coverage area: 44" W x 24" H. ( 5 panels )
- Frames - A Set of 5 Frames
- Finish - Smooth
Technique - High-definition photo print technology
- Easy to clean
- Elegant look
- Longer life
- Ready to hang/Easy to install
- Panels are resistant to shrink
Note - The actual color and image can vary from the one displayed here.
Get Rid of Your Empty Walls
Wall Hanging is an ideal tool to enhance your home/office look. The painting is printed on high-grade thick gloss fabric with the use of high-definition photo print technology. Due to the use of the HD print technique, this canvas print painting is similar to an artist's masterpiece and represents true colors. Apart from enhancing the look of your living room, commercial setup, and bedroom, you can use it as a gift for your close one on his/her special days (birthday and wedding) and holidays.
Styling/hanging tips:
- Carefully decide on a space in your home/office - bedroom, living room, and office reception
- Prefer a light-colored wall
- Get in touch with a Vastu expert to know more about the directions for hanging such a wall art piece
- Avoid hanging wall paintings on outside walls for minimum care & maintenance


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AARP Eye Center
Vets With Benefits Claims: A Shutdown Casualty?
By Tamara Lytle, September 27, 2013 02:48 PM
A government shutdown could take an especially painful toll on one group of Americans: veterans and their families who are waiting for benefits claims to be processed.
More than 700,000 claims are pending with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs . A shutdown could swell that number because the VA could have to furlough 20,000 workers who oversee claims, USA Today reports.
True, that's a fraction of the more than 300,000 employees who make the VA the second-largest federal office, after the Pentagon. And with most of them remaining on the job, VA hospitals will stay open and benefits checks will continue to go out.
But a congressional battle over funding the government that leads to a shutdown wouldn't help the VA continue to chip away at its claims backlog. In March, the number of claims outstanding for more than 125 days reached more than 600,000. As of Monday, the number had fallen to 434,681, and VA Secretary Eric Shinseki has promised to erase the backlog by 2015.
Last week a bipartisan group of lawmakers sent a letter to President Obama asking him to spare the VA from the shutdown by deeming their workers "essential," a move that would keep them on the job.
"The impact of a shutdown on veterans with new or pending medical claims will likely mean additional delays in adjudication," the letter said. "This will, in turn, cause the massive claims backlog that we have pressed the Department of Veterans Affairs to reduce to again worsen, in addition to halting forward momentum on this issue. We can't allow this to happen."
Photo: US Army Africa via Flickr
Also of Interest
- Retire at 62 ... 65 ... 70? New Social Security Calculator Shows You the Money
- The No. 1 Reason Why Men and Women Over 50 Cheat (It's Not What You Think!)
- Join AARP: Savings, resources and news for your well-being
See the AARP home page for deals, savings tips, trivia and more


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backfocus broadcast services gmbh – A company dedicated to film- and TV-productions
Backfocus is a term taken from the field of optics. It defines the distance between the back surface of a lens and the focal plane, when the lens is fixed at infinity.
In many optical devices the back focus is a fixed measure. That is not always the case (from: the German Lexicon for Film-makers, 2010, Ulm). By chosing backfocus broadcast services GmbH for your films, you have taken the right measures.
Would you like to translate a concept into a film? We can help realize your ideas both technically and editorially.


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- News
- • July 7, 2020
What Is a "Medicare Set-Aside" and When Do You Need One?
If you are injured because of someone else's negligence, you may have to resort to a personal injury lawsuit in order to obtain payment for the medical care you will need in the future and to compensate you for your pain and suffering. If your injury falls under the workers' compensation system, or if you are receiving Medicare or can be expected to receive Medicare, you may need to create a special kind of trust, called a Medicare Set-Aside, to reimburse the government for future medical expenses related to your injury. (Many people younger than age 65 receive Medicare through their receipt of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits.)
Medicare Set-Aside law is very complicated and constantly changing, but here are some basic points that will help frame your conversation with your special needs planner.
Personal injury litigation is expensive, so in most cases insurance companies and other responsible parties will try to settle your lawsuit without having to go through the time and expense of a trial. The settlement agreement, a lengthy document that can take months to draft, lays out the parties' understanding of the issues and typically allocates the settlement money into different categories, including past medical expenses, future medical expenses, and damages for pain and suffering.
If you are already a Medicare recipient at the time of the settlement, you may have to use some of the settlement funds to reimburse the federal government for injury-related "conditional" medical expenses that Medicare paid for prior to your settlement. This is because Medicare is a "secondary" payer that is only supposed to pay for medical services that are not provided by another party. In the case of your personal injury settlement, the person who injured you includes funds in your settlement to pay for your past medical expenses. Therefore, he is the "primary" payer, and some of those settlement funds must be applied towards any bills that Medicare has already paid on your behalf.
But personal injuries don't just go away once the parties settle, and your future medical expenses could be much higher than your previous bills, especially if your injury is severe and you are expected to live a long time. Since the government is still only a "secondary" payer, it wants to make sure that you use the funds in your settlement that are allocated towards future medical expenses before Medicare picks up the tab for the rest. This is where the Medicare Set-Aside comes in.
A Medicare Set-Aside is a trust or trust-like arrangement that is set up to hold settlement proceeds for future medical expenses. A specialized company evaluates your future medical needs, recommends an amount that should be set aside for future medical care, and the government approves the amount. The funds are then either placed in the Medicare Set-Aside account in one lump-sum or the account is funded with a "structured settlement annuity" that will refill the account over time. In either case, the administrator of the Medicare Set-Aside trust may use the funds only to pay for medical care related to your personal injury, leaving Medicare or your private insurance free to provide coverage for medical expenses that are not related to your injury.
Medicare Set-Asides have been used for years in workers' compensation cases, and the federal government has an extensive set of reporting and monitoring rules in place for those cases. But several years ago the government has instituted a set of reporting requirements for anyone who is responsible for compensating a personal injury victim, and many practitioners believe that the government will soon require Medicare Set-Asides for all personal injury cases (right now, you are responsible for protecting Medicare's interest in your future medical care in case of a settlement, but there are few hard-and-fast rules defining this requirement, especially for small claims).
Currently, the government is interested in setting up a Medicare Set-Aside if you are a Medicare recipient settling a personal injury claim for more than $25,000 or if you settle for more than $250,000 and can be expected to receive Medicare within 30 months of settlement (this happens a lot if you receive SSDI, which has a 24-month waiting period before you can receive Medicare benefits).
However, these rules are in a constant state of flux and no one can predict how extensive the Medicare Set-Aside requirements will become. Therefore, it is essential to speak with your special needs planner immediately if you think that you are entitled to a personal injury settlement or if you are beginning a workers' compensation claim.


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Help others find your cache
Find a cache
If you'd like to try it, here is a sample geocache link for an imaginary cache. The coordinates are encoded for N38 00.000, W76 00.000.
You can learn more about these topics by clicking the [ + ] link next to each question to expand its answer. Or expand all the topics at once.
[ + ] Usage for Cache Owner
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If you don't find a link to this site on your puzzle nemesis, contact the cache owner and suggest this site. But don't bother with the form below - you'll just end up checking your own solutions! Naturally your own answers would agree with themselves... that really won't help, will it?
Once you have a correct solution, we even make it easier by providing a Google Maps overview of the cache location. How much easier can it get?
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Visible Light
Visible light is one way energy uses to get around. Light waves are the result of vibrations of electric and magnetic fields, and are thus a form of electromagnetic (EM) radiation. Visible light is just one of many types of EM radiation, and occupies a very small range of the overall electromagnetic spectrum. We can, however, directly sense light with our own eyes, thus elevating the role of this narrow window in the EM spectrum because of its significance to us.
Light waves have wavelengths between about 400 and 700 nanometers (4,000 and 7,000 Å). Our eyes perceive different wavelengths of light as the rainbow hues of colors. Red light has relatively long waves, around 700 nm (10-9 meters) long. Blue and purple light have short waves, around 400 nm. Shorter waves vibrate at higher frequencies and have higher energies. Red light has a frequency around 430 terahertz, while blue's fequency is closer to 750 terahertz. Red photons carry about 1.8 electron volts (eV) of energy, while each blue photon transmits about 3.1 eV.
Visible light's neighbors on the EM spectrum are infrared radiation on the one side and ultraviolet radiation on the other. Infrared radiaiton has longer wavelength waves than red light, and thus oscillates at a lower frequency and carries less energy. Ultraviolet radiation has waves with shorter wavelengths than do blue or violet light, and thus oscillates more rapidly and carries more energy per photon than visible light does.
Light travels at the incredible speed of 299,792.458 kilometers per second (about 186,282.4 miles per second). At this amazing speed, light could circle Earth more than seven times in one second! The lowercase letter "c" is often used to represent the speed of light in equations, such as Einstein's famous relation between energy and matter: "E = mc2". All forms of electromagnetic waves, including X-rays and radio waves and all other frequencies across the EM spectrum, also travel at the speed of light. Light travels most rapidly in a vacuum, and moves slightly more slowly in materials like water or glass.


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XIson, Inc.
March 1997
Content-ID and Message-ID Uniform Resource Locators
Status of this Memo
This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for improvements. Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state and status of this protocol. Distribution of this memo is unlimited.
The Uniform Resource Locator (URL) schemes, "cid:" and "mid:" allow references to messages and the body parts of messages. For example, within a single multipart message, one HTML body part might include embedded references to other parts of the same message.
1. Introduction
The use of [MIME] within email to convey Web pages and their associated images requires a URL scheme to permit the HTML to refer to the images or other data included in the message. The Content-ID Uniform Resource Locator, "cid:", serves that purpose.
Similarly Net News readers use Message-IDs to link related messages together. The Message-ID URL provides a scheme, "mid:", to refer to such messages as a "resource".
The "mid" (Message-ID) and "cid" (Content-ID) URL schemes provide identifiers for messages and their body parts. The "mid" scheme uses (a part of) the message-id of an email message to refer to a specific message. The "cid" scheme refers to a specific body part of a message; its use is generally limited to references to other body parts in the same message as the referring body part. The "mid" scheme may also refer to a specific body part within a designated message, by including the content-ID's address.
A note on terminology. The terms "body part" and "MIME entity" are used interchangeably. They refer to the headers and body of a MIME message, either the message itself or one of the body parts contained in a Multipart message.
2. The MID and CID URL Schemes
RFC1738 [URL] reserves the "mid" and "cid" schemes for Message-ID and Content-ID respectively. This memorandum defines the syntax for those URLs. Because they use the same syntactic elements they are presented together.
The URLs take the form
content-id = url-addr-spec message-id = url-addr-spec url-addr-spec = addr-spec ; URL encoding of RFC 822 addr-spec cid-url = "cid" ":" content-id
mid-url = "mid" ":" message-id [ "/" content-id ]
Note: in Internet mail messages, the addr-spec in a Content-ID [MIME] or Message-ID [822] header are enclosed in angle brackets (<>). Since addr-spec in a Message-ID or Content-ID might contain characters not allowed within a URL; any such character (including "/", which is reserved within the "mid" scheme) must be hex- encoded using the %hh escape mechanism in [URL].
A "mid" URL with only a "message-id" refers to an entire message. With the appended "content-id", it refers to a body part within a message, as does a "cid" URL. The Content-ID of a MIME body part is required to be globally unique. However, in many systems that store messages, body parts are not indexed independently their context (message). The "mid" URL long form was designed to supply the context needed to support interoperability with such systems.
A implementation conforming to this specification is required to support the "mid" URL long form (message-id/content-id). Conforming implementations can choose to, but are not required to, take advantage of the content-id's uniqueness and interpret a "cid" URL to refer to any body part within the message store.
In limited circumstances (e.g., within multipart/alternate), a single message may contain several body parts that have the same Content-ID. That occurs, for example, when identical data can be accessed through different methods [MIME, sect. 7.2.3]. In those cases, conforming implementations are required to use the rules of the containing MIME entity (e.g., multi-part/alternate) to select the body part to which the Content-ID refers.
A "cid" URL is converted to the corresponding Content-ID message header [MIME] by removing the "cid:" prefix, converting %hh hex- escaped characters to their ASCII equivalents and enclosing the remaining parts with an angle bracket pair, "<" and ">". For example, "mid:email@example.com" corresponds to
Message-ID: <email@example.com>
A "mid" URL is converted to a Message-ID or Message-ID/Content-ID pair in a similar fashion.
Both message-id and content-id are required to be globally unique. That is, no two different messages will ever have the same Message-ID addr-spec; no different body parts will ever have the same Content-ID addr-spec. A common technique used by many message systems is to use a time and date stamp along with the local host's domain name, e.g., email@example.com.
Some Examples
The following message contains an HTML body part that refers to an image contained in another body part. Both body parts are contained in a Multipart/Related MIME entity. The HTML IMG tag contains a cidurl which points to the image.
From: firstname.lastname@example.com To: email@example.com Subject: A simple example Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; boundary="boundary-example-1"; type=Text/HTML --boundary-example 1 Content-Type: Text/HTML; charset=US-ASCII
... text of the HTML document, which might contain a hyperlink to the other body part, for example through a statement such as:
--boundary-example-1 Content-ID: email@example.com Content-Type: IMAGE/GIF Content-Transfer-Encoding: BASE64 R0lGODlhGAGgAPEAAP/////ZRaCgoAAAACH+PUNvcHlyaWdodCAoQykgMTk5 NSBJRVRGLiBVbmF1dGhvcml6ZWQgZHVwbGljYXRpb24gcHJvaGliaXRlZC4A etc... --boundary-example-1--
The following message points to another message (hopefully still in the recipient's message store).
From: email@example.com To: email@example.com Subject: Here's how to do it Content-type: text/html; charset=usascii
... The items in my
 previous message, shows how the approach you propose can be used to accomplish ...
3. Security Considerations
The URLs defined here provide an addressing or referencing mechanism. The values of these URLs disclose no more about the originators environment than the corresponding Message-ID and Content-ID values. Where concern exists about such disclosures the originator of a message using mid and cid URLs must take precautions to insure that confidential information is not disclosed. Those precautions should already be in place to handle existing mail use of the Message-ID and Content-ID.
4. References
[822] Crocker, D., "Standard for the Format of ARPA Internet Text Messages," August 1982, University of Delaware, STD 11, RFC 822. [MIME] N. Borenstein, N. Freed, "MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) Part One: Mechanisms for Specifying and Describing the Format of Internet Message Bodies," September 1993, RFC 1521. [URL] Berners-Lee, T., Masinter, L., and McCahill, M., "Uniform Resource Locators (URL)," December 1994. [MULREL] E. Levinson, "The MIME Multipart/Related Content-type," December 1995, RFC 1874.
5. Acknowledgments
The original concept of "mid" and "cid" URLs were part of the Tim Berners-Lee's original vision of the World Wide Web. The ideas and design have benefited greatly by discussions with Harald Alvestrand, Dan Connolly, Roy Fielding, Larry Masinter, Jacob Palme, and others in the MHTML working group.
6. Author's Address
Edward Levinson 47 Clive Street Metuchen, NJ 08840-1060 USA +1 908 549 3716 <firstname.lastname@example.com>


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Sudoku – Classic Sudoku Puzzle
Guru Puzzle Game
Jan 16, 2020
Dec 29, 2023
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Solve the easy level of daily Sudoku puzzles for fun, enhance logical thinking ability with medium/hard Sudoku levels. The game has the functions that to add or remove notes by turning on the memo during gameplay. Did you make a mistake? No problem, there are undo and hint functions! Don't give up!!
1. Turn on the note mode to take notes like solving puzzles on a piece of paper. The memo is automatically updated itself while you fill in the cell
2. Find your mistakes and challenge yourself or use auto-check to see your mistakes in real-time
3. Complete daily challenges and earn special trophies!
4. Use the free hint function when you are stuck.
5. Number-first input. Tap and hold a number to lock it and you can use it for multiple cells.
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This update includes stability performance improvements and bug fixes.
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Pyrus communis L.
RosaceaeIt is a species that comes from Europe and western Asia, cultivated since ancient times for the pleasant taste of fruit. It is assumed that the old wild pears were eaten after crushed and cooked well, although the pear crop history is not known with certainty, and possibly the current tree is the result of hybridization of several species. Thus, in the first century the Romans grew 36 distinct varieties. The generic name comes from the Latin, which in turn derives from peron, a Celtic name for pear, being used to designate both edible and ornamental pear trees. In al-Andalus pears were an important part of the diet, giving many culinary uses and being consumed in the form of syrup or jam. In the al-Buhayra of Seville, the retirement villa of the Almohad caliph Abu Yuqub, in the twelfth century, a renowned class pear got famous in his time. The Andalusians also used their juice, when turned into vinegar, as an acidifier in the kitchen. As well as the food use its medicinal value was also known as a laxative and stomach toning. The culinary and gastronomic knowledge of plants are ultimately a connection point between culture and agricultural knowledge of classical antiquity with the Andalusians, the latter having translated many classic botanical texts. If not precisely for this duty of rescuing and updating held in the medieval Moorish Spain, they would have been lost and largely would not have reached this point.


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Some children and adolescents who continue to report symptoms weeks and months after suffering a concussion may be exaggerating or feigning symptoms in order to get out of schoolwork or sports or for other reasons unrelated to their injury, says a new study in the journal Pediatrics.
Asked to take a computerized test designed to evaluate response validity and complete a graded symptom scale, 23 out of 191 patients aged 8 to 17 years seen for neuropsychological evaluation after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) failed the validity test, and those that did self-reported significantly more postconcussive symptoms than those that passed. The results were comparable to those seen in adult studies.
Based on data explored in a previous study (Kirkwood MW, et al, 2010) neuropsychologists attributed the children's failure on the validity test to a desire to get out of schoolwork or sports, to direct psychological factors (e.g. somatization - the tendency to experience and communicate psychological distress in the form of physical symptoms), or to indirect causes (e.g. depression leading to a "plea for help").
Lead author Michael Kirkwood, a neuropsychololgist in the concussion program at Children's Hospital Colorado, said that the study's findings further complicate management of mTBI in youth by pediatricians and other primary care providers, many of whom already feel they lack the training or tools to adequately care for such patients, because they "do not routinely use objective methodology to detect" children exaggerating or feigning some of their symptoms.
Kirkwood worries that if such exaggeration or feigning goes undetected, "less than optimal treatment recommendations may occur." For instance, he writes, "if a child exaggerates memory problems after mTBI because of anxiety-related issues and such exaggeration remains undetected, then health care personnel might assume the injury reflects more severe neurologic injury and make statements to this effect to the family and unnecessary recommendations for cognitive rehabilitation or academic remediation, which could [cause unnecessary harm]."
"In contrast, if the exaggeration is detected, reasurrance from a brain injury perspective and treatments that are targeted at the true underlying [cause of injury](e.g. cognitive behavioral anxiety intervention) can follow, which in turn are apt to minimize inefficient use of limited health care resources and improve the child's long-term health," Kirkwood says.
Neuropsychologists: "uniquely positioned"
The study, Kirkwood said, also serves to highlight the "importance of incorporating clinical neuropsychologists into mTBI patient care, particularly when symptoms or functional complaints persist beyond the first days to weeks post-injury, when most children would be expected to have recovered naturally."
Kirkwood believes that, because neuropsychologists are trained both in the neurologic principles of brain injury and the psychological principles of emotion and behavior, they are "uniquely positioned to understand both the injury and noninjury factors that may be contributing to persistent symptomatology."
In particular, Kirkwood says, pediatric neuropsychologists, who have additional specialized expertise in child development, family and school systems, and developmental conditions that can influence post-injury management (eg, attentional or learning difficulties) are "especially well-suited to add to the care of youth who have persistent complaints."
Computerized neuropsychological tests: validity measures already embedded
"Neuropsychologists have long been aware of the contribution of incentive and motivation on the outcome of test results, whether with adults or children," notes Dr. Rosemarie Scolaro Moser, a sports concussion neuropsychologist not involved in the study.
"With the implementation of compturized neuropyschological concussion testing, validity measures are now embedded into the concussion tests themselves. Interestingly, this study did not include such testing, which can provide indications of questionable validity of patient test results, even before the concussion, such as with 'sandbagging' baseline tests."
"It is important that those health care professionals who are interpreting post-concussion testing be knowledgeable of detecting cognitive test results that don't make sense or that decline over time as red flags for factors other than the concussion which may be interfering with recovery," says Dr. Moser.
She recommends that whenever there is the possibility of secondary gain, effort should be assessed, which can be done in a variety of ways: by formal effort testing, by examination of cognitive test results patterns, by assessment of psychological factors, and/or by qualitative examination of the child's course of recovery.
The current study "reinforces that message, as well as the message that, in the management of post-concussion symptoms, a neuropsychological consultation is highly recommended, as it is the neuropsychologist who can best interpret cognitive, emotional, and motivational factors."
As neuropsychologists, says Moser, "we know that whenever symptoms do not improve and the recovery period is longer than expected, the possibility of emotional/psychological factors affecting symptoms should be considered. Thus, it is not surprising that presence of anxiety in this particular study was associated with incidence of failure on the motivation test."
Advice for parents and youth athletes
Moser cautions parents, however, not to read too much into the current study. "Although 12% failed the effort test, that meant 88% did not, so it can be presumed that the large majority were reporting valid symptoms. Furthermore," Moser says, "failing an effort test may not necessarily indicate outright malingering or faking that is intentional. It does, however, signal to the health care professional that psychological factors need to be assessed and managed, and that counseling may be in order."
"In our sports concussion practice, it is not uncommon to find that a youth who becomes 'ill' can be quite impressionable and anxious when he or she believes his or her brain has been hurt. It is important that the doctor not reinforce the sick role or unnecessarily frighten the youth who may be susceptible to developing irrational beliefs about his or her health. If the child becomes over-focused on health issues and fearful of re-injury, the recovery process can be a confused one and symptom magnification may occur. These young students' assessment of their own symptoms can become distorted and unrealistic."
She acknowledges that there are some student-athletes who may "consciously play the system so that they may stay out of school longer and receive more accommodations," and that there are "parents who may be anxious and overprotective and hamper the recovery process. However, for the most part, the students we treat prefer not to be kept out of school and tend to fight any prescriptions for rest or academic accommodations. Post-concussion recovery and staying out of school also means staying out of social experiences, after-school activities, travel, and sports. Very few students enjoy such restrictions for very long, unless there are significant, valid post-concussion symptoms or significant emotional concerns, either of which need treatment, whether or not effort testing is valid," Moser says.
"In the end, with youth, it is important to err on the side of caution, be wise to incentives, and not casually dismiss post-concussion complaints," Moser recommends.
Kirkwood MW, Peterson RL, Connery AK, Daker DA, Grubenhoff JA. Postconcussion Symptom Exaggeration After Pediatric Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. Pediatrics 2014;133(4). doi: 10.1542/peds.2013-3195 (epublished March 10, 2014).
Kirkwood MW, Kirk JW, Blaha RZ, Wilson P. Noncredible effort during pediatric neuro- psychological exam: a case series and lit- erature review. Child Neuropsychol. 2010;16 (6):604-618