The Medha Archives

Explore 1,200+ essays across Vedanta, Consciousness, Geopolitics, and Art.

Texts & Stotrams2026-07-05

THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE SUBTLE BODY

THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE SUBTLE BODY A Biophysical Unification of Glympho-Vasomotor Fields, Bone Mechanotransduction, Eastern Energetics, and Ajātavāda Advaita Vedānta INTRODUCTION For decades, we've been told that our...

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Texts & Stotrams2026-07-01

The four Faces of Sri Rama

P. Desikan In the fourth sarga of Balakanda of Sri Valmiki Ramayana, an account is given of Sage Valmiki teaching young Lava and Kusha to recite the Kavya he had just composed and the youngsters turning out to do a...

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Arts & Aesthetics2026-02-12

The Hidden Path

Get the copy here - The trail climbed steeply through wet pine and stone. Adi’s breath came in sharp pulls as he pushed upward through the mist. The monsoon clouds wrapped the mountain in a gray cocoon.

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Texts & Stotrams2025-07-09

Shiva Thandava Stotram (in tamil)

Ravana's shiva thandava stotram describes the dance of Shiva at the times of primordial Universe and how His 'will' and 'desire' leads to the creation and evolution of Universe.

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Texts & Stotrams2024-11-27

Unsung verses of bhaja govindam - Part 1

Moha mudgaram has 33 slokas while 11 or 12 are mostly sung. This is an attempt to get the unsung verses to be sung with modern music. Our attachments are never lost irrespective of age, health and wealth.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2024-03-25

Seetha Kalyana Vaibhogame..

Thyagaraja swamy's song Seetha Kalyana Vaibhogame defines qualities of rAmA, that makes him the best choice for Seetha and hence sung in all marriages.

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Arts & Aesthetics2023-11-04

Sri Venkatesa Suprabhatam

Wake up Lord Srinivasa, who is verily rAmA, rAmA, the son of kausalya, bravest of men, to do divine duty of causing prosperity to 3 worlds.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2023-09-15

Sri Vigna Rajam Bhaje

Anything that can go wrong will go wrong is murphy's law. That's Vigna, the disturbance in every work we do. How do we fail murphy's law, overcome Vigna that makes work go wrong..

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Texts & Stotrams2023-08-14

Vishnu Stuti

Ganapati dyAnam sloka Vishnu, who is dark in color, holds/bears the white speckled Universe's expanse.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2023-07-10

Bhairavi Vandana..

Shakti, the external manifestation of Shiva, the consciousness, is known (vid) in biological beings through Signaling, Response to stimulus, Reproduction, Adaptation, Organization, Growth, Death, Metabolism, Mind that...

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Texts & Stotrams2023-03-22

Shiva mrtyunjaya stotram

When Yama is near, markandeya clings on to Lord Shiva. That action of clinging on to Lord Shiva, provides him liberation.

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Texts & Stotrams2023-03-14

Aum - The seed of Universe

Science says Big Bang created the energy of Universe, which was followed by 'Inflation/Expansion' of spacetime, in which spacetime expanded hugely. This is called 'Cosmic Inflation'.

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Texts & Stotrams2023-02-02

Varaha roopam

Whenever 'golden eyed' asuras assault Mother Earth, hide her under their 'rasatala', varAha descends liberating Mother Earth and destroying those Asuras. Vara-Aha means 'pre-eminent or superior'.

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Texts & Stotrams2023-01-06

Nasadiya Suktam

Rgveda 10.129, nasadiya suktam talks about what could exists beyond the Universe and all its manifestations.

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Texts & Stotrams2022-12-16

Rudrashtakam

Submit to that one with no attributes, unmoving, omnipresent, formless, behind all matter forms (as energy), behind all life forms (as consciousness), gracious to drink the poison to sustain Universe, blissful faced,...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2022-11-20

Paramartha Stuti

In Paramartha stuti, Swami Vedanta desikan praises Lord Vijayaraghava in thiruputkuzhi as the best of the warriors and submits to him.

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Texts & Stotrams2022-11-15

Lalita pancharatnam

Lalita pancharatnam asks us to submit to Goddess Lalita at the dawn. The whole Universe that is 'seen', all the biological forms that 'see' are manifestations of 'Shakti'.

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Texts & Stotrams2022-07-16

Classification of Vedic texts..

Classification of vedic texts The vedic scriptures are seen through classification of saMhita, brAhmaNa, Aranyaka and UpaniSat. There are various ideas about what and how these classifications are meant for.

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Texts & Stotrams2022-07-13

guru pAduka Stotram

Sri Sachidananda Shivabhinava nRsimha bhArati, the 33rd pItathipati of Sringeri mutt, a treasure of learning, who composed several slokas, ever immersed in Atma niStA, travelled all over India along with this guru...

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Texts & Stotrams2022-06-20

Rgveda 10.191 - Team working

Background Rgveda 10.191 is set in the background of a sacrifice (Yajna) by assembly of priests, in which Agni which is the messenger that takes the oblations to devas, is addressed.

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Texts & Stotrams2022-06-03

How does consciousness arise..?

I believe in this Universe, there is a 'design pattern' followed for matter evolution and biological evolution. In the last post, I had talked about whatever we call as 'energy' (whatever that is seen).

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Texts & Stotrams2022-05-19

How did the Universe form..?

If I mix my understanding of vedic scriptures with science with a little bit of imagination, this is how universe/multi-verses keep getting formed. A scalar field is a distribution of a particular scalar quantity.

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Texts & Stotrams2022-05-12

Ganga Stotram

Shiva is energy, known only through its effects. A sAksi. This energy manifests in various forms, one of which is motion or mechanical energy symbolized by River Ganga.

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Texts & Stotrams2022-04-14

Tri-gunas - The design principle

dharma are simply laws. Laws of Universe (across all domains), laws of social groups of biological beings, laws made by human beings for their societal evolution.

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Texts & Stotrams2022-04-07

Radhe Radhe Mukunda Murari (Sant Eknath abhang)

Sant Eknath lived in later part of 1500s, wrote his version of bhagavata purana, ramayana etc apart from various abhangs emphasizing bhakti as the way to jnana. Sant Eknath was from varkari tradition, a Krishna devotee.

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Science & Consciousness2022-03-06

When Panchavati Revealed Itself

P. Desikan This happened on October 3, 2021, when I had turned eighty-five. This gul mohur tree just outside our apartment building that appeared alive and well up to about 5-15 pm that day suddenly got uprooted by the...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2022-02-15

jagrta panchakam

Ethnomethodology is the field of study that explains how one sustains ‘reality’. It says there are five features to our reality- reflexivity, coherence, interaction, fragility, and permeability.

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Texts & Stotrams2021-12-26

Ganapati thAlam

Shiva is the ‘white’ (from which all colors diverge). In Universe, Shiva is Energy from which all matter & beings diverge. But we do not perceive energy directly. We perceive Energy through ‘Momentum’, the Shakti.

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Texts & Stotrams2021-12-15

kanaka dhArA stotram

Analogous to science concepts of today, in matter domain, Shiva is Energy. Vishnu is the property of ‘mass’.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2021-11-23

Indus Script Deciphered(?)

This is a very fascinating talk and is the most convincing/logical explanation of the Indus script decipherment that I’ve seen. https://youtu.be/8HXfIUYLxu0

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Texts & Stotrams2021-10-26

Harivarasanam

sAstha means ‘conservator’ or ‘chastiser’ one who punishes to conserve dharma. Village deities like Aiyanar (karuppu, muni) punish to ensure people conserve/follow dharma. They are the sAsthAs.

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Texts & Stotrams2021-10-20

Punnaagavanam

Punnaagavanam P. Desikan Punnai, Punnaagam or Pungam, the Indian laurel tree, known in Sri Lanka as Indian doomba oil tree and in Southeast Asia and Oceania as bintangur, bitaog, tamanu, or kamani, has the binomial...

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Texts & Stotrams2021-09-03

Adi Shankara's Brahma jnAna vali mAla

mahAperiyavA says, Brahma vidya is the biggest of the vidyas, which is realizing that all matter/beings are same. It’s not just knowing it intellectually, but realizing it from our ‘self’.

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Arts & Aesthetics2021-07-30

Dholavira, a happy Update

I am copying here a happy announcement by Prof Michel Danino and an equally happy acknowledgement by Dr S Kalyanaraman,both of whom are very well known to Medhavis: Great work, Michel.

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Texts & Stotrams2021-07-27

Design pattern in our scriptures

Background This post is a summary of understanding of my analysis of scriptures, surfing across them at a top-level. I had made a detailed poston understanding of matter domain, in depth earlier.

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Texts & Stotrams2021-07-14

True essence of Rig Veda

Sri Sanjiv Sanyal has given an illuminating lecture on the Rig Veda. One realizes after listening to the lecture what Hindus have missed for depending blindly on western scholars to understand the Rig Veda.

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Arts & Aesthetics2021-06-18

maitrim bhajata in tamil

mahAperiyavA's classic 'maitrim bhajata' translated and sung in tamil. It calls for Universal friendship, building human bonds, seeing others as ourselves, giving up war and mindless violence and says that leads to...

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Texts & Stotrams2021-05-25

Vishnu Shatpadi stotram

Adi Shankara describes six characteristics of Vishnu in Vishnu Shatpadi stotram. The six characteristics of Vishnu described are 1. Vishnu eliminates pride by being our controlling manas that removes mirages we see. 2.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2021-05-04

Books by Medhavis

[mbm\book\grid id='6323'] Authors [mbm\author\list include\photo="yes" include\bio="yes" group\by\letter="yes" include\blanks="no" display="name"]

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Texts & Stotrams2021-04-20

Sivashtakam in tamil

zaM’ means welfare, happiness, prosperity. zaM-kara is one who makes this welfare, happiness, prosperity. zaM-bhu is that exists as welfare, happiness and prosperity.

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Texts & Stotrams2021-03-30

mAdhava panchakam

Madhu is anything that does not ‘expire’ or ‘go bad’ or ‘die’ easily. Hence it indicates honey, liquor or the demon madhu who dies only when he wishes or ‘weak’ force that decays matter slowly.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2021-03-15

Totaka ashtakam

Once Shankara waited for one of his disciples to start his talk. Other disciples told Shankara that he is not worth that wait, as he had never talked till then. The disciple arrived, singing with hand-clapping.

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Texts & Stotrams2021-02-14

manisha panchakam

Manisha panchakam is a set of 5 stanzas that record Adi Shankaracharya's realization of jnana.

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Texts & Stotrams2021-02-04

Annapoorneswari Stotram

Shiva is Energy. Uma is quiet potential energy and durgA is ‘impassable’ kinetic energy of matter forms. Easwari is the sum of these two, the internal energy of matter forms.

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Texts & Stotrams2021-01-25

kAsi panchakam

kAsi is a place of learning wisdom and self-realization. Universe is kAsi, our body is kAsi says Adi shankaracharya. Why is kAsi yAtra part of marriage ceremony in many communities.? Watch the melodious song https://www.

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Texts & Stotrams2021-01-14

Ranganatha panchakam

Oothukadu venkata kavi was a genius personified whose compositions are used by singers, dancers, harikatha exponents et al.

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Texts & Stotrams2020-12-29

kAla bhairava ashtakam

Shiva is Energy in matter domain. Universe evolves on energy through eight evolutionary processes that are time-irreversible. Time-irreversible means there is no way of realistically reversing these processes.

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Texts & Stotrams2020-12-17

Guru Ashtakam

When something is incomplete and we don't understand it fully, we ask 'What's (use of) that..?" (tatah kim..?) Guru ashtakam says, without attaching our 'manas' to the feet of 'Guru', nothing is complete.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2020-12-02

Dispassion and the Householder's Life

I've been on "the path" for more than two decades now. When I first started, I was reeling from the death of my father, who passed away in the most unexpected manner, literally like a bolt from the blue.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2020-11-24

mAyA panchakam

mAyA is the process that creates self-identities (maya) and perspectives (aham-kAra) and thus 'differentiates' (vi-bheda).

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Texts & Stotrams2020-10-26

mahiSasura mardhini stotram

Shiva is the property of Energy. Uma is quiet, potential energy. durgA is impassable the kinetic energy which cannot be made zero (absolute zero impossible). Universe matter forms evolve on the matted hair of Shiva.

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Arts & Aesthetics2020-10-20

Mother is Here!

I can hear the rustling of her saree. I can hear the tinkle of her bangles , the majestic but musical sounds of her silambu ,her voice that calls out to my name and the sweet sound of veena.

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Science & Consciousness2020-10-19

My Classical Mechanics teacher

The recent Physics Nobel Prize given to Penrose reminded me of a teacher of mine Professor Amal Kumar Raychoudhury (AKR). I attended his Classical Mechanics course in Presidency College in 1977.

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Texts & Stotrams2020-10-17

Subrahmanya Bhujangam

Adi Shankaracharya' highlights the characteristics of Subrahmanya or Kanda in bhujangam style, which is like a snake moving on the sides. Subrahmanya means one who is auspicious for brahman, the evolution.

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Texts & Stotrams2020-10-10

sAdhana panchakam

Universe's evolution is driven by a design pattern of an external observer driving the evolution, just by observation. We call this observer, the Atman and the evolution as Brahman.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2020-09-13

nArAyaNi stuti - Translation

[embed]https://youtu.be/CT3wBZmGZGo[/embed] nArAyaNi is the total internal energy of any matter form. nArAyaNi stuti from Devi mahAtmyam.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2020-08-26

Sri Ramakrishna's teachings on Rishis

Hindu spiritual literature talks about many types of Rishis, Rajarshi, Devarshi and Brahmarshi. Rajarshi means a king who is also a rishi. Devarshi means a god like rishi.

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Texts & Stotrams2020-08-11

Ashtalakshmi Stotram and Science

[embed]https://youtu.be/XPAt0E6zvDY[/embed] Ashtalakshmi stotram tranlsation in Tamil and essence in English. Ashta-Lakshmis are the eight attributes of matter forms and biological forms. In matter forms.

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Texts & Stotrams2020-08-01

kAla Bhairava Ashtakam - Translation

The forward only moving ‘Arrow of Time’ or ‘kAla’ is the most frightful divinity in our Universe. ‘kAlA’ is synonymous to ‘death’ because arrow of time and death cannot be reversed.

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Texts & Stotrams2020-06-24

A lookback at the understanding till now..

Background As I travel through the Vedas and Upanishads, here is a look-back or gist of my understanding, as it stands now. This is a summary of my understanding spread over many blog posts and few of my books.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2020-05-27

JNANA YOGA

IN HONOR OF MY FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE RAMAKRISHNA PULIGANDLA JNANA YOGA James W. Kidd, Ph.D.

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Texts & Stotrams2020-04-11

Ayurved - A different perspective

Background I am not an ayurved 'doctor' or 'specialist'. I am describing the foundational principles of Ayurved as I understand it. Ayur-ved simply means knowledge of life.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2020-04-05

Deblina into Deepavali: Dissolve into the Goddess with color and light!

“আজ নিখিলের আনন্দধারায় ধুইয়ে দাও, মনের কোণের সব দীনতা মলিনতা ধুইয়ে দাও। আমার পরান-বীণায় ঘুমিয়ে আছে অমৃত গান– তার নাইকো বাণী, নাইকো ছন্দ, নাইকো তান। তারে আনন্দের এই জাগরণী ছুঁইয়ে দাও…”(song by Rabindranath Tagore) “In...

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Arts & Aesthetics2020-04-03

Rama Rama Rama Rama

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺 \Sri Rama Rama Rama Rama\ 🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞 A thousand Suns rose after mid - noon that day. It was the ninth day of Shukla paksha in Meena maasa. The Sun was past the highest point in the sky - dome.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2020-04-01

jyotiSa as vedAnga - Part 1

Predictive modelling is a science of making informed inferences based on data from multi-dimensional sources, correlating them, making models out of them, continuously refining the models with more and more data.

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Texts & Stotrams2020-03-23

Hari, iSa, Asvins

Background In the past few chapters, we went through 1. Force-fields (Scalar Higgs/Vishnu, Vector/Chakra, Spinor/Conch) (1) 2.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2020-03-04

The black Bamboo

The black Bamboo Partha Desikan The pilgrim had picked me up from a cluster of black bamboos in Kamarupa. He had been using me as a walking stick for miles upon miles.

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Science & Consciousness2020-02-13

Just believe Chapter 6

Chapter 6. Believe in the uniqueness of every individual arising from genetic and other native differences influencing responses to life-experiences P.

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Texts & Stotrams2019-12-29

Indra's net ...

What is the mystical Indra's net..? How do I become a node in that net..? A birthday poem for wife's birthday..

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Arts & Aesthetics2019-12-06

A case for proper rules of discourse

Over a period of time, having participated in discussions at various online venues, it has become clear that discourse is a topic that is much misunderstood by most netizens on the various internet fora.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2019-11-22

What my first novel taught me

UPDATE -- Happy to share the news that my first full length novel is now available on Amazon in Paperback and Kindle eBook format. I've added the links below and the cover image with this post.

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Texts & Stotrams2019-10-27

Deepavali - A different perspective

What is Diwali or Deepavali..? Diwali or Deepavali is a festival of lights that heralds a new dawn. In some places it marks the 'birth of Lakshmi (wealth of matter).

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Texts & Stotrams2019-10-14

Ashtavakra Gita - Sloka 2.1 to 2.7

Background Summary of Chapter 1 'I' or 'You' or 'Self' is just our 'thoughts' and not the physical bodies. Make these thoughts as observers of what's happening around.

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Texts & Stotrams2019-09-10

Unchanging Observer drives evolution

Unchanging observer drives the evolution Sa-akSi means 'that eye'. It is the 'witnessing' eye, the eye of 'third party' that is witnessing, but not interacting with what's happening or not changing due to the...

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Strategy & Geopolitics2019-08-24

Rsis of the Vedas - Part 9 (daityAs and dasvathAra)

Image courtesy: Aruna Radhakrishnan - originally posted to Flickr as dashaavathaaram...ദശാവതാരം..., CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5049537 Background purANa means a thing of past.

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Texts & Stotrams2019-08-14

How do we overcome mAyA..?

The meaning of cakSusa satyata As Brhadharanyaka Upanishad says 'cakSusa satyata'. Observation is Satyata/Existence. The satyata/existence is reality for the observer.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2019-08-09

Rsis of the Vedas - Part 8

Background How the Universe expanded in Cosmic Inflation epoch and came into existence is explained here (1). In the 'expanded space' (Brahma) rudras (force-fields) manifest one by one.

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Texts & Stotrams2019-08-09

The world is like a city seen in a mirror

Adi Shankaracharya, in the Dakshinamurthy Stotram, says -- विश्वं दर्पणदृश्यमाननगरीतुल्यं निजान्तर्गतं पश्यन्नात्मनि मायया बहिरिवोद्भूतं यथा निद्रया । यः साक्षात्कुरुते प्रबोधसमये स्वात्मानमेवाद्वयं तस्मै...

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Strategy & Geopolitics2019-08-04

Rsis of the Vedas - Part 7

Background When events in the evolution of Universe and matter/energy forms of the early Universe are visualized as human beings, we end up in bizzare descriptions.

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Texts & Stotrams2019-08-02

Inspired Fellowship

Sunnie D. Kidd and Jim Kidd, Ph.D. This presentation will utilize the Continental Philosophies of Existential Phenomenology and Dialogal Existentialism to uncover and elucidate Inspired Fellowship.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2019-07-27

Rsis of the Vedas - Part 6

Background Rsis are symmetry breaking events that originate everything in the Universe. Marici is the Higgs field acquiring Vacuum Expectation Value. Kashyapa is the Electroweak symmetry breaking event.

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Arts & Aesthetics2019-06-24

In memorial- Ravi Joshi, Medhavi

Just found out that Ravi Joshi aka Karigar Medha (on FB), who was a co-founder and crucial member of MedhaJournal, and a dear friend, passed away from a massive cardiac arrest. I’m beyond shocked.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2019-06-23

Rsis of the Vedas - Part 5

Background How the Universe expanded in Cosmic Inflation epoch and came into existence is explained here (1). The inflation potential (dakSa) interacting with force-fields (panchajani) creates the particles.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2019-06-18

Rsis of Vedas - Part 4

Background How the Universe expanded in Cosmic Inflation epoch and came into existence is explained here (1). The inflation potential (dakSa) interacting with force-fields (panchajani) creates the particles.

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Texts & Stotrams2019-06-13

Rsis of the Vedas - Part 3

Background During the Cosmic inflation epoch, the dark energy scalar field expanded, creating 'space' with vacuum inside it.

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Texts & Stotrams2019-06-05

Rsis of the Vedas - Part 2

Background During the Cosmic inflation epoch, the dark energy scalar field expanded, creating 'space' with vacuum inside it.

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Texts & Stotrams2019-06-01

Just believe Chapter 5

Chapter 5. Believe in being a Conduit rather than a Storage Vessel The reputed Sanskrit grammarian and poet of 5th century CE, Bhartrhari came out in his Shatakatraya poems with his observations and admonitions about...

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Texts & Stotrams2019-05-30

Children of Immortal Bliss

Have you ever wondered what the meaning of life is? Have you ever pondered why we are here? This world of struggle seems extremely painful where pleasures and suffering go hand in hand What have we done to deserve such...

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Texts & Stotrams2019-05-20

Rsis of the Vedas - Part 1

Background During the Cosmic inflation epoch, the dark energy scalar field expanded, creating 'space' with vacuum inside it.

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Texts & Stotrams2019-04-01

Do Mantras work?

Japa is repetition of mantra. Mantra (man + tra) means liberating the mind. There are hidden powers in the human mind. These powers are located in Chakras that are present in seed form in every human mind.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2019-01-04

Eight epic boss failures

First let me wish all the readers a very happy and prosperous 2019. As we entered this new year, I thought hard about posting this blog.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-12-31

Vigneswara - The disruptor

Something new is said to be born When existing symmetry is broken or torn Small perturbations break the symmetries Create Universe’s evolutionary opportunities Vigna means perturbation; Cause of disruption Vigneswara...

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Texts & Stotrams2018-12-29

Brhadharanyaka Upanishad - Sloka 1.4.9 to 10

Background The desire (preyas) for Atman that is deep inside in every being is spoken externally, spills out as love (priyam) of other beings also, and thus this desire/love gets 'banked', binding all the matter/beings...

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Texts & Stotrams2018-12-26

An analysis of sabda and vAk - Part 10 - Finale

Background Starting from Brhthari's vAkyapadiya, Sabda and vAk have the same meaning as in other texts like Rg Veda, Brhadharanyaka Upanishad, Mandukya Upanishad and saMkhya kArika, irrespective of their timelines,...

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Texts & Stotrams2018-12-23

An analysis of sabda and vAk - Part 9

Background Human beings and Universe have a similar design pattern (1). This design pattern is talked about across all our scriptures from Upanishads to saMkhya kArika. This design pattern is the 'four-fold' vAk.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-12-20

When SrI ANDAL wrote her tiruppAvai

Srimati Praveena Anand, a learned scholar of SrIvaishNava lore was on Face Book on December 16, which coincided this year as it does most years with the first day of the Tamil mArgazhi month (mArgasIrsha, dhanus).

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Arts & Aesthetics2018-12-14

Light of Being

Once in between waking and a dream, The blue one came to me… He showed me the secret play of light, which shines for eternity. The light is knowing, the light is being, the light is pure love...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2018-12-13

Plenary session on Rama

Plenary Session: Professor Ramakrishna Puligandla Retirement Felicitation at the Thirteenth International Congress of Vedanta, 15 September 2002, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio As you know an absolute cannot be...

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Texts & Stotrams2018-12-13

The sacred Fire of Zarathustra

One day I saw a shining tower In my inner space In that tower was a blazing fire There I saw Zarathustra's face. He asked me to step right in And I did, without a second thought.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-12-08

Atman and Brahman..

Background The concepts of Atman and Brahman is referred to in the Vedic texts, but are elaborated more in Upanishads. The attempt to Understanding of Upanishads lead to several vedantic philosophies.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-11-14

prAna prathisthA - A summary

Background This was my post on prAna prathisthA. Here is a summary of it. idol to mUrti mUrti' is not just an idol. mUrta is that which has settled into a form or shape.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2018-11-13

Freedom is in letting go!

Let me start this post by sharing a story I had heard a while back. I don't remember the source so unfortunately cannot share it -- however, it is one of those timeless Indian fables of yore.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-11-11

iSopanishad - An executive summary

I had written down here my translation of iSa upanishad. This is a brief summary of the main points here. iSa resides in all matter and beings which are born and/or moving in the Universe.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2018-11-03

Unbroken Samadhi

Deep sleep is like the thoughtless samadhi sensed in that concept-less moment of cognizing paradox, or that space of pause between two breaths. A natural feeling of being, from which one concludes, "I slept.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2018-11-03

Why?

Consciousness objectifies itself, as reflections in itself, that it may know itself. A spontaneity devoid of will or assigned meaning wherein its motion and the motionlessness from which it springs, are one.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-10-28

Avidya - A vAkyapadiya analysis

Background "andham tamah pravisanti ye avidyam upasate tato bhuya iva te tamah ya u vidyayam ratah" - says Isa upanishad. One who is situated/worships/serves avidya enters the blind tamas.

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Arts & Aesthetics2018-10-25

An African Odyssey

Jambo! That is how they say "Hello" in Kenya and Tanzania. The following video is the confluence of some music that I had composed, inspired by glorious sunrises I witnessed during my travels to Kenya and Tanzania in...

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Texts & Stotrams2018-10-24

Just believe. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 Believe in the Need for Us to think and become a benevolent Link in the Future of Evolution Many if not all living beings are able to seek out light, which benefits them in one or more ways.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-10-16

An analysis of sabda and vAk - Part 6

Background Like speech is the expression of beings, this Universe is the expression of that Atman. Rg Veda Mandala 1 Hymn 164 talk of four-fold vAk, which is the four-fold expression of Universe.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-10-15

'We' are the Veda..

Dedicated to Dwai for triggering this In the million years earth has held sway So many beings have come and gone away Like the train of thoughts in your brain Matter and Beings appear, vanish in vain Does a thought try...

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Arts & Aesthetics2018-10-13

Dr Kalyanaraman's Eureka Moment

Dr S Kalyanaraman, the Director of Sarasvati Research Institute, Chennai has done elaborate work on reading the hypertexts available from a very large number of artifacts found in the Sindhu Sarasvati archaeological...

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Arts & Aesthetics2018-10-03

I am what you are

As the day comes to an end And darkness creeps in When the edges between day and night start to quiver and spin Look up to the horizon see the majestic skies half awake and half asleep a palette of colors before your...

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Texts & Stotrams2018-10-02

An analysis of Sabda and vak - Part 5

Background Rg Veda Mandala 1 Hymn 164, Upanishad and vAkyapaidya talk of four-fold vAk. Rg Veda Mandala1 Hymn 164 says what is being talked about as Indra, Agni, vAyu are all those in the fourth stage only.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-09-29

An analysis of sabda and vAk - Part 4

Background Like speech is the expression of beings, this Universe is the expression of that Atman. Like speech carries the 'knowledge', the Universe carries the 'matter' forms.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2018-09-23

Dr RN Iyengar

More than a decade ago I got into touch with this fantastic master of many branches of knowledge, Dr R N Iyengar, to clear some doubts I had in the the geography of Bharatavarsha as depicted in Valmiki Ramayana.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-09-22

The Unbroken Samādhī underlying thoughts

In course of many years of meandering in the world of spiritual practices and beliefs, I eventually found a home that made perfect sense and confirmed the intuitive understandings and knowledge that arose from time to...

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Texts & Stotrams2018-09-19

An analysis of sabda and vak - Part 3

Background Sabda are simply oscillations. Sabda at first is para. Sabda exists in AkAsa. In Universe's expression AkAsa is the cosmic space, the vacuum. In Human expression, AkAsa is the sky filled with atmosphere/air.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2018-09-11

Thematic Methodology

Sunnie D. Kidd Jim Kidd, Ph.D. Using a thematic methodology in qualitative research offers opportunities to expand the already established horizons of knowledge.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-09-05

zrAddha - A new perspective..

I have dealt with pancha mahA yajnAs here I am addressing the question on funeral rites in that background. Evolution of manuSya The Universe is a ‘Yajna’ a sacrifice performed by Atma, sacrificing a Purusha.

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Science & Consciousness2018-09-04

Daoist themes in teaching

James W. Kidd, Ph.D. The Daoist themes presented here are based on the thought and expression of Chuang Tzu (399-295). They transcend the mundane world yet are always in the depth of life.

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Arts & Aesthetics2018-09-03

You are enough

Humankind has always been obsessed with measuring everything. Everything needs to have a metric and needs to be calculated to the very last detail.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-09-01

The pancha mahA yajnA..

Background Yajna means a sacrifice. Sacrifice is not just an act of giving up ownership, but dedicating that giving up of ownership to a larger purpose.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-08-25

Asramas and Physical Development..

Background The term Varna Asrama Dharma invokes a picture of backward, regressive social system in which some people enjoyed a higher social status due to their birth while many were enslaved.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-08-25

Just believe

Chapter 2. Believe in Nature and align with it to the extent possible. A new born baby learns very soon to look for and find comfort in the loving gaze and warm touch of its mother and the nourishment she offers it...

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Arts & Aesthetics2018-08-24

Prabhasa Tirtha

In Bharatiya tradition, when a large river in the course of its flow forks out clearly enough into two streams, either one or both of which being named differently from the mother river, the forking spot is considered a...

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Texts & Stotrams2018-08-17

Asramas in dharmasutras and manu smrti

Srautasutras, Grhyasutras and Dharmasutras Sutras are short expositions of a basic truth. Each sutra connects to the previous and following thereby forming a chain of truths.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-08-15

Just Believe: Foreword and Chapter 1

Just Believe P. Desikan Foreword Every man believes that whatever he believes in is either true, or should be true, because otherwise he would not be believing in it.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-08-14

Brhadharanyaka Upanishad - Sloka 1.4.8

Background - Sloka 1.4.1 to 1.4.7 Atma existed before any kinds of Purusa. Atma is the ‘manas’ as it ‘sees itself. It was all alone. It is also the ‘aham’ that exists before any expression.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-08-14

What Happened? Nothing!

This is a complex topic to consider for sure. Why complex? Because it posits a paralyzingly simple possibility.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-08-11

Realizing Atma - Part 2 - Br Up 4.4.23

Background The Atma that the pravrAjina/brAhmana desire to realize, for which they wander/perform Yajna/dAna/destructive tapas or learn verses, is not capturable, not perceivable, not attachable, not interactive, not...

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Texts & Stotrams2018-08-05

Realizing Atma - Part 1 - Br Up 4.4.22

Background Asrama is a dharma, the law of the Universe. Whether one wishes or not they get subjected to this dharma. To be happy, it is better we understand this dharma and align our living to this dharma.

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Arts & Aesthetics2018-08-04

When were you not the Self?

This is nice video by Advaitin James Swartz, titled "Advanced Argument for Enlightened People", as part of a discussion on the Panćadaśi.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2018-07-30

The Art of Listening

In a recent trip to Africa, we saw animals in their natural habitats, zebras in the grasslands of Masai Mara, Impala, Thomson's Gazelles, Lions, Cheetah, Leopard, and so on.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-07-29

Brhadharanyaka Upanishad - Sloka 1.4.7

Background Atma tore apart Stri, established the 'Svah' (the heavens) which was just AkAsa (empty space or vacuum) and fills the AkAsa wtih Stri. On Stri, all production occurs in pairs.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-07-24

Brhadharanyaka Upanishad - Sloka 1.4.6

Summary till now Atma tore apart Purusha and Stri. It establishes the Sva (the heavens) which was Akasa the empty space or vaccum, so swiftly, like a pea split into half. Stri becomes filled in vacuum or empty space.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-07-23

Brhadharanyaka Upanishad - Sloka 1.4.5

Summary till now Atma tore apart Purusha and Stri due to 'desire' or 'iccha' to enjoy (rame) and not due to fear. Of these purusha does not have desire to manifest. Stri becomes filled in vacuum or empty space.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-07-15

Brhadharanyaka Upanishad - Sloka 1.4.4

Summary till now Atma existed before any kinds of Purusa. Atma is the ‘manas’ as it ‘sees itself. It was all alone. It is also the ‘aham’ that exists before any expression.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-07-08

Brhadharanya Upanishad - Sloka 1.4.2 and Sloka 1.4.3

Sloka 1.4.2 sa abibhet tasmād ekākī bibheti; sa ha ayam īkṣāṃ cakre, yat mad anyan nāsti, kaṣma annu bibhema īti, tata evāsya bhayaṃ vīyāya, kasma addhyabheṣyat dvitīyādvai bhayaṃ bhavati Translation That (sa) became...

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Texts & Stotrams2018-07-07

Brhadaranyaka Upanishad - Sloka 1.4.1

Background This is my translation and understanding of Sloka 1.4.1 to 1.4.17 of Brhad Aranyaka Upanishad. The sloka 1.4.10 of this Upanishad has the mahAvAkya 'Aham brahma asmi'.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-06-19

tat tvam asi - What does it mean..?

Question Refer the mahAvAkya 'tat tvam asi'. If everything is Atman/Brahman then who is surrendering to whom..? What is the need for surrender..? My thoughts Let's analyse in what context it is said.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2018-06-18

Zhan Zhuang - Standing Meditation

Stand in the posture, your feet like tree-trunks. Tuck your tail, round your back, raise your crown. Breath into the lower elixir field, your mind will slow down and finally stop.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-06-16

Kalisantaranopanishad

Kalisantaranopanishad Partha Desikan This is a sweet little upanishad containing about twenty sentences. Its name means, the upanishad for crossing Kali with.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-06-15

The Tai Chi Field

With time and increasing sung (relaxation) and ting (sensitivity), we can start to feel the energies outside our body limits. We begin to feel like we are inside a sphere of energy that spans several feet around us.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-06-14

Sri Rama Rama Rama

Question Why does Isvara tell pArvati 'Sri rAma rAma rAma iti rame rAme manorame sahasra nAma tatulyam rAma nAma varAnane".

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Texts & Stotrams2018-06-12

The process of rebirth

The whole process of taking birth is very difficult as the following shlokas show: > Residing in that (region of the moon) till they have exhausted (the results of action) [1] they then return [2] again [3] the same way...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2018-06-11

Being Effortless in Meditation

| | | --- | | | | Tai chi stance meditation | In Temple style Tai Chi and Dao Gong practice, we often hear the phrase "Not too much, not too little" being used.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2018-06-06

Revival of The Medha Journal

As I worked through the revival of The Medha Journal, it didn't seem like a lot of time had passed since we had taken the website down.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-06-01

Shiva lingam and its meaning

Why is Shiva worshipped as a Lingam? The answer is that the Saivites use the linga form to signify nameless and formless aspects of the deity. > Sages said:- 8. Everywhere the deities are worshipped only in their image.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-05-22

Hindu attitude towards scripture

Hindus regard their scripture merely as a spoon and not the food that is eaten with the spoon. So the food can still be eaten even if the spoon is defective.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-05-17

Paramam yo Mahat

Parthasarathy Desikan Kim japan muchyate jantu: janmasamsaarabandhanaat? wonders Yudhishthira and asks Bhishma this question which has haunted many many minds before him and would continue to so haunt for millennia...

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Texts & Stotrams2018-05-14

The Good, the Bad and The Self-Aware

We often hear the terms "Absolute Good" or "Absolute Evil" being used in context of some historical figure or another. When we are based on a dualistic world view, yes there well might be such absolute dualities.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-05-10

What happens after death?

Nothing happens to the Atman which is merely a witness. It is the subtle body that is affected by death.Check Gita 2.17-2.22 for the answer to your question. For example, Gita 2.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-05-04

The problem of evil in Hindu thought

Hinduism does not invoke a Satan to account for evil. Both good and bad are properties of a dualistic world. They are anthropomorphic ideas and do not apply to the Divine.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-04-25

Who is right, Sankaracharya or Ramanuja?

Vedanta, the most popular school in Hinduism, has many schools. The principal two schools are Advaita Vedanta of Sankaracharya and Vishishtadvaita of Ramanujacharya. Their interpretations are significantly different.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-04-23

Dao and Brahman - They are Non-Different

The Chinese original spiritual tradition is Daoism. It is old. Perhaps not as old as the Vedas, but there are Daoist texts from as early as 2500 BCE. Most people don’t understand what Daoism entails.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-04-19

The Authority of Brahmasutra

Parthasarathy Desikan In the XIII chapter of the Gita, Sri Krishna talks to Arjuna about the knowledge that the wise have about the human body. Kshetrajnas know the human body to be a very special field, the Kshetra.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-04-17

Role of reason in Hindu dharma

Should we believe blindly anything written in Hindus scripture? Does reason play any role in interpreting Hindu scripture? This is what Swami Vivekananda has written about Hindu dharma.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-04-16

You are never not That

How else can it be? The infinitude of everything rises from a big reservoir of no-thingness. The infinite everything is like while light, containing in itself all the colors.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-04-15

Gita on sameness of god

I am writing this to supplement the post 'Is the truth one? So what if the wise call it by different names?' In that article Rig Veda 1.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2018-04-15

The Root Triputi (Triad)

> "Abiding in the Self means the dropping away of subject, object and false identification with the body, the root and source of all suffering.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2018-04-12

Experiences on the way to moksha

There are two approaches to moksha. One approach is to directly try to attain moksha. Jnana Yogis try to do that. There is another approach called the path of krama mukti or gradual liberation by stages.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-04-09

The via negativa path to moksha

The via negativa path is the neti neti (not this, not this) path of Jnana Marga. > No one can say with finality that God is only 'this' and nothing else. He is formless and again He has forms.

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Arts & Aesthetics2018-04-06

Moksha as viewed in Hindu scripture

We know that moksha is the most important of the purusharthas (goals) of life according to Hinduism. Thus it would be nice to know what Hindus scriptures say about it. Here are some passages explaining moksha.

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Texts & Stotrams2018-04-06

The power of Good company

In spiritual traditions we often hear the term "Satsang" being used. It is considered highly needed for seekers in the spiritual path.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2018-03-31

Resting in the witness - Constant meditation

In course of meditation such as breath observation or any repetitive action (preferably done in a relaxed manner), the mind naturally tends to wander (even running tends to do that, and is true for walking as well).

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2018-03-23

Trying to objectify Reality - Is it Spirituality?

That our normal "reality" is formed by objects is an understatement. However, at a spiritual level, we claim our focus is turned inward (albeit I'm not referring to those who seek God outside in the heavens somewhere).

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2018-03-22

Effortless Action arising spontaneously

In Daoism and Vedantic tradition, there is a term used for effortless action, which arises spontaneously. This is possible when personal doer-ship is not the primary driver or engine for action anymore.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2018-03-22

Who am I?

I was reflecting on my "Who am I?" meditation, which I undertook in somewhat of skeptical manner, after re-re-re-reading Ramana Maharshi's collected works of his teachings and "Be as you are".

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2013-12-10

the deacon

i recall a pastor the decon from philadelphia said in mass 'a man can only serve one master'... interesting pun how so then does a man greet his peers for he may have many masters... a catholic proverb...

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Texts & Stotrams2013-12-09

Ramo madhurah Sita madhuraa

Ramo madhurah, Sita madhuraa Partha Desikan In his very widely read Shri Sai Satcharita, Shri Hemadpant highlights a small but graphic discourse by the Shirdi saint, in which the latter extols the path of devotion as...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2013-12-08

sunfish and pilot whales

40 miles offshore trolling a weed line catching dorado (mahi mahi) and best of all we saw a sunfish finning and idled up on a pod of 350 to 400 pilot whales the mythological sunfish and pilots whales averaging 250 to...

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Arts & Aesthetics2013-12-07

sails at conch

calm day out front running to the bait patch in the heidi baby we caught ballyhoo fast that morning we anchored on a patch and made a few quick throws with the ten foot net me and jose our wells were round live wells...

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Arts & Aesthetics2013-12-02

Bay Jam

hit practice at bay jam practicing my serve to reggae beats tennis landing more and more shots in play went to whale harbor for a pink lemonade and had the cracked conch three cups of pink lemonade and fried conch...

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Arts & Aesthetics2013-12-02

river ducks

early morning in zion grove sipping on coffee gathering our steel shot and decoys in the dark loading our gear into the boston whaler marty "i got the good java!" we each had a thomas thermos to take with us for the...

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Arts & Aesthetics2013-07-24

yes i'm being followed by a moonshadow

i've bee battling scizophrienia for almost 14 years now... my first trip to a psychologist was after an LSD arrest in bloomsburg in '96 before my senior year in high school...

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Strategy & Geopolitics2013-03-18

Rajiv's Response to Gier

Response to Nicholas F. Gier I am deeply appreciative of the close reading and serious attention Nicholas Gier has brought to Being Different, and for his agreement with its general purpose and intent.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2013-03-18

Rajiv's Response to Yelle

Response to Robert Yelle India is an amazingly fertile crucible, being the birthplace of the largest number of modern faiths outside the Abrahamic religions.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2013-03-18

The Clash over Coherence: Rajiv's Response to Larson

The Clash over Coherence: Author’s Response to Larson Recently, I was invited to the ashram of a prominent Hindu guru in the US, where a Jewish American professor of Hinduism at a US university was explaining what she...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2013-03-12

jovial sun

breaking claws in my fingers and nibbling on stone's i see swift feet i see a braided crown and a glow to a face beaming like the jovial sun queens jestor miracle of life dazed and confused one finds clarity like a...

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Arts & Aesthetics2013-02-20

Romila Thapar on Shakuntala

In a mail group,known as [The Becoming], Sri Venkat (Ah Venkitesh) drew the attention of fellow members to an excellent critique of Romila Thapar's literary efforts, by providing as an attachment, Chapter 15 of Volume...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2013-01-23

Solitude

The confused mind thrown hither and thither In life, alone yet seeking here one and there another Where it may project its own self And then dwell like a reflection in the mirror True to life, yet not alive… So is the...

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Arts & Aesthetics2012-12-19

jim's blog

yin (feminine energy) explodes like a bomb a mans true mastery (yang) is the numbing effect of his (yin) and the wave of energy he is traversing on you know i clasp my hands and pray what drives a man mad is what he...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2012-11-30

Raja-Yoga

Raja-yoga Whenever we think of Raja-yoga we think of eight-limbed (ashtanga) path mentioned in Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras in Samkhya tradition.

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Arts & Aesthetics2012-11-22

athene's blog

god is my vehicle yeilds to my rain dance creates the weather god answers my prayers and always watches out for me and yeah she's pretty what yajnas do you perform i know mine i'm not crying i'm loving my deity inti...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2012-11-22

sweet dreams

i was coaching hockey practice in a dream and a dropdead gorgeous blond newsreporter was there to interview me... i had the kids playing soccer on skates...

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Arts & Aesthetics2012-11-21

a blustery morning

penelope "hold on a minute i'll be right there" jack "hi" penelope "hi" jack "hey is anybody yellowtail fishing at night" penelope "what do you mean" jack "are the boats going commercial fishing at night" penelope "well...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2012-11-21

japa notes 'Matsya the Tortoise and the Buddha'

In bhakti yoga we make our connection to Krishna our spark and flame that ignites that binds us to Godhead. I live in a fishing village so Matsya the fish incarnation or Kurma the tortoise are very manifest.

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Texts & Stotrams2012-11-03

The Eleventh Dimension..

I could sense that I was moving very fast. I looked all around. I could identify many people. Am I in a train...? I couldn't decide.. Am I in some kind of spaceship..? Probably.. I tried to figure out where I am.

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Texts & Stotrams2012-10-05

The Puranic Ganapati..

The Puranic Ganapati Sloka The Puranic Ganapati derived its form and shape from the Rg Veda Ganapati. Probably people depicted the form and shape of Ganapati from the descriptions of Ganapati.

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Arts & Aesthetics2012-10-03

The Little Puddle

The Little Puddle He is coming with us today to the grazing fields. He is barely two; He runs so fast his feet never touch the ground. His high pitched child’s voice babbles about this or that excitedly all the time.

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Texts & Stotrams2012-10-02

The Rg Veda Ganapati

Introduction Ganapati is the 'Brain' of us. This was my explanation for the stotra starting 'Suklam Bhartram Vishnum'.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2012-09-29

Eleven Names Of Rudra - Sarveswara

Background Several Puranas are actually a continuation of the Vedas. While Vedas seem to be raw knowledge as heard, Puranas are simplified story versions that often continue the Vedic knowledge in a simplified way that...

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Texts & Stotrams2012-08-25

Eleven names of Rudra - Neelakhanta

Introduction Several of our puranas, in my view, are actually cosmic events that have been put in the form of an ‘understandable’ story to a target audience.

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Texts & Stotrams2012-08-09

Vedanta Desika-Sri Garudadandakam

Introduction by Senior Medhavi Dr Partha Desikan Sri Vedanta Desika (Swami Desika, Swami Vedanta Desika, Thoopul Nigamaanta Desika) (1269–1370) was a Sri Vaishnava Gurushreshtha.

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Arts & Aesthetics2012-07-26

'star queen' part two

...so the first time i was at sweat records was with lizzy pitch first time in lemon city... later on i met kimmy drake my trendi record store friend of beach day... sweat records has the best soy milk coffee in miami...

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Texts & Stotrams2012-07-17

Advaita, Buddhism Revisited

I've not blogged in a long time...so here is a very short post with a link to a forum discussion that follows several year's prior discussion both on The Medhajournal and The Tao Bums regarding Advaita Vedanta and...

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Texts & Stotrams2012-07-06

Hey, Higgs is in Vedas..

Eleven Forces that evolve from Atma In 2008, I wrote an explanation for Aitareya Upanishad, which talks about the evolution of Universe from Atman. Refer my blog here. http://thebigthinkg.sulekha.

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Texts & Stotrams2012-06-30

The Eternal Varna Asrama Dharma - Part 22

Background Let’s go through the Rig vedic references to Varna names which will give us a sense of how these Varna names came about. That would set clear the real meaning behind the Varna name.

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Texts & Stotrams2012-06-26

'star queen' part one

coyote jack's um i think one of the things to keep in mind is um ya know how we got started on our path and ya know where we were at before if we keep in mind where we were before if we were in a different town or city...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2012-05-27

The Eternal Varna Asrama Dharma - Part 19

Background Knowledge and ‘History’ are synonymous in some dimensions. The moment an information that is extremely useful to our evolution becomes available and understable to people, it is knowledge as well as history.

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Texts & Stotrams2012-05-20

The Eternal Varna Asrama Dharma - Part 16

Background Interpretations often come up based on personal perceptions. It is very hard to interpret a data without an element of ‘bias’ going into it. The data as it exists is ‘fact’. It has no properties or attributes.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2012-04-23

ida

a gloom falls over me and my eyes turn grey as a stone the light feeling i had is gone i shivered in joy and watched a fairy tale unfold sometimes when it is raining down on us we see our faith is true the beacon in a...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2012-04-23

the portal

nipping on flower buds chanting krishna i see the sunlight beam in through the windows and the open door the air is brisk good for breathing a sudden glimps though the looking glass and the eyes of a hawk that soars...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2012-04-20

sleep on a rosary

> walk backwards up the staircase > and fall far below > face the darkness > into the depths of night > light a wax candle > and leave it on the window sil > so wayfarers yeild > and wic away the ghosts and goblins >...

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Arts & Aesthetics2012-04-20

the owl see's me

> when i see a hawk i see her face > > > when i see her blouse slip off of her shoulder i see her feet in the clouds > > > someone has made a landing > > > there to lift me up > > > to see if i have fallen > > > winged...

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Texts & Stotrams2012-04-14

Kulasekhara’s Garland for Mukunda

Introduction by Senior Medhavi Dr Partha Desikan Sri Garudadwajan on Kulasekhara’s Garland for Mukunda Partha Desikan In January 2009, in my blog in these pages on Parashurama Kshetra (Part 4), I was able to talk about...

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Texts & Stotrams2012-03-25

The Eternal Varna Asrama Dharma - Part 14

Background In the process of evolution of intelligence, convergence and divergence are the tools. Our thoughts, value systems, philosophies converge and diverge all the time, giving rise to new mosaic of systems ever.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2011-12-24

West Mambalam remembers MC with Love

West Mambalam remembers MC with Love Partha Desikan Addressing a gathering at Chennai on the occasion of the birth centenary celebrations of M C Subrahmanyam, founder of The Public Health Centre at West Mambalam, on...

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Texts & Stotrams2011-11-20

Words of MahaManas

“Becoming fully developed human being –is the aim of our life and it is the chief object of 'MahaDharma' –the way of real life.

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Science & Consciousness2011-11-17

The Eternal Varna Asrama Dharma - Part 5

Background The term Varna Asrama Dharma invokes a picture of backward, regressive social system in which some people enjoyed a higher social status due to their birth while many were enslaved.

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Texts & Stotrams2011-11-15

The Eternal Varna Asrama Dharma - Part 4

Background The Varna system in which social beings either drive the A) evolution/knowledge levels of society or B) Provide service to society or C) Provide goods to society by exploiting natural resources was derived...

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Strategy & Geopolitics2011-11-12

Being Different-Book Positioning

Dear friends, ... I wanted to share some thoughts below regarding what reader segments are targeted by the book, and what I hope it offers each of them.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2011-11-12

Being Different-Book Reviews

Medha Editor Note: In its attempt to keep readers updated on the activities regarding this seminal book, we publish below a few important reviews of the book by influential academicians & leaders.

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Texts & Stotrams2011-11-11

The Eternal Varna Asrama Dharma - Part 2

Background People know about Varna Asrama Dharma through the Caste System. The Caste System as it was practiced in India went from social aggregation to segregation and outright discrimination based on one’s birth.

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Texts & Stotrams2011-10-31

Sarva Jana Sandhya Vandanam - For everyone

Background Life on this planet becomes more complex as intelligence evolves. This poses a challenge to the evolution of intelligence itself, as mind aspires far beyond the capabilities of our body and the environment.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2011-10-30

BRAHMA KAMAL blooms in Bangalore

Brahma Kamal blooms in Bangalore "Epiphyllum oxypetalum "or "Night blooming Cereus". The flower blooms once in a year which makes it auspicious.

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Texts & Stotrams2011-10-28

Laghu Sandhya Vandanam (LSV) -The Concise TSV

Background Life on this planet becomes more complex as intelligence evolves. This poses a challenge to the evolution of intelligence itself, as mind aspires far beyond the capabilities of our body and the environment.

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Texts & Stotrams2011-10-26

Tamasoma Jyotirgamaya

Wishing all medhavis a very happy and prosperous Deepawali ! May we all move steadily towards light. asato ma sadgamaya tamaso ma jyotirgamaya mrtyorma amrtam gamaya Lead me from the asat to the sat.

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Texts & Stotrams2011-10-15

New Book:Being Different

'I am simply using the dharmic perspective to reverse the analytical gaze which normally goes from West to East and unconsciously privileges the former.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2011-10-11

The Green Guava

It was a near miss, this fruit But when the wretched owner of the orchard Looked away, I managed to grab it It looks green, firm and shiny.

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Texts & Stotrams2011-10-07

sunbeams

subtle bite of morning they are the puddles of water in the road that send his car nervous warnings startled merge of consciousness yet as he traverses and settles on his bearing the tires throw out a surge of water...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2011-10-03

Mother is Here

For days , we had been waiting for her. We heard the jingle of her bangles, the rustle of her sari and inhaled the fragrance of the flowers she wears. We were rewarded as we are every year by her visit.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2011-09-30

The River Yamuna –Issues and solutions

There is not one drop of Natural Fresh River Water in River Yamuna in Delhi & Beyond. Almost 97% of Original River Waters are taken away from River Yamuna, only a few kilometers from its birthplace - Yamnotri.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2011-09-22

Letters: Aditi Banerjee on HMEC Panel Cancellation

EDITOR's NOTE: Caste is such a controversial topic that it behooves Hindus; as the only ones who are constantly barraged with attacks on this subject by assorted activists & "experts"; to do their due diligence and come...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2011-09-04

distant moon

as far as i know krishna made the clouds on the horizon it might rain tonight if we see pegasus or the great bear we see krishna the evidence of water on one of the moons of jupiter is a satellite reservoir of life yes...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2011-09-02

time and space

bee nectar the taste is bitter a tangy sweet give me tonic a tactile sip sometimes i tremble a cosmic void is all i see i sweat like a pine tree oozing sap all night one subtle spring morning the pollen made me sneeze...

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Texts & Stotrams2011-07-21

On Stones and Shells

Of Stones and Shells Partha Desikan The rain, which falls on a mountain and flows as a river on to the sea, carries mementos throughout its course. Boulders and smaller pieces of rock accompany it in the beginning.

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Arts & Aesthetics2011-07-15

Akash's Poems - Robins

A six year old boy composes beautiful poems! The first poem is for the robin bird who has decided to have 3 sets of kids (each time 4 baby robins) on his front door.

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Arts & Aesthetics2011-07-03

athene's bliss

swift feet in battle the echo of kettle drums rising spirit cat on the prowl archer on the point swordsman in the field earthquake of men sea of death pool of blood in the sand full speed ahead the war chant stand tall...

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Arts & Aesthetics2011-07-03

in the radiance of her dancing feet

what wraith is it calling on what did i see? forbidden yajna blanket in the air it wells up out of the earth screeching to the pulse of the drums till a shadow falls over the moon erie apparition cold spell in the night...

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Texts & Stotrams2011-07-02

Indian languages: further questions

Please go through once again, my blog in December 2008 on the Indian languages question https://medhajournal.com/partha-says.../588-the-indian-languages-question.

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Arts & Aesthetics2011-06-07

gumboots

i caught the metro rail to SOMI, and walked to Sunset Tavern for Cat's acoustic gig Bartender "what can i get ya" Jim "a miller light" it was just Cat, and Mau Jim "Cat, hi" Cat "hey man" Jim "how is it going?" Cat...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2011-06-01

My Bio-data

My Bio-data The following is my brief Resume: ‘Sthala-Jala-Bhrama’ is my first name Chasing mirages is my major expertise Going off track is my long term experience Holding packets sans any content is my Qualification!...

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Texts & Stotrams2011-05-22

Siva: His Form and Cosmic Dance

T.N.Sethumadhavan IDENTITY OF THE TRINITY Siva is one of the deities of the Hindu Trinity. He is responsible for the dissolution of the universe.

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Texts & Stotrams2011-05-19

JOY! It’s Love, It’s Bliss, It’s Eternal

JOY! It’s Love, It’s Bliss, It’s Eternal Look, see, feel, sense, enjoy It’s there Inside, outside, everywhere It’s love, it’s inspiration, it’s the divine bliss Emanating it is, from our hearts It’s been there all...

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Arts & Aesthetics2011-05-09

A DREAMY TURN

A DREAMY TURN Before the Dream In the long tunnel of dark, I travelled, visibility was zero Couldn’t see where I was going or who’re with me… Sounds, smells, tactility were my guides that led me through What was real...

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Arts & Aesthetics2011-04-14

sequoia

falling leaves in the wind a fox scurries past shooting stars up above into the thicket to where the rabbit led a foot on a tree no earth below the cover of night crows at sun rise fog lifts on the horizon startled to...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2011-04-12

Logos

i noticed the sound check the humble one with the bald forehead his diagnostics test kind of bashful his gaze fixed on the wires on the deck ample sound effect to give it a go reminds me of a freind who taught me what...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2011-04-11

compass

asleep on a fence awake in a dream a gasp for air a sip of water i taste the leaf nibble on the bract now the compass gives me a little direction i like to sweat to give you oxygen middling plateau synaptic rift i like...

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Texts & Stotrams2011-04-11

japa notes

note one dialog of Visal das talking about how he got into teaching Prabhupada once said to be a teacher you have to be a student first.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2011-04-11

little blue overcoat

little krishna in a deep blue overcoat drifting through time gaura nitai in lime green flaunting his bliss resting radhas pink lotus palm jaganatha so proud candle on the windowsil the echo of voices in the dark a shot...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2011-04-11

voodoo cat

beacon on the shore in the blade grass on the sand dunes basking in the tropical sun chasing fiddler crabs in the wet sand tip toeing messenger scouting out the perimeter there to meet me in the moonlight little shadow...

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Texts & Stotrams2011-04-04

Upanayanam Explained..

We are preparing for our Son's Upanayanam (Sacred thread wearing ceremony). Though Upanayanam has become a 'Lougiga' festival these days with lot of style and no substance, it is indeed a 'knowledege' ceremony, which...

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Texts & Stotrams2011-03-09

The Quantum Activist

Professor Amit Goswami continues to bridge a mighty gap spanning quantum physics on the one side and the most cherished spiritual ideas from his early training in India on the other. This film takes you on his journey.

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Texts & Stotrams2011-02-27

Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 2 (Part 1)

Saankhya Yogah: Yoga of Knowledge Preamble In the 1st Chapter we have seen that Arjuna asked Krishna to place the chariot in the midst of the two armies.

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Texts & Stotrams2011-02-27

Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 2 (Part 3)

Saankhya Yogah : Yoga of Knowledge Preamble Last time we studied up to verse 2.22 dealing with Krishna’s exposition about the permanent nature of the Soul and the impermanent nature of the physical body wherein the Lord...

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Texts & Stotrams2011-02-27

Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 2 (Part- 4)

Saankhya Yogah : Yoga Of Knowledge T.N.Sethumadhavan Preamble Up to the verse 2.38 we have seen the Lord establishing the propriety of Arjuna engaging in the war from the point of view of Sankhya Yoga or the Yoga of...

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Texts & Stotrams2011-02-27

Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 2 (Part-5)

Saankhya Yogah : Yoga Of Knowledge T.N.Sethumadhavan Preamble The Lord told Arjuna that when his mind would have crossed the mire of delusion and would develop indifference towards the enjoyment of this world and the...

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Texts & Stotrams2011-02-27

Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 3 (Part-1)

Karma Yogah : Yoga Of Action T.N.Sethumadhavan Preamble This Chapter analyses from various points of view and establishes the fact that the performance of prescribed duties is obligatory for everyone.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2011-02-27

Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 3 (Part-2)

Karma Yogah : Yoga Of Action T.N.Sethumadhavan Preamble We had seen in the previous verses that by citing His own example The Lord described the consequences of not doing any action and proved that for the sake of the...

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Texts & Stotrams2011-02-18

The unkown 96 % of the universe

20th century Astronomers have made 2 great discoveries that have changed the scientific view of the universe. Some new, unknown sort of matter usually called dark matter seems to make up 23% of the universe.

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Texts & Stotrams2011-02-15

Vastu Sastra Redefined - Part II

Background In the previous blog, I had written about the basic concept of Mandalas. Here I look into every Mandala in some more detail. Refer to my previuos blog here.

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Texts & Stotrams2011-02-13

Vastu Sastra Redefined - Part I

From Aditya Hrdyam something made me to move to Vastu Sastra. I had been reading about it for several months now. What I present here are my understandings and in some case mappings of my understandings.

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Texts & Stotrams2011-02-07

positive bliss

In Upanisads Moksa is viewed as a state of absorption into the universal nature of Brahman where the individual merges into the universal spirit...

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Texts & Stotrams2011-02-05

Aditi Banerjee's Critique of HAF Report

Editor's Note: This critique was issued in the form of an open letter (to Mihir Meghani, HAF President) in the immediate aftermath of the report that was published late Dec 2010 --- Dear Mihir, I’m sure that by now...

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Texts & Stotrams2011-02-05

Kamlesh Kapur's Critique of HAF Report

Editor's Note: This critique was issued in the form of emails to HAF in the immediate aftermath of the report that was published late Dec 2010, and some later re-iterations, all compiled here by the author.

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Texts & Stotrams2011-02-05

Ram Sidhaye's Critique of HAF Report

Editor's Note: This critique was issued in the form of an email to HAF in the immediate aftermath of the report that was published late Dec 2010 --- Friends: I have carefully read HAF’s recent report on CASTE.

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Texts & Stotrams2011-02-05

When Caste was not a bad word

Re-published courtesy: http://www.esamskriti.com/essay-chapters/When-caste-was-not-a-bad-word-1.aspx --- Were caste equations always as bad as they are today? Not quite.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2011-02-04

Caste: a HAF-baked lamentation-Kalavai Venkat

A critique of the Hindu American Foundation’s report “Hinduism: Not Cast in Caste Seeking an End to Caste-based Discrimination 2010” Why this critique? The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) is a US-based Hindu advocacy...

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Texts & Stotrams2011-01-30

The Story of india

Review If you like the idea of watching a really good National Geographic article brought to life, with the lush photography, fascinating facts, sense of discovery and slight superficiality that implies, you ll love THE...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2011-01-29

frost

the sun is up in the frost covered hills time stands still a chill to the air a prism of light spring is near cardinals land in fresh seed a rabbit on the edge of a thicket now i see it

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Strategy & Geopolitics2011-01-29

New Book:Breaking India

Introduction This book has emerged as a result of several experiences that have deeply influenced my research and scholarship over the past decade.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2011-01-28

glow

purple lightning bug the flash of a snapdragon fair maiden shifting light sallow beacon in the night little pilot in flight lotus flower bumblebee land on me

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Arts & Aesthetics2011-01-26

Evidence for Reincarnation

It is clear that as evidence for reincarnation we can only expect the claimant to reveal certain facts which he has hitherto not known or been exposed to and has no means of inferring it until the examiner allows him to.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2011-01-25

Epistemological Anarchy

One often refers to seeing or thinking more objectively and less subjectively as the foundation of the scientific method.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2011-01-25

The HAF Report on Caste: A Critique,January 25, 2011

The HAF Report on Caste & Its Implications: A Critique from Members of the Hindu Community and Hindu Groups at Large A Brief History On August 7, 2010, Hindu American Foundation (HAF) made an invited presentation at the...

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Texts & Stotrams2011-01-24

Does the Soul Matter?

For some time I had been quite enthusiastic about researching the evidence on reincarnation and paranormal claims because I considered it to be of great consequence to how I would live my daily life.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2011-01-24

New Diction for Old

What is the difference between holy and healthy prayer and goal-setting prophecy and schedule revelation and discovery endowment and potential saint and social worker sin and error lust and addiction hell and pain...

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Texts & Stotrams2011-01-19

Letters: Sri Nagendra1

Sri Nagendra's response to the esteemed Swami Vigyananand ji; Jt. General Secretary; Vishva Hindu Parishad Head – International Coordination...

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Arts & Aesthetics2011-01-19

Letters: Sri Nagendra2

... I am deliberately writing this message in yellow press, demagogic and repetitive language – Mass Communications 300 at Wharton / Annenberg School of Mass Communications on agitprop tactics.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2011-01-19

Pejawar Math Swamiji's Open Letter to HAF

Sri Gurubhyo namaH HariH OM Shambhave namaH Cover Letter for Sri Pejawar Swamiji’s Sandesham February 7, 2011 The Directors Hindu American Foundation Washington DC Namaste to all, About two weeks ago, we had received a...

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Strategy & Geopolitics2011-01-17

HAF Report- Casting a net full of holes

On December 10, 2010, the Hindu American Foundation (“HAF”) published a report on caste entitled “Hinduism: Not Cast in Caste.” The issuance of the report generated immediate debate and controversy.

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Science & Consciousness2011-01-15

Large Hadron Collider interim report

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has been running for some time now. So this is now the right time ( January, 2011) for an interim report. There is in fact nothing to report as yet.

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Texts & Stotrams2011-01-07

On the Possibility of Free Will

We seek here to investigate by means a priori whether free will can be reasonably held to be true in the sphere of ordinary human endeavour or not.

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Arts & Aesthetics2011-01-03

Hush! Krishna is About to Fall Asleep

Krishna is about to fall asleep, hush! His lotus eyes now opening,now closing Long lashes now meeting ,now parting Rose bud lips now curving in a smile Hush! Hush! Hush! Krishna is about to fall asleep.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2011-01-02

Kavadi Bells - 6

23 O Lord of all the worlds, O God of Gods, O Soul and Stay of all things that live and move, O Five-faced ONE whose begging palm feeds all - The vision of whose sixth face, the ONE SOUL Is the reward of all that have...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2010-12-25

American Morning

Wake up, yea, to see this beautiful world Of skyrises, land rangers, androids pearled Comfort’s ocean, fount of titillation Man’s glory, wondrous civilisation! We’ve lit the country whole but not our soul Know each...

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Arts & Aesthetics2010-12-25

The Method of Science

Know ye first these Principles of Science Keep ye them in mind and upon them meditate And by the excellent zeal upon it thy heart set By thy hand do thou build wondrous appliance View, observe, discover, watch thou...

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Strategy & Geopolitics2010-12-22

India’s Caste System and Pluralism

MEDHA EDITOR's NOTE: Keeping in mind the 'hot' topic of 'Caste", Medha Journal brings you a series of perspectives. This one by Prof M Lal Goel is the first in the series. India’s Caste System and Pluralism M.

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Texts & Stotrams2010-12-06

Kavadi Bells - 5

19 It is not once but many a time that pride, Blind to life's lessons harsh, must falter and fall, Ere in its final painful overthrow It crashes in the whirl of slaughter and storm: True Nandi's curse, all knew, would...

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Strategy & Geopolitics2010-11-30

Buzz, learn and lead!

A story in four chapters presenting the potential for a fast-forward in evolution through a guided tour.

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Arts & Aesthetics2010-11-27

Kavadi Bells - 4

15 Delighted Dakshayani told the king The three eyed Lord of Kailas would come and wed; And Daksha's joy was more than plain to see, And he gave orders for arrangements to speed.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2010-11-25

Kavadi Bells - 3

10 Dynamic Shakti parts from Consciousness (As seen on the plane relative where we move, But Consciousness and Shakti are not apart!) And each in love from basic oneness spring, Towards the other moves in ecstasy, And...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2010-11-21

Kavadi Bells - 2

5 "Do lead, Abode of Sattwa, guide along, O Vishnu, lead; O Power that protect, guide; With Brahma by Thy side, do show the way To Shiva's home where hope eternal shines, To KAILAS where all founts of valour spring; Do...

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Texts & Stotrams2010-11-19

Kavadi Bells

Skanda Puranam, the greatest of the Eighteen Mahapuranas, is as sacred to the Shaivites as the Srimad Bhagavatam is to the Vaishnavites.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2010-11-09

lantern

i saw krishna he was walking with a lantern so i followed him and it was easier the inner light is lit krishna holding the lantern walking on the path we love the light that is the reason we go to it again and again if...

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Texts & Stotrams2010-10-24

Science of Surya Mantra and Aditya Hrdayam

Science of Surya Mantra and Aditya Hrdayam Preface There is a great consistency in the meanings I find across slokas of Nasaidya Suktam, Purusha Suktam, Aitareya Upanishad, Rudram Chamakam, Rudram Namakam, Surya Mantra,...

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Texts & Stotrams2010-10-22

Buzz, learn and lead- Chapter 3

Buzz, learn and lead! A story in four chapters presenting the potential for a fast-forward in evolution through a guided tour Chapter 3 Innate Immunity “We have a lot in common, bees and humans, I mean.

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Texts & Stotrams2010-10-07

Seeing Mother Durga In Agni

Let me wish all my medhavi friends a glorious Navarathri, filled with the joy of the Grace of Ma Shakti in all her manifestations and with fresh opportunities to deal effectively with obstacles in their paths with her...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2010-10-03

radha krishna seva

someone walked over a lit candle in a brass anvil to greet me asking the plant to forgive again on most mornings i ask krishna to turn the plant back into sita the faint light is enough if we are content as a plant...

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Strategy & Geopolitics2010-10-01

Buzz, learn and lead- Chapter 2

Buzz, learn and lead! A story in four chapters presenting the potential for a fast-forward in evolution through a guided tour. Chapter 2 Long-distance Flights When I awoke, I did not find either my companion or the sage.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2010-09-28

adrift

the falconer called on the falcon for his spate on a leaf go to the queen the falcon soared into the clouds in a rattle on the pounce of a rival falcon cascade to a stream one of the fisherman to find a little girl on...

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Texts & Stotrams2010-09-24

Vedanta Jyoti: Author’s Telescopic View

I am deeply indebted to Shri Partha Desikanji and Shri Rudraji for locating me in the maze of Websites and encouraging me to become a part of the Medhavi community - a medhavi in Sanskrit means an intellectual, a man of...

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Arts & Aesthetics2010-09-18

the Bluewater

Steve on the Linda D IV found me walking along the dock in 2004. He asked if I was the kid looking for a job. I mentioned the boats that I had worked on before to give him an idea of what sort of experience I had.

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Science & Consciousness2010-09-13

Buzz, learn and lead, Chapter 1

A story in four chapters presenting the potential for a fast-forward in evolution through a guided tour. Chapter 1 I want a Change You will agree with me that I am in a rather serious kind of predicament.

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Texts & Stotrams2010-09-11

Ganapati Atharvasirsha

Lord Ganapati is the most popular Deity among the Hindus. No Pooja or religious rites or for that matter no daily activity in any Hindu household commences without first worshipping Ganapati.

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Arts & Aesthetics2010-09-06

The Significance of September 5

Yesterday was the 5 th of September and Teachers ‘ Day was celebrated throughout India. This was the day a stalwart Son of India was born many years ago. He was Dr S.

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Texts & Stotrams2010-09-01

That night, in Nanda’s humble home

We knew this day was coming. We ‘d discussed this earlier and we had been waiting…for what had seemed like an eternity. Still, I find it hard to believe that the dark skinned baby is in my arms.

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Arts & Aesthetics2010-08-31

fir trees

the mind is a treasure chest the nerve endings grow like tree branches even sprout leaves or flowers sometimes old trees are removed and new ones grow i fell through a rabbit hole once a vast abstraction i thought i had...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2010-08-21

Blue Petals

INDICA THE TASTE SO SWEET BLUE PETALS BLOOMING UNDER THE SUN INDICA SO POTENT OUR SOURCE OF NATURE OUR SENSE OF WHAT IS REAL OUR SPIRITUAL FLOW INTENSE AS CAN BE OUR NATURAL GO THE PHASES OF THE MOON GUIDING OUR FORTUNE...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2010-08-16

Independence Day

A very happy Indian independence day to all Medhavis. Let’s us salute all the men and women who sacrificed their all so that we’d see this day, the brave men and women who guard our borders today, and also the...

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Texts & Stotrams2010-08-11

Healing Energy

I came across this incredible video on an internet forum a few days ago. Watching it gave me goosebumps (the good kind). I thought our Medhavis would like to see it too...

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Texts & Stotrams2010-08-11

Radha Madhava

Traveling around the Miami area using mass transit has been an adventure in and of its own.

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Texts & Stotrams2010-08-07

SEA OF COLD

Sea Of Cold devaguraji waterdroplet What is it that makes plants grow? We know that plants are rooted in the earth. It is the rain that provides nourishment. Plants grow towards the sunlight or the source.

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Arts & Aesthetics2010-08-05

Sierra Nevadas

The bus stopped in Orlando so north bound travelers could get on the next bus. After that we changed over in Savanna Georgia. It went north to Washington DC. I hopped on a bus to Baltimore from there.

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Arts & Aesthetics2010-07-27

Frozen Winter

The rink had its own architectural plan. The roof was slanted. The main beams for the roof were massive wooden planks. The wood had aged from the cold humid atmosphere of the rink. The aura of the rink was like Ontario.

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Arts & Aesthetics2010-07-23

Sui dragons

The Western Jin gained control of the Yangzte with the fleet it had of warships in 279. The Sui founder Yang Jain followed the path of the Jin building a fleet of ships on his own.

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Arts & Aesthetics2010-07-18

jigsaw puzzle

the jigsaw puzzle how did it form now it all fits in place the rainfall the plants of the earth the cold water springs the favoring wind the cosmic mist climbing a ladder each stone overturned in the last chapter we...

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Arts & Aesthetics2010-07-11

Paul S Octopus and some other thoughts

In a few hours from now, my millions of brothers all over the world would sit before the TV to watch the FIFA finals [ while the ladies in their lives would be happy that the season is ending for now] .

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Arts & Aesthetics2010-07-07

the Fog

One morning in October of 2004 while fishing just offshore of Sand Key Light all of the sudden fog began to move in on us. Our GPS was malfunctioning so all we had to use was our compass or our instinct to find our way.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2010-07-03

the bird itself

paint the image of a bird dog in a field or along the edge of a river the dog is running all over laughing there is nothing the dog wants to do more than to fetch a bird the dog is content chasing birds that is what the...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2010-06-26

our black cat Kali

our black cat kali wincing at me the sweat bee is going to sting me i need fertilizer for the tomato plants i just agitated all of the roots pollen drifting through the air nectar for the hummingbirds does a bee buzz...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2010-06-21

ki

caught waves at low tide at the inlet right to the shoreline the great awakening was paddling out to catch a wave at the pier at sunset we might do all sorts of far out things catching waves we still walk off drenched...

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Arts & Aesthetics2010-06-17

Who was that ?…and who’s this?

Dawn is still an hour away. I look at the lamp- lit street that stretches before me. It seems messier than usual. The street’s surface feels rough against my bare feet.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2010-06-12

KAMALA

at the edge of the cold mountain stream barefoot sifting for flatstones to find Govinda the awakening again the laughter of the blackbirds the leaves buding the lotus petals sprouting the source of inertia the shadow of...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2010-05-29

visvatma Dharma

Learning to be pure finding santosa orcontentment orsvadhyaya, the reading of the scriptures are all aspects of entering the dhaama or sheltered asrama for arjava, upright meditation on the absolute.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2010-05-27

Mute? Definitely Not

I found this touching anecdote about Lakshmi the cow who was fortunate enough to live and later on ,breathe her last in Ramana Ashramam , Thiruvannamalai .

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Texts & Stotrams2010-05-24

Professor Sethuramiah’s haiku, Avani and Ishaan

Professor Sethuramiah’s haiku, Avani and Ishaan Partha Desikan Our friends will remember Susumu Takiguchi’s Keynote Address at the World Haiku Festival, Bangalore 2008, and my blog highlighting its focus on Tagore and...

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Texts & Stotrams2010-05-14

Who does Yoga belong to?

My friend Evgeny and I go to learn Yoga from a Tamil Siddha Yogi and also learn Taiji Chuan from a student from an authentic Taoist Lineage.

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Texts & Stotrams2010-05-01

A CASE OF MISTAKEN ENMITY

We inhabit an age of unprecedented access to information. We get news about anyone anywhere in the world moments after an elapsed event. We watch closely, and are watched in return.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2010-04-26

Can Hindus Self-Govern Competitively?

Lessons from the Nithyananda Scandal-II The Christian Church has the longest continuous history of governance, with a tremendous track record of protecting its interests under all circumstances.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2010-04-26

Harvard and the Indian Billionaires

Rajiv Malhotra, Oct 15, 2010. This morning, Times of India celebrates the headlines, "Harvard gets biggest international donation in 102 yrs, from Tata group." ".

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Arts & Aesthetics2010-04-20

My Birthday Poem 19-4-2010

My Birthday Poem 19-4-2010 Today (April 19), I am beginning my Sixty Fourth circumambulation about the Sun. When I look around from the 64th story of my life-edifice, I see many changes.

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Arts & Aesthetics2010-04-18

Tamil New year, Vishu , Baisakhi & Poila Baisakh

Tamil new year day was celebrated with the usual fervor on the 14 th of April this year A traditional meal consisting of the sweet [ jaggery] laced with the bitter [ neem flowers] is made on this day to symbolise life...

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Texts & Stotrams2010-04-15

Consciousness, Kundalini Yoga & Body Development

Medha Editor's Note: With the public hooked onto scandals where sexuality vis a vis spirituality became a central focus of public discourse, it is fitting that we take a look at the deeper philosophical side of the...

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Texts & Stotrams2010-04-15

Sattvic

in a talk about Srila Prabhupada one night someone claimed the words or his writings or purports were unarguable the bhagavad gita is unarguable in plain translation i guess the feedback i had on the outlook or...

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Texts & Stotrams2010-04-12

Nataraja - Depicting the Spatial Dimensions

Space like time can be seen in just one dimension if we lineraize it. For eg a spiral can enumerate a three dimensional space in just one dimension (linearize it) as a continuous set of numbers.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2010-04-10

Addendum-Divisiveness in the name of Dharma

Anti-hindu activities and defamation by Sandhya Jain and Radha Rajan of Acharyas and others Their attempt to divide the Hindu Acharyas is clear from the Tamil circular doing the rounds.

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Arts & Aesthetics2010-04-04

Cold Water Springs

The Susquehanna Rick made a long cast into the main river current. Rick had gotten out of the boat then waded onto the shallows where there was vegetation full of minnows in the warmer surface column amist the late...

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Arts & Aesthetics2010-04-04

Natives

Scotch Run looking for natives Patrick had a small ultra light spinning rod with a micro shimano reel. Whenever fishing a trout stream he used 2 lb. test. When wading he wore a vest to keep his hooks, jigs or spinners.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2010-04-04

Red Lotus

'My story that should make The civilized society hide its face In the interiors of the earth, in shame – In which canto of your country’s famed history Will you write it down, my story?' (From a Telugu dalit poem...

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Science & Consciousness2010-04-03

Paintings in our Minds

The subconscious mind is a powerful thing. Our subconscious mind has all sorts of hidden paths to it.

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Texts & Stotrams2010-04-01

Logic

Logic tells us that there must be a creator for the universe to exist. St. Thomas calls God the first mover. In Shorter Summa, the existence of God is the first topic St. Thomas explains that God is eternal.

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Texts & Stotrams2010-04-01

Swamiji

Revisions of Srila Prabhupada quotes out of the writings of Satsvarupa dasa Gosvami about his travels...

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Texts & Stotrams2010-04-01

The Spring of Shiva

The Image of Shiva was found in the ruins of the Indus River civilization. The parallel of worship of Shiva is the worship of shakti or the power of the active forces of the universe.

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Arts & Aesthetics2010-04-01

Traveling Light

someone asked me what happens to a drop of water when it hits the ocean? i said it becomes a part of the ocean he said right...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2010-03-27

Spirit Level to Spiritual Radio

Spirit Level to Spiritual Radio Mannequins can also be our Teachers We all have seen human-look-alike mannequins exhibiting various types of attires at the entrances of many a textile showroom.

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Arts & Aesthetics2010-03-24

Holi 2010 with Asha for Education

Asha Stanford's Holi 2010 When: March 27, 2010, 11 am - 3 pm Where: Sandhill fields, Stanford University Tickets can be bought at: - We'll give you 3000 pounds of color to render your friends completely unrecognizable!...

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Texts & Stotrams2010-03-23

Eight Islands

Brahma is the source of the cosmic explosion at the beginning of the universe…his energies were first.

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Arts & Aesthetics2010-03-16

abstract Capitalism

> If we look to the stratosphere we notice the clouds or the variations of the hue of the horizon above us. If we see where we are standing we get to the realization that we are on a planet.

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Texts & Stotrams2010-03-14

Gems from Vivekananda

All religions are true You must remember that humanity travels not from error to truth, but from truth to truth; it may be, if you like it better, from lower truth to higher truth, but never from error to truth.

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Texts & Stotrams2010-03-04

Random Reflections on Mommyhood

My childhood does not seem that far away. Not since I have become a Mom myself. As I sing my son to sleep I remember snatches of long-forgotten lullabies that Grandma used to sing to us about a sister trying to awaken...

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Texts & Stotrams2010-02-28

Hinduism through History - Appendix

Worship of ancestors While taking the journey with Hinduism through History, it was seen that one of the most rudimentary - yet profound - ways of worship is by venerating the dead.

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Arts & Aesthetics2010-02-25

Breakfast, Penance & The Ecstasy

Breakfast, Penance & The Ecstasy An Exceptional Experience in Guruvayoor First Hurdle -The Jam Night It seems that the traffic peak hours fall on the Bangalore-Salem-Palakkad-Thrissur route during that 12-hour stretch,...

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Texts & Stotrams2010-02-14

Happy Belly Happy Soul

When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use. When diet is correct, medicine is of no need. --From the Charaka Samhita, one of the most ancient and venerated Ayurvedic textbooks.

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Texts & Stotrams2010-02-13

At The Feet Of My Cosmic Beloved!

At The Feet Of My Cosmic Beloved! Craving much for I’m to enter Your hallowed chamber, Deep within me, but hidden away! It is a dream that I wait on to realize, all thro’ my life That of present and the past; You are my...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2010-02-11

Do I have anything of My Own to offer YOU?

Do I have anything of My Own to offer YOU? This is my Floral Offering at the lotus feet of the Creator of every entity from Atom to Atman When I eulogize YOUR Glories, I forget that, The thoughts, the words, the voice...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2010-02-09

Wordless Conversations With A Winged Wiseman

Wordless Conversation With A Winged Wiseman “Yet another zoo! What could be new?” I walked past grinning camels, munching goats Contemplative cows and sleepy wild cats when I stopped in my tracks, drawn by his intense...

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Texts & Stotrams2010-02-08

Come, Share My Dream World

Come, Share My Dream World “From the unicellular green algae in the depth of the primordial soup, we traversed to the peak, but, ……….

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Texts & Stotrams2010-01-28

I, You & the Cosmic I

I, You & the Cosmic I A Personal Voyage As I offer You a flower, Ma, I come to You as the very flower! As I smell and savor the beguiling scent, I become the scent, the flower & the space between! As I collect the...

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Texts & Stotrams2010-01-13

Mistranslations of Central Upanishadic Terms

Comments on Serious Mistranslations of The Central Upanishadic Terms Ramakrishna Puligandla I am provoked to write this brief essay on my having seen so many articles and books, ancient, modern, and contemporary, the...

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Texts & Stotrams2010-01-13

Nagarjuna and Samkara: Some Comparative Reflections

The main purpose of this brief essay is to show that, contrary to the widespread view of many scholars of Madhyamaka and Advaita-Vedanta, the Sunya-vada of Nagarjuna and the non-dualism of Samkara are non-different, one...

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Texts & Stotrams2010-01-08

A sequel to Shri Matsya Narayana

A sequel to Shri Matsya Narayana Partha Desikan If we have read the story of the saving of the Vedas by the direct intervention of the Infinite in the Matsya form and are informed that there could be slightly different...

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Arts & Aesthetics2010-01-08

The "-ist"

There is no self, said a Self to itself... that is what the scriptures say, so it must be true From all things interconnected all things rise...

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Texts & Stotrams2010-01-06

Shri Matsya Narayana

Shri Matsya Narayana Partha Desikan Gururgurutamo dhaama satyah satyaparaakramah | Nimisho (a)nimishah sragvee vaachaspatir udaaradheeh || Agraneer graamaneeh shreemaan nyaayo netaa sameeranah | The above three lines...

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Texts & Stotrams2010-01-05

The Cosmic Mist

INTO THE DARKNESS THEN OUT OF THE LIGHT THE FIRE OF THE SUN THE ECHO OF THE WORLDS THE LIFEBREATH OF THE MIND THE CORE OF THE EARTH THE CENTER OF THE SOUL ONE WHO CONQUERS THE WORLDS THE MAKER OF EVIL THE SPRING OF THE...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2010-01-01

Lorelei

GOT LOST IN THE ISLAND MAZE SOARED THROUGH THE AIR LOOKED LIKE A FALCON AS AGILE AS A MERLIN DRIFTED THROUGH THE RAIN VIERED TO THE SHORE THE CLOUDS LIFTED IN THE HAZE MOONLIT NIGHT WRECKED ON THE CORAL SOMEHOW GOT...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2009-12-31

The Path of Fire and Light Vol 1

In Path of Fire and Light Swami Rama shares with Western students, for the first time, remarkable and practical information on the systematic techniques of an ancient and profound tradition of spiritual growth.

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Texts & Stotrams2009-12-30

NADIS OR THE NERVOUS SYSTEM

NADIS The Sanskrit word, “Nadi,” derives from the root, Nad, which means flow, motion, vibration. These nadis are creative energies of the subtle body.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-12-30

The Island

Somewhere in Northern Russia in a small Russian Orthodox monastery lives a very unusual man. His fellow-monks are confused by his bizarre conduct.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-12-29

recapturing Crete

recapturing Crete Jim Clark A warrior who lost his men wandered off into a canyon in a foreign land. He traveled there to fight against invading armies who attacked the natives. Several ships went ashore.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2009-12-29

the Cold War

There are questions about al-Qaeda that are to some extent answered that remain. The negative impact al-Qaeda has had on the US or India is evident.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-12-29

Wind Over Water

...saltwater footnotes At lobster walk the dock looked like an aquaculture farm as a result of Dave Curls who became a commercial diver collecting tropical fish.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2009-12-08

The Unmistaken Child

A visual stunning, spellbinding spiritual journey to a world rarely seen by outsiders. The Buddhist concept of reincarnation, while both mysterious and enchanting, is hard for most Westerners to grasp.

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Texts & Stotrams2009-12-01

About the Verbs in the Mahavakyas

About the verbs in the Mahavakyas Partha Desikan All the Vedantacharyas, in particular the founders of the Advaita , Vishishtadvaita and Dvaita doctrines, namely Sri Sankara, Sri Ramanuja and Sri Madhva relied totally...

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Science & Consciousness2009-11-22

DHYANA… THE PERFECT MEDITATION

When the flow of concentration (Dharana) is uninterrupted, the state that arises is Dhyana. Dhyana is the study of deep concentration, calmness, and tranquility of the mind.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2009-11-21

Enlighten Up

This documentary follows the life of a 29-yo white male from New York, as he immerses himself into a "Yogic" lifestyle.

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Texts & Stotrams2009-11-21

Humanism, Vaishnavite style

Humanism, Vaishnavite style Partha Desikan I would like to state at the outset that Vaishnavism is as much a product of Hindu/Vedantic genius as Advaita is and that the two belong to different sets and should not be...

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Texts & Stotrams2009-11-10

Year-end Yin

As we come to the end of the year and the days grow shorter, the temperatures lower, it is time to change the focus of your practice.

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Texts & Stotrams2009-11-09

Hindu Temple Architecture -V

Site Selection The previous four parts of this series can be found below. Part I Part II Part III Part IV In this part, I continue with the topic of site selection of Hindu temples.

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Texts & Stotrams2009-11-09

The Rift between Dualistic Vaishnavism and Advaita

NOTE: I have posted this as a thread on Medhaam Dehi (our forum) but NS suggested I post it as a blog entry. So here goes... I've been sucked into this debate (I should say I inadvertently stumbled into it) on Facebook.

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Texts & Stotrams2009-11-08

INBETWEENNESS: THE INDIVISIBLE WHOLE

Sunnie D. Kidd and James W. Kidd If we consider consciousness as undivided the distinction between the knower and the known disappears. Experience is complete in itself and is self-assuring.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-11-05

Beauty

Definition of Beauty as a short story by 1st grader, my son Ishan Beauty is like your positive energy. Beauty comes from your positive energy.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-11-04

Crabby Old man

This poem by an Old man is doing rounds of Internet Crabby Old Man What do you see nurses? . . What do you see? What are you thinking . . . . . when you're looking at me? A crabby old man, . ... .

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Texts & Stotrams2009-10-30

I am That

This is a pdf circulating among some Dharmic-types on the Internet. I thought I'd share it with the Medhavis.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-10-29

Cows, Commodities, Greenhouse Gases

Cows, Commodities, Greenhouse Gases Partha Desikan Wild cats hunting for food would have been indeed very happy when man had not yet learnt to tame some ruminants which later became his cattle wealth.

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Science & Consciousness2009-10-25

SIDDHASANA (THE ACCOMPLISHED POSE)

Sidddhasana (the accomplished pose) is the most rewarding of all the sitting postures. It is one of the most important asanas (the best among 84 lakh asanas), whose practice purifies the 72,000 Nadis in the body.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2009-10-18

Anandam Paramanandam

Here's a song from the Malayalam movie Jagadguru Adisankaran [ 1977] . The film may seem different from G V Iyer's version as it caters to a much wider audience.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-10-18

The Suitor-A Micro Story

No suitors for me in sight till now. I ‘d rather be single than marry someone I don’t love. Saw him yesterday from my balcony and did not sleep a wink last night. He is the one. I know for sure.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-10-16

Happy Diwali, Deepawali, Kali Pujo

Dear Friends, It is soon going to be three years since we started Medha Journal. I know we don't usually celebrate many of our festivals on Medha Journal.

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Science & Consciousness2009-10-10

YOGA FOR ANEMIA

Anemia is a condition in which hemoglobin concentration, or the number of red blood cells, is below the defined level. The job of hemoglobin is to carry oxygen around the body.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-10-09

A desire of a 5 year old

Almost a year back Ishan had written a letter to Mr. President on Global Warming issues..:)) It was something that he came up with and I just encouraged him to complete the letter....

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Texts & Stotrams2009-10-09

Fragile Ecosystem, Vedic Solution?

I recently posted a review of a book by Daniel Quinn titled "Ishmael". The book is a semi-fiction/philosophical dialog between Daniel Quinn and an old Gorilla called Ishmael (of course Ishmael is the archetype of a wise...

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-10-07

Ishmael: An Adventure of Mind and Spirit

Quinn ( Dreamer ) won the Turner Tomorrow Award's half-million-dollar first prize for this fascinating and odd book--not a novel by any conventional definition--which was written 13 years ago but could not find a...

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Texts & Stotrams2009-09-29

The Science of Sankhya..

The Sankhya Philosophy Purusha In Sankhya Philosophy, evolution happens in three dimensions. The dimensions are Purusha, Prakrti and the Gunas.

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Science & Consciousness2009-09-27

YOGA FOR SPECIAL CHILDREN

Yoga is a stimulating way to reach children, especially those with Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Attention Deficit Disorder, Learning Disabilities, and other developmental delays.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2009-09-25

Nadaswaram (Nagaswaram) and the US

The nadaswaram (sometimes spelt nadhaswaram, and also called nagaswaram) is one of the most popular classical (Carnatic style) instruments of South India and acclaimed as the world's loudest non-brass acoustic...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2009-09-24

American Exceptionalism

American Exceptionalism and the Myth of the Frontiers Editor's note: From a true global perspective, it is important for anyone to figure the role the United States of America has played & and continues to play in the...

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-09-13

The Mystery of the Noisy Child

I arrived in Saint-Etienne at the beginning of July. The summer months see people moving out of the cities and into the holiday locations for their annual vacations. As a result, the city seems deserted.

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Texts & Stotrams2009-09-06

The Mother's Divine Dance

The Mother's Divine Dance Partha Desikan Rabindranath Tagore met Sree Narayana Guru in 1922 and was deeply impressed both by the spiritual heights of his thoughts and by his enduring commitment to fight caste based...

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Texts & Stotrams2009-09-04

Raja Yoga

INTRODUCTION There are many paths of yoga for attaining clarity of mind. Raja Yoga is one of the paths that focuses on meditation and contemplation. Raja means king, and king is always in a state of enlightenment.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-08-27

The Goddess of Night

The Goddess of Night She descends, in her dark beauty When her fair sister departs To pull a thick veil over men And their actions of that day.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-08-24

I see Him now

Here is another micro-story, friends. I see Him now. The newborn child opened its eyes looking for Him. The eyes went all around. No, He was not to be found. A charcha ensued between the eyes and the child's soul.

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Texts & Stotrams2009-08-21

THE STORY AND WISDOM OF YAGNAVALKYA.

When the purpose of sAdhanA and the final destination of the soul is understood, there remain no more doubts in the sadhaka’s mind as regards the imperativeness of yoga sAdhanA.

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Science & Consciousness2009-08-20

Hindu Identity

Editor's note: Below talk becomes even more relevant in the context of this Newsweek article (ClickHere), putting a broader & deeper spotlight on Hinduism.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2009-08-18

Tai Chi With George Bolger - Preparation Form

The most common question asked by people is "What is Taichi". The art of Taichi has been around for thousands of years, and is one of the few complete systems of moving meditation in existence today.

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Texts & Stotrams2009-08-16

Aitareya Upanishad i

{To Read Author's General Note click here } Aitareya Upanishad i: This Upanishad is part of the Rg Veda.

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Texts & Stotrams2009-08-16

Aitareya Upanishad ii

{To Read Author's General Note click here } For Part I, click here In part I it was said that the universe with all its constituents is the creation of Brahman. This part deals with creation in more detail.

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Texts & Stotrams2009-08-16

Brahmopanishad I

{To Read Author's General Note click here } There are two recensions of this Upanishad with minor variation. Swami Madhavaananda had dealt with both in a combined form. We shall follow him.

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Texts & Stotrams2009-08-16

Brahmopanishad II

{To Read Author's General Note click here } (Contd... from Part I) - There are four seats of consciousness in the Purusha. These are the navel, the heart, the throat and the head.

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Texts & Stotrams2009-08-16

Brahmopanishad III- The poetry part

{To Read Author's General Note click here } (Contd... from Part II) In the first part of the Upanishad the origin of life is dealt with. Praana or aerobic life is considered an important evolutionary state.

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Texts & Stotrams2009-08-16

Brahmopanishad IV

{To Read Author's General Note click here } (Contd... fromPart III) There are four unrelated parts in this Upanishad. The Upanishad itself is not divided. The division is by me.

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Texts & Stotrams2009-08-16

Mundaka Upanishad I & II

{To Read Author's General Note click here } Mundaka Upanishad ‘U’ is pronounced short as in ‘full’. ‘n’ is pronounced as Venu; d as in dog. The Upanishad is meant for study by monks or sannyasis.

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Texts & Stotrams2009-08-16

Mundaka Upanishad V & VI

{To Read Author's General Note click here } (Contd. from Part III & IV) ...Mundaka Upanishad Mundaka Upanishad V In part I it was said that Brahman is omniscient. The universe is his creation. Life evolves from his will.

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Texts & Stotrams2009-08-16

Sanskrit: From Pooja rooms to Science Labs..

Samskrita Bharati organized a 10 day Spoken Sanskrit programme in several parts of the City during last week. The concept of ‘Spoken Sanskrit’ attracted me and I made it a point to attend their classes most of the days.

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Texts & Stotrams2009-08-15

UPANISHADS - A Series Begins

Medha Editor's Note: We are pleased to offer to Medhavis a new series on Upanishads, the creme-de-la-creme of Indic Philosophy, which has influenced the thought & living in India & other influenced cultures for...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2009-08-05

YOGIC MANAGEMENT OF OBESITY

The word obesity is derived from a Latin word “Obesus,” which means to eat. It is a nutritional condition of the body characterized by over accumulation of fat under the skin and around certain internal organs.

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Science & Consciousness2009-08-04

The Eternal Self of the Buddha

As a follow up to my Advaita and Buddhism article, I must inform the medhavis that perhaps my ego or some other (unlikely) compulsion led to me engage in further debates with some "Buddhists" on the website http://www.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2009-07-30

Pratayahara…The Fifth Limb of Yoga

Pratyahara means withdrawal of the senses. It is derived from two Sanskrit words- Prati and Ahara, where Prati means away or against and Ahara means nourishment.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-07-30

The Ultimate Sacrifice

Shall I try to tell you all a 'micro' story as well? The ultimate Sacrifice. The vulture had casually watched as a fruit from that free fell down. A wild goat ate it and died. Its flesh tasted good.

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Texts & Stotrams2009-07-28

The Preceptor Paramount

It appears that Dr Giridhar Madras of the University of California @ Davis submitted to the site , on Guru poornima day in 1996, an article entitled Dakshinamurti Stotra.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-07-25

A Terrifying Existence

Why this silence on organised anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh? Reports began trickling out of Bangladesh this spring about an anti-Hindu violence in the heart of its capital carried out in three stages: March 30,...

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-07-23

The Musical Way-An Almost Micro Story

This format limits the story to 250 words. I pruned it down to 206 words [ including the title]. Just posted in TMJ. The Musical Way Our hero is a regular guy [so it seemed] with an irregular goal in life.

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Science & Consciousness2009-07-22

SUKHPURVAKA PRANAYAMA

“Dahyante dhamayamananam, dhatunam hi yatha malaha, tatha indriyanam dahyante, doshaha pranasga nigrahat.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-07-21

The Ambush - A Micro Story

I came across the micro story concept in Sulekha blogs a couple of years ago. A story has to be told in limited words , in this case, less than 125 words.

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Texts & Stotrams2009-07-19

Ongoing Adharma in Christianity in India?

From Swami Devananda- "Christianity is a parasitical religion, which attaches itself to a host culture and feeds off it, absorbing its spirit and lifeblood into itself until the host culture dies and become Christian.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2009-07-17

The Samurai Trilogy

Based on the novel that has been called Japan's Gone With the Wind, Hiroshi Inagaki's acclaimed Samurai Trilogy is a sweeping saga of the legendary 17th-century samurai Musashi Miyamoto (portrayed by Toshiro Mifune) set...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2009-07-16

YOGA FOR KNEES

Knee pain is a nagging malady, which can immobilize a person – thus making one helpless. Knee pain may vary from mild to severe, depending on the cause of the pain.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2009-07-12

THE MONKEY MIND

Patanjali says you have something permanent with you and that is called “The Monkey Mind.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-07-10

Saving Our Mothers

Introduction Sanskrit has been a link language in India up to about 1100 c.e. Except possibly for Tamil all the other major Indian languages are either derived from Sanskrit or closely linked to it. Since 1100 c.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2009-07-04

Does South Asian Studies Undermine India?

[First Published 2003 in Rediff] 'You have to be as careful giving away your money as you were in making it' -- Bill Gates The Clinton administration made an official policy concerning India which the Bush...

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Strategy & Geopolitics2009-07-04

We, The Nation(s) Of India

Normal 0 Also published at Tehelka Magazine, Vol 6, Issue 2, Dated Jan 17, 2009 India breathes through her multiplicity, not her fragmenting voices THERE IS a buzz about India becoming a superpower.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-07-01

Eco-City (Junior ID-6)

Eco- City Participant ID - 6 Medhajunior, Grade 5th, USA While I walk down the road to my friend’s house, birds chirp in the oak trees.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-07-01

Global Warming (Junior ID-13)

Global Warming Participant ID - 13 Medhajunior, Grade, 7th, India Carbon dioxide and other air pollution that is collecting in the atmosphere like a thickening blanket, trapping the sun's heat and causing the planet to...

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-07-01

Global Warming (Junior ID-18)

Global Warming Participant ID - 18 Medhajunior, Grade, 8th, India One night I had dream that took me 2080. In contradiction to my expectation I saw a very horrifying view of the future.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-07-01

Global Warming (Junior ID-19)

Global Warming Participant ID - 19 Medhajunior, Grade, 6th, India Dear Sir/Madam, I have received information from my school to send a paragraph on global warming to you.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-07-01

Global Warming (Junior ID-20)

Global Warming Participant ID - 20 Medhajunior, Grade, 8th, India PARAGRAPH ON GLOBAL WARMING At this moment the people on the earth are facing a dire consequence of global warming.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-07-01

How to Save the Planet (Junior ID-3)

How to Save the Planet Participant ID - 3 MedhaJunior, Grade: 2nd , USA Have you ever wondered how uncomfortable you can feel if someone puts a warm blanket around you on a warm day? Well, planet Earth feels the same...

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Texts & Stotrams2009-07-01

How to save the planet!? (ID26)

How to save the Planet!? Participant ID -26 MedhaJournal, Australia Mmmmmmm, a good question that seeks an answer yes? Humans are a funny breed, we are dominated by Need, Greed, and Want….those are our Gods.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2009-07-01

No Vehicle Day! (Junior ID-9)

No Vehicle Day! Participant ID - 9 Medhajunior, Grade, 3rd, USA A sustainable community is a community that can function without relying on other places.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-07-01

Our Duty towards Our Planet (Junior ID-2)

Our Duty towards Our Planet Participant ID -2 MedhaJunior, Age 12 years, UAE | | | --- | | Environment and ecology | In our school, as part of our Social Studies class, we learn about Environment and ecology.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-07-01

"Saving our world" (Junior ID-16)

"Saving our world" Participant ID - 16 Medhajunior, Grade, 2nd, USA We live in a great world. We have food and water but we are running out of natural resources like crude oil and facing global warming.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-07-01

Save the Earth (Junior ID-8)

Save the Earth Participant ID - 8 Medhajunior, Grade, Kindergartner, USA We all cause global warming. We all waste paper. All of us pollute.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2009-07-01

Small Drops of an Ocean (ID-24)

Small Drops of an Ocean Participant ID -24 Medhajournal, UAE When I was growing up, I was fed up] with a meal time story about the poet- saint [ThiruvaLLuvar,\ the author of “ThirukuraL”.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-07-01

Sustainable Communities (Junior ID-5)

Sustainable Communities Participant ID - 5 Medhajunior, Grade 8th, USA Sustainable development is an important concern in the upcoming future. Our planet has been ravaged by pollution and global warming.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-07-01

Sustainable Community (Junior ID-14)

Sustainable Community Participant ID - 14 Medhajunior, Grade, 4th, USA I think a sustainable community is where you don't do things that pollute the earth and have local farms.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-07-01

Sustainable Community (Junior ID-15)

Sustainable Community Participant ID - 15 Medhajunior, Grade, 4th, USA In case you don't know what a sustainable community is, it is a community that does not waste or pollute.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-07-01

Sustainable Community (Junior ID-17)

Sustainable Community Participant ID - 17 Medhajunior, Grade, 4th, USA If I could make my own sustainable community, I would do many things such as the following to help save whatever needs to be saved.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2009-07-01

Green Revolution (Junior ID-4)

Green Revolution Participant ID - 4 Medhajunior, Grade 7th, USA In the last 200 years with the advances in technology and oil exploration we are destroying the delicate ecology of the earth at an alarming rate.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-07-01

Sustainable Community? (Junior ID22)

Sustainable Community? Participant ID -22Medhajunior, Grade 8, USA What is our world turning like now? What has happened to that clean and fresh land our founding fathers once stepped foot on? It has turned into a...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2009-07-01

The Indic Intellectual tradition

I will be giving a talk on The Indic Intellectual tradition at the 17th biannual TANA convention at the Rosemont convention center in Chicago during July 2 to July 4.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-07-01

The Windmill (Junior ID-11)

The Windmill Participant ID - 11 Medhajunior, Grade, 3rd, USA My idea is that to make Fremont to put more windmills on more hills to make more electricity. We will put them on biggest hill in Fremont.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-06-27

Monotheism-The Unsurpassed Scourge And Scandal

Published earlier in the Indian Philosophical Quarterly Vol 34, No. 1 (January - March 2007) The purpose of this brief essay is to show that monotheistic religious traditions, simply by being what they are - based on...

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Strategy & Geopolitics2009-06-27

Pakistani Cricket/My view

When Pakistan won the T20 world cup , there was this usual awards,celebrations and it was welcome to a nation which is having a battle on its hands.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-06-27

Swades

Set in modern day India, Swades is a film that tackles the issues that development throws up on a grass root level.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2009-06-25

A New Triple Eclipse Series on Hand

A New Triple Eclipse series on Hand ParthaDesikan The world is about to witness a rare astronomical event - a series of triple eclipses, beginning July 2009.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-06-25

A unique way to deal with prejudice

I went through a very interesting HR exercise today on Diversity. As part of our training, we were asked to watch a short film put together by ABC in 1968, in the wake of Dr Martin Luther King's assasination.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2009-06-24

Conversion and the Future of Christian-Hindu Conflict

Introduction On August 23, 2008 (Janmāṣṭamī day), an armed group from the Communist Party of India (Maoist) killed revered Hindu religious leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and some followers at his ashram in district...

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Texts & Stotrams2009-06-18

Eight Verses to the Giver of Life

Na taato, na maata, na bandur na daataa, Na putro, na putri, na bhratyo, na bhartaa, Na jayaa na Vidyaa, na Vrithir mamaiva, Gatistvam, Gatistvam Tvam ekaa Bhavani.

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Texts & Stotrams2009-06-18

The persian Sufi poet Hafiz

The 13th century Persian Sufi poet Hafiz has been one of my favorite poets. Hafiz was a moulana in a mosque in Iran. His extreme liberality drew him the ire of the Islamic establishment of his time.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2009-06-16

André Malraux on India and Bangladesh

This is a translation of two web pages about the French writer André Malraux, and his views on India and Bangladesh, published by the "Association pour la Diffusion de la Pensée Française" (Association for the Spread of...

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-06-11

Tare Zameen Par

Ishaan is an 8 year old whose world is filled with wonders that no one else seems to appreciate; colors, fish, dogs, and kites are just not important in the world of adults, who are much more interested in things like...

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Texts & Stotrams2009-06-10

Secularism redux

Introduction As I realize the sociological implications of the social engineering going on in the name of Secularism, I am filled with a deep sense of nausea and revulsion for the concept of Secularism as it is...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2009-06-05

Samsara

A spiritual love-story set in the majestic landscape of Ladakh, Himalayas. Samsara is a quest; one man's struggle to find spiritual Enlightenment by renouncing the world.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2009-06-05

Valley of Flowers

Along the highest mountain passes of the Himalayas, tough, intrepid Jalan (Milind Soman) and his gang earn their living by stealing from unsuspecting travelers.

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Texts & Stotrams2009-06-02

Occidental difficulty with other civilizations

Indic studies Foundation www.indicstudies.us Acceptance of Ancient and medieval Indic Epistemes in the sciences of antiquity by the occident or “why does the Occidental have such a great difficulty in recognizing the...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2009-05-27

Jnana Yoga: The Way of Life

Jnana-yoga or "The Path of Knowledge" is one of the four central paths to knowledge of man and the world and realization of the ultimate reality as obtained in the ancient religious and philosophical traditions of India.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-05-16

Betal Aur Betal

Betal Aur Betal Fiction "Hey, Preets, see what I've got for you". "Wow! A new salwar set? Lemme open the pack. Oh-oh , it's a candy pink." "You like it? For our special day , honey". "Shree sweetie pie, I ...

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Texts & Stotrams2009-05-13

Sustainable Communities (ID-23)

Sustainable Communities MedhaJournal - Participant ID23 Being a person acutely conscious of the environment, one was struck by the topic given to write an essay about.

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Texts & Stotrams2009-05-12

Planet X

SWEETSWORD 34 [ Ne Science Na Laynn ] By Poga Humayun Dundiwala BISMILLAH ALLAH said to brother of Aaron Moses to take his shoe off And Baratha brother of Lakkan placed the shoe on the Rama's throne Shaitan said i have...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2009-05-10

On the antiquity of Dravidian scripts.

On the antiquity of Dravidian scripts. Partha Desikan Sri M V Vasu has interviewed Professor S. Settar for the Friday Review section of The Hindu dated May 8, 2009. The interview made very interesting reading.

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Texts & Stotrams2009-05-07

An Insider's View of Dhammapada

This article is based on the views of the venerable Bhikku Bodhi of Forest Hermitage, Kandy, Sri Lanka, as expressed in his Introduction to a special edition of Dhammapada.

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Texts & Stotrams2009-04-28

Divine Love in the Hills

Divine Love in the Hills. Partha Desikan The apparently still, permanently snow clad Himalayan peaks seem to signify the ultimate in silence and peace.

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Science & Consciousness2009-04-20

Ayurveda in the US Midwest

I posted the question on the Facebook side of MJ, but probably here is the more appropriate forum. I always wanted to know.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-04-20

How Green are Green Products?

Earth Day is this Wednesday, and from the celebration of all things “green” in San Francisco, I knew I had arrived at the right place for a week of vacation.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-04-14

Mother often knows best

Did you know that the world's finest pearls have always been formed under a rainbow? Not just any rainbow, mind my words, but the permanent one.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2009-04-07

i-phone advertisement by 5 year old boy

i-phone advertisement by little Ishan. Ishan is 5 years old student studying in Gomes Elementary School, Fremont, CA. He enjoys writing journal and playing with the i-phone application games, when he gets permission.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2009-04-06

The God Delusion

A fantastic book by Richard Dawkins on the delusional nature of religions and their followers and explains the true nature of this God entity

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-04-04

I am my own creation

I feel bright and wonderful as I see myself grow and change. The growth and change is contained in every moment of now and the spontaneity of the self. This moment brings in so much of magic and potential.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2009-04-04

Yoga Unveiled

This 2-DVD set is a breathtaking journey of sight and sound that illuminates the essence of yoga as its creators understood it thousands of years ago.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-03-31

This extra-ordinary life

mogambo has many friends who like to living the life of luxury and wealth with their multiple cars and bikes and many with multiple houses that they may or may not call "home". mogambo has been one of these people too.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2009-03-30

Three Cups of Tea

Three Cups of Tea is a truly inspiring story of one man's mission to build schools in the most dangerous areas of Pakistan & Afghanistan to "Promote peace one school at a time".

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-03-28

Confession

This story is true. It is about something I did a long time ago. The bell at 1:15 pm marked the end of the school day. After the prayer, I hastily packed up my books into my bag, and ran out into the courtyard.

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Science & Consciousness2009-03-27

No bamboo staying, no flute playing

Mogambo likes to do Yoga and reads and mentally chews on the Sutras of Patanjali. Yoga he can understand, but the biggest challenge to Mogambo's little brain is the existence of religion.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2009-03-23

Manas Mandal

Mind is like a blooming lotus. There are many stages and many parts of blooming conscious mind. Preconscious to insect conscious, after that - reptile conscious mind blooms gradually.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2009-03-22

Geopolitics and Sanskrit Phobia

{First Published in 2005} | | | --- | | I. Sanskrit and the Multicultural Sanskriti (Indic Civilization) II. Pan-Asian Sanskriti III. Decline of Sanskrit IV. Sanskrit Influence on Modern Europe V.

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Science & Consciousness2009-03-22

Here comes Spring

The tree blossoms and flower blooms are spreading the news that the spring is here. It feels like the Nature is waking up after a deep sleep during cold winter.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2009-03-21

Mystery of Shiva

There are four Shivas (or Shivs) as far I know. First is the real Shiva, once who had a physical existence -the great sage for ever. Second is mythological Shiva.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-03-20

The Conch Bearer (Brotherhood of the Conch)

{xtypo\quote\right}This is a MUST READ for all lovers of fiction and good prose. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is an immensely talented writer and one can only revel in her mastery by diving deep into this magical world...

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-03-19

The wild and the wilderness

I run to the wild as I cross the grounds of distractions and prophesies of this world. I embrace all the beauty I see and I walk through my conditioning, erasing myself in bits and pieces.

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Texts & Stotrams2009-03-18

True Spiritualism and True Religion

At the beginning, Religion came into existence by the designers against mankind. It had taken place to deceive the mankind, to oppress -to exploit the mankind skillfully catching in their trap, to misappropriate human...

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Strategy & Geopolitics2009-03-15

The Colonial Paradigm of Indian History

The Steel Frame It is a tribute to the persistence and tenacity of the colonial overlords that dominated the Indian subcontinent for a relatively short period of 200 years that the prevailing paradigm on the origins and...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2009-03-09

Fear, Psychoses, Samskaras and The Ego

What does a person do when faced with extreme situations? Hunker down and face them head-on? Curl up into a fetal ball and hope to weather out whatever is bothering them? A little of both? Growing up, I have been aware...

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-03-08

In search of the Cradle of Civilization

From Library Journal With this work, the authors, all three renowned Yoga and Vedic scholars with multiple publications to their names, set out to challenge the generally held theory that advanced culture began in Sumer...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2009-03-08

Tantra: Path of Ecstasy

From Publishers Weekly Feuerstein has attempted a daunting task, defining Tantric Yoga drawn from Hindu and not Tibetan Buddhist sources.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-03-03

Hindustani

Circa the British rule in India, a man named Senapathy decides to rebel against the British in a violent way, learns a rare martial art that enables him to kill with his bare hands, and travels to Singapore, joins the...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2009-03-02

Breath your HEAD ACHE away!!!!

I received this mail from a friend and i found this interesting. Any one who suffers from Head ache, can try this and put their comments.Thanks Our noses have left and right nostrils.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-03-02

Ran

As critic Roger Ebert observed in his original review of Ran, this epic tragedy might have been attempted by a younger director, but only the Japanese master Akira Kurosawa, who made the film at age 75, could bring the...

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-02-25

Agantuk

A Satyajit Ray classic -- this movie showcases some stellar performances by Uptal Dutta, Mamata Shankar and the rest of the cast.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2009-02-25

Light on Yoga -- BKS Iyengar

The definitive guide to the philosophy and practice of Yoga--the ancient healing discipline for body and mind--by its greatest living teacher.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-02-22

Neko no Sara (Cat's Plate)

This is another Japanese folk tale called Neko no Sara (Cat's Plate). In the era when Tokyo was known as Edo, there was an antique shop owner, who would scout the city for antiques that the owners would have without any...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2009-02-20

Naked in Ashes

Paula Fouce's beautiful, illuminating documentary "Naked in Ashes" takes the viewer into the profoundly spiritual world of India's yogis, who see their taking on the sins of humanity as a source of healing and...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2009-02-20

Rashomon

Brimming with action while incisively examining the nature of truth, Rashomon is perhaps the finest film ever to investigate the philosophy of justice.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-02-16

Shibahama

I am not the author of this story. I heard it from a friend, and would like to share it with you. It is an old Japanese tale, called Shibahama.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-02-14

The Ant that went round the World

A little over a year ago, in appreciation of little Ishan's blog on cow trouble, I wrote a story explaining the nursery rhyme ‘Hey diddle diddle', entitled ‘This is how it happened, Ishan'.

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Texts & Stotrams2009-02-13

Crisis in modern Physics

Physics is currently going through a crisis. It is of course true that Physics has faced crisis even in earlier times.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-02-13

Go Green this Valentine's Day

Red and pink are synonymous with Valentine's Day but instead of sending "pink chaddis" to Mutalik’s Sri Rama Sena, how about going green this ‘V’ day? That is going environmentally green rather than green with envy.

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Texts & Stotrams2009-02-13

Hindu Temple Architecture-IV

Hindu Temple Architecture-IV Site Selection & Analysis [continued from the previous post - Hindu Temple Architecture III ] The Previous article at this link discusses site analysis in the modern sense and compares that...

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Strategy & Geopolitics2009-02-12

The Thai-Assam Connection

Reporting from Guwahati on February 6 this year, for The Hindu, Sushanta Talukdar writes: ‘A safari in the Kaziranga National Park has left the visiting Princess of Thailand Maha Chakri Sirindhorn fascinated.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-01-24

The Stalker -Betal Tales I

The Stalker-Betal tales I There he was. Shwetha froze when she saw him up close. She was walking towards the lift when she saw him standing inside the lift with a raised hand, presumably to press the buttons.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2009-01-23

NUCLEAR PAKISTAN/ Indian dilemma?

Nuclear dilemma of India/ some answers Pakistani military has realized that in case of any future India - Pakistan war, the possibility of either side achieving a clear-cut victory or suffering an abject or total defeat...

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Texts & Stotrams2009-01-23

Parashurama Kshetra Part 5

Live and let live, Kerala Style Lord Parashurama may or may not have intended, when he threw his legendary axe and created India's Arabian Sea-coast west of the Sahyadri Mountains, that his Kshetra would forever be open...

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Strategy & Geopolitics2009-01-21

The Terrorist Within

Terrorism is probably the most common word flowing out of our tireless lips these days, closely followed by recession and job losses. There is little doubt that acts like these need to be condemned and stopped.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2009-01-13

Parashurama Kshetra Part 4

Cheras, on a Roll till the Rise of the Chozhas For most of the hoary past recorded in available and lost Tamil Sangam literature and corroborated in Sanskrit lore as well, the Tamil country was ruled by three royal...

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Strategy & Geopolitics2009-01-11

Myth of Hindu Sameness

Abstract This essay examines the often-repeated claim by Hindus and non-Hindus alike that Hinduism is the same as other religions.

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Texts & Stotrams2009-01-11

Women and the Vedas

Much has been written recently about the plight of women in India. It is certainly true that on the scale of most economic and social indicators, women are lagging behind men.

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Arts & Aesthetics2009-01-09

Move over Crude Oil .. Oilgae here I come!!

Imagine a biofuel feedstock that saves the world without raising food prices, a vacuum that sucks up globe-warming carbon dioxide, and even a material that makes bioplastics, which disintegrate easily into compost.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2009-01-05

PALESTINIANS/ The eternal wailers

Palestinians/ the Eternal Wailers As an Indian Christian i had this admiration for Israeli David who felled the giant Palestinian fighter Goliath with his catapult.

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Texts & Stotrams2009-01-05

Parashurama Kshetra Part 3

Why refer to legends at all? Before proceeding to our next topic, the Chozha and the Pandya connections of Keralite kings, I wish to answer the question, ‘Why should we refer at all to legends, when it is historic...

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Texts & Stotrams2009-01-04

On Corruption and Karma

"The great seers of ancient India saw so far ahead of their time that the world has to wait centuries yet to appreciate their wisdom, and it is this very inability on the part of their own descendants to appreciate the...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2009-01-03

Parashurama Kshetra-Part 2

Prehistory and Legends of Kerala There is a reference to the Kerala regions in the Kishkindha Kanda of the ancient Indian epic, the Ramayana of Valmiki.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-12-31

Just wishing

Partha wishes today to hope that there can be fewer negatives, less evil, less malice, no despair, no frustration to hope that all will learn poise, balance, moderation to wish away the option of violence in a solution...

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-12-31

Medha Journal 2.0

We keep hearing about Web 2.0 and how it is changing the way the internet operates. Well, Medha Journal has been a web 2.0 site since inception, but we've also received plenty of requests to make it more 2.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-12-24

This Cut is free

This Cut is free Partha Desikan I accidentally came across my short story, ‘The Sweet Bamboo’ in its first unedited form in my good friend Murali Ramaswami’s online magazine Patrika (July-August 2002, the Newsletter of...

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Texts & Stotrams2008-12-23

Mind the cows, mind the horses

{xtypo\dropcap}O{/xtypo\dropcap}ne of the dhyaana slokas of Srimad Bhagavad Gita goes like this: > sarvopanishado gAvo dogdhA gopAlanandana: | > > pArtho vatsa: sudhIr bhoktA dugdham gItAmrtam mahat || All the...

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-12-21

Rudra to Jesus..

The Lord of Lords never takes birth On the day of 'Arudra\', he appeared first The cosmic dance of Rudra began thus On our Mother Earth, on this day of Winter Solstice! The force of Rudra blew off the Sun The Third of...

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Texts & Stotrams2008-12-07

Interview: Dr Ramakrishna Puligandla -Part I

Editor's Note: Below is a transcript of the interview with our new Medha Gold personality, our Resident Philosopher. We will also make available the audio of this interview, which has more details on each conversation.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-12-05

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

An Interview with Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni by Soumi Basu Soumi Basu, a member of Medha Journal, presents Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni to our readers in this thought-provoking interview.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-12-04

My Mother weeps

{xtypo\dropcap}M{/xtypo\dropcap}y mother, many millennia old, bleeds and weeps in silence. She feels lonely, alone among her billion children.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2008-12-01

Hindus, Jews and Jihad Terror in Mumbai

{xtypo\dropcap}S{/xtypo\dropcap}ixty hours of jihadist terror depradations throughout India's financial capital, Mumbai -- during which nearly 200 innocent victims were murdered, and 300 wounded -- apparently ceased...

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-11-30

Vigilance, Community Style, not Vigilantism

Vigilance, Community Style, not Vigilantism Partha Desikan The Hindu has published a feature article today by Professor Sreeram Chaulia of International Affairs Department, Maxwell Center, Syracuse University, USA, on...

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-11-27

Classical Language Studies

{xtypo\dropcap}S{/xtypo\dropcap}heldon Pollock, Ransford Professor of Sanskrit and Indian studies, Columbia University, New York, writing in The Hindu today (Nov 27, 2008), confesses to have been bemused by the debates...

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Texts & Stotrams2008-11-26

Religious Reflection without a mirror

{xtypo\dropcap}O{/xtypo\dropcap}ctober 27th 1893: It was late afternoon, slightly after four, as Richard Shandok slowly trudged up the snaking bridle path that led to the large mud house on top of the hill.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2008-11-26

The Unity of India

{xtypo\dropcap}T{/xtypo\dropcap}his article1 is an attempt to explore the idea of an India – to see whether the idea is meaningful, and if so, to trace the birth and the evolution of the idea.

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Texts & Stotrams2008-11-17

ARYANS VERSUS MONKEYS - THE SEQUEL

The following is the series of exchanges that took place with Dr. Karen Carr - whose website was found to have a highly distorted version of The Ramayana - and several eminent personalities and practising Hindus.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-11-14

George Bush, Promoter of Stem Cell Research

Partha Desikan The title of this blog means exactly what I intended it to mean. I do not propose to go into the ethical questions stirred up by the dawn of this discipline towards the end of the twentieth century and...

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Texts & Stotrams2008-11-10

One Man, One Cow, One Planet

“The Law of Attraction” simply says that one naturally attracts into one's life whatever one think about deeply. One's dominant thoughts will always find a way to manifest themselves.

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Texts & Stotrams2008-11-09

The Maya and Karma Conundrum

As has become a norm (or so it seems) these days, my Sunday mornings are spent driving up to my Tai Chi teacher's home with my friend Evgeny for semi-private lessons.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-11-09

What is Sustainable Development?

Sustainable development means different things to different people. It has become the buzz word of our generation without a clear definition for many.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-10-23

Constantine's Sword

A friend of mine sent me this link. A very thought provoking and gripping film on the nature of Religion, Fundamentalism and how power in the hands of religious fundamentalists is a recipe for disaster by former Roman...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-10-22

Aryans versus Monkeys

Kidipede - History for Kids began in 1995 as a community service learning project for sophomores at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon.

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Science & Consciousness2008-10-22

Vata Balancing Food Recipe

Hello Medhavis, It is really good to see so much enthusiasm amongst the Medhavis. So here is a humble submission of Ayurvedic food wisdom to you all.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-10-19

Dr Balaubramanian

Dr Balasubramanian Partha Desikan I invite you to look at the biodata of a highly respected scientist engaged in very active research at an ophtalmic hospital and research centre in Hyderabad, India. http://www.drdo.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-10-14

Why does one blog?

Why does one blog? Partha Desikan Today's Hindu, MetroPlus supplement features this take by Neeti sarkar, following a rather high power research on the motivation for blogging from a hewlett-Packard, Palo Alto based...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-10-10

"Ehsaas Hai?" - Do you feel?

"Ehsaas Hai?" - Do you feel? - An interview with Rotarian Mahesh Nihalani. That is the name of the concert being hosted by the Rotary Club of Cupertino to support it's Global Polio Eradication program featuring world...

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Texts & Stotrams2008-10-09

The Nature of Brahman

Unknowability of Brahman Reason is strongly stressed in Hindu dharma. Hindu dharma admits, however, that Brahman is beyond reason. For example, the Upanishads say poetically, 1.

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Texts & Stotrams2008-10-05

Act of God

One of my friends is a busy RJ. She lives in music. Still, she writes to me often.

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Science & Consciousness2008-10-05

Mithila Museum in Japan

Mithila Museum in Japan Partha Desikan The following recent news release through Bihar Times is heartwarming.

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Texts & Stotrams2008-10-04

HINDUISM THROUGH HISTORY - III

Hinduism through History (Part - 3) Heartfelt thanks for help and support: Shri S. Sreenivasa Rao & Karigar This part of the paper focuses on the history of Temples.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-09-28

Mahishasura Mardini

It is close to celebrate the rise and victory of the Goddess of Power, [[Shakti]] herself, the Divine Mother [[Durga]] . It's been several years (almost close to a decade) since I attended the last Durga Puja.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-09-21

Distance, Force and Online Currency Conversion

While a dimension expresses a specific type of physical quantity, a unit assigns a number so that the dimension can be measured. For example, measurement of volume (a dimension) can be expressed using units of liters.

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Texts & Stotrams2008-09-10

Hindu Temple Architecture-III

Site selection and Analysis-part I This is the third part of the series but the first part of the articles titled "Site selection". Fellow medhavis can be forewarned that this topic may be posted in three or more parts.

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Science & Consciousness2008-09-09

What will the Large Hadron Collider see?

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) will start its first operation on September 10, 2008. The world of Particle Physics is all agog with excitement. What will the LHC see? I give below a list of possibilities.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-09-08

Magical Realism

Magical realism Partha Desikan This is what Wikipedia has to say about the accomplished octogenarian Colombian Nobel Laureate in Literature, Gabriel José de la Concordia García Márquez.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-09-08

My Adventure with Skydiving

It was time to let go of the butterflies in my stomach. Time to let go of obsessive thoughts and fears. It was not the time to mull over the fact that I was probably doing something very foolish and terrifying.

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Science & Consciousness2008-09-06

Indian Christians/ response to kandhmal

Indian Christians response to kandhmaal "Forgive my trespasses as I forgive those who trespass against me", this is part of our Lord's prayer and we Christians say it by rote, that when I became an adult I found it...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-09-05

Adanada Satılık Müstakil Ev Villa ve Arsa

Günümüzde insanlar teknolojiden had safhada yararlanmaktadır. Ev almak isteyenler, ev satmak isteyenler, ev kiralamak veya evlerini kiraya vermek isteyenler işlemlerini internet üzerinden yapabilmektedir.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-09-05

NPR Interviews Harsh Mander

{mgmediabot2}path=http://audio.wbez.org/wv/2008/09/wv\20080905b.mp3|height=500|width=500{/mgmediabot2} I found some of his statements very interesting.

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Texts & Stotrams2008-09-05

Testimonials

By Dr Partha Desikan (R&D and technical management, Scholar, engagement in academia, translated Sanskrit and Tamil classics, research into classics, study of Vedanta, Indian culture and miscellaneous freelance writing)...

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Texts & Stotrams2008-09-03

Eka Dantham Upasmahe

Greetings dear chubby elephant, I thought of staying at home today as it is your special day but you probably wanted to tell me Karma Yoga is very important Thanks a lot for sending me to work today.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-08-31

Buddha Brahma Paraatpara

Buddha Brahma Paraatpara Partha Desikan A Japanese fictional book in 14 volumes, written by Osamu Tezuka and published by Ushio Shuppan had first been serialized between 1972 and 1983 in the magazine Kibou no Tomo.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-08-29

I am blank

A fact that I recently discovered that I have no feeling left in myself. I am a blank person. No anger, No joy, no sadness and no sense of usual triumph; meaningless triumph.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2008-08-26

The question of Azadi (Freedom)

I don't usually visit Sulekha much these days. Today, during lunch I had some spare time and decided to see the "latest" developments on Sulekha.

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Texts & Stotrams2008-08-24

The twelve-name shield/cage

The twelve-name shield/cage Partha Desikan A stotra (prayer) of eight slokas, known as Dvadasa Nama Panjaram, namely the protective cage of twelve names of Bhagavan Hari, is recited along with an invocation to...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-08-22

Dawn at Midnight

That Night, in a Prison cell at Mathura In a trance they sit, The mother and father Holding the new baby All those years of waiting All the hurt of hoping And all the pain of losing Already forgotten.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2008-08-22

Lev Grossman introducing the Off-Line American

Lev Grossman intoducing the Off-Line American Partha Desikan Dr. Abdul Kalam, who until fairly recently occupied the exalted position of the President of India, knew that his office was not that of the Chief Executive.

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Texts & Stotrams2008-08-22

The iQUBE

The iQUBE Do you remember the Rubik's Cube? Do you have fond memories of those hours spent twisting its creeking faces? Can you still picture where you were when you finally solved it the first time? Here is your next...

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-08-22

The Temple at Thanjavur

Iam pasting the article at this link here. Imminent Danger to Thanjavur Big Temple 21/08/2008 18:49:44 G P Srinivasan | | | --- | | ASI (Archelogical Survey of India), department under Government of India | , has been...

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Texts & Stotrams2008-08-20

Mother

Book Three: The Book of the Divine Mother Canto Two: The Adoration of the Divine Mother A stillness absolute, incommunicable, Meets the sheer self-discovery of the soul; A wall of stillness shuts it from the world, A...

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Texts & Stotrams2008-08-15

Sant Shri Asaramji Bapu

CAN GURU-SHISHYA PARAMPARA BE ALLOWED TO CAVE IN? Sant Shri Asaramji, endearingly called ‘Bapu', gave me some of his precious moments the other day at the Rajokri Ashram in Delhi, just ahead of a pious dissertation...

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-08-15

To Mother, On Her Special Day

Dear Mother, I know I don't write to you very often and I would be lying if I say I think of you all the time... I don't ,and I think of you only when I am down or upset.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-08-12

Adventures with Food

Adventures with Food Fish Steak in Lemon Almond Sauce with Sautéed Vegetables It was a Thursday evening, and as commonplace as a Thursday evening can be.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-08-12

The I of the Storm

In course of my attempts at meditation (more or less daily, since the past 5 years and more intermittently for a few years prior to that), I have repeatedly come across the issue of the classical triad of observer,...

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-08-10

OBAMA is a Muslim?

OBAMA IS A MUSLIM ? First the NEW YORKER cartoon and now subtle emails,blogs making him out to be a Muslim. This has actually raised the fears of White Americans which was lying dormant to the fore front again.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2008-08-07

Manipuri Dance and Culture - A World Heritage

Interview with Dr Sohini Ray as narrated to Sreeparna Lahiri Sreeparna Lahiri, from Medha-Journal was a child student in Manipuri Nartanalaya, Kolkata in the late 1970s, at a time Sohini Ray was a prominent child...

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-08-06

Oil Crisis and the Media

A couple of weeks ago when oil was hitting record $140 per barrel, I over-heard a comment, which stopped me right in my tracks as I was hiking the mountains of Santa Cruz in California.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2008-07-26

JEHADIES TO PONDER ?

KARACHI,BOMBAY, DUBAI/SAUDI ARABIA The recent riots in Kashmir engineered to protest the gifting of some forest land to Amarnath Shrine Board is orchestrated by Pakistan but funded by SAUDI ARABIA according to the state...

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-07-26

The famous last Lecture

The famous last Lecture Partha Desikan Just want to join a large number of Americans in saluting a charming Professor who was also a different man, who gave a much publicized last lecture on Sept 18, 2007, the videotape...

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Texts & Stotrams2008-07-24

Hindu Temple Architecture-II

Hindu Temple Architecture-II Prelude at this link https://medhajournal.com/content/view/468/76/ Part I I In this part, we will briefly discuss about the pre- design analysis that forms the basis of any design before...

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Texts & Stotrams2008-07-15

Hinduism through History (Part -2B)

Back to Part - 2 Section - B: The Invalidity of the ARYAN INVASION THEORY Geographic mentions in the Rig Veda - the first among the surviving Vedas - refer to almost the same regions of the Sarasvati-Sindhu belt as the...

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Strategy & Geopolitics2008-07-14

Rama, Rajendra, kesava, Kedili

Rama, Rajendra, Kesava, Kedili Partha Desikan An article on ‘Three hundred Ramayanas' by Professor A.K. Ramanujan, written in 1987, is in the news once again.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-07-12

Hinduism through History (Part -2)

Back to Part-1 Note: Readers please click on the links to get details from reference material Section - A: History of Acceptance and Assimilation in India The Indian mind is broadly defined by the philosophy of...

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-07-12

Uighurs

Uighurs Partha Desikan Uighurs of Xinchiang in western china were in the news recently. Here is an account of their enviable cultural past from a book published seventeen years ago, as reproduced in apopular website.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-07-10

Against Corruption

Against Corruption Partha Desikan The United Nations Organization against Drugs and Crime (UNODC), had the nucleus of an idea for a convention aginst corruption all over the worldd, in 2000.

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Texts & Stotrams2008-07-03

Hindu Temple Architecture-I

Hindu Temple Architecture-I This is a prelude to a series of articles on the evolution of Hindu temple architecture, from not just my background as an architect, but also from my other background, as that of a person...

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Texts & Stotrams2008-07-02

Religion & US Constitution -PART II

For part I, see: [Religion & US Constitution ] For most people, including new Americans, the topic is quite bewildering until a few facts & principles emerge, giving clarity to the picture.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-07-02

What more can one pray for?

One of the most wonderful services on the Internet is [[StumbleUpon]] ( ). There is a nice little toolbar you can set up if you are a [[Firefox]] user (I am).

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Texts & Stotrams2008-06-30

Curry Leaves

Curry Leaves Partha Desikan Which among you Medhavis has never tasted curry leaves? There could be some who would have just enjoyed the flavour transferred from curry leaves to the main dish.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-06-27

Crucifixion or CruciFICTION?

Introduction Higher criticism of the Bible is a huge area to cover. I decided to show how the crucifixion of Jesus Christ has been studied from the historical point of view as an example of higher criticism.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2008-06-27

Long Lasting MARRIAGE/some tips

LONG LASTING MARRIAGE/ some useful tips!!!! As i was about to leave for a game of chess with a friend, i was stopped by this young lady who has recently moved into our block after marrying a TAMBHRAM .

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Strategy & Geopolitics2008-06-27

Respecting the Brave -- Sam Manekshaw

I was apalled on reading this news snippet on the Times of India (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Lone\minister\represents\govt\at\Manekshaws\funeral/articleshow/3173797.

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Texts & Stotrams2008-06-26

Hinduism through History

Abstract This paper aims at bringing out, through archaeological evidences and references, the history of the evolution of Hinduism.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-06-26

Why does it happen over and over in America?

June 26, 2008: The Supreme Court has ruled today that Americans have a constitutional right to keep guns in their homes for self-defense, the justices' first major pronouncement on gun control in U.S. history.

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Texts & Stotrams2008-06-24

Prithivi, our Mother

Prithivi, our Mother Partha Desikan From the Hymns of the Atharva Veda, by Ralph T.H. Griffith, [1895], Book XII , Hymn I, namely Prithvi Sukta, which I have extracted from sacred-texts.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2008-06-21

NRIs,NRpakistanies,NR bangladeshies/One of a kind

AMERICANS of Indian,Pakistani,Bangladeshi origin/ONE OF A KIND "I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or...

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-06-20

Urmy Palchaudhury of Astha

Medha Face of the month features individuals who strive to achieve a balance in their lives while at the same time, making a difference in that of others....

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Texts & Stotrams2008-06-17

Religion & US Constitution-PART I

It is always fascinating how the US constitution, both in the way it was written down, and is practised, takes us back to the was I imagine some of our shastras may have been fashioned.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-06-16

Bamboo Palya on a rainy Day

Vaidehi's short story in Kannada Bamboo Palya on a rainy Day Reproduced here by Partha Desikan I am happy to give below this lovely piece on the monsoon trail , a short story published in the magazine section of the...

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Strategy & Geopolitics2008-06-16

Blockages, Health and Dissolution

Along with my Tai Chi (Taiji Ch'uan) practice, I (as the dear reader might have guessed already) also gradually got pulled by the Tao (into the Tao).

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-06-16

Rationally speaking

Rationally Speaking. Sanjaya was blessed with a divine vision and he was able to record what went on in the battle field. That was a different era.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-06-11

Random Thoughts of a Troubled Mind

How much of news is too much news? When does reporting become sensationalism? Are we even aware when we exaggerate to create sensations that we have crossed the boundary between realistic reporting and reporting in bad...

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Strategy & Geopolitics2008-06-11

Suffering or Oppression? Ask Marilyn Frye.

Suffering or Oppression? Ask Marilyn Frye. Partha Desikan I had the opportunity to look at the Spring 2008 issue of Education Exchange, the half yearly publication of the School of Education, Syracuse University for its...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-06-09

Indian Muslims,Christians/Caste,class,Quom,Biradri

DALIT CHRISTIANS, a word coined by a Texan lady who created DALIT FREEDOM NETWORK is now very active in India and has influence among the Indian parliamentarians who immediately jump at the bandwagon when they see a...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-06-09

What Shesh Carries

What Shesh Carries "Who is that who groans? That haunts very much Those long painful moans! Who could that be, oh, Sage?" "That, is Shesh the serpent The one who carries the Earth's load On his thousand heads It gets...

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-06-08

I Think I'm Lost

I started this, Just as a plain loop. I was really bored and my brother had my music keyboard so I couldn't do much. The title comes from a certain instrument that sounds like the LOST soundtrack. you know...

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-06-05

The fruit of a tree

A story about a tree, a boy and their destiny... www.igallopon.com There was once a tree Long had it stood Through snow, storm and hail Bearing the test of time and ravages of seasons To make perfect its art Of stealing...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-06-04

Global Food Crisis

Food prices have been rising for a while. In some countries this has resulted in food riots and in the case of Haiti where food prices almost doubled, the Prime Minister was forced out of office.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-06-03

Lower criticism of the Christian Bible

The Bible has been the most influential text of the western world for nearly 1700 years ever since Christianity was legalized by the Roman Emperor Constantine in the fourth century.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-06-03

Pope and Jehadies

Pope Bendict is the head of catholic church. Is he spreading the message of love or is he a politician playing the neocon agenda is the question .

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-06-02

I in an eye – Archer’s tale I

Another poem based around an event in Mahabharat And tell me what do you see? He demanded of the prince ‘My liege I see you...’ And? ‘I see the sky, the trees, My brothers, my friends...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-06-02

There is a Ramayana

There is a Ramayana Partha Desikan There is a Rama, therefore, there is a Ramayana. Let us look at what Prof V.V.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-05-31

Jokes by Ronuk

6 year old Ronuk loves to make jokes and make others laugh!! He takes great effort in explaining why his jokes are really funny if you have a hard time laughing at them! Here are a few of them that he’s been cracking...

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-05-30

Fifteen Minutes

Vincent always wished he had more time. He needed more time to finish his homework, he needed more time to sleep and he needed more time to play. Vincent was neither lazy nor stupid.

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Texts & Stotrams2008-05-30

Prana (Energy) and it's healing technology

I've written about this subject many times in previous articles, but this my first attempt at putting together a little report on the Technology of Healing that is implicitly enabled by it. I give you [[Prana]]...

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Texts & Stotrams2008-05-30

The Other "versions"of the Ramayan

The other ‘versions’ of the Ramayana In this article,I am trying to look at the use of the words “translation” [ as in AKR ‘s translation of Sangam literature] , “version”, “adaptation”, and the telling “tellings”.

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Texts & Stotrams2008-05-28

Discussion-Three hundred Ramayans

The topic is Three hundred Ramayans, The epic story's spectacular journey through the ages: An extract from The Collected Essays of AK Ramanujan This is an attempt to start a discussion on the above paper.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-05-27

Update your profiles

Dear Members, Please take some time off your schedules to update your profiles. We have added a tab in your profile page for a brief biography.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-05-25

Destiny

Destiny A sea breeze echoes softly thru my mind gently sings of my expectant morrow, and the languid life I left behind. It beckons me to turn my head ..

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-05-25

The Water Bearer

The inspiration to this poem is a discussion we had been having on 'Set Sail', chiefly between me and Partha on Authorship.

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Texts & Stotrams2008-05-24

Happiness

Then a layman, who had sat distant conscious of his tattered clothes, came forth and said, "Speak to us of Happines." And he answered, saying: Happiness is an essence, permeates you when you are aware.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-05-24

I let go

I find myself again In yet another square one The miles I've traveled Are all undone... I find myself again In yet another square one The miles I've traveled Are all undone...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-05-24

Latin Summer

My first re-mix -- I haven't played a single note or beat on this myself -- this was created by remixing loop samples that come with Apple's GarageBand software. {mgmediabot2}path=https://medhajournal.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-05-23

US Map Game

This game was originally written by Abel K of www.worldkit.com. Modified by Mita. writeFlash({quality:'high',src:'https://medhajournal.com/images/stories/Calixte/map-game2.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-05-21

Krishnagi Wari

Krishnagi Wari (Stories of Krishna) Manipuri dance is one of the many classical dances of the Indian sub-continent.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-05-20

Let go - A winter's Tale

Stay yet a while’ Begged the tree of the leaf, ‘For this is but, time in transit Just a season, meant to pass The bite of cold Will release its hold Then again will there be The season of plenty Stay yet a while’ ‘Nay,...

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-05-19

Constructing the Space of Possibility

Constructing the Space of Possibility Partha Desikan Have you had a hand at designing games? If you have, or even if you have now developed an itch to try your hand, the following sensitive and insightful analysis by...

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Texts & Stotrams2008-05-16

Prayer and meditation

Prayer, in Hindu tradition, is one of the gateways to liberation. Of the four available methods, puja, prayer, japa and dhyana, prayer is considered the second slowest method to cleanse the mind.

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Texts & Stotrams2008-05-15

Sri Aurobindo

Sri Aurobindo represents “the completest synthesis that has been realized to this day of the genius of Asia and the genius of Europe...” —Romain Rolland, French Vedantist and Nobel laureate.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-05-14

Doctorate in Family Arts

Doctorate In Family Arts "One more chocolate? Your quota is over!" "Amma, I am not asking. Grand ma is." The youngster looks like a lamb but one can make out that glint in his eyes.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-05-14

Promote your favorite articles

Dear Friends, We are on the cusp of a revolution (ahem...at least that's what us Medhavi-types like to think) here. Medha Journal is a unique place on the internet...

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-05-13

How we are still here

How we are still here Partha Desikan All of us have heard the old biblical story of Cain killing Abel when humanity was said to have consisted only of four people, namely these two brothers and their parents.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-05-12

It's a feeling, not so well defined

First, let me start off by greeting you -- the reader who will make it (or not) worth the effort I shall spend here, writing (or not), reading (or not) and sharing (or not).

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-05-12

MOMENT

MOMENT SWINGS BY WHILE THE BUTTERFLIES FLUTTER AND FLY SUDDENLY THE FLOWERS ARE IN FULL VIEW WITH ALL ITS COLORS AND HUE TIME SURPASSES WITH BEAUTIFUL LIFE BOUNCING TO AND FRO WITH HEIGHTENED STRIFE CREATING A GLIMPSE...

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-05-04

Zugzwuang

Continous Search: While moving pieces over a chess board I find similarities between the movements in life and concepts of chess. These are real experiences I undergo both in life and over chessboard.

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Texts & Stotrams2008-05-03

Generosity of a Rich Nation

I was reading the NY Times yesterday (May 2nd, 2008) and a statement made by President Bush caught my eye. He said, “The American people are generous people, and they’re compassionate people.

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Science & Consciousness2008-05-03

Parental Advice

Perhaps it depends on where one was brought up, but if you were brought up in India, there is a very high probability that you will relate to what I am going to say here.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-05-03

WAR

Father passed away Flame of liberty went out. There was blood shed On the icy white sari of mother. Bloodshed was there On the sacred shrine of her god.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-05-02

Broken Rules

Here's an ode to all Soumi's unsung Sitas!! Enjoy!!! Mita. Broken Rules I write words I barely comprehend, in tenets you do not grasp. Yet I continue to write for you.

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Texts & Stotrams2008-05-01

Tagore and Haiku

Tagore and Haiku Partha Desikan Susumu Takiguchi is Chairman, The World Haiku Club.

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Texts & Stotrams2008-04-30

Bhishmasamprokshana

Bhishmasamprokshana Partha Desikan Some historians believe that the Mahabharata was composed in three stages.

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Texts & Stotrams2008-04-28

Vivekanandar Illam

Vivekanandar illam 6 th February 1897. He was coming ! The man who travelled to distant America from his occupied motherland , the man who conquered hearts and minds there, the man who represented the aspirations of a...

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Texts & Stotrams2008-04-25

Of Sita We Sing

My interest in Sita's story began with Ramanand Sagar's Doordarshan serial Ramayana that began on January 1987 and continued for a year and a half. The whole country fell victim to this Ramayana fever and 9:30 A.M.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-04-22

Earth Day 2008

Today is Earth Day. To honor this planet that we call home and tackle the environmental problems that we face today, we can all pitch in by going green in our own little ways.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-04-22

F Scale

F Scale Partha Desikan A wellacclaimed personality scale with the designation California F Scale was published in 1950 by psychologists in the US and has since been used literally in hundreds of publications.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-04-21

The Economic Stimulus Act of 2008

The Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 was signed into law on February 13, 2008. The Act is intended to stimulate consumer spending in 2008, and features taxpayer rebate checks for more than 130 million individuals, as well...

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Texts & Stotrams2008-04-12

Dislocations 2

This piece is a continuation of my previous article on the same subject. The aim of this article is to overcome some of the shortcomings of the previous articles in terms of the lack of illustrations (which we all know...

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Texts & Stotrams2008-04-11

Drug Industries to cure or treat?

I am bitter from past few days!! The company that I worked for almost wrapped up its business. I worked for a biotechnology industry that did research for cancer therapy.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-04-03

The End of the White Witch

Jessa sighed happily as she stretched out her legs in front of the fire, listening to the rain hitting hard on her roof. She was in a position that she had wished to be in for years.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-03-29

Philately as a Hobby

President Franklin D Roosevelt was a philatelist. He said, "The best thing about stamp collecting is that the enthusiasm which it arouses in youth increases as the years pass.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-03-28

House by the tree

This is Meheka Mukherjee's second contribution. A veritable piece of excellence.... -- Editor

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-03-28

Rose

This is an excellent work of art by a little artist living in Mysore, India with her Grandmother/GrandAunt and Aunt. Meheka is a Seventh (7th) grade student and loves to draw.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-03-22

Mayan Findings-Some Questions

Mayan Findings And Some Questions As a fifteen year old, I read Eric Von Daniken’s series of books, one of the books being, “The chariots of the Gods” and wondered whether the great monuments of the World were indeed...

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-03-21

Charitable Giving

Prepared for: Medha Journal Readers Charitable giving can play an important role in many estate plans.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-03-20

Gopal Bhar

Medha family shares with you series of illustrative read of folk tales from the world. Gopal Bhar - The Star Counter is a popular folk tale from West Bengal, India.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-03-18

The Insight on Eyesight

For my 40th birthday, I decided to treat myself to Lasik surgery. I had been wearing glasses since my 8th grade and still have very painful memories of being called four-eyed among other things at that very sensitive...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-03-16

Beginner's Mind

In the course of my endeavors at learning the Martial Arts, I had not encountered the term [[Shoshin]] until I started learning [[Aikido]].

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-03-16

The Bamboo pull

The Bamboo Pull Partha Desikan Here are four links. Feb 11 2007 ">This is the link to a short story that I blogged with Sulekha a little over a year ago.

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Science & Consciousness2008-03-13

Relief from spring season allergies

As we approach spring season we experience manifestations of allergies and congestions. In Ayurveda this is considered as “Kapha” time of the year.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-03-10

Information Credo

Wikipedia has this telling info on an outstanding and much awarded CIO in the United Kingdom Mr. J P Rangaswami.

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Texts & Stotrams2008-03-07

Emphasis, old style

Do look at these sikshaavali quotes from Taittireeya upanishad, given by me in pairs. The first pair occurs separately in the original. satyam vada; satyaanna pramaditavyam.

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Texts & Stotrams2008-03-04

Books on Buddhism

BOOKS ON BUDDHISM FROM INDIA (To Buy Online Visit Us at Online India Bookshop ) [1]. A History of Indian Buddhism : From Sakyamuni to Early Mahayana by Hirakawa Akira, (Tr. & Ed. Paul Groner ) 1998, 23 cm., pp.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-03-02

News Headlines

Indian News Headlines --- {kl\rssfeed}http://www.rediff.com/rss/newsrss.xml{/kl\rssfeed} World News Headlines --- {kl\rssfeed}http://rss.news.yahoo.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-03-02

South Asian News

{kl\rssfeed}http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk/rss/newsonline\world\edition/south\asia/rss.xml{/kl\rssfeed}

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-03-02

The Magic Mortar

Ever wonder why the sea is so salty? Here's a Japanese folk tale with the answer. Enjoy! The Magic Mortar Once upon a time two brothers lived in a little village in Japan.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-03-02

World News

{kl\rssfeed}http://rss.news.yahoo.com/rss/world{/kl\rssfeed}

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Texts & Stotrams2008-02-27

Buddha and the Upanishads

Did Buddha accept any Ultimate Reality? It is usually claimed that Buddha did not accept (or remained silent about) he concept of an Ultimate Reality unlike the Upanishads which claim that here exists an Ultimate...

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-02-27

Should You Pay Off Your Mortgage or Invest?

Prepared for: Medha Journal Readers Owning a home outright is a dream that many Americans share. Having a mortgage can be a huge burden, and paying it off may be the first item on your financial to-do list.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-02-23

Many Moons Ago ...

Once upon a time, many many moons ago, Great One sat with his vast potter wheel shaping the animals and birds who were to live and play on the newly created Earth.

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Texts & Stotrams2008-02-23

Nasadiya

THEN was not non-existent nor existent: there was no realm of air, no sky beyond it.

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Science & Consciousness2008-02-21

Life versus Jungle

I am unable to decipher the map of Life My brain can never digest it The blurry road looks wild Without any hope of light Full of danger in every step It seems impossible to find the core.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-02-20

They want to find out why

Roger Trigg, acting Director of the Ian Ramsey Centre for Science at the University of Oxford, is understandably very happy.

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Science & Consciousness2008-02-19

Miracle

Miracle can give you some extra time in your life. Here is a story of a man whose life was saved by a miracle? A man's life was saved by a chance handshake with a doctor, who diagnosed him with a life-threatening tumor.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-02-15

Desi ingenuity -- A Farmer's Way

For those who aren't aware (not that they should be), my other wordly profession is that of a System Engineer with a Communications company and I have the habit of surfing the blogosphere to read the tech (and also some...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-02-15

Fragrances From Another Time

Fragrances From Another Time Kamban express had just moved out of Tambaram station when Meenakshi called. "Three cars at home..you travel second class...business man...status?...

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-02-14

Tipu Sultan’s Revenge

Arthur Pakenham has been angry ever since his Manager in Calcutta, Hay-Smith informed him that he should delay his arrival by a fortnight as the Head Office will be closing for a week in October for a big religious...

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-02-13

Stop that leak!

For the seventh time in my brief blogging innings at Medha, let me draw the attention of my friends to a link, this time to a news item, which I consider of great moment, in research related to cardiovascular patients.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-02-12

Nathan's favorite characters

Nathan spends time creating his favorite characters everyday as he loves drawing and painting. He is sharing his favorite pictures with his Medha friends........ Cars...... Dinosaur.........

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-02-10

Kundalini Rising -- Nice video from Google video

Found a nice video on the nature of Kundalini. {mgmediabot2}type=googlevideo|docid=-8101989694941061600{/mgmediabot2} Whoever did this video has done an awesome job. Many thanks to his/her/them. Enjoy... Rudra

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Strategy & Geopolitics2008-02-09

Chongkak

The write up below was first prepared for readers in Singapore, specifically for the Chinese Peranakan community. No changes have been made, however, as the language is English, after all.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-02-09

Continents

Here is a fun game to learn the continents of the world. We created this game for our 4 year old girl who is also the narrator. She loves this game .. and now knows her continents well.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-02-08

L’Expo de Cons

A humorous French play written by a group who are passionate about learning other languages. Translation in English will follow soon...

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Texts & Stotrams2008-02-07

Love's Like That

Palash The JEE results would be out today and destiny decided for millions. For some it will be a life-changing day, for some it will be life-threatening.

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Science & Consciousness2008-02-06

Chakrada Danda Parsvakone Chowkas.

Listen to the sloka and fill up the squares Partha Desikan In one of my earlier blogs having to do with knight movements in chess, I had pointed out that the late Krishnaraja Wodeyaru III (the proper Kannada way of...

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Strategy & Geopolitics2008-02-06

Deconstructing Indian Secularism - II

I had thought I would write that one piece Deconstructing Indian Secularism on Indian secularism and be done with the topic. Barkha Dutt's article had struck a chord and I was compelled to write.

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Texts & Stotrams2008-02-06

Inner Dialog

I was going through an article on Evolution by Subhash Kak on Sulekha.com -- (A Most Subversive Idea - 26th June, 2002), when I came across the section where he writes about the analogy between the processes in living...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-02-06

Ode to a Grandfather

When I came into this world You stood by the birthing chamber anxiously One of two men pacing up and down before that door Both rejoiced when they heard the indignant wails cried angrily Floating in through the painful...

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-02-06

Tears of Tired Eyes and Set me Free

Tears of Tired Eyes The whole world watches aghast, As the barbarians march onward and fast... Annihilating that last shred of humanity, That is left remaining in this society.

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Texts & Stotrams2008-02-06

The Artist and the Muse

Art How can one define Art? A quick search on my online dictionary yielded sixteen results. The one that caught my eye the most was this: Skill arising from the exercise of intuitive faculties...

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Texts & Stotrams2008-02-06

The Mechanism of Maya

According to the English dictionary (I refer to the online dictionary, Dictionary.com) Maya translates something like this: 1) The power of a god or demon to transform a concept into an element of the sensible world.

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Texts & Stotrams2008-02-06

Us and Them

Why is it always 'Us and Them' for human beings? What pleasure does one derive from creating barriers, groups, and all sorts of differences? Don't we realize that life is too short to spend squabbling, discriminating...

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Science & Consciousness2008-02-06

Whither Fire?

It was a dull day, to say the least. A dull day indeed – he woke up late (a Sunday), spent some time getting oriented in the daylight (closer to noon actually), heard the wife moving around busily, clanking a few...

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-02-05

Geometry

Here is something I created for my little sister who is fond of geometrical shapes and good music. Geometry Enjoy and let me know what you think of my music. Cal Calixte is a Freshman at Cupertino High School.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-02-05

Tat Tvam Asi

When time stops and the world fades away The senses collapse and the ropes begin to fray The heat of knowing gradually growing burns through the bonds that lead me astray As the waves flow through me one after one Even...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-02-05

Tennis

Here's a game of tennis!! Tennis Enjoy!

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Science & Consciousness2008-02-03

Colourful Musings

Have your ever been green with envy when your neighbour traded his run-down Alto for a posh-red Swift? Turned purple with rage when a speeding car liberally splashed your new milk-white shirt with mud? Felt blue when...

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Strategy & Geopolitics2008-02-03

Pachisi, Chaupar and Ludo

Most of us are familiar with the board game of Ludo. The game however, is a westernized, highly simplistic form of children’s Pachisi. Pachisi is a national game of India.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-02-02

Rural Landscape

I picked up a canvas, paint brush and paint after almost 15 years. I'm posting this with some apprehension. Hope you like it.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-02-01

About Medha Junior

After one year working on Medha Journal, TMJ team is proud to launch the Medha Junior section for the younger generation.

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Texts & Stotrams2008-01-31

Funsense in Nonsense

Hey diddle, diddle, The cat and the fiddle. The cow jumped over the moon. The little dog laughed to see such fun, And the dish ran away with the spoon.

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Texts & Stotrams2008-01-31

Soumya

Mercury is in the news once again. The Messenger photographs featuring the spider-like wrinkle-pattern on a possible crater have excited NASA scientists and Academic planet watchers alike, and confirmation of earlier...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-01-31

Tic Tac Toe

Tic Tac Toe Another of those games that can keep you entertained for hours. Enjoy!

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-01-31

Toss and Drift

If you live in Eastern US or even if you have spent good vacation time there, you are very likely to have visited some part of Hiawatha country.

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Science & Consciousness2008-01-29

BABY SLEEP

When a newborn arrives on the planet, it has no understanding of the difference between night and day.

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Science & Consciousness2008-01-29

Our Story - A Journey Through History

(Part One) Our story begins from two million years ago when our forefathers the Homo erectus which means “Upright Person” (so called as they could stand on their two feet), lived in the continent of Africa.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-01-28

A day out to a farm

Ishan drew his day out to a farm in the neighborhood of Sunol hills (near Fremont), California.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-01-27

Home Equity Loans and Lines of Credit

Introduction Are you interested in remodeling your outdated kitchen? Perhaps you're drowning in a sea of high-interest credit card debt, or need to find the money to send your child to college.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-01-27

KITTU'S TREE FRIEND

KITTU’S TREE FRIEND Kittu kitten wanted to play. It was morning. It was also summer vacation time. “Shivani’s holidays have started!” Kittu happily thought and ran into Shivani’s room. “Hi, Kittu!” Shivani called out.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-01-27

Refinancing

What is it? Mortgage refinancing generally refers to the process of taking out a new home mortgage loan and using some or all of the proceeds to pay off an existing mortgage (or mortgages) on the property.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-01-25

Kites

Introduction A kite needs no introduction. Many of us have enjoyed flying a kite on a beautiful clear day, seeing the kite gently rise and soar high above us, up in the sky.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-01-25

This is what happened, Ishan.

This is what happened, Ishan. Partha Desikan This is what prompted the cow, Ishan. MsoNormal"> It was another peaceful morning at Ivan the fiddler’s.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-01-24

Cow Trouble

A child's imagination runs wild, and it is interesting to see your child think. I spend an hour everyday with my son, where we try to learn from each other, and know each other's mind....

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-01-23

King's Mystery Disease

- Translated by Esha Data from Sukumar Roy's Rajar Ashukh (Bengali Children story) Once there was a king who had a serious illness. Many doctors came every day to try and figure out what was wrong with the king.

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Texts & Stotrams2008-01-23

Model or Reality?

Introduction Man's investigation of nature (science) or his own nature (adhyatma vidya) raises a fundamental question.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-01-23

The Impression of Art

It all started, they say, by a journalist of Charivari in 1874. But the picture that suggested the name, Monet's portrayal of the harbor at Le Havre, christened by the artist "Impression Rising Sun" was painted in...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-01-21

Anahata -- Part 2 (Pagla Baba Trilogy)

NOTE: I had published this on Sulekha.com in 2002 Prelude Anahata -- that soft, melodic, soothing music. I can't hear it play; yet I hear it playing somewhere (perhaps from within?), encompassing my totality ...

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-01-21

The Night I died -- Part-1 (Pagla Baba Trilogy)

NOTE: I had published this on Sulekha.com in 2002. The night I died of a heart attack… Well not exactly… I dreamt that I died of a heart attack. Perhaps it'd been sitting in the back of my head for some time now.

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Texts & Stotrams2008-01-18

TROUSSEAU

A Russian short story by: Anton P Chekov Abridged and translated by: Subodh Das In my lifetime I have seen many houses, big and small, stone houses and wooden houses. I particularly remember one house.

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Science & Consciousness2008-01-15

Dislocations!!

What most people think when they hear the word “dislocation” is very different from what a materials scientist understands from it.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2008-01-15

Knowing

One who knows not, and knows not he knows not, is a fool; shun him. One who knows not, and knows he knows not, is simple; teach him. One who knows, and knows not he knows, is asleep, awake him.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2008-01-14

In the twinkle of an eye!

The tram has to slow down, as it makes this turn on to Wellesley Street, on its way to Wellington Square. Two boys with their school bags jumped onto the footboard of the second class compartment.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-01-13

Environmental Pollution and Refugee

Words environmental pollution, chlorofluorocarbon, green house effect and global warming and so on are known to a large number of people and I will not go deep into these discussions.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-01-12

Bull Baiting

Bull Baiting Partha Desikan Popular sentiment in some segments of Tamil society is now pitted against a judicial decision seeking to ban the annual bull-baiting sport named jallikkattu conducted during Pongal...

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-01-12

Two Similes

1. About the effect of worship of Bhagavan/Sadguru Worship is just a means of educating the emotions. Human impulses and emotions have to be guided and controlled.

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Science & Consciousness2008-01-10

Abanibabu’s Unplanned Expenditure

Original story in Bengali: By Ronty Kar Translated into English: By Subodh Ranjan Das Abanibabu is about fifty-seven years of age. He has a slim build without excess fat.

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-01-10

Happy Birthday Medha Journal!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEDHA JOURNAL! And Many more to come... We launched the Medha Journal on the 10th of January, 2007. It has been exactly one year since the launch.

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Texts & Stotrams2008-01-04

India's Conjured Caste Conundrum- by Raghbendra Jha

Below is a well written article on 'Casht Sishtum"... For kicks, see my sulekha blogs:[Casht Sishtum-Bhoil Da Bhoot explains – Part 1 ; Casht Sishtum-Bhoil Da Bhoot explains – Part 2 (other than some minor quibbles I...

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-01-04

The Impossible Choice

Peter opened his eyes slowly, and let the cool morning light flow in. As he looked out the window, he saw the blue autumn sky, providing the background for leaves drifting down to the earth after having lived out their...

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Arts & Aesthetics2008-01-03

The Origin of Languages?

Does anyone in the Medha group have any clue as to what the contents of the Stonybrook Doctoral thesis referred to in the following link are? http://www.babelguides.com/view/person/13316 Thank you. Regards. Partha.

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Arts & Aesthetics2007-12-31

Happy New Year -- 2008

Dear Friends, The Year 2007 has been a meaningful and fruitful year for us at The Medha Journal. This would not have been possible without your participation and viewership.

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Science & Consciousness2007-12-30

Relevance of Eastern Philosophy in the West

Currently, as time permits, I am on the threshold of a discussion with a group of learned philosophers who have grouped together for several years now to discuss the philosophical treatise known as "The Metaphysics of...

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Texts & Stotrams2007-12-28

Not Killing

Not killing ParthaDesikan This saintly, wise poet lived in the Tamil speaking region of our country, approximately two thousand years ago. His profession was weaving, but his chief preoccupation was thoughtful writing.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2007-12-17

FDA Warning on Indian Sindoor Use

Do you laugh or take this warning seriously? It is an irony that sindoor has a FDA ban for lead content. Although Sindoor is intended for religious function and worn by married women in India.

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Arts & Aesthetics2007-12-16

The River of Life -- Jai ho Ganga Maiyya Ki

I came across this interesting article on NPR while scanning my RSS feeds real quick today. Thought I'd share (didn't actually catch the program on Radio, but I will be listening to the complete article shortly).

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Arts & Aesthetics2007-12-11

The Flow of Life and getting centered

Between 2003 and 2006 I practiced a gentle martial art called [[Aikido]], which is also referred to as the "Art of Peace", as described by it's founder, the late [[Morihei Ueshiba]].

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Arts & Aesthetics2007-12-08

Full of Life, Dying

MARY JO MURPHY, writing in the Weekly Review of New York Times, dated September 23, 2007 talks about the etymology of a few significant words in some of the world's vanishing languages in a charming though brief sample...

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Texts & Stotrams2007-11-27

Milk from the Water-buffalo

Milk from the Water buffalo ParthaDesikan > Long ago, roughly when Kennedy and Krushchaev faced each other eyeball to eyeball and nearly precipitated a world war with Cuba as first base, and perhaps a few months after...

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Arts & Aesthetics2007-11-23

Fate sealed?

Please go through this article which has appeared in the issue of New Scientist dated 24th November 2007, already out. You will find out what you and I are capable of achieving by just observing. http://www.eurekalert.

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Texts & Stotrams2007-11-12

The Previous Avtar Of Lord Muruga/Kartikeya

The Previous Avtar Of Lord Muruga/Kartikeya Who is Lord Muruga? I am translating from memory what I read in the book “Deivathin Kural”[ Voice Of the Divine] a collection of lectures by Sri Chandra Shekarendra Saraswathi...

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Strategy & Geopolitics2007-11-08

C K Prahalad

'Best known for his work with Gary Hamel on resource-based strategy, which gave rise to the term core competences, more recently, Prahalad has turned his attention to the plight of the worlds poor,' said Stuart Crainer...

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Arts & Aesthetics2007-11-08

Love is an Illness

Love is one of the oldest and deadliest diseases which has affected the highest form of biological species on the spaceship called Earth.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2007-11-07

Democracy and Tolerance

Every morning when I am driving to work, the news that I hear on NPR, is turbulence in Pakistan and declaration of military emergency in Pakistan by President General Pervez Musharraf.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2007-11-07

Kesava Sagara

'Purvaparau Varinidhi vigahya sthitah prthivya iva manadandah' is Kalidasa's description of the stretch of our Himalayan range.

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Texts & Stotrams2007-10-24

Rama-Siva-Rama-Siva

Rama Siva Rama Siva ParthaDesikan All puranas, in any case the eighteen main ones, are believed to have been written by Vedavyasa.

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Texts & Stotrams2007-10-22

Importance of Nothing

The universe is not so much strange as brimming with lovely paradox. At least, that is what seems like as one strolls through the long and winding road of twentieth century Physics.

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Texts & Stotrams2007-10-13

So, I Do Say, World Is Anthropocentric!

So, I Do Say, World Is Anthropocentric! Would I be here, if the Sun were a little bigger? No! Says the Science, as the Sun would have eaten himself by now!1 Would I be here, if the Sun were slightly smaller? Science...

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Arts & Aesthetics2007-10-09

The nautical sense of the Sethusamudram project

Friends, The article provided by the link below made absorbing reading. I am sure you know a lot of it already, but would still be interested in a mariner's professional view. http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/oct/01inter.

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Science & Consciousness2007-10-06

Yoga and why one should practice it

My previous article "Who is a Yogi" dealt with the subject of Yoga practice and what qualifies one to be a Yogi. In this article I will try to deal with the reasons and motivations behind the practice of Yoga.

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Texts & Stotrams2007-10-02

Sri Sri's compact article on Spirituality

. (with ref to M Teresa's recently exposed inner torments.. Could Indian spirituality have helped Mother Teresa? By IANS Monday September 17, 07:50 AM Mother Teresa has done unparalleled service to India.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2007-10-02

Tips on Website Use

Short-cut to Wikipedia pages within Medha Journal Using Wikipedia keywords within double square brackets will point back to wikipedia articles with same names.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2007-09-28

Of Fusion of Faith and History

Of Fusion of Faith and History ParthaDesikan The well known historian Romila Thapar has addressed the above subject in an article given prominence in today’s issue of ‘The Hindu’.

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Texts & Stotrams2007-09-27

Making Vedanta relevant to today's children

One doesn't have to ignore Vedanta until one reaches a certain age, or level of experience. The attempt here is to present a case study of practically implementing the education of basic Vedantic concepts to children.

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Arts & Aesthetics2007-09-20

Rama Sethu-Musings Of A Construction Worker

Rama Sethu-Musings Of A Construction Worker The golden disc above Is beating down in his fury The blue sea looks menacing The task seems impossible The path insurmountable Would we be able to Build a bridge to reach The...

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Texts & Stotrams2007-09-19

Gita and the Indian secular press

Introduction I came across a Kolkata Telegraph editorial on the Gita. The editorial criticizes Judge Srivastava for his suggestion that the Gita should be made a national text.

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Arts & Aesthetics2007-09-14

Of Masters, Disciples and 'Apostles'

Of Masters, Disciples and ‘Apostles’ ParthaDesikan If at all you are involved with this business of learning, study, enquiry, or more generally with acquisition of knowledge of any kind, you are bound to encounter three...

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Arts & Aesthetics2007-09-13

Who is a real Yogi?

A few years ago, my Sister-in-law (wife's sister) subscribed us to "The Yoga Journal", an american magazine (in print) that covers the enormous topic of Yoga and caters to what is claimed to be a huge market for Yoga...

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Texts & Stotrams2007-09-11

An Invocation to Truth

An Invocation to Truth ParthaDesikan You are parama, way beyond all possible thought and description. You are that indeed. Tat Tvamasi.

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Arts & Aesthetics2007-09-05

Dr. Venter's genome

Here is a link http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2007/sep/04/ethicsofscience.internationalnews which is making, quite appropriately, ripples in the field of genomic research Dr.

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Arts & Aesthetics2007-09-02

That night, in Mathura

And Joy-filled, Flows the Yamuna Slowly, I am flowing, Carrying my fond hope That the promise will come true After all these years.

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Texts & Stotrams2007-09-02

The knight rides his math assignment

In the ancient ashtapada form of the Indian chess game, Professor Rangachar Vasantha of Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Anantapur sees a manifestation of cosmological order determined by the play of numbers and spaces.

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Arts & Aesthetics2007-09-02

Why I Don't Want to Buy Life Insurance

If you're like most people, it's not that you don't appreciate the value of life insurance. In fact, many people believe they need more coverage. You probably wouldn't mind owning additional life insurance.

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Texts & Stotrams2007-08-31

Gunas and Prana

Introduction I came across an interesting article on Sulekha recently that tried to draw parallels between the three Gunas of Indic philosophy with Western Psycho-analytic concepts of Id/Ego/Super-Ego and the general...

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Science & Consciousness2007-08-26

The Sixth Sense

Humans hardly ever ventured into the colony of mutants, and mutants almost never came into the human world.

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Texts & Stotrams2007-08-24

Bhaja Govindam

What follows was in fact intended to be an add-on to the string of scholarly comments received in March 2007 to Dr.

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Science & Consciousness2007-08-22

The sequential appearance of the five koshas

A Speculation on how the Koshas form All students of Yoga learn very early about the five sheaths in which our human form exists between birth and death, the ‘ panchakoshas’, namely · annamaya kosha, consisting of the...

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Texts & Stotrams2007-08-20

I am central

A fourteen page document dated 1922 on the subject of the biology of a particular species of lotus borer has apparently been missing for all this while and Amazon.

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Arts & Aesthetics2007-08-18

Thought as therapy

We know that humanity evolved from primordial apes without the aid of human knowledge as we know it.

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Arts & Aesthetics2007-08-18

We Just Had a Baby

Congratulations! Children are special. There's nothing like them. They can be our sweetest blessing, as well as our biggest frustration.

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Texts & Stotrams2007-08-16

Fibonacci's Fountain

Fibonacci’s name is known to almost every high-school kid today. However, he was not very well known in his day. In the 15th century A.D.

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Science & Consciousness2007-08-11

The Silent Voice Within

Intuition and The Science of Decision making How many times have you come to a critical juncture in your life and had to make a decision? And how many times have those decisions been the right ones? By right decision, I...

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Texts & Stotrams2007-08-03

Quantum Healing

Quantum Healing -- Any takers?? I met a very interesting person last weekend in Carmel, California which has become the seat of new-age healers.

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Arts & Aesthetics2007-07-22

Valuing the Feminine

News: Sex ratio drops in many parts of India due to female foeticide/infanticide Woman burnt alive due to dowry Infant girl abandoned next to a dust bin Educated professional women finding it difficult to find husbands...

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Strategy & Geopolitics2007-07-21

LET US FACE IT

We should be proud of the fact that India has graduated from the stage of importing jihadis from Pakistan, which is ever-helpful in such matters, to the self sufficiency in the home-grown variety of this species.

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Texts & Stotrams2007-07-20

Speculations regarding Jyotish

Introduction Jyotish is a controversial subject in Indian English language press. On the one hand, it is usually denounced as bogus by self appointed secularists.

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Science & Consciousness2007-07-17

Energy

What do the bright lights all over in Tokyo, dazzling Las vegas visible from space, and a dimly glowing incandescent lamp in a dark village have in common? Energy.

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Science & Consciousness2007-07-17

Language of enlightenment -Sanskrit

I came across very interesting articles on language of enlightenment -Sanskrit and Sanskrit & Artificial Intelligence, and I wanted to share with Medhajournal community.

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Texts & Stotrams2007-07-17

Mantras , Jai Hind and Vande Mataram

Mantras,,Jai Hind and Vande Mataram I was watching the Hindi movie "1942-ALove Story" for the umpteenth time , the other day and was surprised that I felt the same way I felt when I watched the movie for the first...

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Arts & Aesthetics2007-07-15

Science or Art?

After reading the article titled "Alternative medicine- A faith based cure or science?" Sreeparna, I was inspired to throw in my two cents on the topic.

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Texts & Stotrams2007-07-12

The Big National Problem Vande Maataram

This is a repost of an old article I'd written on Sulekha.com. I am in the process of restoring select articles from my old site (http://rudra.sulekha.com) to The Medha Journal.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2007-07-11

Invading the Sacred

New Book, “Invading the Sacred: An Analysis of Hinduism Studies in America,” Explores Academic Anti-India Bias New York, July 9 2007: The launch of a new book titled Invading the Sacred: an Analysis of Hinduism Studies...

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Arts & Aesthetics2007-07-10

Shiva-ji

After having seen Sivaji in the evening show and hearing 'Thiruvilayadal' in Audio during the night, I went to sleep and this is what I dreamt. Act -1 The King of Madurai is sitting in his throne with a long face.

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Arts & Aesthetics2007-06-21

2063 AD

On October 21, 2063, as the maglev train shot silently through the tunnel connecting the cities on opposite sides of the chain of hills, there was just a single sound that rang out feebly.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2007-06-16

The Global Warming Monotheism

There are very few among us who is not aware that Global Warming (GW) has become one of the most talked about issues for the last few years.

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Arts & Aesthetics2007-06-13

A donation for your own good

I am quite unsure about whether the Bangalore Municipal department has gone completely mad, or become extremely creative. Both causes have the same effect, I know.

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Arts & Aesthetics2007-06-06

The Medha Journal invites you!

Dear Readers, The Medha Journal editorial and management invites you (all readers) to register and share your thoughts and ideas with each other.

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Arts & Aesthetics2007-06-05

How the West defines India - 1

Creeping Awareness “What's wrong with us Indians? Why don't we even flinch when a hundred of our countrymen get mowed down like grass in a terror attack? When thousands of our brethren lose their entire lives' worth in...

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Strategy & Geopolitics2007-06-05

How the West defines India - 2

Introduction In the first part (How to West Defines India – I ) I had discussed the role the West plays in every aspect of Indian life today and how it influences our cumulative (as a nation and society) self-image.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2007-06-01

Western Identity -- Ours and Theirs...Part I

ABSTRACT The attempt here is to discuss the Westernized Identity over multiple articles. In the beginning we discuss the relevance of this for the Non-Westerner, specifically the Indian. Then we discuss external, i.e.

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Texts & Stotrams2007-05-13

The Battle between Science and Yoga

Introduction In my various trysts at engaging so-called Scientific people via various media, I have often run into a brick wall when trying to discuss any phenomena or topics that delve slightly off the proverbial...

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Texts & Stotrams2007-05-11

Ecstasy

ECSTASY An article in Newsweek states that scientists have long known that epileptics often feel spiritual ecstasy during seizures.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2007-05-04

Heart Ethics

Heart Ethics: The Moral Imperative from Oral Cultures and Neurobiology By Way of Introduction Indoctrinated, as we are, into making decisions, even those on which our lives depend, based on the management of head...

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Texts & Stotrams2007-04-25

Destiny and Free Will

Destiny & Free Will -- Are we mere puppets in the God’s hands? Synopsis The article reviews and reasons why no philosophical concept in the history of mankind has received as much acceptability as the concept of...

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Texts & Stotrams2007-04-23

A Different Take on Marriage

Introduction Ever since the internet became popular, starting with newsgroups, followed by managed websites and to the current day of bloggers, if there's one desi topic that's generated a large number of opinions,...

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Texts & Stotrams2007-04-21

Sapta Chakras

Introduction In my previous article on Gayatri, I had discussed about how Gayatri Mantra explains the Big Bang and the expansion of Universe. Refer https://medhajournal.com/columns/philosophy/gayatri----the-big-bang.

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Arts & Aesthetics2007-04-20

CLEANING HOUSE

CLEANING HOUSE It was a brutal exercise training my young will to taste the intimacy of the gods by degrees and not all at once, to go beyond the immediate sensation of the fever burning my skin to those other fields...

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Arts & Aesthetics2007-04-19

The Question Mark Man

> > "In Reading gaol in Reading town, > > There is this pit of shame, > > And in it lies a wretched man, > > Eaten by teeth of flame" > > -{Oscar Wilde, The Ballad of Reading Gaol} > > > > > > PRELUDE > > ======== > > >...

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Texts & Stotrams2007-04-11

Nishkama Karma; A Cosmic View

Freeeeze! Hmmmm, But How? The story goes like this; when Lord Hanuman was born, the first sight that grabbed the attention of his mischief-seeking eyes was the Sun rising with all his morning splendour.

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Texts & Stotrams2007-04-10

Gayatri -- The Big Bang

Introduction I had already written an article on AUM from a scientific perspective, mapping AUM to Universe through particle physics and states of matter. This article is about Gayatri Mantra.

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Arts & Aesthetics2007-04-07

Terms and Conditions of Use

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF USE The Medha Journal (TMJ) is an online portal where like-minded people can interact and share knowledge, ideas and information. TYPES OF USERS There are three types of users on TMJ.

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Science & Consciousness2007-04-05

Existentially Non Existent...

From me, Lord Venkateshwara I don’t know when I came here, but it should have been several centuries before. From those days to this day there have been lot of changes around me.

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Texts & Stotrams2007-04-04

AUM - An Analysis

An analysis of Madukya Upanishad in a modern perspective. So much of knowledge our ancestors accumulated, expressed in upanishads, have not been carried across times.

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Texts & Stotrams2007-04-04

Radioactive Rants...

I generally infer that laws are similar across multiple domains. An undercurrent of law of nature in physics is applicable in chemistry or biology or even to our general life.

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Arts & Aesthetics2007-04-01

Lord Ganesha

A homage to a Grandfather This is the photograph of a painting by my grandfather Late Sri Abani Kanta Lahiri.

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Arts & Aesthetics2007-04-01

Ma Kali

This is a painting of Ma Kali. Artist is Sri Abani Kanta Lahiri.

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Texts & Stotrams2007-03-30

An outline of Hindu dharma

Hindu dharma is a diverse system. However, there are some basic concepts accepted by the vast majority of (astika) Hindus. These are: 1.

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Science & Consciousness2007-03-26

The Human Brain

Before my daughter’s 2nd birthday, I was quizzing her on the colors. She had a deck of cards with colored shapes on them. I was showing her a purple octagon and was expecting to hear her say “purple”.

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Arts & Aesthetics2007-03-22

In quest of our roots

Have you ever felt the need to reach out to your roots? Are we all in search of our roots? What drives us to know our roots? I grew up hearing stories that our (my family) roots are not in West Bengal, India but from a...

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Texts & Stotrams2007-03-19

The return of the Sacred: A Common Ground

by Antonio T. de Nicolas, PhD How and where can East and West meet? Can the West talk to the East, and if the East talks to the West how, and where does the dialogue begin? This paper is an effort to find the common...

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Science & Consciousness2007-03-18

The Caste Non-System

It is only recently that Hindus are discovering that the terms of discussion for Indic practices have been conducted for the last few centuries primarily based on Western terms, standards and nomenclature.

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Arts & Aesthetics2007-03-16

The Fatuous Light

From Moksha Smith: Agni's Warrior-Sage by Antonio de Nicolas The full moon marked the paths of gravel and grass in the cemetery as I came upon this mysterious light, it sat with green light on the high edge of a...

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Science & Consciousness2007-03-15

Thought Rituals

From Moksha Smith: Agni's Warrior-Sageby Antonio de Nicolas He had been told that God was thought, so he stopped the rhythm of the sun, God, moon, stars, wife, children, flowers, grass and lined them in his head with...

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Texts & Stotrams2007-03-13

Vedas are open to all

Introduction The story of Janasruti in Chandogya Upanishad (Ch. U.) is largely unknown to the vast majority of Hindus.

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Arts & Aesthetics2007-03-09

By the Bend of the River

From Moksha Smith: Agni's Warrior-Sage by Antonio de Nicolas --- I left the burning forest looking for waters to wash away the varnish people had laid on the cells of my timid soul: the rainbow of orthodoxy, the mauve...

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Arts & Aesthetics2007-03-06

Presence of Mind

This is a song titled "Presence of Mind", composed during the heydays of my college music scene. Our own tech-guru Vivek S was the tabla player. Here's the break-down of the band (gosh, has it been 14 years already?).

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Texts & Stotrams2007-03-03

The Six Verses to Liberation

Introduction Posting a response to a question on the Nature of Consciousness, my fingers automatically started typing what is to follow next.

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Texts & Stotrams2007-02-19

Transmitting Traditions-informally

Transmitting Traditions-informally OR Ajji vandane-a tribute to the actual "Argumentative Indian" INTRODUCTION My grandma was an argumentative woman (she used the correct kannada word for it "Nyaya-adoodu" i.e.

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Strategy & Geopolitics2007-02-17

Indian Martial Arts -- Will they survive?

Overview Much is known about Indian philosophical disciplines, Indian Arts, Mathematics, and Sciences – but not much is known about a very important aspect of our Society – Martial Arts.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2007-02-17

Love Birds

When we read Ramayan we feel Rama being Maryada Purushotham how could he sent Sita Ma to forest when she was pregnant. There are so many arguments on this subject. It seems there was a sad love story behind this.

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Metaphysics & Vedanta2007-02-13

Remembering Valentine's Day

The Wrestling Angel I Our host lived in a castle protected like a nest in a valley between Katmandu and Lhasa as green as an emerald in summer when the caravans of scientists trekked up the mountains collecting the musk...

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Texts & Stotrams2007-02-08

Too Busy for Prayers?

Introduction It is said that the "Great Indian Middle-class" is on a roll, with India's burgeoning Economy, and an ever-growing Middle-class, India is finally Happening! But there are several dark counter-reactions...

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Strategy & Geopolitics2007-02-02

Looming Danger

INTRODUCTION Recently West Bengal has been in news reports for problems associated with land acquisition in Singur and Nandigram. The principal opposition leader, Ms.

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Texts & Stotrams2007-01-27

Tai Chi -- A Path to Samadhi

Samadhi Translated literally, SamAdhi means “To get integrated”. Samadhi is often defined as the state of complete immersion into a cosmic consciousness that is beyond the realm of ordinary consciousness (as we...

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Strategy & Geopolitics2007-01-20

Indic Culture in a Metaphysical Framework

Introduction Culture can also be likened to the “Operating System” of a Social machine – the framework and rule sets which govern the operation of the machine (Of course, the Culture OS is a lot more complicated and has...

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Texts & Stotrams2007-01-19

OM and its significance

INTRODUCTION When I was young, I used to see the OM symbol in Hindu temples. I used to wonder at its meaning. It is only later that I learnt that OM is clearly explained in Mandukya Upanishad (MU).

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