Ganesh Varadharajan explores what makes a work an ‘epic’. Using as examples, Tolkien’s ‘Legendarium’ and Martin’s ‘A Song of Ice & Fire’, Ganesh brings out the different textures of the fantasy worlds created by the novelists. Referencing back to the great epics of Ramayana, Mahabharata, Sri Aurobindo’s ‘Savitri’ as well as the Greek epics and the works of Shakespeare, gives an insight into the world of legend, myth and fantasy.
The weekly round-up of LWP’s articles (11 – 17 September 2017).
Shruti Bakshi speaks to bestselling author Amish Tripathi about a wide range of topics from his books to his writing process, to atheism in ancient India and current issues in India relating to religion, society and politics. As someone with vast knowledge about India’s past and ancient wisdom and who refuses to be pigeonholed as ‘left’ or ‘right’, Amish’s views are refreshing, insightful and enlightening.
“The earth beneath my feet moved. I was going down and could not see any soil beneath my feet. It was white ice all around. I pressed my trekking shoes against the ice as hard as I could and managed to regain my balance. I took a moment to catch my breath and then went to the edge of the cliff to see what was going on…”
Read more of the final part of the Everest Series in which Rohit Kumar finds that the awesome beauty of Mother Nature is enough to energise and lift one’s spirits in the toughest moments.
The final part in this four-part series in which Ganesh Varadharajan contrasts Eastern and Western thought with a focus on pop-culture portrayals of the evolution and future of humanity. In this part, Ganesh explains The Mother’s vision of the future of humanity and the role of the Supramental towards achieving it – something that appears to have inspired many Hollywood movie makers in recent times.
In Part 3 of this four-part series, Ganesh Varadharajan notes how the Western mind has long misunderstood the meaning of Brahmacharya and how modern psychology operates from a limited understanding (often misunderstanding) of the human mind and life.
Shruti Bakshi discusses how the Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh scandal in India shows that you can’t talk spirituality to an empty stomach and also that most Indians don’t understand the role of a guru.
Part 2 of the series in which Ganesh Varadharajan explores the limitations of modern science that follows in the footsteps of the ancient Greeks and is not able to grasp the evolution of successive conditions of energy as expounded in Indian thought systems like the Sankhya philosophy.
Western pop culture portrays the next stage in the evolution of man as a brutish being, with the idea of beauty of form as emphasised by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, being completely disregarded.
Ganesh Varadharajan explores the divergence between the East and West, essentially between Vedanta and Greek thought in the understanding of man and his relationship with the Divine. Setting side-by-side, examples from modern pop culture like Hollywood and the deep spiritual insights as articulated by Sri Aurobindo, makes for an interesting analysis of the diverging world and life views.
Professor Subhash Kak explains how Sanskrit is a language that not only represents the culture of India from north to south, but that also influenced the cultures of Southeast Asia, Middle East and Europe. Unfortunately, this language of yoga is much neglected today, making the revival of living Sanskrit, the need of the hour.
Is shunning sin and clinging to virtue a sure way to reach the Divine or is that way too simplistic thinking? IS it possible that virtue can be more binding than vice? Ganesh Varadharajan explores, drawing inspiration from Sri Aurobindo.
Rahul Sharma shares his experience of undertaking a safari with his family at the Jim Corbett national park in India.
Ganesh Varadharajan explores how perception is our tool for understanding the world and ourselves but that clarity of perception depends on our connectedness with our true selves and not with the ego-personality.
“One must be spontaneous in order to be divine.
One must be perfectly simple in order to be spontaneous.
One must be absolutely sincere in order to be perfectly simple.
To be absolutely sincere is not to have any division, any contradiction in one’s being.”
Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev tears apart new-age spiritual ideas like ‘loving yourself’ and ‘being compassionate to yourself’.
