When the mind desires or grieves things, accepts or rejects things,
is pleased or displeased by things–
this is bondage.

When the mind does not desire or grieve,
accept or reject,
become pleased or displeased, liberation is at hand.

If the mind is attached to any experience,
this is bondage.
When the mind is detached from all experience, this is liberation.

– Ashtavakra Gita

Dear LWP Readers,

This past week on LWP was all about digging into our past and enlightening ourselves with the words and lives of some great men from India’s not too distant past, like Swami Vivekanada, Sri Aurobindo and Dr S. Radhakrishnan.

It seems in this time of 24/7 media, 140-character opinions  (courtesy Twitter), general social media shouting and bickering  and often rudderless debates, that we as a society are much deprived of good, enlightening literature. LWP hopes to fill that gap and if not enlighten you (just yet) then at least inspire you with the wisdom of which this country of India has been the custodian for many millennia.

Weekly Digest

Here’s the highlights from the past week on LWP:

– What’s the connection between Vivekananda, Tesla and ‘akasha’? Professor Subhash Kak explained in his article, describing some of the earliest attempts at searching for a scientific basis for Vedantic concepts.

– LWP published Part-I of a two-part series – Beloo Mehra‘s insightful exposition of the role of a Guru as communicated by Sri Aurobindo. A most relevant read in current times when a large proportion of Indians seem to be unaware not only of the significance and need for a Guru but also, more fundamentally, what a Guru is or represents. Read Guru’s Words on ‘Guruvada’- Part I.

– 5 September has been celebrated as Teachers’ Day in India since 1962 initially in honour of Dr S Radhakrishnan. LWP shared some of his wise and inspiring life advice:
“Religion is what we do with ourselves when we are alone. In every one of us is a secret shrine where no one could intrude, to which we must retire as often as possible and discover what our true self is as distinct from the appearance we present to the world outside. Most of us are self-deceivers and constant examination alone can save us….”Read more.

– When the British landed in India, they could not understand the purity and depth of it’s Aryan culture. As Ganesh Varadharajan explained for instance, the concept of Brahmacharya was misunderstood and corrupted. Modern psychology too has only been able to explore the human mind from a very narrow basis and not able to grasp ‘consciousness’. Read Part-3 of Ganesh’s series on Primal Divergence: a Contrast of Cultures