A Conversation with Amish Tripathi | Newsletter No.15
The weekly round-up of LWP’s articles (11 – 17 September 2017).
From the Immortals of Meluha to Immortal India – in conversation with Amish
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.
When You Get Pushed Down From the Top of the World
“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.
Brahma’s Lie and the Delusion of Certainty
“Brahma’s lie marks the first act of fundamentalism on the planet. The flower is punished for bearing witness and offering tacit support to the fundamentalist impulse. To claim a limited end to a limitless process, to reduce the infinite to the finite, to draw borders across the borderless, to make measurements of the unfathomable – this is the beginning of the human impulse to create certainty where none exists. It is the birth of pain, of suffering, of delusion.”
– Read more of the excerpt from the book Adiyogi: The Source of Yoga by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev.
Primal Divergence : A Contrast of Cultures (Part-4)
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.
Guru’s Words on ‘Guruvada’ – Part II
In Part 2 of the ‘Guru’s Words on Guruvada’, Beloo Mehra brings to light Sri Aurobindo’s wisdom on questions like: ‘What is the true relationship between a Guru and a disciple?’ and ‘Why so many Gurus?’
Vivekananda’s Message to the West and the Historic September 11 Speech
In 1893, Swami Vivekananda gave some of the most powerful speeches in history at the Parliament of World Religions. The speeches were an instant hit in America and still remembered the world over today. The article includes the text of his September 11 opening address at the conference.
Enlighten Yourself | Newsletter No.14
The weekly round-up of LWP’s articles (4 – 10 September 2017).
When Vivekananda Met Tesla: Modern Physics’ Earliest Trysts with Vedanta
What’s the connection between Vivekananda, Tesla and ‘akasha’? Professor Subhash Kak explains, describing some of the earliest attempts at searching for a scientific basis for Vedantic concepts.
Primal Divergence : A Contrast of Cultures (Part-3)
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.
Guru’s Words on ‘Guruvada’ – Part I
“I had the same kind of violent objection to Gurugiri, but you see I was obliged by the irony of things or rather by the inexorable truth behind them to become a Guru and preach the Guruvada.” – Sri Aurobindo
What is a Guru? In light of current events, it appears Indians desperately need to dig deeper into their spiritual traditions to understand this. Beloo Mehra’s insightful exposition drawing on the insights and wisdom of Sri Aurobindo makes for a must-read in this regard.
Author Shares Her Personal Meditation Practice
Writer and mystic Mollie Player gives us a deep insight into her meditation practice starting from what she thinks is the best thing about meditation to her specific personal practice.
Life Advice from Dr Radhakrishnan
“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….”
5 September has been celebrated as Teacher’s Day in India since 1962 in honour of the great scholar and philosopher Dr S. Radhakrishnan who became President of India in 1962. In this excerpt from this essay ‘My Search for Truth’, Dr Radhakrishnan gives valuable advice not only for teachers but all people in general.
Gurmeet Singh Scandal, Rally for Rivers & More | Newsletter No.13
LWP Newsletter No. 13 with interesting features on the Gurmeet Singh scandal, the Rally for Rivers campaign and more (Weekly Digest 28 August – 3 September).
Rally For Rivers – Your Time to Act!
A democracy means actively participating not only once every 5 years but also during the 5 years between elections. Find out more about the Rally for Rivers campaign to save India’s depleting rivers that kicks off 3 September 2017.