Our seasoned columnists with expertise in economics, philosophy, recipes, addiction, and film review share their views and ideas in this section
What is Dharma? Word Dharma has acquired different connotations and meanings depending on the context and usage. Most commonly, however, it is used to mean duty. There is no equivalent word in English language for what dharma represents in Sanskrit. Duty has a certain no-option compulsion element in it, while dharma is restricted to mean only the righteous duties and conduct flowing from its nature without the compulsion element implied in duty. Duty-for-duty-sake conveys an “end in itself” attitude whereas Dharma is a means to spiritual progress. Read more
A terminology/situation currently gripping the market is "fiscal cliff". Suddenly Eurozone's debt crisis and China's slowing growth are on back burner for the market watchers. What is both important and urgent is resolution to fiscal cliff by the US lawmakers. Read more
This is possibly the first time this writer has hesitated to review a film after one viewing. Not because Reema Kagti’s Talaash was difficult to appreciate or critique but because one felt so drawn to its central theme and motifs that it demanded a second, closer look. Also, over the years, it has become evident that it isn’t possible to do justice to a good film with a hasty review. Read more
What is Self and Non-self? What is their nature? Why is the Self, the witness, the Atman, called the real and eternal? Why the body-mind-intellect is called the unreal, non-self and perishable? Logically that which is ever present, un-changing and un-tainted is the real and that which is changing, decaying and perishing is unreal. Former is the Self and the latter is the non-self. Therefore, Self is real and non-self unreal. Read more
Your own Self-Realisation is the greatest service you can render the world.
-- Bhagwan Ramana Maharishi
What is self? The core of a thing in the absence of which or cessation of which the thing itself is not existent. For e.g. Sweetness is the core of sugar. Sugar cannot continue to be called sugar if its core property ‘sweetness’ is absent. Core of a Being is the ‘life principle’. If this is gone or absent in a being, it is no more a being or not to be called a being. Therefore, life principle i.e Existence-Consciousness is the SELF of all beings. Life principle (i.e. Self) is eternal. It is not Life principle if it should be subject to cessation or life-lessness. Eternity implies that Self’s nature is un-changing, un-caused, un-bounded, un-tainted and independent. Nature is that which never ceases to persist as long as that one is persisting. Self i.e. Existence-Consciousness cannot be denied because that would amount to saying “I do not exist” which is absurd. Self i.e. Pure Consciousness is imperishable because if you say it is perishable, then that awareness of perishability is the consciousness which is referred here as Self. Read more
Jab Tak Hai Jaan isn't Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge once more, although Aditya Chopra’s watery story tries very hard to reprise several key motifs.The numbers just don’t add up. Shah Rukh Khan doesn't look 28, Katrina Kaif 21 or Anupam Kher 50. Read more
James Bond’s Skyfall, re-released film Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro and Sameer Sharma’s Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana. Deepa Deosthalee discusses what in cinemas impressed her this week. Read more
Karmas – Living the present
Broadly there are three types of Kamya Karmas; Actions prompted by selfish good, prompted by common good, & those prompted by selfish good through common good. The common factor in all these actions is they are desire prompted. Hence they are called Kamya karmas in spiritual texts. Nishkamya karmas are those actions not prompted by desires, i.e., Actions undertaken without attachment to fruit of action, i.e., action taken for love of dong it or as a matter of duty. Read more
Chittha-Shuddhi (Ego-lessness)
‘Chittha’ is the body-mind-intellect complex. Chittha Shuddhi means cleansing of the body-mind-intellect complex, i.e., ego-lessness plus desire-lessness is Chittha Shuddhi. Ego & Desire put together leads to bondage and self-destruction. Together, they lead to degeneration of the universally accepted eternal human values, such as, Purity (hygiene, purity in speech & conduct), Truthfulness (in speech & conduct), Non-violence (non-hurting, non-harming by speech & conduct), Non-covetousness & self-control of senses. Read more
Adi Sankara classifies Existence in two categories, namely, Absolute Existence (Sat) and Relative Existence (Mitya). That which is eternal , unchanging, the substratum, the ultimate reality is Absolute Existence. That which we believe to be true and seen as existing in our day to day experiences is Relative Existence. Brahmn, the eternal and the unchanging is the Absolute existence, says Sankara. Read more
