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Showing posts from September 27, 2013

From Caste to Casteism

Today casteism is rampant. It is a new phenomenon. Old India had castes but not casteism. In its present form, casteism is a construct of colonial period, a product of imperial policies and colonial scholarship. It was strengthened by the breast-beating of our own “reformers”. Today, it has acquired its own momentum and vested interests. In the old days,  the Hindu caste system was integrating principle. It provided economic security. One had a vocation as soon as one was born.- a dream for those threatened with chronic unemployment. The system combined security with freedom; it provided social space as well as closer identity; here the individual was not atomised and did not become rootless. There was also no dearth of social mobility; whole groups of people rose and fell in the social scale. Rigidity  about the old Indian castes is a myth. Ziegenbbalg writing on the eve of the British advent saw that at least one-third of the people practised other than their traditional call

Opinion polls predict BJP win in MP, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan

Opinion polls predict BJP win in MP, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan The Bharatiya Janata Party is projected to retain power in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and dislodge Congress in Rajasthan in the assembly polls to be held this year, according to opinion polls aired by two news channels. Delhi, though, may have a hung assembly with BJP ahead of incumbent Congress while Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party playing the kingmaker. Shivraj Singh Chouhan will storm to power for the third time in Madhya Pradesh with BJP projected to win 130 out of 230 assembly seats, both Times Now and Headlines Today claimed. BJP will win 13 seats less than it did in 2008 polls. Congress will win only 84 seats, 13 seats more than its present strength, it was predicted. In Delhi, Congress has been projected to win 29 and 28 seats respectively out of 70 seats by the channels. BJP has been given 30 and 28 seats by them and AAP is nine and seven seats respectively. The Ashok Gehlot government is li

What is Ayurveda?

What is Ayurveda? How Do You Define Ayurveda?: ------------------------------------ Ayurveda can be defined as a system, which uses the inherent principles of nature, to help maintain health in a person by keeping the individual's body, mind and spirit in perfect equilibrium with nature. What is the Meaning of Ayurveda?: ---------------------------------------- Ayurveda is a Sanskrit term, made up of the words "ayus" and "veda." "Ayus" means life and "Veda" means knowledge  or science. The term "ayurveda" thus means 'the knowledge of life' or 'the science of life'. According to the ancient Ayurvedic scholar Charaka, "ayu" comprises the mind, body, senses and the soul. What is the Origin of Ayurveda?: ------------------------------------ Widely regarded as the oldest form of healthcare in the world, Ayurveda is an intricate medical system that originated in India thousands of years ago. The fundamental

amazing ! ! ! KARMA:The sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in...

Amazing ! ! ! KARMA:The sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in... KARMA:The sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in... DHARMA:Dharma is not the same as religion, every entity in the cosmos has its particular dharma -- from the electron, which h as the dharma to move in a certain manner, to the clouds, galaxies, plants, insects, and of course, man. Man's understanding of the dharma of inanimate things is what we now call physics BHAKTI:Devotional worship directed to one supreme deity, usually Vishnu (esp. in his incarnations as Rama and Krishna) or Shiva JNANA:knowledge acquired through meditation and study as a means of reaching Bramha MEDITATION:Meditation is the unceasing flow of one thought about God or the Atman. It is completely shutting out worldly thoughts and thinking only about God ADVAITHA:Vedantic nondualism that denies the separat

Common Myths About Hinduism, Much More Than Just Another Religion!

Common Myths About Hinduism Much More Than Just Another Religion! Hinduism is a unique faith! The most obvious misconception about Hinduism is that we tend to see it as just another religion. To be precise, Hinduism is a way of life, a dharma. Dharma does not mean religion. It is the law that governs all action. Thus, contrary to popular perception, Hinduism is not just a religion in the tradition sense of the term. Out of this misinterpretation, has come most of the misconc eptions about Hinduism. Hinduism: A Modern Term ------------------------------- Words like Hindu or Hinduism are ananchronisms. They do not exist in the Indian cultural lexicon. People have coined them to suit their needs in different points of history. Nowhere in the scriptures is there any reference to Hinduism. A Culture More than a Religion ------------------------------------- Hinduism does not have any one founder, and it does not have a Bible or a Koran to which controversies can be referred for res