In this article, I will make three important points.

First, as far as I can tell, none of the major wisdom traditionsHuston Smiths combined term for the worlds religions, mystical paths, and first nations beliefshave encouraged the cultivation of rage.

Second, today there is a real trend across the political spectrum that stokes anger, rage, and grievances for political gain. This is happening in America and all across the world, primarily driven by inflamed emotions and repetition on social media. The infection equally affects religious people and spiritual adherents with an us vs. them paradigm, causing both personal and social maladies.

Third, basic religious teachings and the ideals of nonviolent resistance offer us alternatives.

Nearly all of the worlds wisdom traditions are based on an underlying admission. Humans are volatile by nature. Our history is full of violence, greed, anger, and unspeakable acts of cruelty. Therefore, the central question for most of these traditions has been: How can we temper our worst instincts?

Hinduism is arguably one of the oldest remaining religions in the world. In the Bhagavad-Gita, Krishna says:

Anger leads to clouding of judgment, which results in bewilderment of the memory. When the memory is bewildered, the intellect gets destroyed; and when the intellect is destroyed, one is ruined. (Chapter 2, Verse 64).

Buddhism offers us the middle way and encourages temperance. When asked about anger, the Buddha reportedly replied:

Holding on toangeris like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.

In Christianity, forgiveness is a central tenet. Jesus urged people to love thy neighbor as thyself (Matt. 22:39) and not to return violence with violence but instead turn to him the other [cheek] also (Matt. 5:39). He got mad at the merchants in the temple, yes, but anger was never central to his teachings.

Martin Luther King Jr. took these sentiments a step further in one of his sermons when he said:

Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.

And in the book of Good Manners (Sahih Bukhari), an Islamic scripture, the following passage describes an encounter:

A man said to the Prophet, Advise me! The Prophet said, Do not become angry and furious. The man asked (the same) again and again, and the Prophet said in each case, Do not become angry and furious. (Narrated by Abu Huraira, Book 073, Hadith 137).

Across the board, the message is similar. Do not allow your worst instincts to guide you in your interactions with others. Temper yourself. Rise above. Cultivate something better.

I like even-handed arguments, so let me turn the tables and defend anger for a moment. It is a primal emotion that can signal when something is wrong. Anger is a part of our emotional range for a reason.

That said, stewing in anger and nurturing it into a constant state of rage is dangerous. Yes, it may feel exhilarating. Yes, there is a sense of camaraderie when people unite against something. Yes, angry and enraged people are more likely to act. But, what sustained anger does to the social fabric and how it corrodes individuals from the inside is too steep of a price to pay.

The politics of personal grievances, constant outrage, and foul-mouthed angry spewing are deeply troubling, and they have invaded religions and spiritual communities at a base level.

For instance, I was taken aback when an acquaintance of mine told me last year that she was in a constant state of rage. Anyone who is not feeling rage all the time simply isnt paying attention, she said, implying that rage was a new type of social justice virtue. Another friend to a break from his kids birthday party to rage tweet, then returned as if nothing had happened.

It appears that too many people have forgotten the lessons of history, of how populations marched into a justified war on similar sentiments? Or perhaps they have just forgotten basic conflict resolution skills that most of us were taught in elementary school?

The truth is that no family can last if the feuding is constant. To paraphrase Confucius, what is true of families is also true of societies, and what is true of societies is also true of nations.

Look, I get it. Watch the news, any news, for one or two days, and there is plenty to be upset about. But the cultivation of love and compassion in the face of difficulty is at the heart of all spiritual traditions.

Jesus said, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do, as he was being crucified.

After the Dalai Lama was run out of Tibet, no one would have faulted him for being angry and resentful. Yet, he has spent the majority of his life teaching people all around the world about compassion and mindfulness.

Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. faced many indignities in their nonviolent struggle yet refused to stoke hatred. At the core of their approach were three important principles that we would do well to remember.

By contrast, stoking destructive emotions is a shortcut. Its like letting weeds overtake a garden. Minimal effort is involved. That is why it is a popular ploy.

In this atmosphere, good people must continually seek a better way. They need to appeal to their better angels and do the hard work of cultivating love and compassion. And it is not only about feeling good. It is about selecting a constructive path over a destructive one.

I know, all the money is going in the other direction, and it will feel like swimming against a tidal wave, but if we believe an ounce of what the great teachers have taught us, we should at least make an effort.

As the Dalai Lama said:

Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.

Gudjon BergmannAuthor and Columnistwww.gudjonbergmann.com

Picture: CC0 License

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Cultivating Rage Probably Goes Against the Teachings of Your Tradition - Patheos

With over a thousand plus ratings on the Playstore and App Store and a rating of 4.9, Sadhana is the world's fastest growing free spiritual App.

Privately funded at a cost exceeding $1.3Mn, Sadhana App is currently being supported by generous donors who believe in the cause and who realise the importance of reviving Vedic traditions to pass onto future generations.

The ancient Vedic way of life has gone mainstream in the 21st century with digital worship. Now spirituality too, is a mere click away. Founded on Vedic teachings, the Sadhana app is a stunning virtual world set in the mystical land of Siddhshrama, hidden deep in the Himalayas. It is a sacred place mentioned in many scriptures, where some of the greatest sages and rishis, invoked such deities of the Hindu pantheon as Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu, and Mother Goddess with the most sublime Vedic rituals.

While the ancient temples of rich architectural design and glorious deities hook the user, it's the interactive UI that sets this app apart from its contemporaries. The app allows the users to anoint the deities of their choice with Abhishekam, perform powerful mantra chanting or japa, nitya pujas, Vedic sadhana and yagyas or fire offerings in a guided manner, with a simple touch of a finger on a smartphone screen.

An innovative brainchild of monk and Internationally acclaimed author Om Swami, this app is based on more than three decades of his own Sadhana experience, extensive knowledge of Vedic scriptures and technology.

Om Swami says, "The Vedic ideology is not a few thousand but a mere few hundred years away from extinction." He further stresses, "If we don't revive the Vedas now, they will perish one day and there will remain no Bhagavad Gita, No Sandhya Vandan, Yoga Sutras or Sanskrit. Our rich spiritual heritage will be lost."

The handpicked team of Sadhana App includes some of the best artists and award-winning digital creators from countries like France, Germany, Hungary, Argentina, Brazil, Ireland, Spain, Canada, England, Indonesia, Taiwan, Australia and of course, India.

Sadhana app is available for free download in both Hindi and English on Google Play Store and Apple App Store. There are no ads,paywall or restrictions. Click on the link below.

share.sadhana.app/download

BACKGROUND

Om Swami, a multi-millionaire before becoming a monk, an MBA from Sydney, is the author of fifteen books on meditation, wellness, and spirituality, with best sellers like Kundalini, The Ancient Science of Mantras, and If Truth Be Told. He is one of the foremost meditators in the world, having devoted more than 15,000 hours to meditation and mantra sadhana, many of which in complete solitude in Himalayan caves and woods.He learnt and mastered Vedic chanting when he was eleven years old. Mesmerized by the mellifluous verses, mantra sadhana became the basis of his spiritual journey.

Vedic Sadhana Foundation is an 80G approved not-for-profit organisation, in the service of humanity.

Media Relations

Vanika BansalHead of Public AffairsVedic Sadhana Foundation[emailprotected]

Video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUZpf6Z2RW0Logo:https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1818362/Vedic_Sadhana_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Vedic Sadhana Foundation

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The 21st century digital revolution of Vedic Worship: The Next Big Thing - Sadhana App - PR Newswire

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a name that needs no introduction. The spiritual leader and the yoga guru has shown the world the path of peace. His words have influenced many to resolve conflict through meditation. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar tours more than 40 countries every year and spreads the word of peace amongst his followers. Various celebrities follow him and often visit his Ashram.

Last year, Bhumi Pednekar collaborated with Sri Sris The Art of Living foundation to help people suffering during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today, as Sri Sri celebrates his 66th birthday, lets take a look at some of the interesting facts about him which will make you want to follow the leader.

Read all the Latest News , Breaking News and IPL 2022 Live Updates here.

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Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Birthday Special: Interesting Facts You Should Know About the Founder of The Art of Li - News18

3 yogic principles to deal with stress

By Anjaan

Published: Fri 13 May 2022, 12:08 AM

Our ability to respond instead of react is an important element in any situation we face. According to Yogic Rishis this can come through with a healthy mind, which often leads to a healthy body. Conversely, an unhealthy mind can lead to an unhealthy body and this can cause us to be reactive. However, there can seldom be a healthy body without a healthy mind. The power of the mind is, therefore, humongous in self-regulation.

If the mind is in a state of good health, it can move on undeterred after every troubling situation. A good mind is a product of good thoughts. Good thoughts are that which are free of selfishness, greed and envy.

Our judgmental nature

We encounter external impressions constantly. We receive a stimulus of a situation, apply a verdict based upon our moral wisdom, and then decide whether the event stimulus is true or false, good or bad, virtue or sin.

When you cannot determine this, you will let go of judgment and categorise it as indifferent. Indifference, however, does not mean lacking interest rather it brings about equanimity. To be able to come to the decision that we need not decide whether this situation is good or bad and therefore suspend our judgment of it.

The ancient Yogic text, the Bhagavad Gita, says: One who is unattached to the fruits of his work and who works as he is obligated is the true Yogi, not he who lights no fire and performs no duty.

Be hopeless and fearless

Hope and fear are figments of human imagination. When we fear, our mind is affected in an undesirable way; when we hope, we seek viable alternatives. The Yogic thought, however, professes a Golden middle path a state of perfect equilibrium where you are neither worried nor fearful. You are neither happy nor unhappy.

You may wonder, whats the use of a mind thats neither joyful nor sorrowful? As a matter of fact, an indifferent mind, in many ways, helps to lead a fruitful life and is in a state of perpetual bliss. It knows the eternal truth, that in life neither happiness nor sorrow is forever; both are temporary and such a mind shuns both.

With this stoic disposition, you can focus on growth and concentrate on work. This type of mind will help you to do great things not just for oneself and your family, but for the entirety of humanity. Yet, detached from the fruits of action.

The power behind yogic and stoic indifference

Its not that the yogis or the stoics didnt care, its that they were good either way. Does that make sense?

An indifferent mind is bereft of temporary passion, yet it has a vision. Its never afflicted with pains. Since its without sadness and happiness, its never in stress or distress, let alone crisis. It looks at the whole world as if it is a show on Netflix, as a detached spectator. Its neither bothered with tragic scenes nor happy endings.

Since this type of mind is bereft of stress and any positive or negative emotion, such a mind is well suited to handle any crisis, not just at an individual level, but at a larger world level as well. This type of mind looks at the situation objectively. It assesses objectives, but never clings on to sentiments, negative or positive. This is the highest form of sobriety.

Can you develop such a mind? Think of that today, that its not about apathy or even a lack of expectation. Its simply the quiet strength of not needing a preference because youre that strong.

wknd@khaleejtimes.com

Connect with Anjaan across social media @MeditateWithAnjaan

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The power behind yogic and stoic indifference - wknd.

In recent times, the freedom of the Press in Sri Lanka appears to be free of any interference. Due to the efforts of the Free Media Movement and other concerned groups of journalists, Chapter XIX of the Penal Code containing Sections 479 and 480 dealing with defamation have been abolished by the Penal Code (Amendment) Act No.12 of 2002. In 1998, the Colombo Declaration on Press Freedom and Social Responsibility was made.

A revision was made in 2002, the year in which the Penal Code was amended to exclude the offence of criminal defamation. Lord Black of Brentwood, Executive Director British Telegraph Media Group and Former Director of the UK Press Complaints Commission in his foreword to the book titled Other War Sri Lankas recent struggle for media freedom. by Raja Weerasundera states, It took many years, much sweat, toil and commitment, but in 2002, the government announced that criminal defamation would be abolished and the countrys media associations reciprocated by announcing that a self-regulatory body, the Sri Lanka Press Complaints Commission would be established.

There are five C accepted in journalism, which hold that the reporting should be correct, clear, concise, complete and consistent. Of course correctness in reporting encompasses that the truth must be stated without fear or favour. There is no doubt whatsoever that although the truth can be suppressed for some time, it will finally prevail as stated in the Bhagavad Gita Sathyam mevathu Jayathu.

Article 14(1) (a) of the present (1978) Constitution of Sri Lanka provides that: Every citizen is entitled to the freedom of speech including expression and publication. Article 3 asserts that In the Republic of Sri Lanka sovereignty is in the People and is inalienable. Sovereignty includes the powers of government, fundamental rights and the franchise. Article 4(d) ensures that the fundamental rights which are by the Constitution declared and recognized shall be respected, secured and advanced by all the organs of Government, and shall not be abridged, restricted or denied save in the manner hereinafter provided. Article 15 in 8 sub-articles sets out the restrictions on the aforementioned provisions in detail.

Restrictions on fundamental rights, including those described above, may be placed in the interests of national security, public order, protection of public health or morality, racial and religious harmony or in relation to Parliamentary privilege, contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an offence, national economy or for securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others or meeting the general welfare of a democratic society. Thus it is seen that the fundamental rights of a citizen are not absolute but restricted.

In the case of Sinha Ratnatunga v. The State {2001}2Sri LR 172, The Court of Appeal held as follows: What the Press must do is to make us wiser, fuller, surer and sweeter than we are. The Press should not think that they are free to invade the privacy of individuals in the exercise of the constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression merely because the right to privacy is not declared a fundamental right of the individual. It was further held that: The law of defamation both civil and criminal is also geared to uphold the human beings rights to human dignity by placing controls on the freedom of speech and expression.

The press should not seek under the cover of exercising its freedom of speech and expression, make unwarranted incursions into the private domain of individuals and thereby destroy their right to privacy. Public figures are not exceptions. Even a public figure is entitled to a reasonable measure of privacy. It is also important to note that the Court held: The press is all about finding the truth and telling it to the people. In pursuit of that, it is necessary that the press should have the broadest possible freedom of the press. In other words there should be very limited control over the newspapers. Otherwise wrong doing would not be disclosed.

Charlatans would not be exposed. Unfairness would go unremedied. Misdeeds in the corridors of power in government and private institutions will never be known. However, with that great gift of freedom of the press, comes great responsibility. In other words the more powerful the press is, it should also be a responsible press which will not abuse the enormous power it has.

Dr. Wickrema Weerasooriya in his speech titled Self-Regulation of the Media: Some Thoughts from Experience at the Sri Lanka Press Institute on September 6, 2011 quoted the Buddha as follows: You, yourselves should strive towards perfection. The Buddha can only show the way.

Similarly he said my humble request to Editors, Journalists and others associated with the media is, you, yourselves should strive towards ensuring a free and socially responsible media. The Code of Professional Conduct and the Press Complaints Commission and all that it is doing can only show the way.

At the present time in Sri Lanka a new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has assumed office and commenced his work as to remove the obstacles in providing food supplies, fuel, medicines and electricity without any breakdowns to the people using his past experience in rectifying the lack of money supplies to the nation required to ensure constant supplies. With vast experience in the political field and many international connections the new Prime Minister has wide experience in completing the work assigned to his position.

The media can assist the newly established apolitical Government by publishing informative articles in their various relevant fields by providing relevant information for the government in attending to these difficult tasks. All patriotic citizens should assist the Government to salvage our Motherland from the abyss it has fallen into. Finding fault with predecessors whoever they may be will not assist in this task but observing where they had failed solutions can be suggested.

All political animosities should be laid aside and our patriotic brethren protesting at Galle Face should cooperate with those in authority to solve this crisis. Regarding the press which is part of the media should cooperate with the government to solve the present crisis. Then once the country is made stable and funds are made available with the cooperation of international sources a general election can be held and as decided by our people let all citizens devoid of any struggles set up the government to proceed with the activities of the State by people appointed by our people with consensus. All differences among our people concerning political affiliations, caste, creed, race and all other differences must be set aside and all our people of Sri Lanka should unite as one to salvage our beloved Motherland, our little beautiful paradise island of Sri Lanka.

The writer is an Attorney-at-Law

with LLB, LLM, M.Phil. (Colombo)[emailprotected]

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Press Freedom and Unity in Sri Lanka - Daily News

In the 5thcentury BC, the Greek dramatist Euripides understood that there was much at the heart of Tragedy that was comic in essence and much in Comedy that was close to Tragedy. He demonstrated this inCyclops, a satyr-play, satyrs being a kind of second-class gods with the ears and tails of horses. One of the characters Euripides created was Polyphemus, a Cyclops,known for his shrill songs, weird stories and fondness for younger men. However,in Greek mythology, Polyphemus was the son of Poseidon, the god of the seas.Three centuries before Euripides, the poet Homer had shown Poseidon getting violently angry when the epic hero Odysseus makes the one-eyed Polyphemus blind.

Poseidons rage, which makes Odysseus voyage home dangerous, raises some intriguing questions: One, do the gods ever get angry?And two, how do mortals know when the gods are angry? The answer, as provided in the Greek myths, was that Hermes, the interpreter, alone knows when the gods are angry.Hermes is the herald of the gods as well as a trickster somewhat like the Narada figure in Indian myths. He is also considered the god of travellers, thieves, orators and merchants. The institution of interpreters of gods moods was not an original Greek fancy. In the 33rd century BCE, the Egyptian dynasts known as pharaohs had founded their authority on the claim of their ability to interpret the gods moods.

A similar echo of theological hermeneutics can be seen in Indias history in the institution of the Vedic purohit, phonetically close to the Egyptian pharaoh (pronounced phe-ro-aa). Not much is known about how the Indus Valley people thought about the gods wrath.Though their civilisation disintegrated around the 19th century BCE, the Harappans have not left behind archaeological signs about this. Perhaps, the Indus Valley civilisation had no interpreters, no orators and no figure that anticipated Hermes or the Vedic purohit.In sharp contrast to the Vedic purohit,Buddhism had no concept of an interpreter of the gods. Homer was a near-contemporary of Gautama Buddha. The Buddha located misery and grief in the minds of human beings, in their inadequate understanding of reality, and not in the whims of the gods.

Sadly, the purohits managed to oust Buddhism, and soon after, metaphysics rife with superstition came to be seen as knowledge.The nobler parts of the Vedic and Upanishadic traditions describe anger as a self-destructive emotion. The Bhagavad Gita speaks of anger as a cause of delusion, memory loss and destruction. Yet, when the interpreters of Gods mind assume the form of a coercive social institution, God himself becomes the loser. During the second millennium, the Bhakti movement rebelled against the self-assumed role of the purohits as Gods interpreters.During the 19thcentury, the resurgence of Hinduism rested on widening access to the divine for all sections of society. The greatest among our national leaders, Tagore, Aurobindo and Gandhi, accepted the idea of God but made humans the centre of spirituality. B R Ambedkar bravely rebelled against the social domination of the purohits and, in works likeAnnihilation of CasteandRevolution and Counter Revolution in Ancient India, tried to establish how repressive the idea of the superiority of purohits has been in Indias social history. In Europe, Friedrich Nietzsche could speak of the death of God, and after Stalins coercive policies started hurting people,Louis Fischer, Andre Gide, Arthur Koestler and Stephen Spender used the bold phrase the God that failed as the title of a book. In the light of this history of gods and their interpreters, it is absurd in the 21stcentury to invoke the gods to justify anger among humans.

The ethnography of the interpreters of Gods anger should be of interest to those of us who believe in the ideas of justice and the rule of law as upheld by the Constitution. There is a small town called Madhi in the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. Every year, thousands of people from nomadic communities get together there and express their devotion to the deity at the shrine. In recent years, the advocates of purohitrajhave been gradually blocking the devotees access to the shrine. When asked if this would make their God angry, many of those nomads replied, No, our God is not angry, we are angry. They were honest and had not surrendered their ability to think.

Some four decades ago, I used to teach at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. There was a small temple inside the campus. When communal riots broke out in the 1990s, one of my colleagues remarked that if the faculty does not side with the majority community, the God on the campus would feel betrayed and angry. This reminded me of a poem by Aurobindo.Eight decades before my time, he had taught on the same campus. Explaining a sudden and unjustified burst of anger, he wrote, apologetically, It was not me, but my bellys hungry god that was angry.

One knows that it is humans who get angry when there are no jobs and prices continue to go up, or bulldozers raze their houses. In an attempt to divert the peoples attention from the hunger in their bellies, clever interpreters point to some trivial gesture or expression as an insult to the gods. Credulous mobs take the cue and attack the misconstrued expression in the work of painters, artists, singers, writers, cartoonists, protesters, critics, opponents, minorities, meek and mild people all in the name of the gods. Hermes wins; the journey home for Odysseus gets longer; Buddha has to remain in exile. If we continue to be led by the interpreters of the gods moods, we may as well find ourselves sliding back to the eras before science replaced myth. Historians describe those eras as the Dark Ages.

This column first appeared in the print edition on May 16, 2022, under the title Gods arent crazy, mobs are. The writer is a cultural activist

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From Baroda to bulldozers: Gods arent crazy, mobs are - The Indian Express

Read the Bhagavad Gita online with profound and easy-to-understand commentary by Swami Mukundananda. Unravel the philosophy of life and the spiritual essence of the Bhagavad Gita in the most practical and systematic way.

In this authoritative commentary, Swami Mukundananda reveals the original meanings of the verses with crystal clear explanations and perfect logic. Adopting a comprehensive and holistic approach not attempted hitherto, he intersperses his purports with illustrative stories and real-life examples to make the teachings easy to comprehend and implement in everyday living.

He masterly quotes from all the Vedic scriptures and many other sacred texts, opening up a panoramic view to help us see through the window of the Bhagavad Gita, the whole Absolute Truth.

Unable to deal with the immediate problem at hand, Arjun approached Shree Krishna for a palliative to overcome the anguish he was experiencing. Shree Krishna did not just advise him on his immediate problem, but digressed to give a profound discourse on the philosophy of life. Hence, the purpose of the Bhagavad Gita, above everything else, is to impart Brahma Vidya, the science of God-realization.

The Bhagavad Gita is not content with providing a lofty philosophical understanding; it also describes clear-cut techniques for implementing its spiritual precepts for everyday life. These techniques of applying the science of spirituality in our lives are termed Yog. Hence, the Bhagavad Gita is also called Yog Shastra, meaning, the scripture that teaches the practice of Yog.

Inexperienced spiritual practitioners often separate spirituality from temporal life; some look on beatitude as something to be attained in the hereafter. But the Bhagavad Gita makes no such distinction, and aims at the consecration of every aspect of human life in this world itself. Thus, all its eighteen chapters are designated as different types of Yog, since they deal with methodologies for the application of spiritual knowledge to practical life.

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Bhagavad Gita, The Song of God Swami Mukundananda

As an ancient Indian scripture, Bhagavad Gita provides many ways to explore contemporary management concepts, conflicts, dilemmas, and trade-offs in business, according to IIM-A.

April 20, 2022 / 01:41 PM IST

Its not a temple, matha, or spiritual conference, but one of the top B-schools in India that has produced hundreds of chief executive officers (CEOs) and entrepreneurs.

The elite Indian Institute of Management at Ahmedabad (IIM-A) is going to teach a course titled Understanding Bhagavad Gita- A Journey towards Leadership Excellence. The 10-day online course will be rolled out in May to offer leadership lessons, conflict resolution, ethics, self-management and business acumens derived from the scripture.

The course is designed with at least five objectives and learning outcomes: one, gain insights into ethics and values to promote meaningful impacton organisations; two, develop insights into how to make effective choices; three, strengthen concepts of contemporary management and value-based leadership;four,develop an understanding about leadership excellence; andfive, acquire insights about how to lead a life with excellence and happiness.

As an ancient Indian scripture, it provides many ways to explore contemporary management concepts, conflicts, dilemmas, and trade-offs in business. Lessons from Bhagavad Gita suggest powerful ways to promote management practices that are consistent with the business model and yet ethical, IIM-A said.

This course is focused on early reflections on those learnings. The course will also enable participants to develop competence to face challenging times in their career with aplomb and confidence. The programme aims to sensitise them on ways to develop themselves into effective leaders in the corporate world, it added.

Download your money calendar for 2022-23 here and keep your dates with your moneybox, investments, taxes

Prashant K Nanda is an Associate Editor at Moneycontrol .

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IIM-A rolling out Bhagavad Gita course aimed at helping execs navigate dilemmas and trade-offs in business - Moneycontrol

Our own inequities keep us bound to an Earthly concept of life. They bind us to the cycle of repeated birth and death

In time of war, do you choose God or Gods army?

In the Indian epic Mahabharata, the supreme personality of Godhead, Krishna, offers this choice to Duryodhana and Arjuna. These two cousins contested each otherss dominion over their ancestral lands.

Arjuna and his brothers, the Pandus, tried various forms of diplomacy to avoid a fratricidal war, but Duryodhana remained adamant. He would not give his cousins enough land to sick a pin in.When all diplomacy failed, the Pandus determined they should resolve the conflict through combat.

Arjuna and Duryodhana approached Krishna at the same time. Krishna told them he would not personally fight in the battle, but would offer his army to one side and himself as an advisor to the other side. Duryodhana quickly chose Krishnas army. Just as quickly, Arjua chose to have Khrisna as his personal advisor and chariot driver.

At the onset of the battle, Arjuna asked Krishna to advance the chariot between the phalanxes of the two great armies. The conversation that ensued between Arjuna and Krishna forms the Bhagavad-Gita (BG). When he looked across to his adversaries, he saw cousins, uncles and teachers that held positions worthy of respect.

Out of an overwhelming sense of compassion, Arjuna told Krishna it would be better to detach himself from the conflict and live the life of a mendicant.

Arjuna told Krishna, I will not fight.

Krishna advised Arjuna, While speaking learned words, you are mourning for what is not worthy of grief. Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor the dead,(BG 2.11).

Krishna goes on to differentiate between the inevitability of death for the body, including bodily relations, and the immortality of the soul, the self slays not nor is slain.

All those present on the battlefield would perish, with the exception of Arjuna and his brothers. The combatants would not be the cause of anyones death, only instruments. As such, they are bound by duties and obligations and propelled by their egos to act out their destines as if they were someone in a dream. The real cause of death is the time factor.

Each and every one of us face this same inevitable cause of our demise. Just as we were destined to take birth in this world, we are destined to die. Both birth and death are symptoms of the time factor.

Time I am, destroyer of the worlds, and I have come to engage all people. With the exception of you [the Pandavas], all the soldiers here on both sides will be slain, (BG 11.32). Time is the universal cause of death. Old age, bodily injuries and various forms of illness are just symptoms of that time factor.

We face the same decision as Duryodhana and Arjuna. We can choose between Gods army which includes doctors, hospitals and progressions of health care, the church, various rituals rites, teachers as well as armies and their strategies or we can choose God himself who will instruct each of us through the heart.

When we choose to foster our most imitate connection with God then we can receive instructions from Him. He can guide us as the super soul from within the heart. After instructing Arjuna, Krishna tells him, I have explained to you the most confidential of all knowledge. Deliberate on this fully, and then do what you wish to do, (BG 18.63).

Free will enables us to choose between God and his energies. His armies, their celestial armour and weapons are just manifestations of that energy. God does not have a need for us to choose him. He is fully satisfied within himself. Choosing God is solely for our benefit.

We have a complex network of desires, doubts and misgivings curtained over our hearts. This shading obscures us from recognizing directives and activities in our own best interest. By choosing to serve ourselves and satisfy personal objectives we devise plans and schemes that estrange us from our own best interest.

Our own inequities keep us bound to an Earthly concept of life. They bind us to the cycle of repeated birth and death.

For this reason, in his concluding instruction of Bhagavad Gita Krishna tells Arjuna, Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear,(BG 18.66). Surrender, Not Gods might or greatness is the ultimate shelter and principle of religion.

When we surrender unto God, we find peace by aligning our will with his. All adversity we face is presented to us by his grace. When we try to overcome our lives struggles through his armies we inevitably face setbacks, frustrations and ultimate failure.

When we try to overcome these struggles through aligning our desires and will with him, we are ultimately victorious.

Harold Meier lived in Taiwan for over 20 years. He worked as an aircraft maintenance technical instructor and quality manager with Lufthansa Technical Training. During his time there he studied eastern religions, primarily Vedantism, and became an active member of the Hare Krishna community. Meier holds a masters degree in educational practices. He repatriated back to Canada with his family four years ago. Currently, Meier is working in the social services sector.KTW welcomes submissions to its Faith page. Columns should be between 600 and 800 words in length and can be emailed to editor@kamloopsthisweek.com. Please include a very short bio and a photo.

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Faith: Choosing God over God's army - Kamloops This Week

Dr. Binaya Bhusan Jena

Today is the International Mother Earth Day. First celebrated on 22nd April 1970, a time when environmental protection was not yet a priority of the national and international political & policy agenda. However, the General Assembly of the United Nations declared Earth Day as International Mother Earth Day in December 2009, almost after 40 years of the first celebration of Earth Day.

It may be true that were better off today in material living standards and have made remarkable progress in science & technology and have enough food to eat. But this has come at a huge environmental cost. Since 1970, according to an estimate of the World Wildlife Funds Living Planet, the wildlife population has declined by 40 percent. It was reported by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, that there are 37,480 species threatened with extinction. In India, we have around 200 species that are identified as critically endangered that includes animals and plants. We are literally destroying the ocean, the ecosystem and her biological richness and altering the oceans chemical makeup with greenhouse gas and pollution, particularly plastic pollution, and have already created hundreds of dead zones threatening the marine bio-diverse ecosystem including the coral reefs. Hundreds of marine species including turtles and birds die from consumption of plastics and the rising carbon emissions are making the oceans more acidic, weakening its ability to sustain life both underwater and on land. As per a survey conducted by WWF, 88 percent of marine species are harmed by serious plastic contamination in the water, and more than half of the worlds marine species do stand on the brink of extinction by 2100.

Our rainforests that capture vast amounts of carbon, aid cloud formation, protect against desertification, contain the majority of terrestrial life on earth and provide a huge assortment of life-saving medicines continue to vanish at staggering rates. It dose not just stop there. According to the UN, Seven billion people will suffer from water scarcity by 2050. Thirty Indian cities, including Mumbai, Jaipur, Kolkata, Amritsar and Kozhikode could dramatically face severe water crisis unless urgent action is taken to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

Since 1970, we have seen several declarations that address climate change. However, the situation has gone from bad to worse in the last five decades. Biodiversity and bio-abundance continue to decline and unless large-scale actions are taken on war footing, we might face devastating environmental and climate-related consequences.

There is an urgent need to recall the wisdom of our ancestors. While the mainstream Western philosophy sees nature as mere resources for human consumption, we see nature-human relation in the light of a mother-child relation. The verses of the Vedas reveal profound reverence towards Mother Earth. The Bhagavad Gita tells us that a life without contribution toward the preservation of ecology is a life of sin and a life without purpose or use. The Upanishad says, tat sristva ta devanu pravisat(after creating the universe, the Creator entered into every object created). That is why they always worshiped the pancha mahabhutas, mountains, rivers, animals, and birds, as they had understood the interdependence. The concept of Mother Earth advocated in the Vedas, particularly in Bhoomisukta, is inimitable. The Hindu Declaration on Climate Change, presented in December 2009 at the Parliament of the Worlds Religions in Australia, reminded the world of the symbiotic relationship between the Earth and the Human. Mata Bhumi Putro aham Prithivyah! Earth is my mother, I am her son! Atharva Veda, 12-1-12.

The theme for International Mother Earth Day 2022 is Invest in our Planet. Question is, how do we invest and what do we invest? We can no longer sit idle and keep complaining about governments and industries that are yet to find an effective roadmap for addressing the environmental challenges the planet is facing. We are at a horrifying stage for our own existence and for the existence of all other forms of life that depends on this earth. Our behavior continues to be like the fabled woodcutter who is cutting the branch of a tree on which he is sitting. The menace of environmental crisis is gradually approaching a point of no return. So, if we really want to invest in our planet, we have to raise the collective and individual consciousness about the environmental impact. Recall the third Avtar of Lord Vishnu, the Varaha Avtar, wherein he appeared as a wild boar to save Mother Earth from the clutches of a demon named Hiranyaksha. Let us invoke the Varaha Avtar of Lord Vishnu, already present inside us, to reappear and save our Mother Earth.

Dr. Jena is a Professor and practitioner of sustainable fashion at National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Bhubaneswar, known for his concept and model of Farm to Fashion.

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International Mother Earth Day: Time for Recalling Vedic Wisdom | Odisha Special - Ommcom News