Friday, September 11, 2026

Finding courage in repetition and uncertainty

 Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra

Inner stillness, balance, and equanimity - Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra Time-Consciousness in Energy Space in Western and Eastern (Indian) Cultures (Sri *Aurobindo *Ghosh, M. Heidegger, A. Bad...
Lotus flower symbolizes hope - Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra Hopes and Hopefulness in Anthropology S Jansen, J Thorne Anthropology has traditionally engaged sparingly with people’s i...
Trishtup appears when emotion becomes emphatic or intense - Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra Savitri - Amrutha Dharalu, By Kavita #sriaurobindo #integralyoga #spiritual ... 0:40 Savitri - Amrutha Dharalu, By Kavit...

Vedic Chhanda: Sandarbha Alankara

Let us look at the Bhagavad Gita 2.61 and 6.14 respectively:

तानि सर्वाणि संयम्य युक्त आसीत मत्पर: ।
वशे हि यस्येन्द्रियाणि तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता ॥ 61॥

प्रशान्तात्मा विगतभीर्ब्रह्मचारिव्रते स्थित: ।

मन: संयम्य मच्चित्तो युक्त आसीत मत्पर: ॥ 14॥

What does the first one say? 2.61 says that having brought all the senses under control, he must sit firm in yoga, wholly given up to Me; for whose senses are mastered, of him the intelligence is firmly established.

6.14 says that with a peaceful mind, free from fear, established in the vow of Brahmacharya, the whole controlled mentality turned to Me (the Divine), he must sit firm in yoga, wholly given up to me

Are they not saying something similar? No, for if you notice the emphasis has shifted to the complete unity and identification of consciousness with Sri Krishna in the second one. In the first shloka, it was the means; in the second it is the goal.

The same pada has now completely changed in significance due to its location and reference. This happens in the Veda often with the shift in sandarbha giving us a musically ever-fresh experience of the Veda. Meanings change subtly with slight shifts in order and placement and each time the echo is different

https://x.com/AmazingVedas/status/2097901721162801514

Vedic Concept: Bandhu

This is one of the most important aspects of Vedic worldview. The bandhu is a kinsman, friend, brother, someone who is related

In the Vedic paradigm everything is related to the other intimately. And this close connection is inherent and not dependent on any external factor

The term bandhu appears in the Veda in RV 6.57.4, 7.67.9 and 10.10.9. And it becomes clarified in the Vedantic and Buddhist concepts of Pratitya Samutpada

All the devas are related to each other in the unity of Vishvedeva and Ritam, Satyam and in the Vast expanse of the Universe, Brihat. All the fields and disciplines are connected in one vast realization of Ekam Sat

https://x.com/AmazingVedas/status/2098188077558558775

What lies beneath the words of the Veda, Bible, and Gita? Join @MakrandParanspe and Richard Hartz as they explore layered meanings, symbolism, and Sri Aurobindo’s insights. youtu.be/9R1fep1BK6c?si… @PariksithSingh @AmazingVedas

https://x.com/sriaurobindochr/status/2098155301082149348 

https://x.com/MakrandParanspe/status/2098077952231768521

Why Sri Aurobindo Rejected Reading the Mahabharata as Pure Allegory youtu.be/-_FPkMQSh9E?si… via @YouTube

https://x.com/MakrandParanspe/status/2098065828109496344

Explore the deep connections between the Veda and Mahabharata with Richard Hartz & @MakrandParanspe . Discover symbolism, timeless themes, and profound insights into human experience. Watch full episode youtu.be/-_FPkMQSh9E?si… @PariksithSingh @AmazingVedas

https://x.com/sriaurobindochr/status/2098110002871550174

Such affirmation need not always be intellectually formulated or consciously articulated. A person may lack philosophical knowledge, scriptural learning, or doctrinal vocabulary while nevertheless living within, practising, and transmitting a religious tradition whose underlying assumptions are those of Sanātana Dharma. Lack of doctrinal knowledge is therefore not, by itself, rejection of the Dharma. Religious identity is therefore constituted by metaphysical assent and disciplined participation, not by ancestry, ethnicity, language, geography, political affiliation, cultural proximity, historical interaction, or social classification.

https://x.com/MNageswarRaoIPS/status/2097549059217338756

The decisive criterion is whether an organisation’s or cult’s foundational doctrines and practices implicitly or explicitly affirm the foundational Hindu metaphysical first principles based on Veda and remain substantially within Hindu religious framework. On that criterion, Sri Aurobindo, Arya Samaj, etc are within Hindu fold.

https://x.com/MNageswarRaoIPS/status/2097894250340110386

Reconciling science and religion requires rejecting the notion that truth is singular or confined to one method, especially when religion is freed from the constraints of prophetic monotheism’s absolutism. Truth is multifaceted, encompassing the physical and metaphysical, the measurable and the meaningful. Science and non-dogmatic polytheistic traditions like Hindutva are not rivals but partners, each illuminating aspects of reality the other cannot. This understanding demands humility—science must acknowledge its limits in addressing purpose, and while non-dogmatic polytheistic traditions like Hindutva are open to empirical discoveries that challenge traditional interpretations.

Philosophers like Sri Aurobindo have proposed models for this integration within Hindutva. Aurobindo’s integral yoga envisions a synthesis of material and spiritual evolution, where scientific progress aligns with the Hindu pursuit of divine consciousness. Modern Hindu thinkers like Vandana Shiva integrate scientific ecology with Hindu reverence for nature, advocating for sustainability rooted in both empirical data and spiritual values. These frameworks suggest that science and non-dogmatic polytheistic traditions can enrich each other’s pursuit of truth.

https://x.com/MNageswarRaoIPS/status/1965657256776880175

A new controversy has arisen in West Bengal regarding eating of veg food during Durga Puja as suggested by a saint known as Bageshwar Baba who visited here recently. In Hinduism there are different sects who worship gods & godesses following different customs, rituals or creeds. The saint has forgotten that sadhaks and common man are different.What has been prescribed for a sadhak in any sect cannot be recommended for common man simply because he is not prepared or intend to do sadhana. Similarly those common Bengalis who curse on or revile the saint are making a political noise for nothing. They have no compulsion to follow the advice of the saint. Hinduism has vaster and deeper elements of spirituality which is true meaning of any religion. Don't stretch the noise too far to make Hinduism appear as a Kitchen religion.

https://x.com/PGhosh74859/status/2098226543206261183

There is No Single Hindu Plate: What Bengal’s Durga Puja tells us about Faith and Food

by Dr Marshal R countercurrents.org/2026/09/there-…

A controversy over whether Bengalis should eat fish and meat during Durga Puja opens a wider discussion about religious diversity within Hindu traditions. This article examines Bengal’s distinctive relationship with Durga, Uma and Shakta practices, where vegetarian and non-vegetarian customs have historically coexisted. It distinguishes temple offerings, family rituals and individual dietary choices, while placing them within India’s broader regional diversity of religious practice. The article argues that no single dietary practice can serve as a universal measure of Hindu devotion. Respecting religious observance also requires recognising inherited cultural differences and allowing communities to practise faith without imposing one tradition as the standard for all.

https://x.com/Countercurrents/status/2098068357253865743

More than half a century ago, the pioneering psychologist Carl Rogers wrote with uncommon insight about the 3 elements of the good life

https://x.com/themarginalian/status/2098118311577817170

Why is it that we want so badly to change, yet have such a hard time doing it? Adam Phillips on the paradoxes and possibilities of transformation:

https://x.com/brainpickings/status/2098141977220927576

Is nationalism and national identity necessary to protect the lives and living standards of the average working person, or is nationalism always a vehicle for intolerance? iai.tv/video/patrioti… James Orr, Gillian Tett, and Michael Ignatieff debate. Hosted by Rana Mitter.

https://x.com/IAI_TV/status/2098117830952530273

Consider Gaël Monfils, a former World No. 6, winner of 12 ATP Singles titles, and two-time Grand Slam semifinalist. While his achievements on paper are impressive, what truly set him apart on the courts of Adelaide and across the globe was his identity as "The Master Showman." When he stepped onto the court, he did not simply play the game—he elevated it into an art form. Whether executing a soaring, mid-air backhand jump smash or celebrating a point with pure joy, he reminded us that performance is at its best when driven by passion.

When you step into your arena—whether it is a boardroom, a community project, or a personal ambition—do not just play to meet expectations. Play with flair, precision, and unwavering enthusiasm. True success is not merely reaching the finish line or chasing silver trophies; it is mastering your skill, rising above challenges with agility, and inspiring everyone who watches your journey. Trust your preparation, embrace the rhythm of the moment, and execute every action with confidence. When you bring authentic joy and mastery to your work, success naturally follows, and your impact resonates far beyond the game. 

https://x.com/shrikant_soman/status/2098252784030437678

From Parts to Patterns: Fritjof Capra on Science, Society and the Web of Life

by Pon Chandran countercurrents.org/2026/09/fritjo…

Fritjof Capra’s work connects modern science with broader questions about society, ecology and human civilisation. His writings examine the limitations of a mechanistic worldview that treats nature and society as collections of separate parts. In its place, Capra develops a systems perspective centred on relationships, interdependence, complexity and context. His engagement with modern physics also led him to explore parallels with Eastern philosophical traditions. In later works, he applied systems thinking to living organisms, economies and social organisation, emphasising ecological literacy, sustainability and cooperation. This article by Pon Chandran examines Capra’s perspectives on science, social organisation, cultural values and the need to understand human life within interconnected systems.

https://x.com/Countercurrents/status/2098255908170248380

Conversations along the Way!

by Dr Salim Nazzal countercurrents.org/2026/09/conver…

A journey to Oslo becomes an unexpected journey through literature, philosophy and the questions that have long shaped human thought. A conversation with a Belgian traveller leads from Eugène Ionesco and Samuel Beckett’s Theatre of the Absurd to the anxieties of the contemporary political world. The discussion then turns to Sisyphus, Albert Camus and the possibility of finding courage in repetition and uncertainty. Along the way, the reflections connect Camus with Abu al-Ala al-Maarri, Omar Khayyam and Elia Abu Madi, revealing how questions about existence, purpose and human destiny cross cultures and centuries. The journey ends quietly in Oslo.

https://x.com/Countercurrents/status/2098269478958379226

How Many Great ‘Obscene Heroes’! How Many Should We Salute?

by B R Bapuji countercurrents.org/2026/09/how-ma…

B R Bapuji examines the growing use of abusive and obscene language in political discourse, focusing on recent exchanges among political leaders in Telangana. The article distinguishes between ordinary insults and expressions that carry misogynistic or sexually degrading meanings, while tracing how such language has become increasingly normalised in political campaigns, public speeches and popular culture. It also places Telugu political rhetoric within a wider context, noting that crude political language is not confined to one party, region or country. The article argues that public applause and partisan loyalty can encourage such behaviour, and calls for voters to reject leaders who rely on abusive language.

https://x.com/Countercurrents/status/2098260222720798987

Embracing Faith and Desire

V Thimm, F Thajib
The series invites proposals for books that address the entanglements of religion
and gender from a diversity of social scientific perspectives, based on contemporary
empirical research on a variety of religious and spiritual manifestations and …

Backlash at Close Quarters: Rethinking Feminist Politics from South Asia

P Raghavan, D Chopra - Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 2026
Backlash as a defining contemporary political condition has received considerable
academic and activist attention, particularly from feminist and queer scholars
studying the rollback of feminist and queer gains globally. While there is growing …

[PDF] Language Politics in Indian Media: A Systematic Literature Review of Cultural and Sociological Dimensions

P Banerjee
India has more than 19,500 languages and dialects (Census of India, 2011), which
reflects its cultural diversity but also creates social conflict. The colonial legacy of
English continues to shape linguistic hierarchies, reinforcing inequality and …

Postcolonial theory and the making of Hindu nationalism: the wages of unreason: by Meera Nanda, London, Routledge, 2025, 243 pp.,£ 145.00 (hardback), ISBN 978 …

R Sarkar, S Juvvaka - 2025
… of liberal democracy in interwar Germany paved the way for fascism, the
discrediting of Enlightenment rationality in Indian academic and cultural discourse
has weakened the intellectual ground for secular democracy, leaving it vulnerable to …

[PDF] Rhetorics of Counternationalism: The Limitations of Digital Anti‐Hindutva in Combating Right‐Wing Extremism

MA Siddiqui - Nations and Nationalism, 2025
… In this project, three coders analysed dissent against India's right- wing
nationalism, Hindutva, parsing anti- Hindutva into different themes for … Overall, this
paper extends digital counternationalist and anti- Hindutva comparative studies and …

[HTML] A Comparative Analysis of Press Freedom in India and Adjacent Democracies: Special Focus on Norway, India and North Korea

R Mohanty, S Misra - F1000Research, 2025
… Public punishment for individuals deemed as “traitors” and “anti-national” is
advocated by proponents of Hindutva, the extreme right-wing nationalist ideology
within Hinduism. When women journalists have their identities revealed, they are the …

[PDF] Brand Personality Perceptions of Political Leaders Among Young Indian Voters: A Comparative Analysis

R Paripoornam, K Gopal - Journal of Cultural Analysis and Social Change, 2025
This study examines brand personality perceptions of three prominent Indian
political leaders—Narendra Modi, Arvind Kejriwal, and Rahul Gandhi—among 425
young adults aged 18-30 in Bengaluru, using Aaker's Brand Personality Scale …

[PDF] INDIA AND ISRAEL IN THE 21ST CENTURY: IMPLICATIONS FOR GLOBAL ORDER AND SECURITY

S Irrum, A Humza - Pakistan Journal of Social Science Review, 2025
… In today’s world, Hindutva and Zionism stand side by side as two deeply troubling
forces, born from the wounds of history: Hindutva from the scars of colonial rule, and
Zionism from the … created to build a Jewish-only state, Hindutva aims to transform …

INTERROGATING EQUAL CITIZENSHIP AND GLOBAL ISLAMOPHOBIA: CONTEXTUALISING THE HIJAB BAN IN INDIA

AY Bhat, NHBMB Afandi, NSM Amin - IIUM Law Journal, 2025
This paper critically examines the 2021–22 hijab ban in educational institutions in
the Indian state of Karnataka through a dual analytical framework: the principles of
equal citizenship within India’s constitutional secularism and the pervasive influence …

Book review: Monoj Kumar Nath, The Muslim Question in Assam and Northeast India

J Santhosh - 2025
… This symbiotic relationship, where Muslim communalism strengthens Hindutva, is
a critical insight, particularly in light of the BJP’s electoral successes in 2014 and
2016 (pp. 173–175). Nath’s analysis of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) …

The Political Future of Indian Muslims (2024), Jamia Millia Central University, New Delhi, India

S Damodaran
… His research focuses on caste, the Dalit movement, Hindutva, and social justice,
with numerous articles published in prominent national … ‘Hindutva, Economic
Neoliberalism and the Abuse of Economic Statistics in India’. South Asia …

Remaking History: 1948 Police Action and the Muslims of Hyderabad, written by Mohammad, Afsar

S Dasari - Journal of Urdu Studies, 2025
… It shows that the current political climate, in which Hindutva factions fan the flames
of Islamophobia, has a long state-sponsored history. The “othering” of Muslims was
exacerbated after the Police Action and continues to this day in Telangana. The …

[PDF] Belonging Beyond Margins: Relocation, Housing Insecurity, and Naming Politics of Young Transgender People in Pakistan

A Alamgir, S Azhar - Belonging, 2025
Gender-nonbinary people, commonly known as khwaja sira/ hijra in Pakistan,
challenge the normative social and cultural expectations and consequently, face
high levels of housing insecurity and familial rejection. Belonging is a strategy that is …

Progress is a myth,” and Air? The Force of Freedom and Nonsovereign Death in Robert Hayden's Revisions of “Frederick Douglass

RE Neyra - differences, 2025
Reading select works by Calvin Warren and David Marriott to offer a close, rhetorical,
and supplemental reading of Robert Hayden’s three iterations of “Frederick
Douglass,” this paper initiates a desedimentation of the telos and force of freedom …

Monday, September 07, 2026

Normal greed and ambition begin to disappear

 Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra

The Literary Genius of the Bhagavad Gita: Phanopoeia 1.1

Have you ever noticed that the entire Gita is seen and heard with the drishti of Sanjaya. A unique diopter shot may need to be created by the cameraman if this were a movie

The Gita is two narratives at the same time, that of Vyasa and that of Sanjaya inserted into the story. Why this trope?

We never witness the Gita directly. It is always through an intermediary. And when we come to Vishva Darshana of Sri Krishna in chapter 11, we have another witness, Arjuna. We see it through his eyes

What a genius of visual narration! 

https://x.com/AmazingVedas/status/2096570901269479468

The Literary Genius of the Bhagavad Gita 1.1

धर्मक्षेत्रे कुरुक्षेत्रे समवेता युयुत्सवः ।

मामकाः पाण्डवाश्चैव किमकुर्वत सञ्जय

Let us look at the key motifs that will recur through the book: धर्म, क्षेत्र, कुरु, सम, युयुत्सव:, मम, किम्, जय

They will weave through the texts in different vibhaktis, grow or change until the crowning revelation of १८.६६

Let us go more microscopic and look at the matrix of seed sounds: the key ones here are ध, म, क्ष, क, य, स 

You will see them create their own musical interweaving and symphonic development through the text in various permutations and combinations

Dhatus and nirukta will play the same way and create unique alankaras depending on the need of the logopoeia or content

You will see shlesha, yamaka, punarukti, anuprasa, vakrokti as shabda alankara. And tulna, roopak, utpreksha, lakshana etc along with some unique tropes in this masterly work of art.

https://x.com/AmazingVedas/status/2096565941618274648

Vedic Insight: Why Soma Is Needed?

Why does Indra take birth when the prana and subtler intelligence is fed with Soma?

Because once the prana and mind are fulfilled with the taste of bliss the normal greed and ambition begin to disappear. Similarly, once Mitra and Varuna or Love and vastness of consciousness take birth one becomes more intelligent

For intelligence needs viveka or discrimination. For that to happen all that muddles clarity such as one’s own inadequacy or inferiority, greed, pettiness and lack of harmony needs to be resolved. That is why we see Indra (and other devas) being fed Soma constantly, insistently throughout the first seven suktas of the Veda. And as he is fed with Soma he grows stronger and bigger and powerful in action ज्यैष्ठयाय सुक्रतो 

https://x.com/AmazingVedas/status/2096343332611817830

Is Agni Atma Prakasha आत्मप्रकाश?

What is atma prakash आत्म प्रकाश? It is a Vedic Vedantic insight into the nature of the Atman

The Atman is not an object. But we still know it. How?

There is no external light upon it. Yet we see it. How?

The Vedantic answer is that the Atman has and is its own light. Through which we know it exists

But this knowledge is aparoksha अपरोक्ष 

Not direct or प्रत्यक्ष since it is not an outside object 

Nor indirect or परोक्ष since we know it without any other means 

So Vedanta says it is aparoksha अपरोक्ष or not indirect 

It is filled with its own light through which we know it That लाइट is आत्मप्रकाश atma prakaasha 

I have always felt that Agni is this Atma Prakasha through which I know myself, and know that I am. And because this light exists I can be aware of the light of the universe तमेव भांतमनुभाति सर्वम् Everything shines only because it shines (Chhandogya Upanishad 2.2.10)

Feel free to disagree. Would love to hear how you perceive self existence 

https://x.com/AmazingVedas/status/2096465174278373674

@PariksithSingh author of Sri Aurobindo & The Literary Renaissance of India, in conversation with @MakrandParanspe exploring the greatest teacher Sri Aurobindo’s genius, vision, literature & dream for humanity. @AmazingVedas youtube.com/live/Z2Z8RoGoI…

https://x.com/sriaurobindochr/status/2096221811583205424

Join @MakrandParanspe for a compelling discourse on Swami Vivekananda’s true philosophy of education—its vision, purpose, and power to shape character, minds, and society. youtu.be/Eqf5AEGPITU?si… @PariksithSingh @AmazingVedas

https://x.com/sriaurobindochr/status/2096297811528847622

Read The Age of Sri Aurobindo by @PariksithSingh powerful invitation to discover Sri Aurobindo’s prophetic vision of human evolution, awaken our consciousness, and help shape the new world he foresaw.@MakrandParanspe @AmazingVedas

https://x.com/sriaurobindochr/status/2095568505739296962

Can Hindutva be understood only politically? Join @MakrandParanspe as he discusses his new book Hindutva and Hind Swaraj: History’s Forgotten Doubles, exploring Gandhi, Savarkar, and India’s civilizational debate.youtu.be/KXNeeytSZmQ?si… @PariksithSingh @AmazingVedas

https://x.com/sriaurobindochr/status/2095980224441975268

What happens when a nation rediscovers its civilisational soul? “Nation Rises When Sanatana Dharma Rises.” @PariksithSingh & Sanjay Dixit explore Sri Aurobindo’s towering vision and the Vedic sutra at its heart. youtu.be/mleViWC_KoI?si… @MakrandParanspe @AmazingVedas

https://x.com/sriaurobindochr/status/2096705749661741375

Join @PariksithSingh as he decodes Vedic yajna, Sanskrit mantras & Krishna’s teachings—revealing practical wisdom on surrender, dharma, Agni symbolism & Brahman consciousness for daily life. youtu.be/rw2MXXoJQ6c?si… @MakrandParanspe @AmazingVedas

https://x.com/sriaurobindochr/status/2096659699135582406

Join Guruji Shri Nandkishore and @PariksithSingh as they explore Sanatan Dharma and the essence of true independence. Moderated by @MakrandParanspe dialogue to inspire thought and awaken consciousness. youtube.com/live/m3teG7yr_… @AmazingVedas

https://x.com/sriaurobindochr/status/2096585457224298798

Join @MakrandParanspe for a compelling discourse on Swami Vivekananda’s true philosophy of education—its vision, purpose, and power to shape character, minds, and society. youtu.be/Eqf5AEGPITU?si… @PariksithSingh @AmazingVedas

https://x.com/sriaurobindochr/status/2096297811528847622

A thought-provoking conversation on the role of ideology in education and academia at OLF 2026. Authors Ratan Sharda and Makarand R Paranjape, Sri Aurobindo Chair (Hon.), Vedere University explore “Ideology in Academics: Left, Right, Who is Right?” in a session moderated by journalist and author Ravi Shankar. Watch the live here: facebook.com/watch/live/?re…

https://x.com/Xpress_edex/status/2096176401833668786

Author Ratan Sharda and Sri Aurobindo Chair (Hon), Vedere University Makarand Paranjape speak at #OLF session Ideology in Academics: Left, Right, Who is Right? #OdishaLitFest @PrabhuChawla @santwana99 @NehaSonthaliaP1 @Siba_TNIE @NewIndianXpress @AdityaBirlaGrp

https://x.com/XpressOdisha/status/2096172434672304399

Wonderful lecture delivered at the IHC ICPR study Circle by Professor Dhananjay Singh chaired by Professor K.G Suresh and introduced by me @kg_suresh @DhananjayaJnu @icssr @IHCDelhi

https://x.com/ProfessorPuri/status/2096561780487344237 

https://auroramirabilis.blogspot.com/2026/09/anniversary-celebrations-of.html







The standard view of evolution is that it’s a process guided by randomness, and hence its results, as amazing as they are, are meaningless. But if we think of our genes as a kind of text, then we can understand evolution as a process of interpretation, and reinterpretation. And interpretation implies meaning. Organisms and their development are guided not by chance, nor by a deterministic genetic code, but by the trickling down of experiences and memories and goals. This view allows us not only to find meaning in an otherwise meaningless universe but opens up the space for freedom and moral responsibility as the interpretation of the genetic text we’ve been given, argues David Haig. Tap the link to read more now. iai.tv/article s/from-…

https://x.com/IAI_TV/status/2096637078150713381

You can study time for years and still never come close to understanding it, argues physicist Ivette Fuentes. In this debate, she narrates her fascinating journey through studying time through the lens of quantum physics, which included some unexpected discoveries, but still left her without an answer. Join her alongside philosophers Hilary Lawson, Wahida Khandker, and Tim Maudlin in “Time’s great mystery”. iai.tv/video/times-gr…

https://x.com/IAI_TV/status/2096599896191066295

From Western-centric visions of the liberal world order to the Enlightenment story of history as Reason’s onward march, we rightly distrust grand narratives. | bit.ly/41U3tpb But Ayşe Zarakol argues that without them we struggle to make sense of the world.

https://x.com/IAI_TV/status/2096623962859942148

This is an extraordinary letter: Dissident poet turned president Vaclav Havel, writing from prison, on how to hold your greatest failure

https://x.com/themarginalian/status/2096636847204016227

Walt Whitman's field guide to being yourself – the trial and triumph of Leaves of Grass

https://x.com/themarginalian/status/2096764638415228973

How to think like a sunflower – Wendell Berry (so wise, so wistfully missed) on turning conflict into collaboration

https://x.com/themarginalian/status/2096771930892255351 

The Peace of Wild Things – Wendell Berry's poetic antidote to despair, animated 

https://x.com/themarginalian/status/2096759102546288844 

At the link, the best of The Marginalian this week in one place — Wendell Berry (so missed!) on creativity, love, and how to have enough; Joan Didion on letting go; the power of being a liminal person: mailchi.mp/themarginalian… 

https://x.com/themarginalian/status/2096676562217087249

India's climate diplomacy: the role of ideational dimensions and material structures for climate leadership

R Saryal - The Round Table, 2025
… of Yoga for climate change, what I call ‘Modi(fiying) Yoga’, was yet ‘another
product of yoga’… 94), which contained traits of both the historical Yoga and
contemporary transnational Yoga. … and ‘biopolitical discourse’ of Yoga, which was …

[PDF] Community-Based Wellness Tourism: A Phenomenological Study in Taro Bali Tourism Village

PE Wirawan - SHS Web of Conferences, 2025
… Most tourists with wellness goals typically require activities such as yoga, hiking,
and self-… Yoga activities in the mountains or spas by the beach are one way to
unwind from work [22], … The potential for health tourism is quite diverse, including …

[PDF] The Kunbi Community of Uttara Kannada: A Comprehensive Study of Migration, Culture, and Livelihoods”

ST Mahamood, SY Mugali - NEW MAN
… Communal song and dances are integral to Kunbi social life. Whether it's the
joyous occasion of a wedding, the celebratory atmosphere of a moonlit night after
the paddy harvest, or simply a gathering in open spaces or threshing grounds …

[PDF] Contours of Indian Elements in Persian Imagination: Literary and Linguistic Encounters in Pre-Modern India

M Rehmatullah, SR Khan - Synergy: International Journal of Multidisciplinary …, 2025
… Ghazal, masnavi, and qasida became integral to South Asian poetic expression,
and Persian idioms and metaphors were indigenized through regional linguistic
creativity. The result was a unique hybrid linguistic culture, equally at home in …

[PDF] Why should Economics Textbooks begin with Kautilya and not Adam Smith?

V Krishnatray
This chapter challenges the dominant Eurocentric narrative that positions Adam
Smith as the undisputed founder of economic thought. It reclaims intellectual space
for Kauṭilya, the 4th-century BCE author of the Arthaśāstra, whose state-centric …

[PDF] The Re-emergence of Non-material Factors in International Relations

L Le - VNU Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2025
… Similarly, India has promoted philosophies of life and practices such as yoga as
tools for advancing peace, health, and spiritual values in IR. The United Kingdom,
meanwhile, launched its ‘GREAT Britain’ campaign, described as its most ambitious …

Nutritional and Lifestyle Interventions

AP Singh, A Goyal, A Aggarwal, NS Sethi - Impact of Incomplete Metabolism on …, 2025
… Emotional resilience and mental clarity can be achieved by incorporating stress-reduction
practices li e yoga, meditation, and deep … Incorporating stress-reduction
techniques such as yoga, meditation, and deep breathing fosters emotional …

[PDF] Ancient Indian Science of Exercise Familiar with the Neighborhood

VDS Thero - 2025
… The concept of no permanent self (anatta) is integral to the teachings of the
Buddha. According to the teachings of the Buddha all … The Science behind Yoga
and Stress: The neuroscience behind Yoga can help clarify why regular Yoga is so …

[PDF] Indigenous knowledge and happiness in higher education: A systematic review

B Kimwere, J Ndolo, J Waigwa, EW Mugo, KN Omoi - African Quarterly Social Science …, 2025
From ancient times to the current digital era, the pursuit of happiness has remained
the most painstaking human endeavor. This paper presents a systematic review of
peer-reviewed studies published between 2015 and 2025 to explore the application …

[PDF] INCULCATION OF VALUES THROUGH EDUCATION: RELEVANCE IN TODAY'S EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM FOR CREATING A BETTER HUMAN SOCIETY

R Babu - … Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (IJMR). https …, 2025
… Values are integral to the process of education. They are not add-ons. All
education is, in sense, value education. '… Spiritual values are piety, meditation,
yoga, self- … Values are integral to the process of education. They are not add-ons …

Tuesday, September 01, 2026

An encounter with the unfamiliar

 Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra

We bid goodbye to one of the rare men of our age who understood that the great crisis of modern civilisation was not simply environmental, economic or technological. It was a crisis of belonging. May the earth you so loved receive you gently, Wendell Berry.

From 'The Unsettling of America':

"The disease of the modern character is specialization. Looked at from the standpoint of the social system, the aim of specialization may seem desirable enough. The aim is to see that the responsibilities of government, law, medicine, engineering, agriculture, education, etc., are given into the hands of the most skilled, best prepared people. The difficulties do not appear until we look at specialization from the opposite standpoint—that of individual persons. We then begin to see the grotesquery—indeed, the impossibility—of an idea of community wholeness that divorces itself from any idea of personal wholeness. 

The first, and best known, hazard of the specialist system is that it produces specialists—people who are elaborately and expensively trained to do one thing. We get into absurdity very quickly here. There are, for instance, educators who have nothing to teach, communicators who have nothing to say, medical doctors skilled at expensive cures for diseases that they have no skill, and no interest, in preventing. More common, and more damaging, are the inventors, manufacturers, and salesmen of devices who have no concern for the possible effects of those devices. Specialization is thus seen to be a way of institutionalizing, justifying, and paying highly for a calamitous disintegration and scattering-out of the various functions of character: workmanship, care, conscience, responsibility. 

Even worse, a system of specialization requires the abdication to specialists of various competences and responsibilities that were once personal and universal. Thus, the average—one is tempted to say, the ideal—American citizen now consigns the problem of food production to agriculturists and “agribusinessmen,” the problems of health to doctors and sanitation experts, the problems of education to school teachers and educators, the problems of conservation to conservationists, and so on. This supposedly fortunate citizen is therefore left with only two concerns: making money and entertaining himself. He earns money, typically, as a specialist, working an eight-hour day at a job for the quality or consequences of which somebody else—or, perhaps more typically, nobody else—will be responsible. And not surprisingly, since he can do so little else for himself, he is even unable to entertain himself, for there exists an enormous industry of exorbitantly expensive specialists whose purpose is to entertain him."

https://x.com/infinitchy/status/2094689870686130338

Vedic Paradigm: The Subject as Subject

My prior post on abstractions becoming devas in the Veda was perhaps not clear. Let me try again

You see an abstract is itself an abstraction

The Vedic Rishis did not see the intellect as having an independent existence or interest. They described things as they are. Not theory. Reality

Whom are they describing? Themselves. This is the crucial distinction

When I say I love Agni, Agni is not sitting outside to be described. Agni is my state. It is I. There is no duality here

Does this make sense? I am Mitra or I am becoming friendly in RV 1.2.7. Or I am invoking my transformation to a friendly loving state and person. There is no separation

The world outside is an abstraction that goes away on a deeper meditation. The ego is an abstraction that is the creator of the sense of I. Aham- kara, the creator and creation of the sense of I. But,

The Veda is an entirely different ballgame. It is not describing a dualized universe but something very intimate, profound, आत्मीय

That is the crucial difference between boys and men.

https://x.com/AmazingVedas/status/2094747004362486018

Explore the enduring relevance of the Vedas in today’s world—from education & Swaraj to self-governance, heritage, and darshan. Reflect on Vedic thought and its profound vision of the unity of existence with @PariksithSingh & @MakrandParanspe youtu.be/5iJrq2ypIWM?si… @AmazingVedas

https://x.com/sriaurobindochr/status/2094531674327421093

It’s time to revamp education. Vedic wisdom offers a radical shift from rote learning to questioning, curiosity, critical thinking, and original thought—preparing Gen Z to think, not just remember. Join @PariksithSingh & @MakrandParanspe youtu.be/gikU7K7kViw?si… @AmazingVedas

https://x.com/sriaurobindochr/status/2094770749529538735

Unlock the secrets of Vedic grammar! Explore how Vyakaraṇa connects language, consciousness, and spirituality—and discover the profound power of sound and vibration in the Vedas. Join @PariksithSingh & @MakrandParanspe on Amazing Vedas! youtu.be/J38A3f1qT5s?si… @AmazingVedas

https://x.com/sriaurobindochr/status/2094485377352446164

क्या Vedas सिर्फ हजारों साल पुराने धार्मिक ग्रंथ हैं, या उनमें आज की Gen Z के सवालों के लिए भी कुछ meaningful है? Don’t just inherit answers. Learn to ask better questions.

Book: Veda for Gen Z Author: Pariksith Singh

https://x.com/VedaforGenZ/status/2094726142146314512

Ancient wisdom. Modern questions. A generation looking for clarity. Veda for Gen Z by Pariksith Singh brings timeless Vedic ideas into today’s world in a simple, relatable, and practical way. Reviewed by @ARanganathan72 ji #VedaForGenZ @PariksithSingh #GenZReads @BluOneInk

https://x.com/VedaforGenZ/status/2094326739187232898

Being seen is one of the greatest privileges and one of the greatest risks. — article written by Christine J Ko, MD doctorsonsocialmedia.com/creativity-fee… via @somedocs

Although I feel pressed for time and would never want to be seen as a less than diligent physician, hobbies help me stay grounded in humanity through remaining fully aware of my shortcomings. Writing helps me be a better doctor. The more I write, the more I am unable to not write, but the more I write, the risk of jeopardy seems greater.

Anyone putting a part of themselves out into the world, whether it be in the form of a creative pursuit like a book or trying to sustain a connection with someone, is vulnerable, creating an opportunity for rejection.

https://x.com/somedocs/status/2094435632458125657

You might have the most brilliant ideas in human history since Aristotle, but if no one knows who you are nothing will come your way. By contrast, once you begin to get stuff out there writing opportunities snowball. Suddenly people are asking you for pieces here and there, for contributions to their journals and conferences, and so on. Writing issues more writing. This is true even of blog writing. When I think of people to contribute to conferences and edited collections, these people are usually people I’ve corresponded with or who have blogs that interest me. Had they not posted their random thoughts I wouldn’t have thought about them.

However, there is another reason that the more you write the more you will write. Writing is like kudzu. Kudzu is a vine common to the south that grows at about a foot a day. It’s a really amazing (and irksome!) plant. This is how it is with writing as well. Writing grows from writing. Writing produces the imperative to write more. This is because, as you write you discover new themes, new concepts, and things that need to be worked through. Like a growing crystal, writing expands. In my view, one of the biggest mistakes aspiring writers make lies in trying to write before you write. By this, I mean that many writers, myself included, try to have their ideas before they write their ideas. But things just don’t– at least for me –work this way.

Now, of course, just as you need a seed to form a crystal in a supersaturated solution, you need a seed to start writing. However, the seed is not the idea. The idea is something that only comes into being in the process of writing. It is not something that is there prior to writing. The point is not to have the idea before you write, but to allow the idea to emerge in writing. And once you’ve produced a lot of chaff, you then get to the arduous work of polishing and organizing. In this regard, it is a necessity to write obsessively and all the time. This is where ideas are born, not before the act of writing.

The drive for originality is also a big impediment to writing. On the one hand, we suffer from a sort of transcendental illusion. We (or I) think to ourselves that if we have an idea it can’t possibly be original precisely because the idea is familiar to us. It is not new to us. But writing is not for us, but for others... 

An encounter with the unfamiliar, with alterity, generates an unassimialable kernel with respect to what I had previously been focusing on. That kernel functions as a seed to throw thought in motion, generate new conceptual spaces, form a weave of relations to make sense of these disparate worlds, thereby generating the work of writing.

https://larvalsubjects.wordpress.com/2010/10/20/advice-on-writing/

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ALL POST, WBNWASE DIRT
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… practices combined with tantra-mantra rituals, which form an integral part of the cultural
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[PDF] Bulletin of the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture (Feb; 2025), pp. 24-32, 39;(March 2025), pp. 20-25

G Stavig
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… In today’s context, mobile and mobile apps have become an integral part of one’s
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M Faris, M Alif - JUTEQ: JURNAL TEOLOGI & TAFSIR, 2026
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You are what you read–a critical discourse analysis of Falun Dafa

CJ Ting - Culture and Religion, 2026
The phenomenal growth of the Chinese modern religion Falun Gong (Falun Dafa)
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