Friday, July 20, 2007
A Thought for Today-26: July 20, 2007
"When you are willing to make sacrifices for a great cause, You will never be alone" - Coretta Scott King
Eyecatchers-6: 'Varsity prepares to host Kalam' by D Suresh Kumar
I am an admirer of Indian President, Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam. He is a role-model many in the country now. Some interesting info from this article, with grateful thanks to Mr D Suresh Kumar:
Anna University is getting a room ready in its campus Guest House, which is likely to be APJ Abdul Kalam's home at Chennai, after he demits office as the People's President on July 25. Kalam has already informed that he would move into the room the same evening when his five-year term at Rashtrapati Bhavan ends. He has informed the VC that a single room would be sufficient for him as he is a single man.
Interestingly, Kalam had lived in the Guest House from November 2001 to May 2002 when he was Emeritus Professor of Societal and Technology Transformation. Kalam would go to bed at 1 a.m. or 2 a.m. and wake up at 6 a.m. to take a walk, waving to students and acknowledging their smile. (With grateful acknowledgements to 'The New Indian Express' of July 20, 2007)
Eyecatchers-5: 'Online Sorority' by Sunanda Mehta
This is a wonderful article by Sunanda Mehta and am glad to furnish excerpts from the article which is eminently readable, especially if you are a woman. Congratulations Ms Sunanda Mehta!
"Once upon a time there was the Dear Diary. Now it is the blog. Once it was strictly private. Now it is all about sharing and soliciting responses. From Manhattan to Mumbai, Canada to Chandigarh, everyday emotions, routines, triumphs, troubles, advice and recipes are being posted on the Net. The community has transcended all borders of caste, creed and culture. It is the online sisterhood.
From eveteasing to blind dates, a newborn baby to mid-life crisis, heartbreaks to vehicle breakdowns - it is all there on the blogs. No wonder that a recent global online survey concluded that worldwide women blog more than men. Persus Development Corporation found that 56 per cent of bloggers it polled were women. Only 44 per cent were men. While that may not be true of India, where it is still believed that women lag behind men as bloggers, the number is growing.
Stalkers are a big worry for women bloggers. "Many women do not use their real names," says Juneja, who had a tough time shaking off a stalker from Hyderabad who had even started to post her pictures on his blog. Recently, Melody ...gave a presentation at the All India Blogers Meet in Pune on how to handle stalkers.
Is this why men outnumber women in India on blogosphere? "Women are holding themselves back. I know women who are very expressive. But they don't want to attract unwanted attention," says blogger Kiruba Shankar. "Women are better at expressing their feelings. They convey subtle things better." Which is perhaps why more men than women read their blogs. It is not voyeurism either.
So be it a release, a way to de-stress, a way to solicit a view or simply to connect with like minded people, blogging sure seems to be giving the Indian woman the space that tradition may have denied. Make that blogspace." (Gratefully excerpted from The New Sunday Express: Section 4 : Classified Reader Service dated July 15, 2007)
"Once upon a time there was the Dear Diary. Now it is the blog. Once it was strictly private. Now it is all about sharing and soliciting responses. From Manhattan to Mumbai, Canada to Chandigarh, everyday emotions, routines, triumphs, troubles, advice and recipes are being posted on the Net. The community has transcended all borders of caste, creed and culture. It is the online sisterhood.
From eveteasing to blind dates, a newborn baby to mid-life crisis, heartbreaks to vehicle breakdowns - it is all there on the blogs. No wonder that a recent global online survey concluded that worldwide women blog more than men. Persus Development Corporation found that 56 per cent of bloggers it polled were women. Only 44 per cent were men. While that may not be true of India, where it is still believed that women lag behind men as bloggers, the number is growing.
Stalkers are a big worry for women bloggers. "Many women do not use their real names," says Juneja, who had a tough time shaking off a stalker from Hyderabad who had even started to post her pictures on his blog. Recently, Melody ...gave a presentation at the All India Blogers Meet in Pune on how to handle stalkers.
Is this why men outnumber women in India on blogosphere? "Women are holding themselves back. I know women who are very expressive. But they don't want to attract unwanted attention," says blogger Kiruba Shankar. "Women are better at expressing their feelings. They convey subtle things better." Which is perhaps why more men than women read their blogs. It is not voyeurism either.
So be it a release, a way to de-stress, a way to solicit a view or simply to connect with like minded people, blogging sure seems to be giving the Indian woman the space that tradition may have denied. Make that blogspace." (Gratefully excerpted from The New Sunday Express: Section 4 : Classified Reader Service dated July 15, 2007)
Eyecatchers-4: 'The Encyclopedia of Life' by Riyap KP
ALL ABOUT LIFE : The Encyclopedia of Life (eol)
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If every man's death diminished John Donne, every advancement in the Net elates Suri. This article made me immensely happy as if I had something to do with that advancement. It is so personal! Now to the article:
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If every man's death diminished John Donne, every advancement in the Net elates Suri. This article made me immensely happy as if I had something to do with that advancement. It is so personal! Now to the article:
"This is a free online collaborative bio-encyclopedia to be compiled by experts. It will detail all 1.8 million known plant and animal species in a net archive! This archive would help conservation efforts besides being useful tool for education. It will also provide valuable bio-diversity and conservation information to anyone, anywhere, at any time.
This Wikipedia-style webpage will detail each organism's genome, geographic distribution, phylogenetic position, habitat and ecological relationships. The Bio-diversity Heritage Library will scan tens of millions of pages to provide open access to the relevant scientific literature which it holds. The first 1.25 millions pages have already been digitised in scanning centres in London, Boston, and Washington DC.
The pages are housed at http://www.eol.org/ will provide written information, photos, video, sound, location maps and other multimedia information on each species. The info will be able available in all major languages.
This non-profit project is expected to take about ten years and is being supported with US $ 12.5 million in grants from the John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation and the Alfred P Sloan Foundation. The founding partners of the project include the Field Museum of Natural History, Harvard University, the Marine Biological Laboratory, the Smithsonian Institution, the Bio-diversity Heritage Library and the Missouri Botanical Garden." (Gratefully excerpted from The New Indian Express : Education Express dated July 20, 2007)
This Wikipedia-style webpage will detail each organism's genome, geographic distribution, phylogenetic position, habitat and ecological relationships. The Bio-diversity Heritage Library will scan tens of millions of pages to provide open access to the relevant scientific literature which it holds. The first 1.25 millions pages have already been digitised in scanning centres in London, Boston, and Washington DC.
The pages are housed at http://www.eol.org/ will provide written information, photos, video, sound, location maps and other multimedia information on each species. The info will be able available in all major languages.
This non-profit project is expected to take about ten years and is being supported with US $ 12.5 million in grants from the John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation and the Alfred P Sloan Foundation. The founding partners of the project include the Field Museum of Natural History, Harvard University, the Marine Biological Laboratory, the Smithsonian Institution, the Bio-diversity Heritage Library and the Missouri Botanical Garden." (Gratefully excerpted from The New Indian Express : Education Express dated July 20, 2007)
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Books-7: "Daily Divine Digest"
This is a pocket book meant for daily use. It contains 365 topics of interest and help to spiritual aspirants for the 365 days of the year, date-wise. Author of this book, Srimat Swami Chidbhavanandaji Maharaj, is a disciple of Srimat Swami Sivanandaji Mahraj, second President of the Ramakrishna Order. He founded Sri Ramakrishna Tapovanam at Tirupparaithurai, near Trichy in Tamil Nadu. The swamiji attained ‘Mahasamadhi’ in . I had been to Tapovanam three times when the swamiji was alive and had the good fortune to receive his blessings.A few lines from the Introduction of this book: “The search for Reality is inborn in man. Ceaselessly it is going on. Geographical limitations and traditional upbringing are no barriers to it. The quest would stop only with the attainment of Union with Reality.
….
Tenets belonging to all the four paths (Karma Yoga or the Path of Action; Raja Yoga or the Path of Self-control; Bhakti Yoga or the Path of Devotion; and Jnana Yoga or the Path of Knowledge) are interspersed in this little book. Their being mixed up is a psychological necessity. As the change of diet is relishing to the tongue, change of theme is refreshing to the mind. An ardent daily pursuit of a page in this book is bound to enrich the spiritual caliber of the aspirant. Pursuit is to be followed by reflection.”
As a sample, I am giving below the entry for today, the 19th July:
“THE AXLE
The wheel turns having the axle as the basis. The axle is not only the basis, it also keeps the movement of the wheel under control. Such is also the structure of nature.
Motion is relative. A moving object requires an immovable basis to move on. The moving planets have the fixed space to move on. The perishing things have the persisting Consciousness as the axle or basis. Nature rests and moves on Consciousness.
In man Consciousness is the axle on which the body and mind move and evolve – Vedanta”
My Favourite Poem-7: 'No Man is an Island ' by John Donne
No man is an island entire of itself;
every man is a piece of the continent,
a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less,
as well as if a promontory were,
as well as any manner of thy friends or of thine own were;
any man's death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know
for whom the bell tolls;
it tolls for thee.
This is a great favourite of mine. I came across this poem first while reading Hemingway's 'For Whom the Bell Tolls'. This poem highlights the non-dualistic ('advaidic') outlook and stresses the interconnectedness of human beings. The inner core of all beings is the same and hence we are all one. It is illusion (maya) that makes us think we are separate. This illusion divides humanity and leads to all sorts of conflicts and blood-shed. Following article beautifully conveys the essence of this poem: ttp://isu.indstate.edu/ilnprof/ENG451/ISLAND/island.html
Authors Bio, Works and other materials: http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/donne/ and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Donne
every man is a piece of the continent,
a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less,
as well as if a promontory were,
as well as any manner of thy friends or of thine own were;
any man's death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know
for whom the bell tolls;
it tolls for thee.
This is a great favourite of mine. I came across this poem first while reading Hemingway's 'For Whom the Bell Tolls'. This poem highlights the non-dualistic ('advaidic') outlook and stresses the interconnectedness of human beings. The inner core of all beings is the same and hence we are all one. It is illusion (maya) that makes us think we are separate. This illusion divides humanity and leads to all sorts of conflicts and blood-shed. Following article beautifully conveys the essence of this poem: ttp://isu.indstate.edu/ilnprof/ENG451/ISLAND/island.html
Authors Bio, Works and other materials: http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/donne/ and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Donne
A Door into Hindi by Afroz Taj
"A Door into Hindi" by Afroz Taj is an interactive, multimedia Elementary Hindi learning website. It contains lessons and learning resources for the beginners. They are planning to have 24 video-based lessons with accompanying scrolling texts, grammar notes, glossaries, cultural notes, “video-professors,” and other learning resources. All 24 lesson videos filmed in India and Pakistan over the past two years are in the editing stage now. The lessons will be coming online over the course of this year, with approximately one new lesson coming up each week. Lessons 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 are ready now. Learning resources and exercises are being added on an on-going basis. If you would like to receive email announcements as new features are added, please send an email to “taj@unity.ncsu.edu”
This material will be useful to students taking a standard University Hindi course, as well as to students studying independently, with or without a native speaking conversation partner or tutor. For details: http://taj.chass.ncsu.edu/index.html
My Favourite Short Story-5 : 'How Much Land Does A Man Need' by Leo Tolstoy
"How Much Land Does a Man Need? is an 1886 short story by Leo Tolstoy about a man who, in his lust for land, forfeits everything, including his own life. Late in life, James Joyce called it the greatest short story ever written.
After slowly accumulating more and more property, a greedy Russian named Pahom hears that the Bashkirs, a minority race in Russia, are practically giving their land away. He decides to visit them and they offer him as much land as he wants, provided he can walk its perimeter in one day. Pahom agrees and goes out on his trek, but when the sun starts to set, he finds he has walked too far. Running back, Pahom collapses at the starting point just as the sun disappears behind the horizon. The Bashkirs try to congratulate him, only to find him dead. In answer to the question posed in the title, the Bashkirs bury him in a hole six feet long by two feet wide.
Anton Chekhov, one of Tolstoy's greatest admirers, retorted: "It is a common saying that a man needs only six feet of earth. But six feet is what a corpse needs, not a man... Man needs not six feet of earth, not a farm, but the whole globe, all of nature, where unhindered he can display all the capacities and peculiarities of his free spirit." (Wikipedia)
After slowly accumulating more and more property, a greedy Russian named Pahom hears that the Bashkirs, a minority race in Russia, are practically giving their land away. He decides to visit them and they offer him as much land as he wants, provided he can walk its perimeter in one day. Pahom agrees and goes out on his trek, but when the sun starts to set, he finds he has walked too far. Running back, Pahom collapses at the starting point just as the sun disappears behind the horizon. The Bashkirs try to congratulate him, only to find him dead. In answer to the question posed in the title, the Bashkirs bury him in a hole six feet long by two feet wide.
Anton Chekhov, one of Tolstoy's greatest admirers, retorted: "It is a common saying that a man needs only six feet of earth. But six feet is what a corpse needs, not a man... Man needs not six feet of earth, not a farm, but the whole globe, all of nature, where unhindered he can display all the capacities and peculiarities of his free spirit." (Wikipedia)
A Thought for Today-25: July 19, 2007
We can harness the energy of the winds, the seas, the sun. But the day man learns how to harness the energy of love, that will be as important as the discovery of fire - Teilhard de Chardin
Eyecatchers-3: '92 and still going strong'
Women's Christian College, Chennai, turns a vibrant 92 in July 2007. The second oldest women's college in Chennai, WCC, situated on College Road, Nungambakkam, is a proud combination of its rich heritage and dynamic creativity. Founded in 1915 by the united effort of 12 missionary societies, it was born with a vision to "liberate the energies of wisdom and devotion" which are latent in the women of India.
.....
With a focus on international standards, the College is on the verge of establishing academic linkages with Eastern University, Pennsylvania. It is also evolving synergies afresh with its sister college in U.S. Mt.Holyoke.....
WCC is marking its 25th year of Autonomy with an International Conference "Reinventing Paradigms in Liberal Arts Education", on August 10th and 11th 2007. The thrust areas of this conference are Total Quality Management in Academics, Research and Academic Excellence, Education Economics, Global Challenges and National Response and Transforming Culture and Society Through Liberal Arts Education - From 'The New Indian Express' dated July 19, 2007.
Eyecatchers-2: The 'Apt' Book by E.G.Paul
Proper communication has become very essential in the changing times for one to emerge successful, not only in personal life but also in business. English language assusmes great importance in various parts of the world as it bridges different communities and culture that co-exist in many parts of the world. Invariably ther is an inbuilt ambition in every one of us to present our feelings and ideas and communicate in the best manner possible, and the mechanics of the writing process and speaking styles always look towards improvisation. People are hungry for apt words.
In this context, KVD Publications has published a unique book 'Apt Word Explorer' (532 pages). There are a variety of dictionaries, thesauri, word-power books for masterly use of words, and others. Here the compiler makes the search for apt words easy by arraning chronologically in dictionary form, all common words, enriching them with adjectives and adverbs, phrases and usages. The compiler of this book Satya Prakash has tried to make an exhaustive compilation of words of better expression made in different contexts. I am sure that managers, scholars, students, journalists, advocates and all other professionals will be immensely benefited by this book - From 'The New Indian Express' dated July 19, 2007.
In this context, KVD Publications has published a unique book 'Apt Word Explorer' (532 pages). There are a variety of dictionaries, thesauri, word-power books for masterly use of words, and others. Here the compiler makes the search for apt words easy by arraning chronologically in dictionary form, all common words, enriching them with adjectives and adverbs, phrases and usages. The compiler of this book Satya Prakash has tried to make an exhaustive compilation of words of better expression made in different contexts. I am sure that managers, scholars, students, journalists, advocates and all other professionals will be immensely benefited by this book - From 'The New Indian Express' dated July 19, 2007.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
My Favourite Poem-6: 'A Smile costs Nothing ' (Anonymous)
A smaile costs nothing, but gives a lot.
It enriches those who receive it
Without making poorer those who give it.
A smile takes only moment, but
The memory of it can last for ever.
No one is so rich, or so mighty, that
They can get along without a smile.
And no one is so poor that
They cannot be made richer by a smile.
A smile brings rest to the weary,
Cheer to the discouraged, Sunshine to the sad,
And is nature's best cure for trouble.
This is also from the collection of Prof.S.Raghunathan.
It enriches those who receive it
Without making poorer those who give it.
A smile takes only moment, but
The memory of it can last for ever.
No one is so rich, or so mighty, that
They can get along without a smile.
And no one is so poor that
They cannot be made richer by a smile.
A smile brings rest to the weary,
Cheer to the discouraged, Sunshine to the sad,
And is nature's best cure for trouble.
This is also from the collection of Prof.S.Raghunathan.
A Thought for Today-24: July 18, 2007
All the secret of success is this: to pay as much attention to the means as to the ends.- Swami Vivekananda
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Sri Ramakrishna Math and Mission
I am a devotee of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Holy Mother Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda (Swamiji). Like many, through Swamiji I came to know about the other two. My lukewarm interest was kindled and rekindled by my friend, Dr.R.Janakiraman. During our bachelor days, he used to take me to Sri Ramakrishna Tapovanam, near Trichy, Tamilnadu, to see Srimat Swami Chidbhavanandaji Maharaj, a revered monk and a great soul. Because of him there are more than 100 institutions (schools, colleges, maths etc) in Tamilnadu today. He was a very great scholar. He has written many books, which are a real treat to the spiritually inclined. Again because of Janakirman, I went to Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai and Madurai. He used to present me on occasions like birthday books published by Sri Ramakrishna Math. After his departure from Karaikudi, when I was very much depressed, I happen to open a book presented by him: The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. That was a turning point in my life. I started going to the Madurai Math every month regularly. The then President of the Madurai Math, Srimat Swami Chidghananandaji Maharaj used to shower love and affection on me. Thus drawn by him, I started staying overnight at the Math for doing spiritual practices. I have posted my feelings about him elsewhere in this blog.When Srimat Swami Gahananandaji Maharaj visited Madurai for laying foundation stone for the Temple of Sri Ramakrishna, I had the good fortune receive spiritual initiation from him. Then in a spiritual fervour, I visited Belur Math(near Kolkatta) and stayed there for nine days. This was purely a spritual trip and hence I had no time for anything else at Kolkatta. I could visit holy places mentioned in the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna like the Dakshineshwar Temple and the various centres of the Math at Kamarpukur, Jayarambati, Shyampukur, Cossipore, Baranagore, Antpur, Baghbazar, Kankurgachhi and Gol Park. It was a wonderful and unforgettable experience.
For those who do not know much about the Math and Mission:
"Ramakrishna Math is a monastic order for men brought into existence by Sri Ramakrishna (1836-1886), the great 19th century saint of Bengal, who is regarded as the Prophet of Modern Age.
Ramakrishna Mission is a registered society in which monks of Ramakrishna Math and lay devotees cooperate in conducting various types of social service mainly in India. It was founded by Sri Ramakrishna's chief disciple and religious leader, Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902), who is regarded as 'one of the main moulders of the modern world', in the words of an eminent Western scholar.
These twin organizations have set in motion a non-sectarian, universal spiritual movement which has been silently working for more than a hundred years to catalyze the spiritual regeneration of humanity. The chief catalyst in this ongoing transformation is India's ancient religious philosophy known as a Vedanta...... In modern times, this ancient system of thought has been purified, unified and energized by Sri Ramakrishna, and expounded in the modern idiom by Swami Vivekananda and thus made available all over the world without any distinctions of caste, creed or race.
......
The ideology of Ramakrishna Math and Mission consists of the eternal principles of Vedanta as lived and experienced by Sri Ramakrishna and expounded by Swami Vivekananda. "
Some of the basic principles:
1. God realization is the ultimate goal of life.
2. Potential divinity of the soul.
3. Synthesis of the Yogas.
4. Morality based on Strength
5. Harmony of Reglions
6. All Work is Sacred.
7. Work as Worship.
8. Service to Man is Service to God.
Motto: "For one's salvation and for the welfare of the world"
Courtesy: "Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission - Their History, Ideals & Activities
Websites: http://www.belurmath.org/ and http://www.sriramakrishna.org/
My Favourite Short Story-4 : 'The Gift of the Magi' by O.Henry
This charming tale of love and mutual sacrifice of husband and wife is one of my favourites. Actually, this is the first story of O.Henry I read. This prompted me to read his other stories. A thoroughly enjoyable story in today's troubled times and broken homes. I induced my daughter to do a comparative study of 'The Gift of the Magi by O.Henry' and 'Where Love is, God is' by Leo Tolstoy for her M.A.dissertation.
To read the story: http://www.online-literature.com/o_henry/1014/
Works of O.Henry at Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/h
Discussion on the story: http://classiclit.about.com/cs/articles/a/aa_giftofmagi.htm
Bio of O.Henry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O._Henry
To read the story: http://www.online-literature.com/o_henry/1014/
Works of O.Henry at Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/h
Discussion on the story: http://classiclit.about.com/cs/articles/a/aa_giftofmagi.htm
Bio of O.Henry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O._Henry
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