Sooraj Nagabalaji
The “hard problem of consciousness” as put by David Chalmers is concerned with understanding why and how physical processes in the brain give rise to subjective experiences, also known as qualia. Chalmers argues that even if we were to fully understand the neural mechanisms and physical processes associated with consciousness, there would still be an “explanatory gap” in our understanding of why these processes give rise to subjective, conscious experiences. He started citing to Upanishads in many areas to explain this concept. Unless a person has gone through the teachings of Vedanta this phenomenological quest will sound mundane.
In the context of Advaita (non-dual) Vedanta, especially the concept of Sakuna Brahman, we can draw some parallels. Non-dual Vedanta posits the existence of Brahman, an ultimate, formless reality that transcends distinctions and is beyond conceptualization. Sakuna Brahman refers to Brahman with attributes or qualities, as opposed to Nirguna Brahman, which is Brahman without attributes. Religious practices strongly emphasize devotion to the personal aspect of the divine (bhakti) and, in doing so, establish a separation between the individual (jiva) and the Supreme Being (Ishwara) in most religions but only in Hindu philosophy it goes beyond this through the path of knowledge to explain that there are no distinctions.
In the exploration of consciousness, one could draw an analogy between the “hard problem” and the challenge of understanding how Sakuna Brahman (with attributes) is related to or gives rise to the multifaceted, varied experiences within the phenomenal world. Just as Chalmers highlights the gap in understanding the transition from physical processes to conscious experience, in a Vedantic context, there is an inquiry into the relationship between the attributed Sakuna Brahman and the diverse, manifested reality.
Chalmer attacks Cartesian dualism in its classical form, where mind and body are distinct substances. However, his emphasis on the subjective nature of consciousness and the difficulty in explaining it purely in terms of physical processes echoes some of the themes in the dualistic tradition. He introduces the concept of “property dualism,” suggesting that consciousness has irreducible properties that cannot be fully explained by physical properties alone, we can see these observations were lucidly explained in the yogin and advaitin in standard vedantic texts several thousand years back.
As we engage with the world and we perceive it to be true, which is the fundamental question of all the Upanishads. From a logical standpoint, the inquiry into why our individual experiences should constitute the consciousness of the ultimate consciousness where the hiranyagrabha plays the role of explaining these concepts. This perpetual seeking is crucial for self-realization, leading to the understanding that there is no duality—there is only the non-dual essence that is the ultimate reality, referred to as “ekam.”
Camus discusses the ideas of several philosophers including Heidegger, Chestov, and Kirilov on the human condition and the meaning of existence. Heidegger sees existence as humiliating and the only reality is anxiety and it is described as coldly examining the human condition and concluding that existence is characterized by “anxiety” and “anguish.” , He digs deeper into the existentialism with Chestov's as he said to have discovered the “fundamental absurdity of all existence” and to have concluded that God is the only solution, even if he is “incomprehensible and contradictory.” The character Kirilov is described as seeking the attribute of his divinity, which he finds to be independence, and he believes that if God does not exist, everything depends on humans.
These essays overall touches on themes of hopelessness, freedom, and the choice to live or die, with a focus on the need for greater understanding and the dangers of blind hope. The author also reflects on the implications of these ideas and raises questions about the meaning of existence and the role of suicide in resolving the “absurd”. Camus acknowledges that they can only understand the meaning of things in human terms, and they are faced with two conflicting realities: their desire for absolute understanding and unity, and the impossibility of reducing the world to a rational principle. Suicide, as an acceptance of everything being over, can settle the absurdity of existence, but the he knows that the absurdity must remain unsettled in order for life to continue. The absurdity of life is the shoelace that prevents the condemned man from falling into death, even in their last moments.
Throughout this philosophical essay, Camus explores the implications of living in a world without meaning and purpose, and his perspective on the absurd. As the central image of the essay, the Greek mythological figure Sisyphus is depicted, who was punished by the gods with rolling boulders up hills, only to roll them back down, and repeat this cycle for eternity. In this image, Camus illustrates the absurdity and struggle of the human quest for meaning in a meaningless world as a result of experience with the absurd.
The level of character viscerality in the story gradually shifts from an initial, socially acceptable level to a detailed contour map of each character in a given time and space. In doing so, the author helps the reader see the reality of their decision and persuades them to embrace them for who they are with the progression of time. In my opinion I observed that a strong emphasis is placed on the idea that once you leave a place you are from, you no longer belong there from the illustration of Dasan.
Just as people undergo different shades according to their conditioning here the space also evolves over time, changing their eccentricities and hues with time.
This book could not be classified as political fiction set in the former French colony of Mahe, as it would be an undertone, the breeze from the Mayyazhi goes beyond the verbal detailing in the book, where one can witness the play of emotions like the waves along the banks.
Would you like to see how our country's image has been derailed on international forums. And in case you've been intrigued by the unique world view of the Lutyens living overseas and in India, you'll definitely want to grab this book! Throughout the book, the journey of multiple characters is easily decoded through their hilarious stories. These caricatures depict how these scumbags never cared about the country, but remained hedonists to quench their thirst traps.
For instance, Zaroor, you will go on a laughter riot as it goes in detail from their bowel movements to their sky-high cortisol levels! Lol.
Having seen many Holocaust films, this book provides an understanding of not just the gas chambers and concentration camps, but also Jew's behavior after the war. As survivors, they are impacted by PTSD, which affects their family and societal structure. There is no doubt that the characters provide a different perspective from the usual narratives. As an ambitious Polish Jew, this guy tries a variety of businesses and settles on marrying a rich Jewish girl in order to achieve upward mobility. The Nazis are sketched as cats, the Jews as mice, the Americans as dogs, and the Poles as pigs and they are highly relevant to the narrative, to illustrate the the Nazi campaign. It is more common for rich Jews to speak the language of the locals rather than Yiddish, and to name their children after Christian names rather than Yiddish.
Till 1920's wealthy Jews were into pan European nationalism and they settled in eastern Europe, east-central Europe and south-eastern Europe. Both the legal status of Jewish communities and their internal development differed considerably from region to region. In western Europe, the process of emancipand later they split into three parts, the ultraorthodox Haisdic jews were ultraorthodox, the blue collar jews were communist, and the rich jews were capitalistic, their lack of unity cost them dearly after WW1. When the Nazi party began blaming the rich jews for the loss of Germany in WW1. With these things, we can see how the socialist movement engineered anger towards capitalist Jews. Overall the story moves as any comic would without getting into these subtleties. Even so, it's obvious from what has happened that this was a catastrophic event when all odds were against them. It was through sheer will and survival instincts that protagonis survives the genocide.
The major parts of the book deals with Industrial Revolution 4.0, the phenomena of automation, and the reality that the majority of people around the world are becoming unemployed by their middle ages and grow resistant to upskilling are the main focus of this book.
Other parts are dealt with the social engineering practices used by big techs to distort free will and sell narratives en masse to implant modern day digital colonisation.
From Katopanishad the concept of Shreyas and preyas are incited and these Vedic terms means a choice between spiritual and material paths . In choosing Shreyas, one discovers one's own truth. In choosing preyas, one seeks sensual, carnal gratification that pulls one away from self. This criteria has been established for a long time through the school of logic in Indian philosophy to differentiate what is dharmic and what is not-dharmic for collective consciousness, so it is especially impressive that the book analyses A.I with human gratification to unravel the problem at hand. The author cites Bhartrhari's Nitishatakam and the Bhagavad Gita from a non-dual lens to make reader understand what is what in consecutive sections, It is easy to draw parallels between these texts for people who have already dealt with them to get the analogy that author tries to exhibit.
Once again, the author exposes the reader to the present political diaspora, as he did in his earlier work Breaking India, and this is a reinforcement and pushes his best to be conscious of the situation.
In the book's first pages, readers are shown an image of a sculpture from the Hoysaleshwara Temple in Halabeedu of Abhimanyu, which can only be appreciated after finishing the book and trying to grasp its value. As long as it remains an iconography, it remains merely a representation. This is something I have seen at this site, but I have never understood the significance of it. Now, after completion, I recognize how many similar meanings are underlying over these works.
This book contains several tales about Abhimanyu from the Mahabharata that the author has gathered masterfully. A simple yet elegant narrative effortlessly binds the sequence like a ride for the senses. When I was reading, I transitioned into Abhimanyu, while hearing Krishna speak about the Vyuha from Subhadra's womb also while looking for the Arjuna, and was also receiving battle training from Pradhyumna; and was eventually killed by deviousness. These turnarounds have all been interesting, and the scale is presented clearly here.
As I feel this book is appropriate for a wide audience, I would have preferred more realistic cover art than cartoon sketches like Chota Bheem.
Und so lang du das nicht hast, Dises: stirb und werde Bist su nur ein trüber, Gast Auf der dunklen Erde - Goethe
Transl: As long as you do not know how to die and come to life again, you are but a distressed traveler on this dark earth...
Life, in existence, is deemed a positive experience to the same degree that death is considered a bad encounter. The more a person is able to attach another person and enjoy his/her company the greater is the grief at their death or in separation. By using simple events that we observe on a daily basis, Watts subtly conveys the essence of non-dualism and Zen throughout the book. As he points out in many instances how materialistic conditioning since childhood destroys the morality of Quale because the man dwells deeper in these pursuit of material and couldn't satiate his brainy endeavors as the goal post will shift perpetually. Nevertheless, he never portrays them as evil. instead, he asks the observer to see the transcendence of the world and find the middle path to comprehend the calmness, similar to the Vijnana-bhairva of Kashimiri Shaivism which deals with attention to paradigm of relations.
Having listened to lectures of Alan Watts's for several years, I have come to realize he is one of the few westerners who understand the core of eastern philosophy.
The 9137 shlokas of this Purana have really no cohesion because mostly they are all Q&As between Vysa and Lomaharshana/ Urgashravs, indeed randomly opening the purana's pages can yield unique insight. This is one of the merits of the Puranas: anyone can pick any chapter and promptly grasp its principles. In these two volumes, the author includes a wealth of footnotes that, in a sense, function as a lexicon of Sanskrit terminologies, but most of these comments require context to make sense.
The author leans on the footnotes to provide a running commentary that enables the reader to understand the context without decelerating because they are usually clear in breaking down the ambiguous narratives in the purana and don't usually seem to have any interpretations to the original texts.The preponderance of the events are transpiring in the Prathame (First section) of the Kaliyuga, rendering it both amusing and extremely disquieting to read the accounts . In conjunction to this, there are values that are interwoven here between the Savarnas and Avarnas, and the place of women and their parameters are expressed in depth.
The properties of the Maya Viksepa Shakti, yoga practise, and Samkhya (Dvaitam) are explored in later sections, along with the implications of Dharma, Artha, and Kama on realising the Ishwara. Part I is therefore finished, and Part II is realised in the form of the Goutami Mahatmya, which underscores the advantages of Tirthas in realising the Supreme. Numerous intangible heritage and landscape of this Mahtmyam have endured the test of time and continue to aid in our understanding of the cultural landscape of the Ganga to the Thamirabarani regions and the qualities of these landscapes to help jiva break free from the cycle of samsara.
With numerous incidents in the Indian history, there are certain factions which always endure to distort the facts to suit their narratives and keep the indigenous values at lowest tone and tenor. As they have seen triumph these many days in various aspects to keep the truth not accessible to the masses. Among those clubs such are the cults from the barren lands, whose religion is “Terrorism” and it is the only form of expression they have expertise.
Swami Vivekananda, in his discourse exposes these despotisms and treachery against Chatrapati Shivaji and his subjects.
These accounts as viewed by Swami lucidly builds up the grit & valor of Maharaj complementing his secular activity with his spiritual inclination, which he imbibed from his Guru Ramdas and his becoming of the ‘Shivaji the Great' gives us an experience to understand profoundness of his nature.
The author introduces puranas in general and cites the work that provided inspiration for the two-volume Brahma Purana. The emphasis on which Itihasas are classified as additions and puranas, as well as the traits that are given to them, is a revelation to me. Through his scholarship, he also explores these qualities and makes it obvious what is and is not a Purana.
The beginning of the Brahmapurana goes on to describe the formation of asuras and devas and gives copious information pertaining to Manvantaras, the rulers (Manus) of successive yugas, and their genealogy. This sets the tone of shristi manifestations and reveals key facets of the Akanda. These insights help to elucidate the basic tenets of Gotra, Sutra, and their chronological progression. A comprehensive account of Aditya and his contributions to the world. In subsequent sections, the Pancha Maha-Bhoota, the trigunas (Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas), and the BMW paradigm (Body, Mind, and World) are explained.
A number of chapters of Vol-I focus on Karma-Mimamsa rites, their implications, and strategies for dealing with Punya and Papa in relation to the karmic balances. Apparently, people have always sought comfort in their lives. The Puranas present remedies for now and the future that will allow them to reach places like Vaikunta, Shveta Dvipa, and Kailasha, etc..
Throughout this temporal constellation of time in life, ideas and thoughts are racing through mind with the burden we carry forward in the name and forms of karma. We, as individuals, become disoriented on this path by not envisioning we are in a vicious cycle of life and death but only seeking pleasure in various forms. As we lose our ability to grasp the wider picture because we try to comprehend such abstracts through the senses that we can perceive which can only deceive . One can connect the dots and learn about the patterns that we are stuck in through Mahabharata and other great Ithihasas, as well as reflect on the transcending thoughts that help us make decisions, in a way help us to see in birds eye view and not getting stuck in the loop of thought, despite the staggering cosmic odds.
The following maxims are mental models that can provide a framework for bringing a positive outlook to everyday events while remaining unaffected by the outcomes. Various chapters in this book are attributed to various gunas and highlight the key aspects that are central to the Mahabharata, setting a premise to understand the key excerpts of Mahabharatha in a few pages.
शीतला-refers to cool in sanskrit, this story is a classic anecdote and sets a premise of how a young woke challenges her grandfather through her colonial education which has shaped her way of thinking and how her cool grandfather, an erudite scholar of Ayurveda strategizes and removes ignorance (avidya) by providing a clear mental model intermittently of why you should not buy the narrative of modern Wikipedia scientists instead of a dedicated sources. Its a common fashion nowadays as there are many so called Pseudoscientific detectives on the internet deceive and try to act as intellectuals to establish everything associated with ancient India as superstition and pseudoscience.
In the eight decade of Independence and many political rifes, we get to witness the horrors of the so-called Imperial governments' mismanagement and incompetence in colonization and the treachery they committed. The book encapsulates all the horrors that occurred in Bengal in 1943 under the government of Churchill. Nizammudin, Fazlul Huq, and the Moslem League of India, all of which were equally responsible for the genocide of Bengal, which resulted in the deaths of 3.5 million people, 20 percent of Bengal's surviving population. It is heart wrenching to read the firsthand information written on ‘Panchsher Manwantar ‘by Syama Prasad Mookerjee, which is translated by the author in this book points out the simple truth of the catastrophe lucidly that was orchestrated by Churchill, Viceroy Linlithgow and the Muslim League within the guise of the British Raj to topple the popular ministry by valuing boats, and denial of humanitarian aid provided by Canada and Australia by stripping rice from people and back chanelling to the the lunatics fighting the greedy war in WWII. It is critical to note that the author has succinctly described the truth as a revelation by illustrating how these crimes of mismanagement by Churchill and Et al. were related to the Ukraine famine engineered by the Soviet Union. The enduring need for books like these is especially acute, as we are witnessing low production levels in agriculture and a contemporary crisis affecting India's neighbors, such as Sri Lanka, still on the brink of enslavement by modern-day treachery. When a country is unable to sustain its food production for its citizens, and it tries to compete for exports, and it loses all sanity in the process.
Though these essays were written a few decades ago, they still speak to our present day and reveal how bleak the future sounds if we ignore or overlook the epic solidity of puranas and ignore the steps to self-actualization pramanas provided by our ancient knowledge in many Itihasas. Increasingly today we can see modern corporate gurus claiming to know everything without ever mentioning the sources from which they imbibed the principles for their economic generation.
This book is a compendium of foundational aspects of Inidan philosophy with clear distinctions between his own thoughts and the sources he refers to in his citations. In hindsight, he debates and grasps how completely Indian life has been disrupted and reflects on how the strain of English education only takes a single generation to undermine tradition and produce an intellectual pariah who is neither east nor west. The greatest danger for India is losing her spiritual integrity. In fact, education remains the most challenging issue for India. Today, it revolves around economic issues.
The author aims to illustrate why you should be a polymath in this accessible world and what benefits you will gain from it, even if you are exceptional at one thing. Generalization widens your scope and gives you a greater capacity for adapting to new situations considering the highly fluctuating world.
There are many ethical dilemmas associated with psychedelics, seeing people use them as dietary supplements when their thoughts are conflicted without understanding what is being ingested into their bodies and minds.
There is invariably substance advocacy in this book, with anecdotes that are modelled under controlled environments to evidence the scientific support. From the first chapters to the midpoint, the book is an exciting new experience, but at later stages, your brain completes the events automatically.
Since I've intermittently been reading this book for the past 2 years, I've gained a few insights on how external stimulation can entertain neurons with psychedelics that have taught me how we humans behave to grab more dopamine at any given point in time to escape from the great monotony.
The successful warrior is the average man, with laserlike focus – Bruce Lee
This book discusses sophisticated information about various real-life cases studies about key people and their traits who are involved in running top firms that makes the reader inquisitive. Daniel Goleman is known for his research on emotional intelligence, well this book touches why emotional quotient is important and the success rate of leaders who have innate quality to empathise. Here and there you will get more interesting anecdotes.
Politics, geography, demography, economy, art and many other elements of chronology related to Mysore are explored in such a way that the truth of the Mysore since the fall of Vijayanagar to the neutralization of the Wodeyars by the East India Company becomes apparent with every section of the book,
With the author's extensive knowledge of Music the heriatge of musical landscape is documented in great detail, there were also many instances the author has made the crux of court scenes come to life; with many paramanas and technical details on the art, he highlights the dominance of Indian Art by and that has yet to become a renaissance
Understanding the battle strategy, dynamics of holding people, and the key decisions made by women at that time helped Mysore survive throughout various seasons. It is a maze of information to contemplate. You will be captivated throughout the journey - but, until you realize that you are are an avid history buff, it will be cumbersome process to complete this book.
This book is an experience for an individual to comprehend the great battle of Kurukshetra, one needs a certain level of sukshma to understand the series of events in the war, and this was brought home well by the author here.
Even though I felt certain portions repeated, I understood this is to move the reader to the next scene while recalling later sequentially throughout the book. So this book provides a first-hand experience to visualize the scenes in the readers' canvas of mind.
This meta workaround enforces the reader to contemplate and seek out the backgrounds of each character also to examine their mannerism, to gain an insight into their lives, Why and what made them be this. Therefore, the reader becomes more curious about the lives of the characters in the Bharatavarsha.
Being the average person who ponders on approval given by others and has existential crisis regarding subjective and objective characteristic of living a good life, a struggle of duality with which human tries to contend with and fails.
This book attempts to convey this dilemma in a very lucid way, so that the readers gain clear insight on how we live the life we live by ignoring the hard truth without any conviction
