60^th year of Indian independence – trying to reflect back

 India being a country more than 5000 years of culture and tradition filled with natural resources for years to come in, this is one question, which stayed in my mind for years and of-course left unanswered.

 What have we achieved in the last 60 years, are we really free and are we heading to the right direction. 

Few highlights which more or less give one a fairly answers  Our growth in information technology, telecom, retail business, aviation, automobile for instance u name it and India is there.

 We are the 4^th largest economy in the world and just next to USA, China, and Japan. Thanks to all NRI who are pumping so much of foreign exchange that we are now the fifth largest foreign exchange reserves in the world.

 Though we have so much of foreign investment we still have a relatively poor infrastructure.

  The gap between the richer and the poorer have still been increasing.

 With all the natural resources that we have and self sufficient for food, our farmers still commit suicide for unable to pay their debts.

 Increase number of foreign investment and technology in the country the crime rates have substantially increased.

  By saying this I hope to put in a serious thought in the readers mind to help and contribute which helps every one to get our country move one step ahead.

 Vande Mataram.  

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INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION

 The Indus civilization or the Harappan civilization, which flourished during the Bronze Age i.e. 2500-2000 BC is ranked among the four widely known civilizations of the old world. Extensive excavation work that has been done since Independence has so far identified more than 100 sites belonging to this civilization. A few prominent among them are Dholavira (Gujarat), Kalibangan (Rajasthan), Lothal (Gujarat), Sarkotada (Gujarat), Diamabad (Maharashtra), Alamgirpur (U.P.), Bhagwanpura (Haryana), Banawali (Haryana), Kuntasi, Padri (Gujarat) and Mauda (Jammu).  Extensive town planning was the characteristic of this civilization, which is evident from the gridiron pattern for the layout of cities, some with fortifications and the elaborate drainage and water management systems. The houses were built of baked bricks, which is rare in contemporary civilizations at Mesopotamia and Egypt. Bricks of fixed sizes, as well as stone and wood were also  used for building. Buildings in the lower area are rather monotonous, being mainly functional rather than decorative. But many houses are two storeyed. The most imposing of the buildings is the Great Bath of Mohenjodaro.  It is 54.86 metres long and 32.91 metres wide and with 2.43 metres thick outer walls.  The Bath had galleries and rooms on all sides. Another important structure was the Granary complex comprising of blocks with an overall area of 55 x 43 metres. The granaries were intelligently constructed, with strategic air ducts and platforms divided into units.

 THE MAURYAN PERIOD

 If the remnants of the Indus culture are excluded, the earliest surviving architectural heritage in India is that of the Mauryans. The Mauryan period was a great landmark in the history of Indian art. Some of the monuments and pillars belonging to this period are considered as the finest specimens of Indian art. The Mauryan architecture was embalmed in timber, for rocks and stones were not as freely in use then. The art of polishing of wood reached so much perfection during the Mauryan period that master craftsmen used to make wood glisten like a mirror.  Chandra Gupta Maurya had built many buildings, palaces and monuments with wood, most of which perished with time. In 300 B.C., Chandragupta Maurya constructed a wooden fort 14.48 km long and 2.41km wide, along the Ganges in Bihar. However, only a couple of teak beams have survived from this fort.  Ashoka was the first Mauryan Emperor who began to “think in stone”. The stonework of the Ashokan Period (3^rd century B.C.) was of a highly diversified order and comprised of lofty free-standing pillars, railings of the stupas, lion thrones and other colossal figures. The use of stone had reached such great perfection during this time that even small fragments of stone art was given a high lustrous polish resembling fine enamel. While most of the shapes and decorative forms employed were indigenous in origin, some exotic forms show the influence of Greek, Persian and Egyptian cultures. The Ashokan period marked the beginning of the Buddhist School of architecture in India.  It witnessed the construction of many rock-cut caves, pillars, stupas and palaces. A number of cave-shrines belonging to this period have been excavated in the Barabar and Nagarjuni hills and Sitamarhi in Bihar. These rock-cut sanctuaries, quarried from large masses of rocks called gneisses, are simple in plan and are devoid of all interior decorative carvings. The caves served as the residences of the monks. There are several inscriptions, which indicate that these rock-cut sanctuaries were constructed by Emperor Ashoka for the monks of the Ajivika sect, who are more closely related to the Jains than to the Buddhists. The Ashokan rock-edict at Dhauli, near Bhubaneshwar, is considered to be the earliest rock-cut sculpture in India.  It has a sculpted elephant on the top, which signifies the Emperor’s conversion to Buddhism after his Kalinga victory.  The monolithic Ashokan pillars are marvels of architecture and sculpture. These were lofty free standing monolithic columns erected on sacred sites. Originally there were about thirty pillars but now only ten are in existence, of which only two with lion capitals stand in situ in good condition at Kolhua and Laurya Nandangarh respectively. Each pillar was about 15.24 metres high and weighed about 50 tonnes and was made out of fine sandstone. The pillar consisted of three parts-the prop, the shaft and the capitol. The capitol consisted of fine polished stone containing one or more animal figures in the round. Made of bricks, they carried declarations from the king regarding Buddhism or any other topic. The pillars did not stand in isolation and were usually found near stupas in a spot either unknowingly marked by the Buddha himself or along the royal route to Magadha, the capital. The Sarnath pillar is one of the finest pieces of sculpture of the Ashokan period. The Ashokan pillars also throw light on the contacts India had with Persia and other countries.  Two of the Ashkan edicts have also been found at Laghman, near Jalalabad in modern Afghanistan. Ashoka was responsible for the construction of several stupas, which were large halls, capped with domes and bore symbols of the Buddha. The most important ones are located at Bharhut, Bodhgaya, Sanchi, Amravati and Nagarjunakonda. The Buddhist shrines or the monasteries were built in somewhat irregular designs following the Gandhara style of architecture. Built on the patterns of a fort and defended by a stone wall, the monastery evolved from the site of an ancient stupa. The principle buildings were housed within a rectangular courtyard with a stupa in the south and the monastery in the north.  Ashoka had also built a number of palaces, but most of them have perished. Ashoka’s palace near Patna was a masterpiece. Enclosed by a high brick wall, the highlight of the palace was an immense 76.2 metres high pillared-hall having three storeys. The Chinese traveller Fahien was so impressed by this palace that he stated that “it was made by spirits” and that its carvings are so elegantly executed “which no human hands of this world could accomplish”. Made mostly of wood, it seems to have been destroyed by fire. Its existence was pointed out during the excavations at Kumrahar, near Patna, where its ashes have been found preserved for several thousand years.

 THE STUPAS

 Sanchi Stupas:   The early stupas were hemispherical in shape with a low base. The hemispherical shape symbolized the cosmic mountain. The later stupas assumed an increasingly cylindrical form. The early stupas were known for their simplicity. Apart from the than ruins of stupa at Piprahwa (Nepal), the core of stupa No 1 at Sanchi can be considered as the oldest of the stupas. Originally built by Asoka, it was enlarged in subsequent centuries.  An inscription by the ivory carvers of Vidisha on the southern gateway throws light on the transference of building material from perishable wood and ivory to the more durable stone. 

Amaravati Stupa:

Amaravati stupa, built in 2nd or 1st century BC was probably like the one at Sanchi, but in later centuries it was transformed from a Hinayana shrine to a Mahayana shrine. The diameter of the dome of the stupa at ground level was about 48.76 metres and its height was about 30 metres. Amaravati stupa is different from the Bharhut and Sanchi stupas. It had free-standing columns surmounted by lions near the gateways. The dome was covered with sculptured panels. The stupa had an upper circumambulatory path on the drum as at Sanchi. This path had two intricately carved railings. The stone is greenish-white limestone of the region.  

Gandhara stupa:

The Gandhara stupa is a further development of stupas at Sanchi and Bharhut.  In Gandhara stupas the base, dome and the hemisphere dome are sculpted. The stupa tapers upward to form a tower like structure. The stupas of Nagarjunakonda in Krishna valley were very large. At the base there were brick walls forming wheel and spokes, whish were filled with earth. The Maha Chaitya of Nagarjunakonda has a base in the form of Swastika, which is a sun symbol.

 THE SUNGAS, KUSHANS AND SATAVAHANAS

 The Mauryan dynasty crumbled after Asoka’s death in 232 B.C. In its wake came the Sungas and Kushans in the north and the Satavahanas in the south. The period between 2nd century B.C. and 3rd century A.D. marked the beginning of the sculptural idiom in Indian sculpture where the elements of physical form were evolving into a more refined, realistic and expressive style. The sculptors strived at mastering their art, especially of the human body, which was carved in high relief and bore heaviness and vigour.  These dynasties made advances in art and architecture in areas like stone construction, stone carving, symbolism and beginning of temple (or chaitya hall) and the monastery (or vihara) constructions. Under these dynasties the Asokan stupas were enlarged and the earlier brick and wood works were replaced with stone-works. For instance, the Sanchi Stupa was enlarged to nearly twice its size in 150 B.C. and elaborate gateways were added later. The Sungas also reconstructed the railings around the Barhut Stupa. The Sungas also built the toranas or the gateways to the stupas. An inscription at the Barhut Stupa indicates that the torana was built during the reign of Sungas i.e. 184-72 B.C. These toranas indicate the influence of Hellenistic and other foreign schools in the Sunga architecture.  The Satavahanas constructed a large number of stupas at Goli, Jaggiahpeta, Bhattiprolu, Gantasala, Nagarjunakonda and Amravati. During the Kushan period (1-3 A.D.), the Buddha was represented in human form instead of symbols. Buddha’s image in endless forms and replicas became the principal element in Buddhist sculpture during the Kushan period. Another feature of this period was that the Emperor himself was shown as a divine person. The Kushans were the pioneers of the Gandhara School of Art and a large number of monasteries; stupas and statues were constructed during the reign of Kanishka.  

 THE SCHOOLS OF ART

 The Gandhara School of Art  (50 B.C. to 500 A.D.): The Gadhara region extending from Punjab to the borders of Afghanistan was an important centre of Mahayana Buddhism up to the 5th century A.D. The region became famous throughout the world since a new school of Indian sculpture known as the Gandhara School developed during that period. Owing to its strategic location the Gandhara School imbibed all kinds of foreign influences like Persian, Greek, Roman, Saka and Kushan. The origin of Gandhara art can be traced to the Greek rulers of Bactria and Northwest India. But it was during the reign of Kanishka that the art received great patronage.  The Gandhara School of Art is also known as the Graeco-Buddhist School of Art since Greek techniques of Art were applied to Buddhist subjects.  The most important contribution of the Gandhara School of Art was the evolution of beautiful images of the Buddha and Bodhisattavas, which were executed in black stone and modelled on identical characters of Graeco-Roman pantheon. Hence it is said, “the Gandhara artist had the hand of a Greek but the heart of an Indian.” The most characteristic trait of Gandhara sculpture is the depiction of Lord Buddha in the standing or seated positions. The seated Buddha is always shown cross-legged in the traditional Indian way. Another typical feature of the Gandhara Art is the rich carving, elaborate ornamentation and complex symbolism. The best specimens of Gandhara art are from Jaulian and Dharmarajika stupa at Taxila and from Hadda near Jalalabad in modern Afghanistan. The tallest rock-cut statue of Lord Buddha is also located at Bamiyan in modern Afghanistan and dates back to 3-4 century AD.

 The Mathura School of Art:

 The Mathura School of art flourished at the holy city of Mathura, especially between 1-3 A.D.  It established the tradition of transforming Buddhist symbols into human form. Buddha’s first image can be traced to Kanishka’s reign (about 78 A.D.). The earliest sculptures of Buddha were made keeping the

yaksha prototype in mind. They were depicted as strongly built with the right hand raised in protection and the left hand on the waist. The figures produced by this school of art do not have moustaches and beards as in the Gandhara Art. These figures can be seen in the museum of Mathura. The standing Buddha figures resembles the yaksha figures and indicates the Kushan influence. The seated figures are in the padmasana posture.   The Mathura School not only produced beautiful images of the Buddha but also of the Jain Tirthankaras and gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon. Many scholars believe that the Mathura School of Art, although of indigenous origin, was greatly influenced by the Gandhara School of Art. The Guptas adopted the Mathura School of Art and further improvised and perfected it.

 The Amravati School of Art:

This school of art developed at Amravati, on the banks of the Krishna River in modern Andhra Pradesh.  It is the site for the largest Buddhist stupa of South India.  Its construction began in 200 B.C. and was completed in 200 A.D. The diameter of the stupa at the base was 51 metres. The height of the dome was 31 metres and its outer railing was 5 metres wide. The stupendous stupa could not withstand the ravages of time and its ruins are preserved in the London Museum.

www.culturopedia .com

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Hinduism is also referred as Vaidika Dharma, meaning “religion of the Vedas,” in the ancient Hindu scriptures. Hinduism is not strictly a religion. It is based on the practice of Dharma, the code of life. The original name of Hindu Dharma is Sanatana Dharma, or “universal religion.” The underlying tenets of Hinduism cannot be easily defined. Unlike other religions, Hindu Dharma did not originate from a single person, a single book, or at a single point in time. The foundations of this oldest surviving religion were laid by ancient rishis (sages), who taught their disciples the eternal principles of life they had discovered through their meditations. Hindu Dharma is essentially a religion of principles rather than persons. Since Hinduism has no founder, anyone who practices Dharma can call himself a Hindu. Statistically, there are over 700 million Hindus, concentrated mainly in India and Nepal.  

FUNDAMENTALS OF HINDUISM

Hindu religious thought is based upon the belief in the Ultimate Reality (Brahman of the Upanishads), faith in the reality of the spirit (atman), and faith in the spiritual order of the world. The Rig Veda, the oldest Hindu scripture says: “Ekam sat vipraha, bahudha vadanti”, meaning “Truth is one, the wise call it by various names.” This doctrine recognizes that the Ultimate Reality possesses infinite potential, power and intelligence, and therefore cannot be limited by a single name or form. Thus, Hindus view the Ultimate Reality as having two aspects: impersonal and personal. The impersonal aspect of the Ultimate Reality is called Nirguna Brahman in Hindu scriptures. Nirguna Brahman has no attributes and, as such, is not an object of prayer but of meditation and knowledge. This aspect of the Ultimate Reality is beyond conception, beyond reasoning and beyond thought. The personal aspect of the Ultimate Reality is known as Saguna Brahman, that is Brahman with attributes. Saguna Brahman is the creator, sustainer and controller of the universe. Saguna Brahman cannot be limited by one form and is therefore worshipped by Hindus in both male and female forms. As the male aspect, Saguna Brahman is called by various Sanskrit names, such as Ishvara, Parameshvara, Paramãtma, Maheshvara and Purusha. These Sanskrit names represent more or less the same concept as the word God in other religions. As the female aspect, Hindus refer to Saguna Brahman by various names, such as Divine Mother, Durga and Kali. Hindus further worship the male and female aspects of Saguna Brahman in many forms, called deities.  Hindu scriptures teach that an individual is essentially atman clothed in a physical body. The Sanskrit word atman, meaning “God within,” is usually translated as soul, self or spirit. In a human body atman is the source of the mind, intellect and ego sense. Hindu scriptures declare that atman is immortal and divine. In Hindu view, therefore, an individual is potentially divine and eternally perfect. There are two states of existence associated with atman, the bound state and the liberated state. In the bound state, atman is associated with a physical body. As a result of this association, atman is subject to maya, which causes it to forget its true divine nature and commit evil deeds in the world. In the liberated state, atman is said to have attained moksha (spiritual perfection) and consequently enjoys union with God.  Hindus declare that there is only one Supreme Being and He is the God of all religions. Hindus view cosmic activity of the Supreme Being as comprised of three tasks: creation, preservation, and dissolution and recreation. Hindus associate these three cosmic tasks with the three deities, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Lord Brahma brings forth the creation and represents the creative principle of the Supreme Being. Lord Vishnu maintains the universe and represents the eternal principle of preservation. Lord Shiva represents the principle of dissolution and recreation. These three deities together form the Hindu Trinity. One must clearly understand that Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are not three independent deities. They represent the same power (the Supreme Being), but in three different aspects. “The oneness of the three gods Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva is brought out by the mystic symbol AUM (OM) where ‘A’ represents Vishnu, ‘U’ Shiva and ‘M’ Brahma.” The Supreme Being or God, the personal form of the Ultimate Reality, is conceived by Hindus as having various aspects. A Hindu deity represents a particular aspect of the Supreme Being. The Hindu worship of deities can be described as monotheistic polytheism and not simple polytheism.  There are many ways of conceiving the Supreme Reality (Brahman) and numerous ways of approaching it. God is the source of goodness and truth. Man’s goal in life is to seek union with Him. This union can be sought in many ways, all requiring sincerity of purpose, self-sacrifice and discipline. The highest religious experience is the one in which an individual transcends the intellect and realizes God immediately. There is natural order (rita) inherent in the natural world. There must be moral order (dharma) inherent in human life. Everyone must be responsible for one’s actions and their consequences (karma). Individual responsibility and one’s ethics are a foundation for individual happiness and social stability. The universe is a wheel of sacrifice (yajna). At the beginning the Supreme Lord performed self-sacrifice to create the universe and set the wheel in motion. There is no intrinsic evil in Nature nor is there any evil force in the world which opposes God. Man commits evil only due to his own ignorance (maya).  

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This is one which I found to be interesting, thought will share with everybody.

Author: Zach Kong
You have been trying, trying and trying. However you just can’t seem to achieve the success you desire? Can you ever be the success you desire?

Just sometime ago,my mentor asked me the exact same question, “Why are you not the success you want to be? ”Well, you can imagine the look on my face. The question just caught me off guard while I was having lunch with him.

“Well, I think it’s because I am not focus enough and not taking the correct actions?”, I answered in guilt. “No, no. From what I can see, you’re laser focused and is taking massive actions. So why are you still not obtaining the success you desire to have?”

At that time I was confused. Totally confused. So what was my mentor driving at? After pondering over the question for some time, I slowly shook my head to signal to him my ignorance and embrace myself for a valuable lesson.

During our lunch time, he went into a lengthy explanation that we are in fact the successes that we want to be. Just that, we often put our foresight too far in front of us that we fail to see what’s just in front of us. “Now is the accepted time, not tomorrow, not some more convenient season.

It is today that our best work can be done and not some future day or future year. It is today that we fit ourselves for the greater usefulness of tomorrow. Today is the seed time, now are the hours of work, and tomorrow comes the harvest and the playtime.”

~~ W.E.B. Du Bois ~~

We’re in fact successes in accordance to our values. Like any other people, including successful entrepreneurs, we all have within us a value system. And within the value system, we have a hierarchy of values. What we place highest in our value system, we’ll work towards them and attain success in them.

Think about it. What do you really value in life? Friendship? Career? Family? Richness? Health?

Those are the things that we value strongly and it is through them that we get our inspiration, support and motivation to work towards them, obtaining successes in them.

So when my mentor asked me the question, he was in fact trying to tell me that I am in fact already the success I want to be. It’s just that I have been neglecting them and taking them for granted.In additional, he actually asked me to list down all the successes I have achieved in my life till now.

To be frank, that was not an easy task. It took me quite some time to come up with only 1-2 successes I think I have achieved so far.

Noticing my struggle, my mentor slowly began to lead me in the correct direction to uncover my “buried” successes and after some time, I was able to come up with more than 20 achievements I have made in my life.

I have never realized I am that successful in my life!

“Life is a succession of moments. To live each one is to succeed.”

~~ Corita Kent ~~

Not many achievements you may say, however, like what my mentor mentioned, these are just a portion of the successes I have achieved. I have yet to uncover all of them.

He personally believed that everyone must have made hundreds or even thousands of break-through achievements in their lives. They just have to uncover them like what I did. They need not be big to be considered a break-through achievement. It can be something small yet powerful to change your belief system.

So why is there a need to uncover of our previous successes? How can it help us in our quest for our desire success?

Well, the reason is pretty simple. It is through our previous successes that we build and achieved even greater achievements and successes. In addition, by recognizing our previous achievements, no matter how small they are, we actually start to recognize that we’re in fact making tremendous improvements in our lives. Slowly, bit by bit.

We’ll also gradually learn to become grateful for the things that happen to us and not take things for granted.

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”

~~ John F. Kennedy ~~

Do you know of anyone who achieves something but loses another? For example, do you know of any successful entrepreneur who sacrifices their relationships in return for
success in their business.That actually happens because they fail to give gratitude for their previous success in relationships. They fail to realize that all those previous successes require hard work to build and achieve. Furthermore, those successes also require additional effort to maintain.

Are you currently maintaining your present successes? Or are you neglecting them for other successes?

During my lunch with my mentor, I come to realize that we all have successes in our live and we’re in fact already living that successes we always wanted in accordance to the hierarchy of values.

Also, it takes tremendous amount of time, energy and effort to achieve those successes. Therefore it truly doesn’t make any sense to give up those successes for another success.

Success in one area does not make up for failures in other areas. Learn to truly appreciate the successes in you’ve achieved so far and make use of the knowledge you gained to help you further your quest to achieve other successes in other areas of your life.

Start by recognizing, be grateful and be happy about all those previous successes you have achieved in your life till now.

Are you prepared to list down your life achievements till now?“The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings.”

~~ Eric Hoffer ~~

www.1888articles.com

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While visiting a country school, the chairman of the Board Of Education became provoked at the noise the unruly students were making in the next room.Angrily, he opened the door and grabbed one of the taller boys who seemed to be doing most of the talking. He dragged the boy to the next room and stood him in the corner.

A few minutes later, a small boy stuck his head in the room and pleaded, “Please, sir, may we have our teacher back?”

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Your mama’s glasses are so thick, when she looks at a map, she sees people waving

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A brunette goes to the doctor, and says to him “Doctor I’m hurting all over my body.”

“That’s odd” replied the doctor “Show me what you mean”

So the girl takes her finger and pokes her elbow, and screams in pain.  

She touches her knee and cries in agony and so on.

The doctor says to her “Your not a natural brunette are you?”

“No I’m a blonde” she replies.

“I thought so…. your finger is broken.” replies the doctor

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A son is calling his mom from college, and telling her that he had just got his degree. The mother says: That’s great honey! What kind of degree? And the son, almost squealing with excitement says: The best one ever, a Celsius degree!

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A consultant died and went to heaven. There were thousands of people ahead of him in line to see St. Peter. To his surprise, St. Peter left his desk at the gate and came down the long line to where the consultant was, and greeted him warmly. St. Peter took the consultant up to the front of the line, and into a comfortable chair by his desk.The consultant said, “I like all this attention, but what makes me so special?”

St. Peter replied, “Well, I’ve added up all the hours for which you billed your clients, and by my calculation you’re 193 years old!”

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There is this good story, which I read some time back about “what money can do”.

The story goes this way.

There is this priest who comes running to the road from the bushes of a dense forest shouting “DEATH DEATH” . Three brothers who were passing by happen to check with the priest as to what happened and the priest points his finger towards the thick bush and runs away.

Out of curiosity the three brothers get inside the bush and to there surprise finds a bag full of gold coins. The three brothers were delighted and thinks that how stupid the priest could be. They manage to carry the bag of gold coins to their residence, on there way back since they were hungry they ask one of the brothers to get some food to eat while the other two take care of bag.

The two brothers who were taking care of the bag decides to kill the third one so that they can enjoy his share of gold coins too. The third brother comes with some fruits for the other two and the two brothers kills the third one as per the plan. They eat the fruit, which the brother had brought so that they can continue their journey back home. But the third brother had put some poison in the fruit that he had brought and had planned to kill both of his brothers so that he can enjoy the bag of gold coins.

Finally, all the three brothers died with out being able enjoy even a single gold coin.

As the title says what money can do, think about it!

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