Yesterday I was comprehending over the issue of SC's statement on #Sec377.
I was confused and was oscillating in between what is right and what is wrong. Though I always stand by morality (and not conformity) I was in a tie because it is related to Sex the most Tabooed (next to Death) topic almost every where in the world.
I was actually in a state where I was prejudiced by the veil of culture and could not go against the usual occidental approach and looking at it as a more of Sin or something alien to this land. It was the because of the attuned of mind, for which on introspection I found the cause being colonial hang-over and stale education system which has neither been blessed with any revival since ages nor it helps its seekers with essential powers of reasoning and thinking. All it could successfully accomplish is stereotyping an entire generation. It did take some courage and mental strength to break the barriers and look beyond them. Here the quote from Tagore also seems very contextual :
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Thanks to the scholars who in right time throw light to wipe out the ignorance and make one think broadly in an all inclusive manner. In that moment of perplexity tap came answer from HH SriSri Ravishankar (my Master) whom I and a whole lot of people lovingly address a Gurudev / Guruji / SriSri.
His answers to any questions (personal, social, cultural, political etc) are instinctive and seem enchanting to anyone regardless of their race, religion, age, gender and ethnicity.
In view of #Sec377ofIPC and the Comments of Supreme Court of India in a case recently he has responded this way (on Social media) :
SriSri Ravi Shankarji :
"Homosexuality has never been considered a crime in Hindu culture. In fact, Lord Ayyappa was born of Hari-Hara (Vishnu & Shiva). It is not a crime in any Smriti. Everyone has male & female elements. According to their dominance, tendencies show up & may change. Nobody should face discrimination because of their sexual preferences. To be branded a criminal for this is absurd."
After an intense pondering on the subject I got a deeper insight of universality. Someone rightly said "Just because we don't accept or ignore certain realities it does not mean they do not exist."
To all my brethren who would allude about law as the yard stick / cane which rules and governs we need to recall that Sati and Slavery were ones laws too. It is not to disrespect laws but just to keep in mind that the so called laws were framed by members of society to make this society a congenial place for living. law were and are made by Humans for Humans. And these laws over the years have undergone amendments several times. The base for the Indian Law is the British law, for instance the #Sec377 is also a outcome of the British Law but they have them selves amended their ways.
When I had to say it is because of their influence that LGBT's face sucha situation because 1) We have not amended are laws. 2) This one is really important : Before Colonization or much before that when we were not yet raided by Afghans and other plunderers who settled here as rulers, the rules of the game were different.
Vishnu as Mohini
There are stories Mahabharata, Ramayana and even other Puranas mentioning about LGBTs. It may be about Hari-Hara sangama which resulted birth of Ayyappa is described in Bhagavat Puran and also in Tripura Rahasya, there are also instances when Vishnu takes the form of Mohini during Ksheer Sagara/Samudra manthan (churning of the milk ocean) is mentioned in Srimad Bhagavad Puran; also Vishnu took the form of Mohini to seduce Bhasmasura and make him place his palm on his head to kill himself, this is well described in Vishnu Purana.
Krishna takes the form of Mohini to satisfy Aravan (Son of Arjuna and Ulupi); Aravan had to killed in a day (In view of Victory in Kurukshetra) when nobody was ready to marry him Krishna had to do this.
Shiva
Lord Shiva turns into a female and take form of Gopi to dance with Krishna in the Raasa-leela according to a lore in Western India. Inspired by this is the temple of Gopeshwariji in Vrindavan.
Shikandi
The popular story of Shikandi (Son of Drupada) who was a born Women raised as a Man because Drupada was toll by Rishis that one day he would turn into Man. Shikandi later turns into a man by the blessing of a Yaksha (which was actually for only one day but under circumstances remains life long). There is another story related to the previous birth of Shikandi where in he was Amba gets the boon from Lord Shiva to be the cause of Bhishma's death.
Arjuna
Arjuna turns into Vrihanalla (Eunuch) as he rejected the plea of Urvasi to satisfy him. (In Bramhavaivarta purana Mohini tells Brahma that When a man cannot satisfy a Woman in her fertile period is a Eunuch).
In Ramayana
According to Hijra folklore, when Rama went to the forest in exile, he asked the men and women of Ayodhya who had followed him to return to the city. Since he said nothing to those who were neither male nor female, these waited outside the city until he returned. Touched by their devotion, Rama declared that the non-man would be king in the Kali Yuga.
Ramayana in Lanka
Also in the Valmiki Ramayana,It is said that Hanuman has seen Rakshasa women kissing and embracing those women who have been kissed and embraced by Ravana.
One quote from Devdutt Pattanaik who is also an inspiration behind this write up and whose books have been great source of information :
"A cynic would say, Shikhandi was used by Krishna. A devotee will argue, Krishna made even Shikhandi useful."
Shikandi was seen as a women by Bhishma, but Krishna has seen Shikandi beyond being a male/female and welcomed him. Krishna accepted Shikandi as he/she was unconditionally.
So it is for oneself to take the call whether to be with Krishna or Bhishma.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Monday, April 22, 2013
A depleting Anna saga
Abhishek Jagini
Anna Hazare, the man who stood up for anti- corruption recently announced the re-beginning of his campaign. The movement for Jan Lokpal Bill received a very cold response in Hyderabad. Hazare said that for the next one and a half years, he would tour the country for this purpose.
The campaign supporters were in thousands in 2011, and the number is constantly reducing since the last two years. "In this country of 120 crore, I am confident that I will be successful in awakening at least 6 crore people. For the same, I will be traveling for the next one-and-half years to create awareness, who can force the government to change the system," he said.
Former army Chief Major General V K Singh who shared the
stage called upon the people to unite and be a part of Anna's movement.
"The policies of the country have not helped the common man. Corruption is
increasing and natural resources are being exploited. We should collectively
fight this menace and bring about the change."
To continue reading..... http://datelinebangalore.com/?p=59
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
The Needle Stings
After a hectic day at college, I reached home and took a shower. I switched on the TV and on screen was an old man giving a discourse from Puranas. Though the subject of the talk seemed little complicated, the words he fit it into grabbed my attention. He was explaining in detail the factors which control the Environment (i.e. including Human body and mind). His thought provoking speech was ringing in my mind when I was on my bed late at night.
After a hectic day at college, I reached home and took a shower. I switched on the TV and on screen was an old man giving a discourse from Puranas. Though the subject of the talk seemed little complicated, the words he fit it into grabbed my attention. He was explaining in detail the factors which control the Environment (i.e. including Human body and mind). His thought provoking speech was ringing in my mind when I was on my bed late at night.
In his discourse he has discussed how the three energies of Brahma,
Vishnu and Shiva influence one’s lives. He had gone into intricate details with
several examples. But I felt all that seems to be dominated by the
materialistic influences in today’s world. Lord Rama no longer inspires people
as tabloids do. People use to take the name of the lord, read scriptures, sing
and praise the name of god. But in the present world, people are more
interested in colorful and ravishing stuff. That which is paid for packaged, to
be printed. It may be sports, Page3 or something else. The Shallow stuff is
well presented in most of the news papers today; consuming this is similar to
eating stale food because it is garnished. Food needs to be garnished and
colorful but it has to be hygienic and healthy too.
Several times we grumble about flaws in the system. But
people in our society encourage these white collar hypocrites by watching their
good for nothing programs and reading opinionated articles. We contribute to
the world of crime: money and power. With TRPs and circulation, these media
houses not just make money, but also a grower in influencing the government on
several issues in our society. By increase in these favorable numbers these
media further spoil the system. As the reach is growing, the analogy of food is
apt here. It is like if you eat Pani Puri or Gol Gappa it
enhances digestion and helps clean the elementary canal, but at the same if you
take for a full meal, it may even kill you of diarrhea.
To claim the position of Fourth Estate Media houses and
their tabloids need to be more responsible. These houses which boast of social
responsibility run big businesses by selling the space of news articles. Our
readers are as usual very casual about it.
How many of us are aware of the fact that the supplements in
some reputed papers are ‘Advertorials’* and not actually news/articles.
After all that Vishnu bhajan it’s now Shiva’s turn. Thanks
to the Shiva trilogy and Amish, those at least by his writings people
especially the youth have started to admire Shiva. More than Shiva it is the
Celluloid that makes a man dance, eat, drink and walk. Most of the businesses
are controlled by the celluloid. It may be a car, or accessories, to fashion,
architecture and so on. Even our relationships are controlled by a mere piece
of reel. It is high time to realize that REEL WORLD IS DIFFERENT FROM REAL
WORLD. TO all those out there who fight
for women’s rights and abuse of women, it is important to notice that how many
of us have objected when women are portrayed as mere sexual objects in movies.
The popular culture of movies has a great influence on young impressionable
minds and the formation of a value system.
The last of one of the trinity was ‘Brahma’ though he was
the creator he was not given much importance because he lied to Shiva about
some checkpoint in race with Vishnu, as Shiva was the host and he knew about
the check points he penalized Brahma for the same.
Moral for media, both tabloids and celluloids is stop
faking…
Fantasy and fiction is good if it helps us to evolve as
better human beings.
The READERS and VIEWERS
“BEWARE of these Hypocrites and avoid them”
And remember you are their strength, their TRP and their
circulation. Media was responsible for the inspiration for many revolutions in
the past. If Media itself is corrupt, it is our responsibility as members of
the society to cleanse it.
For the same purpose the PCI has given a report on how the
Newspapers are making Money by unethical means.
Below are some links in support of the same:
The report runs into thousands of pages.. These PDFs
contains only a part of the report
MUST WATCH video:
‘Advertorials’* are paid
articles, where the person who wants the article to be printed at the same time
not in an advertisement format but as a n article pays the publisher for the
same. Here the reader falls a prey to these articles as he is not informed
which is ‘paid news’ and which is actual news.
‘Paid news’ – there is
exchange of money or other benefits for the news to be printed.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Sustainable tourism: travelling light and respecting cultures
Written by Abhishek,
Every destination has something special. Be it a desert, mountain, forest, village or even a city. In particular, places where man has not disturbed the environment are a distinct treasure as nature paints the landscape in various colours, forming a subtle expression which is very beautiful. Cities are no less treasured as tourist destinations but no matter if you stay on the well-travelled path or not, you need to be mindful of your impact on the local environment.
For centuries, travelling in India was about pilgrimage. Holy trips were (and still are) given great emphasis in every individual’s life. All these places of pilgrimmage were linked for the purpose of national integration. When people travelled to different parts of the country they would also carry along trade, language, dances and art along, leading to an exchange of culture, ideas, technology and economy.
To read further http://in.reset.to/blog/sustainable-tourism-travelling-light-and-respecting-cultures
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
A Translation by ABHISHEK JAGINI
The Ominous evening of 29th Nov 2010 around 7:30 I
got a call from someone saying Rajiv Bhai is unwell, and he has
been admitted in the hospital. Those were the days when he was
residing in Chattisgarh, and that evening he was to address a
meeting of Bharat Swabhiman at Bhilai. As soon as I got the news I
tried calling both his numbers and they were switched off. When I
contacted all his friends I came to know that he had been admitted
in the hospital. I immediately asked them that have they informed
Swamiji about it and they replied that Swamiji has been informed
about Rajiv bhai’s\ situation. He is the one who is discussing with
the doctors. If the situation worsens then the arrangements to take
him to Delhi are on the way. I made ample of unsuccessful attempts
to have a word with my brother. I didn’t give a second thought and
started from Raipur thinking that if possible we can get him
treated at Sevagram.
T continue reading....(http://www.ibtl.in/news/rashtra-vandana/2054/indigenous-orator-bhai-rajiv-ji-dixits-memories/)
Creating a better India, one hour at a time
Written by Abhishek,
The renowned spiritualist and the founder of Art of Living Sri Sri Ravi Shankar launched ‘Volunteer for a better India’ in Delhi earlier this month. The program aims to address the key issues which society is fighting today including illiteracy, corruption and addiction and encourages every Indian to give up one hour of their day to assist these causes.
After the anti-corruption movement, this is the biggest gathering of volunteers for a social cause. The launch event at Ramlila Maidan attracted about 1.5 lakh people and the movement was launched simultaneously across the country in major cities like Mumbai and Bangalore.
Addressing the gathering, Mr Shankar said "We can't work amidst corruption. People - especially women, children, artists, dalits, minority communities and others - don't feel secure in the country. We need to get to the root of the problem and fix it."
To continue reading...(http://in.reset.to/blog/creating-better-india-one-hour-time)
Garbage woes return to Bangalore
It’s
been over two weeks since the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP)
officially commenced the segregation of waste at source but piles of
garbage around the city seem to be growing in size and number.
The program, run by the BBMP, requires segregation of waste at the source. It has seen cooperation in some areas but as yet, it has largely been a failure. The BBMP commissioner has highlighted two main reasons for this—people being cold to waste segregation and poor collection methods.
One can get a complete idea of the intensity of the problem by visiting the shopping hubs of KR Market or Malleswaram 8th Cross and the big heaps of garbage on the roadside that welcome people.
Posh areas like Jayanagar are no exception to garbage heaps. The city has not learned the importance of segregation. "Pourakarmikas don't lift the garbage on time; this causes inconvenience to even pass by the unattended heaps which rot and spread a foul smell all around'' said Harish Reddy from Jayanagar 4th Block.
To continue reading...(http://in.reset.to/blog/garbage-woes-return-bangalore)
The program, run by the BBMP, requires segregation of waste at the source. It has seen cooperation in some areas but as yet, it has largely been a failure. The BBMP commissioner has highlighted two main reasons for this—people being cold to waste segregation and poor collection methods.
One can get a complete idea of the intensity of the problem by visiting the shopping hubs of KR Market or Malleswaram 8th Cross and the big heaps of garbage on the roadside that welcome people.
Posh areas like Jayanagar are no exception to garbage heaps. The city has not learned the importance of segregation. "Pourakarmikas don't lift the garbage on time; this causes inconvenience to even pass by the unattended heaps which rot and spread a foul smell all around'' said Harish Reddy from Jayanagar 4th Block.
To continue reading...(http://in.reset.to/blog/garbage-woes-return-bangalore)
A bumpy start for Jayanagar's cycle lanes
BANGALORE: Last year, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) took a rather large leap towards bolstering support for more sustainable forms of travel by unveiling 40km of bicycle lanes in Jayanagar. However, with automotive vehicles using the lanes as parking space and little-to-no use of them by cyclists, many are questioning the success of the initiative.
The agenda of the project was to create safe routes to school for students and was highlighted in a report titled “Bicycle Friendly Streets in Jayanangar, Bangalore” submitted by Gubbi Labs at the insistence of Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) in 2011. The 36 educational institutions dotted around Jayanagar therefore made it a prime spot for setting up this Rs 2.5 crore pilot project (students traveling to school have been the primary target for this program).
To continue reading....(http://in.reset.to/blog/bumpy-start-jayanagars-cycle-lanes)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)