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Showing posts from September, 2012

Ākāśāt Patitaṃ: Many Forms, One Reality

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Adi Shankara: The image that's stayed with me forever Sanskrit and shlokas have always fascinated me. The sheer vastness of Sanskrit literature is humbling. There are enough verses, texts, commentaries and traditions to occupy many lifetimes, and still leave one feeling that one has barely scratched the surface. But I didn't think much about any of this when I was growing up. I would recite shlokas in the morning and evening without fail. They were simply part of life. The words were there, the rituals were there, the temples were there—but much of it happened in the background. I was busy with academics. There was no time for Sanskrit or Vedanta. At least, that is what I used to tell myself. Of course, time was never really the problem. I could spend five days watching a Test match from morning to evening and somehow consider that perfectly legitimate use of my time! The truth was simpler: Sanskrit and Vedanta had not yet become priorities. Gr...

Alaska

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Grizzly bear - The symbol of Alaska Warning: A really, long post.  So, if you want to catch some good sleep, you can start here.  Note: I keep updating this post as and when I remember details from the trip.   Some of my friends who have visited Alaska say it's a life changing experience, and we wanted to find out what that really meant.  My wife and I are really interested in places that's away from the crowd, and that which gives us a chance to be as close to nature as possible, in the most pristine state.  Alaska was on our mind, at least, for the last two years.  Ever since we saw some of the pics taken by our friends, our interests were only amplified.  Since our previous summers were occupied, we really had no chance to plan a proper Alaskan vacation.  It should also be noted that the Alaska visiting experience window is open for only about 100 days in a year, if you want to experience the pleasant summer experience.  And unles...