Bhagavad Gita

Krishna Janmashtami: Celebrating the birthday of a beloved Hindu god, renowned for his compassion and his wisdom in the Bhagavad Gita

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, September 5, 2023

ISKCON, Lord, Kamsa, Skinning, Human, Dahi Handi, Myth, Milk, Chor, Hindus, Man, Bhagavad Gita, Hare Krishna, Child, Love, Water, Infant, Hinduism, Fasting, International Society, Fireworks, Jewellery, Birth control, Fair, Yamuna, Arjuna

Many Hindus around the world will celebrate Krishna Janmashtami, the birthday of the Hindu god Krishna, on Sept. 6.

Key Points:

Many Hindus around the world will celebrate Krishna Janmashtami, the birthday of the Hindu god Krishna, on Sept. 6.
In Sanskrit, Krishna means “dark” or “black,” and like the deity Vishnu with whom he is associated, Krishna is often depicted as dark-skinned.
Today, in the global community of about 1.2 billion Hindus, Krishna Janmashtami is considered an important holiday among all lineages and traditions.

Krishna’s birth

The story of Krishna’s divine birth is told in households across South Asia on Krishna Janmashtami.
In an effort to preserve his reign, Kamsa imprisoned Devaki and her spouse, Vasudeva, and killed each child born to them.
Devotees commemorate the love of Yashoda for Krishna and recall his playful pranks in songs and dances.

Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita

In the Gita, Krishna, disguised as a charioteer, advises the warrior Arjuna, who is heartbroken that he has to fight his own cousins, about his duty on the battlefield.
In its 18 chapters, Krishna counsels Arjuna about three paths, or “margas,” to realize salvation, or “moksha,” from the eternal cycle of suffering and rebirth.

Festivities on the day

On the first day of the celebration of Krishna Janmashtami, activities culminate in a “Krishna puja,” a devotional form of worship using a form or an image, such as an idol of Krishna.
After midnight, statues of Krishna are bathed in milk and water, dressed in new clothes and venerated in homes and temples.
A 2012 group from Mumbai holds the world’s record for forming a 13-meter tall Dahi Handi pyramid.

Beyond South Asia

Krishna devotion spread in the United States with the founding of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, or ISKCON, in New York City in 1965.
Since then it has become a global movement, with the devotees being referred to as “Hare Krishnas” due to their devotional chants to Krishna.
On Krishna Janmashtami, the devotees observe the birthday of the founder, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, as his “Appearance Day,” believing him to be another incarnation of Krishna.

Why American culture fixates on the tragic image of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the most famous man behind the atomic bomb

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, August 1, 2023

Oppenheimer had many achievements in theoretical physics but is remembered as the so-called father of the atomic bomb.

Key Points:

Oppenheimer had many achievements in theoretical physics but is remembered as the so-called father of the atomic bomb.
But he conveyed a sense of anguish – scripting his own tragic role, as I argue in my book about him.
“The physicists have known sin,” he remarked two years after the attacks, “and this is a knowledge which they cannot lose.”

‘Batter my heart’

As physicist Isidor Isaac Rabi later said, the bomb “treated humans as matter,” nothing more.
But Oppenheimer pointedly used religious language when talking about the project, as if to underscore the weight of its significance.
The atomic bomb was first tested in the early morning of July 16, 1945, in the arid basin of southern New Mexico.
Mathematician John von Neumann acerbically observed, “Some people profess guilt to claim credit for the sin.”

Describing the indescribable

On Aug. 6 and Aug. 9, these cities suddenly ceased to be.
Robert J. Lifton, an expert on the psychology of war, violence and trauma, called the Hiroshima survivors’ experience “death in life,” an encounter with the indescribable.
When it comes to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, however, he chooses to represent the attack without portraying it.

The bomb to end all wars?

After the end of the war, many of the scientists who had worked on the Manhattan Project sought to emphasize that the atomic bomb was not just another weapon.
Among them, Oppenheimer carried the most authority as a result of his leadership of Los Alamos and his oratorical gifts.
The form it ultimately took, known as the Baruch Plan, was rejected by the Soviet Union.
Rather than seeing the bomb as the weapon to end all wars, the U.S. military seemed to treat it as its trump card.
The era of mutual assured destruction, when a nuclear attack would be certain to annihilate both superpowers, had begun.

On International Yoga Day, lessons from the first American yogi – Henry David Thoreau

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, June 20, 2023

International Yoga Day, dedicated to celebrating yoga as part of the “intangible cultural heritage of humanity,” has proved controversial since its inception in 2015.

Key Points:

International Yoga Day, dedicated to celebrating yoga as part of the “intangible cultural heritage of humanity,” has proved controversial since its inception in 2015.
Some also protest the crass commercialism of the holiday and contemporary yoga culture more generally.

Thoreau and yoga at Walden Pond

From 1845 to 1847, Thoreau spent two years living in a cabin he built at Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts.
While living off the land and working on his first book, he also spent significant time contemplating yoga philosophy.
Contemporary students of yoga might find Thoreau’s thoughts on the philosophy of yoga, and in particular karma yoga, the yoga of selfless action, worthy of consideration.

The Bhagavad-Gita on yoga and duty

His charioteer Krishna, who eventually reveals himself to be God, attempts to convince Arjuna to fight by teaching him three types of yoga: bhakti yoga, the yoga of devotion; jnana yoga, the yoga of sacred knowledge; and karma yoga, the yoga of selfless action.
According to Krishna in the Bhagavad-Gita, practicing karma yoga entails acting without consideration for the personal benefits, or “fruits,” of an action.
Arjuna’s practice of karma yoga means embracing his duty to fight for the good of the kingdom, though to do this he will have to kill his friends and family.

Thoreau on the Bhagavad-Gita

Thoreau borrowed fellow Transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson’s copy of the Bhagavad-Gita – the 1785 Charles Wilkins translation – and reported reading it each morning during his time living at Walden Pond.
Thoreau admired the Bhagavad-Gita.
However, he pronounced Krishna’s central argument about karma yoga “unconvincing.” Thoreau writes: “Kreeshna’s argument, it must be allowed, is defective.

Learning from Thoreau on karma yoga

Thoreau models a way of reading yoga philosophy that is concerned, first and foremost, with its practical utility for the time and place we live.
Inspired by Thoreau, whenever I encounter a presentation of yoga, I ask: Is this yoga serving the creation and maintenance of the type of world I want to live in, a world that I honestly consider to be good?
As scholars have shown, there is no one “authentic” yoga, because there are, and have always been, many ways to practice yoga, both in India and abroad.

Mini Museum Launches the Largest Single-Item Black Friday Discount in History

Retrieved on:

Monday, November 21, 2022

Hanford Site, Science, Plutonium, Manhattan Project, History, World War II, Radioactive decay, Government, Black Friday, Fat Man, Bhagavad Gita, Collection, Trinity, Atomic Age, Uranium

This is a discount of $1,000,000 off the regular price of $3,400,000 for this incomparable historical object, making this the largest single-item Black Friday discount in history.

Key Points:

This is a discount of $1,000,000 off the regular price of $3,400,000 for this incomparable historical object, making this the largest single-item Black Friday discount in history.
"There is really nothing else like this window," said Mini Museum Co-Founder Jamie Grove.
Mini Museum is a global collectibles company focused on sharing a love of science and history with the world.
With customers in more than 120 countries, Mini Museum has delivered over 1,000,000 rare objects to collectors, educators, and fans around the world.

Piaggio Fast Forward Introduces New Business Solutions for More Productive, Efficient and Safer Work Environments

Retrieved on:

Monday, November 14, 2022

BOSTON, Nov. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Piaggio Fast Forward (PFF), a leader in smart following technology and subsidiary of the Piaggio Group (PIA.MI), announced today that the company will be offering business customers a better way to manage the human-robot relationship and maximize the power of their data. Beginning in early 2023, PFF will offer PFF pro™ tools fleet management software to enable and enhance the next-generation of the dedicated business version of our products: the PFF pro gitamini™ and pro gitaplus™ robots. The cloud-based tool is a next-generation fleet management solution purpose-built to optimize and augment the working relationship between humans and their robotic counterparts. This proprietary software provides integration and orchestration features allowing teams to achieve more while collaborating with their robot partners. The software is highly visual and intuitive and begins driving value from day one via integrations and reporting functionality. It is an out-of-the-box technology solution to drive immediate value to businesses via enhanced worker safety, increased efficiencies and improved client experiences in select industries including travel, hospitality, real estate, retail, business construction and more.

Key Points:

This proprietary software provides integration and orchestration features allowing teams to achieve more while collaborating with their robot partners.
The software is highly visual and intuitive and begins driving value from day one via integrations and reporting functionality.
Assigning robots to tasks and the people completing those tasks throughout each business day is now a couple of simple clicks away.
Smart following technology leader Piaggio Fast Forward (PFF) is a Boston-based company founded in 2015 and funded by the Piaggio Group, the Italian manufacturer and creator of the iconic Vespa scooter.

Shri M Venkaiah Naidu to inaugurate the 5th Global Bhagavad Gita Convention, Hon'ble Ms.Justice Indira Banerjee will be the special guest of honor

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, February 15, 2022

Austrian Peace Service, Bhagavad Gita, Founder, Center, Supreme Court of India, Righteousness, Convention, Student, Rajinder Singh (spiritual master), Supreme court, Tutoring

In a press conference, the organizers announced that the Convention would be held for four hours each day, from February 19, 2022, to February 21, 2022.

Key Points:

In a press conference, the organizers announced that the Convention would be held for four hours each day, from February 19, 2022, to February 21, 2022.
Hon'ble Ms. Justice Indira Banerjee, Supreme Court of India, will be a special guest of honor.
The deliberations of the Global Bhagavad Gita Convention will be in English.
Spiritual Masters, several young professionals, and spiritual practitioners will offer an array of insights and practical wisdom during the three-day event.

Gita Dittmar appointed as Venture Partner

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, March 30, 2021

Bhagavad Gita, Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Krishna, Kurukshetra, Mahabharata, Hindu literature, Indian literature, Religious literature

LONDON, 30 March 2021: Arix Bioscience plc ("Arix", LSE: ARIX), a global venture capital company focused on investing in and building breakthrough biotech companies, today announces the appointment of Dr Gita Dittmar as Arix Venture Partner, from 19th April 2021.

Key Points:

LONDON, 30 March 2021: Arix Bioscience plc ("Arix", LSE: ARIX), a global venture capital company focused on investing in and building breakthrough biotech companies, today announces the appointment of Dr Gita Dittmar as Arix Venture Partner, from 19th April 2021.
Gita has over 20 years of experience in the biotechnology sector with direct operating experience in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East.
Gita holds a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University, a B.A.
"I am delighted to welcome Gita to the team.

'All Those Tears We Can't See' is Author Gita Audhya's Latest Book Featuring Clashing Cultures Amongst Family Customs

Retrieved on:

Monday, March 11, 2019

Vaishnavism, Hindu texts, Bhagavad Gita, Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Krishna, Kurukshetra, Mahabharata, Religious views on love

In Gita Audhya's All Those Tears We Can't See, published by Austin Macauley,we see how a clash in cultures greatly affects Monica and her happiness.

Key Points:

In Gita Audhya's All Those Tears We Can't See, published by Austin Macauley,we see how a clash in cultures greatly affects Monica and her happiness.
Although Monica loves her parents and respects their beliefs and customs wholeheartedly, there is a cultural gap that never seems to fill.
As she learned and gained experience, Gita set out to write about it, fulfilling a lifelong dream to be a published author.
Her varied interests include: traveling, science and art and reading any book she can get her hands on to satisfy her curiosity.

Gita Joins the Best Buddies International Leadership Conference in Bloomington, Indiana as Official Mobility Partner

Retrieved on:

Monday, July 23, 2018

Vaishnavism, Best Buddies International, Jeffrey Schnapp, Bhagavad Gita, Gita, Buddies, Hinduism

BOSTON, July 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --Piaggio Fast Forward (PFF), a company focused on the intelligent movement of people and goods and the creator of gita, was proud to participate in the 2018 Best Buddies International Leadership Conference in Bloomington, Indiana this weekend as the conferences official mobility partner.

Key Points:

BOSTON, July 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --Piaggio Fast Forward (PFF), a company focused on the intelligent movement of people and goods and the creator of gita, was proud to participate in the 2018 Best Buddies International Leadership Conference in Bloomington, Indiana this weekend as the conferences official mobility partner.
"We are proud to support Best Buddies in its mission for social inclusion," said Jeffrey Schnapp, Chief Visionary Officer of PFF.
Following anyone who walks, rolls, or scoots with a zero-degree turning radius, Gita is designed to mimic the full range of human mobility.
"We are thrilled to have Gita be part of this year's Best Buddies Leadership Conference.