Articles

Delve into these short, insightful blog articles on Life, Society & Spirituality that tickle the mind with questions they raise, with perspectives they present, and with unique stories they tell.

The perspective of the pavilion in the image is representative in some ways of the approach of the articles in the blog. The pavilion is not new, nor is this the first time it has been photographed. But the picture goes beyond what’s visible. It examines life in the pavilion against the backdrop of a setting sun. Our blogs are similar. The topics are familiar, everyday ones. The topics may have plenty written about; one may even find long detailed theses. The blogs here aim to bring home one simple point at a time – simple and insightful. These articles are related to Life, Society & Spirituality and are not intended as scientific articles. These are perspectives intended to broaden the horizon.

You might find some that you disagree with or others that leave you questioning. We invite you to share & discuss alternative perspectives with open minds and hearts. You do not earn points for winning a debate or lose any money for surrendering a point. Our goal is to understand and explain.

Pure & Simple. Short & Insightful. Promise!!

Apr
01

A Conversation with A Messianic Jew One Spring Morning in Richardson

I met this lady in a Richardson Park on a nice spring morning in late March as she was walking her little dog and she wondered what 911 Day of Service meant on the banner hung on the outdoor park pavilion iron bars. This lady with years of life on her face, was curious and […]

Oct
28

Diwali Sunshine – Greetings!

  Diwali always comes with a new message of hope and gaiety. It also brings with it an opportunity to introspect on what it means to lead a life of Dharma. This word is often found incorrectly translated as religion. It has many other meanings with subtle differences, but ‘religion’ is not one of them. […]

May
04

Hindu Marriage Ceremonies – The Hidden Paradigm

There’s more to Hindu marriage ceremonies than meets the eye. Symbolism abounds. Each ceremony is rooted in a deep philosophical paradigm. Awareness of it lends richness to the rituals and eliminates misinterpretations. To understand, one must begin with the Vedic view of creation and human life. Paradigm Informing Hindu Marriages: The entire physical universe has […]

Oct
20

What’s Wrong With Kanyadaan – Patriarchy?

The Hindu marriage ritual of Kanyadaan was portrayed in a recent garment ad as regressive and rooted in patriarchy. In a previous article we addressed the root of this debate – mis-translation of word meaning and misinterpretation of its symbolism. Next we look closer at what bothers some women. What is wrong with Kanyadaan? What […]

Oct
03

The Morning After – 1981 Winnipeg

The day had come… more accurately, the night – around 1:30AM in Winnipeg, Canada in late August of 1981. The mind, the body, the universe was confused. Time-zones do that to you. My would-be Ph.D. supervisor was not there this late at night.  The university’s India students association had no welcoming service. Google was born […]

Sep
30

Kanyadaan – Donating Your Daughter?

Outfits like Maanyavar do not care about our traditions. They know their customers well. Their recent ad, featuring Ms Alia Bhatt, which interprets Kanyadaan as a regressive custom treating women as objects of donation, is not a mere aberration.  At an earlier wedding, a pundit ji derided the custom with impunity and called for its […]

Jul
09

Robots in a Theme Park – On Consciousness
May
20

Can Hindus Ever RIP?

With each passing away of an Indian celebrity, the social media gets flooded with shorthand RIP messages. What does one make of these – just short-hand expressions of condolence or a prayer for the departed soul?  Can Hindus ever RIP? Let’s decode what a RIP prayer would mean for a dead Hindu. RIP is a […]

 

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