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Friday,
April 12, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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India's look-East drive The ‘Tiger’ & his stripes
HARI JAISINGH |
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Memory of times gone by
Changing the course of Sri Lanka’s history
Indian Americans prone to diabetes
Love sick? A new place to dwell
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India's look-East drive Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's speeches during his current East Asian sojourn show that India has revised its strategy vis-a-vis the highly significant region. One gets this impression after reading between the lines particularly what he said in Singapore. He pointed out that besides the need for doing everything possible to shift the global socio-economic centre of gravity to Asia, it was essential for India and the ASEAN (Association of South-East Asian Nations) members to pool their efforts for fighting terrorism fed by extremism and other factors. India is likely to concentrate on this global security problem during the November meeting of the representatives of this country and ASEAN. No one can deny the threat posed by the menace, and any move to stamp it out is welcome. But the Prime Minister and his advisers should not lose sight of the significance of the initial thrust of this country's policy towards East Asia. In the early nineties when India's look-East initiative was born, it was basically aimed at drawing lessons from the economic success stories in the region. That meant wooing the Asian Tigers to India and learning from their experiences, as their strategies could be more relevant to us because of our nearness to them. The Tiger economies received a severe jolt in the wake of the currency crisis in 1997, but most of them have recovered considerably from that traumatic phase. They are again on the high growth path. Somehow they are not as much interested in India as they should have been owing to geographical, technological and various other advantages in this country. As Mr Vajpayee has made it clear, India and the ASEAN members may not be sharing any regional platform but they are in the same geographical area and the reality cannot be ignored. This makes it imperative on their part to work together for minimising the impact of the global slowdown on their economies. According to one estimate, Asia will account for 57 per cent of the world's GDP in the coming 25 years despite the fact that the economic problems faced in 1997 are still there in a suppressed form. India has to ensure that it is not left far behind the other major economies in the region in the course of Asia acquiring its new and hallowed status. The Prime Minister's endeavour to convince the institutional and other investors in the ASEAN countries was dented by the tragic happenings in Gujarat, the industrial hub of India. The growing communal ill-will for the past few years took the form of large-scale riots, paralysing not only the economy of the most progressive state of the country but also, in the process, tarnishing the image of the nation as a whole at the international level. An embarrassed Prime Minister had a lot of explaining to do, but how far he has succeeded will be known in the days to come. One hopes ASEAN investors keep their interest in India intact. The time has, in fact, come for India to learn a lesson or two from the pragmatic East Asians for maintaining social peace. This is an urgent necessity because social disturbances lead to political and economic instability, which deters investors from approaching the affected country. |
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The ‘Tiger’ & his stripes Notwithstanding the unprecedented propaganda blitzkrieg and public euphoria, Wednesday’s much-touted Press conference of Velupillai Prabhakaran, the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), at an undisclosed place near Killinochchi in northern Sri Lanka, seems to have ended in a fiasco. The 47-year-old “Tiger” has obviously not changed his stripes. His uncompromising commitment to Eelam might put a damper on the ongoing Norway-sponsored peace talks between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE. Prabhakaran is believed to have said that the time is not yet ripe to renounce the LTTE’s goal of Tamil Eelam and that as the “right condition” has not arisen, it would not be possible for him to abandon the policy of independent statehood altogether. No one disputes Prabhakaran’s desire to restore peace in the strife-torn island: the LTTE’s willingness to participate in the peace talks scheduled to be held in Bangkok in May demonstrates that the rebels would like to try the negotiation route if it could help end the cycle of violence and usher in a whiff of fresh air in the island. But what has disturbed the present scenario is the insistence of Prabhakaran on Eelam. Equally important is the linkage of other demands to that for Eelam — the right to self-determination, separate Tamil identity and nationality, equal treatment with Sinhalese in jobs, education, politics and so on. Given the attitude of the LTTE supremo, it is difficult to see how things will move in the coming days. In fact, this is the reason why some western journalists reportedly asked LTTE leaders as to why the Press conference was called at all when there was no perceptible change in their stand on Eelam. Apparently, Anton Balasingham tried to do some damage-control exercise, but it did not cut much ice because he is neither the chief decision-maker nor the boss; he is only a key strategist, at best a political adviser to Prabhakaran. The LTTE maintains that it will join the Thailand talks to discuss the establishment of an interim administration in the north-east. But will Sri Lanka de-proscribe the LTTE now, as anticipated before the Thailand talks, even after Prabhakaran’s commitment to Eelam? The Government of India’s rejection of Prabhakaran’s appeal for mediation in the talks between Colombo and the LTTE was not entirely unexpected. The same is the case with the LTTE’s other pleas to India like allowing Balasingham to transit through India and the lifting of the ban on the outfit. Prabhakaran is a proclaimed offender in India for his involvement in Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination and a red corner notice has been issued for his arrest. The Congress has reiterated its demand for his extradition to India for trial. Given the seriousness of the crime, New Delhi cannot possibly afford to change its known stand on the issue. Prabakaran’s comment that Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination was a “tragic incident” and that it was a “10-year-old case” will only complicate matters for the LTTE. Having said this, Prabhakaran neither showed any repentance for the ghastly crime nor did he deny the charge of his cadre’s involvement in the assassination. On the contrary, he was only admitting his guilt. Moreover, it is doubtful whether there will be any change in the stand of other countries like the USA, the UK, Canada and Australia, all of whom have banned the LTTE. Post-September 11, the global war on terrorism initiated by the USA and other countries makes no distinction between ethno-sectarian terrorism and jehadi terrorism. |
Freedom from sterility of old concepts Thomas Paine (1737-1809), the philosopher of the American revolution, says (in "The Age of Reason") that the greatest tyranny in the world is to tie future generations to a set of dogmas and beliefs. Asked for his last message to his disciples, the Buddha told his chief disciple Ananda: "Be yee lamps unto yourselves." He did not tie them to his doctrines, but left them free to be guided by the lamp within them. I am reminded of these words of wisdom by the continuing clamour over the review of the working of the Indian Constitution. It is as if the future generations have no right to think afresh on matters which concern them immensely. This is unfair. The requisite dynamism in the polity can only be generated by a regular review of its working. A society pays for its illiteracy. An illiterate society invents the wheel daily. But it was not all illiteracy. There was a method in the position taken by those who opposed the Constitutional review. The Congress party was afraid that the purpose of the BJP to order the review was to bar Mrs Sonia Gandhi from holding the post of Prime Minister. The communists were apprehensive that the BJP was out to "saffronise" the Constitution to the disadvantage of what they believed in and advocated. What was overlooked in the process was the need for such an exercise to meet new challenges in the polity. No one has said the last thing in the world. Not even the prophets. And no one has the right to give the last word as long as the concept of freedom is in vogue. There are no eternal verities. Today even the Pope is ready to concede that God can be feminine! The Constitution of India was drawn up by persons of substance. Yet they were not gods. We also cannot say that they were the most intelligent persons of their times. Yet the voluminous document churned out by them was hailed as a "great" constitution. But its credibility has floundered on rocky gaps of promise and performance. It has been amended 78 times during the last half a century, more than the US constitution, which is already over 200 years old. Now the review commission has recommended for consideration 150 or so items for amendment. Will it take another half a century before they are acted upon? Perhaps, it is necessary to have an amendment to the Constitution to ensure its periodic review, say every 10 years, in order to avoid avoidable controversies in future. Such a mandatory authority is necessary. For politicians being politicians, they refuse to admit their errors. Even today Congressmen and women say that the Constitution review is a futile exercise. And they too have been the law-makers of this country! Be that as it may. Let us first examine whether the fears expressed were legitimate. Mr P.A. Sangma was the strongest critic of "a foreigner" becoming the Prime Minister of this country. And what was his main criticism? He said that it was a sad reflection on the billion people of India — that they were not men enough or women enough to become the Prime Minister. A legitimate criticism. And it has not been rebutted. Mr Sangma resigned when the review panel rejected his views. The panel, however, refused to give its judgement on the issue. It left the matter open-ended. It wanted a further examination of the foreigners' issue. Perhaps it is a typical case of evasion of responsibility! As for "saffronisation" of the Constitution, it was a red herring. Saffronisation is not possible unless a new constitution is drawn up. That was not the purpose of the review. In any case, that would need a new Constituent Assembly. To talk of "saffronisation" of the Constitution in such circumstances was misplaced. The moot questions are: how do these politicians look at our Constitution — as a set of dogmas? And what, in their view, is the role of Parliament? Our Parliament has even ceased to be a quality debating body. Our annual budgets are passed without much debate these days. And it is no more a responsive legislating body. For, there are about a hundred Bills pending before Parliament. What matters to our MPs is the zero hour when non-official subjects are discussed, that is, when matters of personal interests are discussed. To put it differently, has the parliamentary system become counter-productive? Is its role meant to keep a few million people in political clover? In easy street? If so, the system has to be scrapped. We say ours is a democracy. Can this statement stand the test of objective scrutiny? With the prevailing system of election, and with a multiplicity of parties, no legislator in this country ever gets a majority of the votes cast, that is, 50 per cent plus one. At best, one gets 40 per cent of the votes cast, while 60 per cent of the votes are cast against him. Is this a "rule by majority"? Why is it that we have not changed this system when it is at the root of many of our afflictions? This is simply because it does not suit our parties and politicians. What suits them is a plethora of parties (as many as possible) so that the vote gets split among dozens of parties and candidates, which they can always manipulate to produce a "majority" through bribes, muscle power or marriages of convenience. In fact, a major threat to the democratic polity comes from the entry of large numbers of criminals in our legislatures. Is anyone losing sleep on this dangerous trend in our parliamentary system? Are we to understand that their interest is to serve the country? No, sir, their purpose is to serve themselves and no one else. That is why, I am sorry to say, Parliament, in a way, has become redundant. Innumerable distortions have crept in the system which make a mockery of our democracy. Communalism threatens the sanity of this country and its unity. And yet we are cultivating a system that intensifies divisions of the polity. In 1952 when we had the first general election, candidates appealed to the generality of our people. Today one appeals to Muslims or Hindus, or Yadavs or Kurmis. There is only one way by which this rot can be stemmed: the winning candidate must secure over 50 per cent of the votes. This is being opposed by the political parties and politicians because it is easy to win votes on the emotional issue of religion and caste. We have been silent witnesses of this madness because there is no authority in this country to cry a halt to this process. This, I consider, is the greatest weakness of our Constitution. It has not provided an authority to discipline the politicians. And the correction of our Constitution, I honestly believe, must begin by correcting our politicians. There is nothing wrong with the basic structure with its federalism, separation of powers and the parliamentary system of democracy. Where the Constitution fails is in not providing for failures of the system. For example, if we push federalism too far, the Centre becomes weak and if we allow more divisions in an already divided society, it can lead to separatism and separation. There is nothing in the Constitution to fight against these evils. There is, of course, much talk of the alternative in the Presidential system. But we cannot be sure how such a switchover will work without improving the quality of those who wish to rule in the name of people. Aya Ram, Gaya Ram. This is peculiar to India. But our law is inadequate to deal with it. In fact, the law is deliberately made in such a way that it can be easily circumvented by determined vested interests. Defection today is lucrative. One can land up a ministership or amass crores. And yet the weaknesses in the system have not been removed. The review panel has proposed that a defector must resign from Parliament. Will our politicians agree? Well, let us wait and see. The review exercise has been useful if only for the fact that now we know better where we have made mistakes. Perhaps the politicians may do nothing to change their ways. In that event, genuine NGOs, a reformed judiciary and a more enlightened and responsible media will be well justified to take up the cause of the people. Meanwhile, we must move on with an open mind and allow ourselves to be guided by the lamp within us. Is this a tall order? It needs to be emphasised that the nation has to promptly go through a process of rejuvenation and reconstruction. We need to move from the sterility of the old concepts that have become irrelevant. After all, politics must not become an arena for politicians to promote their self-interest disguised as principles. It is sad that the very basics of our parliamentary institutions, constitutional provisions and the moral authority of the state have been reduced to the level of bargaining in the electoral quid pro quo. And we have paid a heavy price for such distortions. The time has come to fully respond to what the new generation aspires to. |
Memory of times gone by “What kind of hair-cut will you have? English, French or plain Indian?” Baghi Jaan asked me. I did not know what was what and so requested Baghi Jaan to enlighten me on the varieties he had mentioned. “English,” said he, “means that there will be a parting; left or right, you decide. And French means no parting at all.” “What about Indian?” I asked. “Football ground,” he replied, “barren land, total baldness.” Baghi Jaan, Kale Khan, brothers or cousins, I don’t know, had opened a salon in Peshawar. It bore the grand name of Aalishan Hair Dressing Salon. The only salon I had known till then, early forties, was the one in Anarkali in Lahore called Victoria. There, they used to charge one rupee for hair-cut and shampoo. I had a girlfriend living in Mahabir Gali No. 2, Nisbet Road. Before going to meet her, against the wishes of her great father, I used to go through my upgrading at Victoria. Baghi Jaan, Kale Khan were no match for Victoria. Theirs was the first salon in Peshawar city. “Why don’t you make it,” I said to Baghi Jaan, “as it is now, clipping all that is surplus, I mean all that has outgrown?” He picked up his razor, rubbed it on his leather strap to make it sharper and took it menacingly towards my head. “What the hell are you going to do?” naturally I asked him. “Keep quiet,” said he ominously, “this is only for your side-burns. But if you go on chirping while I am on my job, I can’t say where my razor may land. If it lands on your throat, God alone may take care of you.” I had to keep quiet and let Baghi Jaan play havoc with my head according to his own whims. As he was engaged in his marvellous job, I could not help reading a glass-framed Urdu verse atop the mirror confronting me. It said, “Husnwale, husn ka anjam dekh; doobte suraj ko waqt-e shaam dekh (Oh you beautiful one, look at the end of your beauty; look at the fate of the sun at the time of sunset).” Naturally, I was amazed. That was not the kind of thing that went well at a hair-dressing salon. There, they make you look more beautiful day by day. The verse in the glass-frame proclaimed something altogether different. “Do you know what it means?” I asked Baghi Jaan. “Kala akhar, bhains barabar (to me, all script is just like buffalo)” — was his philosophical reply. “In the Kissa Khani bazar,” he added, “the man was selling everything for two and a half annas. I liked the frame and bought it from him.” When I explained to him the meaning of the verse, he was shocked. “Khanzir ki aulad (pig’s son),” said he, “he has cheated me. I will have it out on him.” God knows what Baghi Jaan did thereafter. All that I know is that he removed that framed Urdu verse quickly from atop the mirror. Long years have gone by. Suddenly that salon of Baghi Jaan, Kale Khan has returned to me. It has obviously returned because I have been reading too much about what Musharraf and company have been doing in Pakistan and Afghanistan — creating the monster called Taliban, arming it, instigating it, giving it all manner of help and now assisting America in destroying it. |
Changing the course of Sri Lanka’s history Is peace coming back to Sri Lanka? Perhaps. A truce has been successfully negotiated by Norway. Prabhakaran’s readiness to meet the world press is a pointer. Ranil Wickremesinghe, the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, is ready to concede anything but Eelam. He has lifted the economic blockade. He could even lift the ban on the LTTE. His visit to Jaffna was a bold initiative. No Sinhala Prime Minister or President has ever visited Jaffna for a long time. The last visit of J.R. Jayavardene, was in 1982. It did not lead to peace. In fact, the anti-Tamil riots of 1983 marked the point of no return in the conflict between Sinhalese and Tamils. It became a case of do or die for the Tamils. But times have changed. Not because of a change of heart, but because the world is no more prepared to tolerate these ethnic bush fires around the world. It cannot accept terrorism as a means for political change. That America is leading this war against terrorism is an assurance of success. But it is not an American war. It is still a global war against terrorism with the backing of the UN. We are all in it and we cannot back out of it. It goes to the credit of the Tamils that they can see the writing on the wall. The LTTE leader Prabhakaran was the first to propose a peaceful settlement. The point is: with global mobilisation against terror, he had no alternative. But there is an effort on the part of Mrs Kumaratunga the President, to sabotage the peace initiatives. She has wide powers. But why? Because it was started by her rival Wickremesinghe, who belongs to the United National Party. It is a struggle for supremacy. The Americans are aware of these domestic conflicts. There is yet another danger to the peace process. At the head of the opposition to the peace initiative and the American involvement is the JVP party (Janata Vimukthi Peramuna), an ally of Mrs Kumaratunga, with a long Maoist, anti-American record. One will not be surprised if America wants to eliminate the JVP. It has a long history of terrorism. A few words on the JVP will not be out of place here. The JVP was founded in 1964 by one Rohana Wijeweera, a dropout of the Lumumba University in Moscow. He was a pro-Beijing revolutionary. His hero was Mao. Teja Gunawardene joined the JVP. She was bitterly anti-India. The JVP played a crucial role in turning the northern Tamils against the Sinhalese. This was what stirred Colombo against the Tamils. The JVP has gone through a number of transformations. It has worked with both the major political parties. And it continues to be bitterly anti-American. But what is its relation with Beijing is not so well known. Our man in Colombo must keep a close watch on the JVP. The visit of US Assistant Secretary of State, Christina Rocca, to Jaffna, along with a US Brigade Commander, was naturally an occasion for anti-American demonstrations. It was reported that the US team wanted to establish a “line of control” (LoC) in preparation to hand over the administration of North to the LTTE. It is, however, feared that the LoC might become a permanent boundary between the two states. But such fears are unwarranted. Both the USA and India are committed to maintain the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka. But America has a long history of intervention in Sri Lanka. Which is why it is suspect. And it is legitimate to do so. Once the USA wanted to establish a naval base in Trincomalee. It was the strong objection from India which stayed the American hands. The Chinese, too, wanted to establish a presence in Sri Lanka. It promoted the JVP for this purpose. That is why one has to be careful about the new moves by various parties. The Chinese, of course, want America to leave Asia to China. Or, at least, it wants the US presence to be reduced. The Americans are equally determined to stay in Asia. In this conflict, India is on the side of America. India wants the US presence to continue in order to prevent the hegemony of China over Asia. Naturally, India has welcomed US support to the Nepal government in its fight against the Maoists. And it welcomes the US support to Sri Lanka government against the LTTE. So, where does our sympathy lie? It must be with Ranil Wickremesinghe. The peace initiative has come from him. He deserves support from India. He knew India’s importance, which is why, he has made his first trip abroad as Prime Minister to India. Mrs Kumaratunga is too close to China for our comfort. India has a major role to play to revive Sri Lanka’s life and economy. There will be need for a major relief and rehabilitation package for Sri Lanka. India has a special interest in this, for there are over a lakh of Tamil refugees in Indian camps. They are here for 10-20 years. It is time to rehabilitate them in Sri Lanka. But India must leave the peace process to Norway and America. President Bush has already warned the LTTE against wrecking the peace process. He has threatened to isolate the LTTE. That should be a sufficient deterrent. It is time for the Sinhalese and Tamils to ponder over their painful history of the last 500 years. From the Spanish to the Portuguese to the Dutch and then on to the British — it has been a long story of foreign subjection. Each of them left an imprint on Sri Lanka life and culture. Tamils were confined to the North and East. Today they are all over the place. This is a legacy of colonialism. This is not the fault of the Tamils. They must draw some lessons from the fate of India. India has been under foreign rule for a thousand years. Those who ruled over India have left a legacy. Many Indians are not reconciled to this legacy. The country was divided. This has not brought peace to the country. What happened in Gujarat is a reminder of the fact that the Hindus and Muslims in India have failed to find a solution to the problem. This should not happen to the Sinhalas and Tamils. The colonial legacy is the cross that we all carry with us. But it is better that we all come to terms with it. Sooner the better. The alternative, as I see it, is universal destruction. South Asia is the epicentre of this ethnic and religious explosion. Its leaders are puny men. They are not even able to comprehend the dimension of the tragedy that is brewing up. |
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Indian Americans prone to diabetes Indian Americans are highly prone to diabetes because of genetic factors, inactivity and a high carbohydrate diet, leading doctors from the community have warned. The incidence of “diabetic heart” is rising alarmingly among Indian Americans, Pratap Kumar, cardiologist and president of the Indian American Medical Association of Illinois (IAMA), said at a seminar in Chicago. The risk goes up with age, said epidemiologist Aruna Ravanam. “The impact of diabetes is tremendous,” she said. “It is the leading cause of bleeding behind the eyes, kidney failure and amputations. Diabetes patients are four-fold more likely to have heart attacks.” “Practically every Asian,” said Ravanam, “has insulin resistance to start with. Add to that other factors like the large carbohydrate meals that Indians consume and the fact that we are too busy making a living to exercise after the age of 20. ” For second generation Indian Americans she had a warning, “Most kids consume too much of pop, fruit juices and slurpies. They also spend too much time indoors watching video games,” Ravanam said. Studies have shown that the children of diabetic parents have higher resistance to insulin, she said. “Insulin resistance can lead to a cascade of problems,” said Kumar. He advised Indian Americans to check for protein in their urine after the age of 45.He said that those with an abdominal obesity in excess of 50 per cent were at higher risk. “Over-eating, inactivity and hypertension are the risk factors,” said Kumar,” adding “hypertension and diabetes are the most dangerous enemies of humanity.” “Exercise is the most miraculous remedy for diabetes,” said M. Jayaram. “If you have a body mass in excess of 28 per cent, you are at a higher risk of diabetes. A person with diabetes could be walking about with intolerably high amounts of blood sugar before he realises it,” he said. “The disease starts 10 to 12 years before manifestation,” he said. Responding to a question from the audience, Jayaram said there was no scientific evidence to prove that “karela” (bitter gourd) helped control diabetes. IANS |
A public meeting was held under the Presidentship of the Hon. Mr Manmohandas Ramji on Sunday last, and it was decided to form a Cow Protection League for the whole Maharashtra and funds for that purpose be collected. A committee was also formed consisting of Rao Bahadur Hanmantrao Ramnath, Shet Kinsandas Chrimant, Jagannath Maharaj and Prof Trivedi to organise a branch of the league in Poona. |
Love sick? A new place to dwell Heartbreak Hotel may only be an Elvis song, but Bangkok’s newly opened Love Sick Pub is real, offering consolation and a place to act out violent fantasies against ex-lovers. “The concept is to give people a place to relax after they have experienced emotional strain at home or on the job,” said Damrongsak Somakul. “So far the Throwing Room is our most popular feature.” Here, customers hurl glass bottles at pictures of ex-lovers, bosses or other objects of frustration projected on a screen. Customers can bring in their own pictures to be scanned or the restaurant can provide pictures for them. In the Consolation Room, which is lined with mirrors, the broken-hearted can literally reflect on themselves as they cry over their lost love. “It’s nice to be able to look at yourself while you’re crying. I’m a crying person myself,” The Nation newspaper quoted student Tassarinya Boonlertwong as saying on the opening night. Those who react to a messy break-up by screaming are invited to enter the sound-proof Yoo-hoo Room and rage to their heart’s content. And for those looking for a quick rebound, the restaurant features a Love Zone Room where spurned lovers can get together with other rejects.
DPA Preventing lung cancer in smokers A pill long used around the world to treat dry mouth may help protect against lung cancer in lifelong smokers, a study found. The drug appears especially promising for former smokers, who still face a higher-than-usual risk of lung cancer years after they quit. The preliminary study, found that the medicine reduced the risk of new or worsening precancerous growths in the lungs of longtime smokers by about 22 per cent during six months of use. The drug, made by the French company Solvay Pharma, is not available in the USA. It is sold in Canada, Europe, China and other countries as Sialor or Sulfarlem and has been on the market for 30 years. The study was sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and conducted on 101 volunteers who had smoked a pack a day for at least 30 years. One-third had quit smoking, and the results were best for them.
AP Arthritis pills for cancer treatment Scientists are hard at work recycling Celebrex and Vioxx, the red-hot inflammation pills taken by tens of millions for arthritis. Their goal — Prove these medicines prevent cancer and perhaps even help cure it. While there are good scientific reasons to think they are onto something, the experiments to settle it are not finished, and the optimists could be dead wrong. Nevertheless, cancer researchers and pharmaceutical executives entertain fantasies of a breakthrough role for an off-the-shelf medicine. Among them is Dr Philip Needleman, who has spent more than a decade — first at Washington University and now at Pharmacia.
AP |
Without the Ten Paramita one cannot go beyond the rudiments of meditation. They are: 1. Charity 2. Morality 3. Renunciation 4. Energy 5. Courage 6. Truth 7. Intensive resolution 8. Compassion 9. Equanimity 10. Wisdom — From Daniel Odier, Nirvana Tao: The Secret Meditation Techniques of the Taoist and Buddhist Masters *** Here is the secret principle, without equal, the principle that calms all suffering, the truthful principle: Homage to you, knowledge that has gone, Gone beyond and beyond the beyond. — The Prajanaparamita’s Principle *** No true progress can be made in the way of meditation without the observation of five fundamental precepts 1. No killing 2. No stealing 3. No lying 4. No committing of sexual impurity 5. Abstaining from every drug or intoxicating substance — The Five Precepts of Buddhiam *** Words are figures; silence is the background. Words come and go; silence remains. When you were born you were born as a silence — just intervals and intervals, gaps and gaps, Infinite emptiness you came with, unbounded emptiness you brought with you in life. — Osho, Ancient Music in the Pines *** Those who spend in ease as well as in adversity and those who restrain (their) anger and pardon men. And Allah loves doers of good (to others) —The Quran |
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