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The Concept of MAYA (Illusion)

Under the influence of the three gunas, the soul is (1) misled by matter, and (2) subsequently entangled and entrapped. This tendency is termed maya (illusion). Under maya’s influence, the atman, (the soul) mistakenly identifies with the body. He accepts such thoughts as “I am white and I am a man,” or “This is my house, my country, and my religion.” Thus the illusioned soul identifies with the temporary body and everything connected to it, such as race, gender, family, nation, bank balance, and sectarian religion. Under this sense of false-ego (false-identity) the soul aspires to control and enjoy matter. However, in so doing he continuously serves lust, greed and anger. In frustration he often redoubles his efforts and, compounding mistake upon mistake, only falls deeper into illusion. In ignorance (tamas), he is fully convinced that right is wrong and wrong is right. In passion (rajas) he is unsure, hesitant, sometimes enjoying and at others times repenting. Only in good
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'THE EXPRESS' by Stephen Spender summary and analysis

Stephen Spender's ' THE EXPRESS ' glorifies the express train. The train here is a symbol of the modern industrial civilization. The poem begins with a description of the movement of the express train from a station. Its sound of horn suggesting its movement from the station and its slow royal movement is likened or is compared to the movement of a ‘queen’. The majesty that is hinted in the opening lines is continued in the next lines when the poet describes how the train passes "without bowing and with restrained unconcern". Just as crowds lineup humbly in the passage of the ‘queen’, the houses, the gas works and the graveyard lineup in the passage of the train. Later, the majesty turns into mystery when the queen-like express leaves the town and enters the countryside. The poet now finds the train as self possessed and brilliant. Consequently, the train now begins to sing. The song of the train has its movement, low and loud and screaming and deafeni

The Concept of Oneness in Advaita Vedanta

According to advaita siddhAnta, the jIva is identical to Ishvara in substance and essence. The jagat is a changing and mesmerizing manifestation of Ishvara that binds the jIva in its limited existence. The analogy is of the air inside an earthen pot. As long as the pot exists, the air inside it appears separated. But as soon as the pot breaks, the true nature of the air as a continuum is evident, and there is no more separation. In the case of the jiva which is a pure consciousness, the layers of the gross body, with its 5 internal layers (vital breath or nervous system, etc.), and the various modes of the mind all come together to cause an apparent isolation. Hence each jIva considers itself separate and autonomous from other jIvas. Once it realizes its true nature as pure consciousness, it is no longer a limited, isolated entity but rather a cosmic reality. Or at the very least, the notion of association with temporary identities should be gone. A major misconception abou

The Ajanta Ellora Caves

The Ajanta and Ellora Caves The paintings and sculptures of Ajanta and Ellora caves are UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1983 and are considered masterpieces of Buddhist religious art that have had a great influence in the development of art in India. The Ajanta Caves: Ajanta caves are located in the Sahyadri ranges (Western Ghats). These are a series of rock-cut caves on Waghora river near Aurangabad in Maharashtra . There are a total of 29 buddhist caves in Ajanta. The Ajanta caves were inscribed by the Buddhist monks, under the patronage of the Vakataka kings . The Ellora Caves: It is located nearly 100 Kms away from Ajanta caves in the Sahyadri range of Maharashtra . Ellora caves are a group of 100 caves at the site of which 34 caves are open to the public . 17 caves out of these 34 are themed around Hinduism , 12 caves depict Buddhist themes and 5 caves are of Jain faith. The most remarkable of the Ellora cave temples is Kailasa Temple (Kailasanatha; cave 16 ),

Major Events of Modern Indian History

Major Events of Modern Indian History Battle of Plassey, 23 June 1757: Victory for the British East India Company in the Battle of Plassey was the start of nearly two centuries of British rule in India. For an event with such momentous consequences, it was a surprisingly unimpressive military encounter, the defeat of the Nawab of Bengal owing much to betrayal. The First Anglo-Mysore War (1767–69): Hyder Ali enjoyed some measure of success against the British, almost capturing Madras. The war ended with the Treaty of Madras. The Second Anglo-Mysore War (1780–84): Witnessed bloodier battles with fortunes fluctuating between the contesting powers. This war saw the rise of Sir Eyre Coote, the British commander who defeated Hyder Ali at the Battle of Porto Novo and Arni. Tipu continued the war following his father's death. Finally, the war ended with the signing of a treaty on 11 March 1784, the Treaty of Mangalore, which restored the status quo ante bellum. The Third Anglo-Mysore War (

The Sufi, Bhakti and Sikh Movement in India

The Sufi, Bhakti and Sikh Movement in India Sufism in India Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti introduced Sufism in India. He came to India from Afghanistan with the army of Shihab-ud-Din Ghuri in 1192 AD and started living permanently in Ajmer from 1195. The original sufis wore simple wool cloaks and in Arabic the word Sufi means "man of wool". Pir in the Sufi tradition means Guru. A khanqah or khangah, also known as ribat, is a building designed specifically for gatherings of a Sufi brotherhood and is a place for spiritual retreat and character reformation in Sufi tradition. The chief orders of Sufis in India are: The Chishti, The Suharwardi, The Firdausi, The Quadri and The Naqshbandi. The Chisti Order: The Chishti order was established by Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti of Ajmer. Other notable disciples were Bakhtiar Kaki (the person to whom the Qutb Minar, Delhi is dedicated), Nizamuddin Auliya, the historian Barani and the poet Amir Khusro. It was popular in Delhi and the Doab region. T

RBI and the History of Banking in India

RBI and the History of Banking in India Based on the report of the Hilton Young Commission, the Reserve Bank of India was established on 1 April 1935. In 1937 the headquarters of RBI was moved from Kolkata to Mumbai. RBI was nationalised in 1949. RBI continued to work as the Central Bank of: a) Burma (till 1948) b) Pakistan (till 1948) c) Kuwait (till 1959) Key Functions of RBI Issuer of Notes - The Reserve Bank of India has the sole right to issue currency notes of various denominations except one rupee notes and coins (which are issued by the Ministry of Finance). Banker to the Government - The second important function of the Reserve Bank is to act as the Banker, Agent and Adviser to the Government of India and states. It performs all the banking functions of the State and Central Government and it also tenders useful advice to the government on matters related to economic and monetary policy. It also manages the public debt of the government. The Banker's Bank - The RBI lend