Sanskrit

Touching the Untouchables in a Rural Indian Village

Jim Luce | Posted 03.17.2012

Read More: Sanskrit, Middle Way, Black America, Philanthropy, Mahatma Gandhi, Bodh Gaya, Jharkhand, Bihar, Buddha, Japan, Dalits, Oiww, Martin Luther King, James Jay Dudley Luce Foundation, Jim Luce, Hindu Social Life, Social Responsibility, Prince Siddhartha, International Development, Burakumin, India, Roma, Orphans International Worldwide, Harijan, Dumri, World News
Jim Luce

I have been privileged to visit two "Untouchable" villages while here on pilgrimage in India -- the first about four miles outside Bodh Gaya in Bihar province, and the other about four hours south of here, in the village of Dumri in Jharkhand province.

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Peeling Back The Layers Of Sanskrit And Vedic Chanting

Suhag A. Shukla, Esq. | Posted 08.19.2011

Read More: Hinduism, Translating Sanskrit, Hindu Spiritual Practice, Rig Veda, Sanskrit, Hindu Wisdom, The Vedas, Vedic Chanting, Dr. Lakshmesh v. Joshi, Music and Religion, Religion News
Suhag A. Shukla, Esq.

As a second-generation Hindu American immersed in English, how can I ever hope to fully comprehend the detailed knowledge found in the Vedas and other Sanskrit texts?

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Dharma Is Not The Same As Religion

Rajiv Malhotra | Posted 09.26.2011

Read More: Sanskrit, Religion, Dharma, Yagnavalka, Monier-Williams, Manusmriti, Manu, India, Hinduism, Religion News
Rajiv Malhotra

A non-religious society may still be ethical without belief in God, but an a-dharmic society loses its ethical compass and falls into corruption and decadence.

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How Europeans Misappropriated Sanskrit To Form The Aryan Race Theory

Rajiv Malhotra | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Sanskrit, Aryan, Dravidian, Aryan Race Theory, Origins of Nazism, Hindus in India, Joseph Arthur Comte De Gobineau, Hindu-Jewish Summit, European Identity, Dravidian Race Theory, Nazi Ideology, European Racism, Origins of Racism, Christian Racism, Indo-Aryans, Europe, Religion News
Rajiv Malhotra

It is not widely known that the European quest to appropriate Sanskrit motivated the construction of the "Aryan" race identity, one of the ideological roots of Nazism.

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Maha Shivratri: Constructive Destruction In The Cycle Of Life

Anju Bhargava | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Hinduism, Hindu, India, Sanskrit, Hindu Holidays, Maha Sivaratri, Hindu Calendar, Maha Shivratri, Religion News
Anju Bhargava

Maha Shivaratri is celebrated every year on the 13th night and 14th day in the Krishna Paksha (waning moon) of the month of Magha or Phalguna (February-March) in the Hindu Calendar.

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The Sacred Act Of Eating: A Hindu Foodie's Daily Ritual

Deepa S. Iyer | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Hindu Prayers, Sanskrit, Food Rituals, Hindu Scriptures, Food, Indian Food, Hinduism, Foodies, Vegetarianism, Religion News
Deepa S. Iyer

Creating a new dish after a long workday, I feel a connection to my (now deceased) great grandmother, who also viewed cooking as a daily ritual.

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Can the Culture of Tibet Still Be Saved?

George Heymont | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Sanskrit, Mao Tse-Tung, Stongde Monastery, Dalai Lama, Journey From Zanskar, Ngawang Choephel, Pakistan, Tibet, Rick Ray, Geshe Lobsang Dhamchoe, China, Mount Everest, Frederick Marx, Tibet in Song, Afghanistan, India, Richard Gere, Buddhism, Shinku Pass, Himalayas, Dharmsala, Manali, Arts News
George Heymont

Two new documentaries show the cultural impact of Communist China's efforts to suppress the culture of Tibet. Each is fascinating in its own right. Together, they make a powerful statement about the importance of cultural identity.

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Mani Ratnam's Raavanan: The Must-See International Film of 2010

Jim Luce | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Mani Ratnam, A.r. Rahman, Madras Film Institute, Abhishek Bachchan, Tamil Nadu, South India, Mahindra Indo-American Arts Council, Hindi, Chennai, MIAAC Film Festival, Jim Luce, Vishnu, Raavan, Mumbai, Aroon Shivdasani, Sanskrit, Film Guru, Ramayana, Vikram, All-Time 100 Best Films, Indo-American Arts Council, Slumdog Millionaire, New York City, Aishwarya Rai, Richard Allen, Tamil, International Film, Kerala Forest, Suhasini Maniratnam, NYU Department of Cinema Studies, India, Bollywood, Jodhaa Akbar, Iaac, Raavanan, Nayagan, Arts News
Jim Luce

Raavanan, the new Indian film produced in both Hindi and Tamil, premiered at the Tenth Annual Mahindra Indo-American Arts Council (MIAAC) Film Festiva...

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Batman Comics Writer Renovates India's Ancient Epic

Betwa Sharma | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Star Wars, Sanskrit, Mahabharata, Dynamite Entertainment, Arjuna, Lord of the Rings, Superman, India, Luke Skywalker, Batman, Grant Morrison, Liquid Comics, Lord Krishna, Comic Books, Arts News
Betwa Sharma

Grant Morrison, author of comics like Fantastic Four, Batman and Superman, and Indian artist Mukesh Singh, are putting a high-voltage spin on the Sanskrit saga.

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Birthday Lessons From Lord Mahavir

Nikhil Bumb | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Religion, Nonviolence, Philosophy, Sanskrit, Jain, Jainism, Non-Violence, Mahavir, Anekantvada, Mahavir Jayanti, Ahimsa, Religion News
Nikhil Bumb

Here are two lessons from the core of Mahavir's teachings that we can all learn from, and who knows, perhaps even find room to apply them in our lives.

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Sita Sings the Blues: A Vibrant Ramayana Retelling with Humor and Pathos

Alex Remington | Posted 01.25.2010

Read More: Movie Reviews, Free Culture, Nina Paley, Sanskrit, Hindi, Lawrence Lessig, Sita Sings the Blues, Movies, Ramayana, Flash, Dvd Reviews, Entertainment News
Alex Remington

Cartoonist Nina Paley spent six years making Sita Sings the Blues, a tragic love story about a prince named Rama who suspects his wife Sita has been unfaithful.

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Finding the Perfect Yoga for You

Erica Heinz | Posted 11.17.2011

Read More: Jivamukti, Lyengar, Yoga, Anusara Yoga, Sanskrit, Sivananda, Ashtanga, Bikram Yoga, Bikram, Kundalini Yoga, Vinyasa, Healthy Living News
Erica Heinz

People are always asking me what kind of yoga they should do. So to them I say, yoga practice is like wine appreciation -- the best way to learn is to taste.

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To Regulate or Not Regulate Yoga Teacher Training

Jane Shure | Posted 11.17.2011

Read More: Yoga Practice, Yoga, Yoga Alliance, Sanskrit, Western Yoga, Yoga Training, Benefits of Yoga, Healthy Living News
Jane Shure

I fear for how the effort to regulate yoga might set the yoga industry up to be like so many other industries -- controlled by the biggest and richest.

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In Sri Lanka: The Basics for Americans

Jim Luce | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Tamil Tigers, Islam, India, Funny Boy, Galle, New York State, Kandy, Jaffna, Jacmel, West Virginia, Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu, Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Hindu Mythology, Colombo, Hinduism, Rama's Bridge, Indonesia, United Nations Peacekeeping Mission, Serendib, British East India Company, New Hampshire, Yala National Park, Adam's Bridge, Indonesian Shadow Puppets, Commonwealth of Ceylon., Buddhism, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Sanskrit, Unawatuna, South Asia, Terrorism, Malaysia, Manado, Galle Fort, Tsunami, Shyam Selvadurai, Tamil, Kotte, Orphans International Worldwide, Sinhalese, Sinhala, Gonaives, Port-Au-Prince, Mount Washington, China, World News
Jim Luce

As I travel through Sri Lanka, covering the nation as it seeks reconciliation among its diverse population after decades of conflict, I am receiving e-mails from my friends at home asking me to review the basics.

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