Hinduism in the 21st century!

     "If Hinduism is a religion still alive and growing today, it is solely because of the eternal truths it embodies. Assess the validity of this statement and describe, in your words what the future of Hinduism might be."

<< If I were asked to define the Hindu creed, I should simply say : Search after the truth through non-violent means. A man may not believe in God and still call himself a Hindu. Hinduism is a relentless pursuit after truth. Hinduism is the religion of truth. Truth is God. Denial of God we have known. Denial of truth we  have not known. >>

---Mahatma Gandhi

     Hinduism is the predominant of the Indian subcontinent, and one of its indigenous religions. Hinduism includes Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Śrauta among numerous other traditions. It also includes historical groups, for example the Kapalikas. Among other practices and philosophies, Hinduism includes a wide spectrum of laws and prescriptions of "daily morality" based on karma, dharma, and societal norms. Hinduism is a conglomeration of distinct intellectual or philosophical points of view, rather than a rigid common set of beliefs.

     Since ages, Hinduism has been portraying a very long and opulent antiquity. The ideas and ideals, percepts and practices, means and modalities, rules and regulations of conduct put forth in Hinduism are indeed worth emulating. In other words, if Hinduism is still alive and growing today, it is solely because it is a whole way of life as well as a highly organised social and religious system. The infinite, eternal truths it embodies makes it an ever-growing entity analogous to a flowing river absorbing many streams and tributaries on its way.

     Similarly, Hinduism represents the religious responses of different races and classes at various stages of cultural evolution. Hinduism has been a growing religion ever since its very inception. The Shruti (what has been heard), the Smriti (what has been remembered), the Vedas and the Upanishads all represent the various cornerstones upholdin the ultimate truths embodied by Hinduism. For instance, the central theme of the Upanishads is the absolute and profound quest for the ultimate truth, that is, God.

A well known shloka from Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is:

ॐ असतो मा सद्गमय । तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय ।।

मृत्योर्मामृतं गमय । ॐ शान्ति शान्ति शान्ति ।।

– बृहदारण्यक उपनिषद् 1.3.28.

Asato ma sad gamaya

Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya

Mrtayorma amritam gamaya

Which means

From unreal lead me to real

From darkness lead me to light

From death lead me to immortality

     The message of the Upanishads has, since eras, been of utmost importance to this divine religion of God, Hinduism. The truth embraced by the the opulent Upanishads is parallel to the light of the morning, like the pure air of the mountains, so simple and so true to mankind, ifonce fully grasped to the inner soul. More to this, Ram Mohan Roy, Mahatma Gandhi and Swami Vivekananda have found in the Upanishads, the call for civilisation, rational strength and faith in the strength of Spirit. Hitherto, in the words of the Great Swami Vivekananda:

''Tell the truth boldly, whether it hurts or not.

Never pander to weakness.

 If truth is too much for intelligent people and sweeps them away, let them go: the sooner, the better.''

---Swami Vivekananda

     Furthermore, Hinduism is not only the religion of truth, but also, that of the conscience, reason and independent thinking. The Puranas, one of the major pillars of Hinduism, are solemnly part of the Smriti and follow the itihasa (epics) in point of time and importance. The Puranas, as related by Sages Valmiki and Vashist, are all pantheistic and revealed to mankind by gods to authors. They are all written in verses whereby accounting the pronounced and distinguished truth of:

I.       The creation of the world

II.    The family history of gods and sages

III. The destruction of the universe

IV. Its re-creation

V.    Dynastic legends of the solar and lunar dynasties

One of the most prominent reasons behind the infinite propagation of the religion of God, Hinduism is definitely because of the eternal and abysmal truths codified in the six Vishnu Puranas, six Shiva Puranas and, not forgetting, the heirloom six Brahma Puranas whereby the whole human kind is psychologically benefitted.

Aum bhur bhvah svah

Tat Savitur varenyam

Bhargo devasya dhimahi

Dhiyo yo naha prachodayat

In other words

''We meditate on the transcendal glory of the Deity Supreme,

who is inside the heart of the Earth,

inside the life of the sky,

and inside the soul of the heaven.

May He stimulate and illuminate our minds.''

---The Gaytri Mantra

     Hinduism, additionally encourages mankind to grasp the eternal truths of life-

Whatever takes form is false.

Only the formless endures.

When you understand

The truth of this teachin,

You will not be born again.

For God is infinte,

Within the body and without,

Like a mirror,

And the image in a mirror,

As the air is everywhere,

Flowing around a pot

And filling it,

So God everywhere,

Filling all things

And flowing through them everywhere.

---Ashtavakra Gita  1:18-20

     Moreover, it is noteworthy to mention that the Mahabharata holds an unparallel historic epic in the world of Hinduism. Maharsi Vyasa declares-

Dharme charthey cha kame cha mokshe cha purusharbh I

Yadihaasti tadanyatra yannehaasti na tatkavachit II

- Maha.Adi. 62153

    

     Conversely, the Mahabharata also sheds light on the ultimate truth that the Brahmanas were proudly created in view of preserving the Vedas and the other scriptures, the Kshatriyas for ruling the Earth, for they were believed to be the only medium towards prevailing the truth to all human kind on Earth. The Mahabharata also lays tremendous emphasis on the universal application of truth and honest means in the family, society as well as the World, for they are believed to be ascribed values.

     Hinduism as it is commonly known can be subdivided into a number of major currents. Of the historical division into six darsanas, only two schools, Vedanta and Yoga, survive. The main divisions of Hinduism today are Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Smartism and Shaktism.[47] Hinduism also recognizes numerous divine beings subordinate to the Supreme Being or regards them as lower manifestations of it.[48] Other notable characteristics include a belief in reincarnation and karma, as well as in personal duty, or dharma.

McDaniel (2007) distinguishes six generic "types" of Hinduism, in an attempt to accommodate a variety of views on a rather complex subject:[49]

I.       Folk Hinduism, as based on local traditions and cults of local deities at a communal level and spanning back to prehistoric times or at least prior to written Vedas.

II.    Śrauta or "Vedic" Hinduism as practiced by traditionalist brahmins (Śrautins).

III. Vedantic Hinduism, for example Advaita Vedanta (Smartism), as based on the philosophical approach of the Upanishads.

IV. Yogic Hinduism, especially that based on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

V.    "Dharmic" Hinduism or "daily morality", based on Karma, and upon societal norms such as Vivāha (Hindu marriage customs).

VI. Bhakti or devotionalist practices

     Hindus recognize three possible paths to moksha, or salvation. The first is the way of works or karma yoga. This is a very popular way of salvation and lays emphasis on the idea that liberation may be obtained by fulfilling one’s familial and social duties thereby overcoming the weight of bad karma one has accrued.

The second way of salvation is the way of knowledge, or jnana yoga. The basic premise of the way of knowledge is that the cause of our bondage to the cycle of rebirths in this world is ignorance. According to the predominant view among those committed to this way, our ignorance consists of the mistaken belief that we are individual selves, and not one with the ultimate divine reality – Brahman. It is this same ignorance that gives rise to our bad actions, which result in bad karma. Salvation is achieved through attaining a state of consciousness in which we realize our identity with Brahman. This is achieved through deep meditation, often as a part of the discipline of yoga.

The third way of salvation is the way of devotion, or bhakti yoga. This is the way most favored by the common people of India. It satisfies the longing for a more emotional and personal approach to religion. It involves the self-surrender to one of the many personal gods and goddesses of Hinduism. Such devotion is expressed through acts of worship, temple rituals, and pilgrimages. Some Hindus conceive of ultimate salvation as absorption into the one divine reality, with all loss of individual existence. Others conceive of it as heavenly existence in adoration of the personal God.

     Accordingly, Hinduism is an unfalteringly tolerant religion. By virtue of its being a huge and opulent universe of religions, tolerance has become a necessity of its nature, thus leading the path of mankind towards truthfulness. This spirit of high tolerance has rendered possible the emergence of newer and more elevated and magnificent forms of Hinduism. In addition, it has also made it possible for some to exercise the greatest possible religious freedom. Truth, patience and perseverance are the real means for spiritual elevation and all these innate values of Hinduism are clearly demonstrated and viewed in the Hindu festivals. They have a purifying and intrinsic viable effect on the devotees. The Hindu festivals are the remover of all pains and sorrows, bestower of sheer happiness and honesty, as well as creator of brotherhood and equity. Below are examples of some of the most pious verses of Lord Ganesh, on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, Hindu festival not only depicting union and fervour but also the triumph og untruth over truthfulness:

 No reflection is possible in a lake which is not still
Your form can not stay in a disturbed mind
Fill fully in my mind and give me peace of mind
Pillayaya! The Presiding Deity of Yanam town!
-----
 Originating calmly in a tiny way in Nasika Thrayambaka
Receiving waters from tributaries and rivulets through Maharashtra and Andhra,
Becoming water to cleanse the Divine Feet of Lord Ramachandra at Bhadradri,
Encircling Lord Veerabhadreswara at Pattiseema,
Turning into a huge river and Annapurna at Rajahmundry,
Then proceeding from there, at a spot, just before Godavari merges her Lord, the Sea
You reside, Grace me with your benevolent looks
Pillaraya! The Presiding Deity of Yanam town!
-----
 You, the Lord of Fulfillments and Intellect
Your brother, Lord of Sri Valli and the Divine Army, Devasena
Will be blessing us with good intentions, riches and wealth
Pillaraya! The Presiding Deity of Yanam town!

What is the future of hinduism?

At present, Hindu mythology is under strain from two opposite tendencies that are not entirely unrelated to broader debates about religion and politics in India and the diaspora. There seems to be a "didactic" extreme and an "experimental" extreme in present approaches to the tales of the gods. The didactic tendency views mythology as a litany of facts about history and geography. It shows up in some of the recent animated mythological movies. The gods are depicted like pop culture superhero figures while a pedantic voice lists facts about them. The experimental tendency, on the other hand, sees mythology as open to virtually any sort of reinterpretation without regard to virtue or intent. Some artists and intellectuals espouse this view, and end up assuming that any imputation of sanctity to mythology is inherently fundamentalist.

Despite these unfortunate extremes, it is my belief that the tales of the gods, like the philosophy that is infused in them, like Hinduism as a whole, are deeper and more resilient than any constraint that our era can put on them. Commercialism may have turned mythology into a media formula, with virtually any movie being cited as a retelling of the Ramayana and Mahabharata  politics may have rubbed the stories of the gods the wrong way, from Right and from Left, leaving out the greatness of heart in them altogether. But when we look at the history of our "myths" more accurately, we will surely find what it was about them that made them both timeless and timely for so many generations. After all, even in the relatively short span that these tales have appeared in the media, there are great contributions only beginning to be acknowledged. For instance, long before mythological allegedly provoked religious extremism by turning up on Indian television in the 1980s, they were sparking the spirit of Gandhi, social reform, and Indian independence in the stages and cinema halls of early 20th century India (seen in the work of film pioneers Phalke and Nagiah). The question for us to ask now is what the tales of the gods need to liberate us from in the future. In an age of terrorism, wars, environmental degradation, financial hoaxes and mass mediated delusions, the need for the tales of the gods is stronger than ever. The challenge for us is simply to tell them better.

A.HEERAH

UPPER 6 S2 STUDENT

DR MAURICE CURE STATE COLLEGE

Dr Maurice Curé State College: the history beghind the school

The Dr Maurice Curé State Secondary school opened its doors for the girls in 1977 at a time when free education had only just been introduced in Mauritius. In honour to those who made this possible the new school situated at Vacoas was named after one of the founders of the Mauritian Labour Party, Dr Maurice Curé. It is a matter of pride to know that our school was only the third secondary school for girls.

  

For those who remember the old green building made of wood, it used to be a hospital for The Royal Navy which then got converted into a building to provide education to girls. To populate the school an ad was placed in the newspapers and girls from other schools were accepted. At that time Dr Maurice Curé was just a state school, it was only later that it became known as a star school.

You will be surprised to know that our school which now houses close to 1000 pupils used to constitute of only 74 students divided in two classes and 7 teachers. The yard was mostly green with grass and more trees than classes. The school body were all held in the old green building which was brought down in 2008 to be replaced by The Administration building. In 1977 there was no rector, the school were managed by Miss Medha Motee and Mr Goordyall. The school’s first rector,Miss Arlette Bazire came in 1980 and from then the construction and the development of the school began. Laboratories were installed and more buildings were built to house the ever-growing population.

Dr Maurice Curé SSS got its first laureates in 1984,Dehoutee Balgobin and Marie Louise Gautray and from then on the rector changed and new teachers were brought in order to make DMC one of the best secondary school in Mauritius and they succeeded.

Even now we still have the best teachers at our disposal and it is within our reach to make the name of the school shine. So even though we have not had any laureates for the past two years, we know we will not give up. Our school is still among the best. We, the new generations, will willingly contribute to the enhancing of our school’s history and to add our names to the board of laureates ornating the wall of the school’s gymnasium.

A break for jokes!

New Employment Rules

SICK DAYS

We will no longer accept a doctor's certificate as proof of sickness. If you are able to get to the doctor, you are able to come into work.

SURGERY

Operations are now banned. As long as you are an employee here, you need all your organs. You should not consider having anything removed. We hired you intact. To have something removed constitutes a breach of employment.

HOLIDAYS

Each employee will receive 104 holidays per year. They are called Saturday and Sunday.

BEREAVEMENT LEAVE

This is no excuse for missing work. There is nothing you can do for dead friends or relatives. Every effort should be made to have non-employees to attend to the arrangements. In rare cases where employee involvement is necessary, the funeral should be scheduled for the late afternoon. We will be glad to allow you to work through your lunch-hour and subsequently leave one hour early, provided your share of the work is done.

ABSENT FOR YOUR OWN DEATH

This will be accepted as an excuse. However, we require at least two weeks notice to allow time for you to train your own replacement.

TOILET USE

Entirely too much time is being spent in the toilets. In the future, we will follow the practice of going in alphabetical order. For instance: All employees whose names begin with 'A' will go from 8.00 to 8.20, employees whose names begin with 'B' will go from 8.20 to 8.40 and so on. If you are unable to go at your allotted time, it will be necessary to wait until the next day when your turn comes again. In extreme emergencies employees may swap their time with a co-worker. Both workers' supervisors must approve this exchange in writing.

In addition, there is now a strict 3-minute time limit in the toilets. At the end of 3 minutes, an alarm will sound, the toilet paper will retract, and the door will open.

LUNCH BREAK

Skinny people get an hour for lunch as they need to eat more so they can look healthy, normal size people get 30 minutes for lunch to maintain their average figure. Fat people get 5 minutes for lunch because that's all the time needed to drink a Slimfast and take a diet pill.

DRESS CODE

It is advised that you must come to work dressed according to your salary. If we see you wearing designer clothing we will assume that you are doing well financially and therefore do not need a payrise.

Thank you for your loyalty to our company. We are here to provide a positive employment experience. Therefore, all questions, comments, concerns, complaints, frustrations, irritations, aggravations, insinuations, allegations, accusations, contemplations, consternations or input should be directed elsewhere.

Have a nice day!

The Management 

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the present

When unhappy, one doubts everything; when happy, one doubts nothing.

That's how life really is!

Multilingualism...the indispensable tool for a better tomorrow!

The world we live in is rapidly growing into an enormous melting pot and most of us are very aware of the fact that the ability to speak a foreign language has never been as vital as it has been in the 21st century.

Learning a new language offers many new career opportunities as well as other advantages which are often ignored. Among the less obvious benefits is the change in perspective one will gain from seeing the world through different eyes. Every language expresses ideas in it’s own particular manner, giving us the ability to see things from another angle and thus allowing us to gain new insights of ourselves, our native culture and the world around us. This can spark creativity and give individuals an exciting new window through which to view the world and make decisions.

Consequently, those who learn a foreign language will become more dynamic and improve their problem-solving abilities. As a result, children who are bilingual (or multilingual) perform better at school and have a tendency to develop a higher level of intellect in comparison to their peers.

Whether it is about increasing our knowledge for personal reasons, or to add languages as a skill on a CV, there are many advantages of knowing a foreign language.

Here are benefits in more detail:

· Cognitive Benefits

A mutilingual person develops creative thinking and an ability to think more flexibly. Such people have two or more words for each idea or object. They are also more sensitive to the needs of listeners, as compared to monolingual people. Being multilingual has a positive effect on intellectual growth of a person as well.

· Curriculum Benefits

Multlingual people have a better thinking capability. Being versed in more than one language, gives people the benefit of better understanding. Multilingual individuals tend to show higher performance in examinations and tests as well. They find it quite easy to learn and speak any new languages.

· Communication Advantages

Multlinguals enjoy reading and writing in different languages. They can understand and appreciate literature in various languages. It gives them a deeper knowledge of different ideas and traditions. Needless to say, they do not face difficulties in communication whilst in a foreign country.

· Cultural Advantages

Multilingualism offers an access and exposure to different cultures. Due to a wider cultural experience, there is a greater tolerance and open-mindedness of differences in creeds and customs.

· Character Advantages

Language builds a bond between people. When a person speaks our native language, we tend to have a liking for them. This creates a powerful link between people from different countries as well as increasing a person’s sense of self-esteem when communicating with other people.

· Benefits to health

Recent scientific research showed that multilingualism can slow down the symptoms of ageing by boosting brain performance, and can therefore be an advantage in later life.

· Employment Benefits

Being bilingual adds to the expansion of one’s knowledge and understanding. It works wonders on a CV. A bilingual person is always given priority over a monolingual person. It offers a wider choice of jobs in various fields. Bilinguals can get prosperous career opportunities in the retail, transport, tourism, administration, public relations, marketing, banking, accountancy, translation, law and teaching sectors

La Prairie Public Beach....Mauritius..

Truly...you really need a lifelong sabbatical to enjoy such heavenly scenery of our utopian island!
Heaven on Earth!

Inspiring Quotes! Hope they'll inspire you the way it did to me :)

"If you want something said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman"

AS Great Britain's first - and as yet only - female Prime Minister, Baroness Margaret Thatcher's life was not short of famous sound bites.

From her views on being a woman in a very male world ("If you want something said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman"), to her reputation as Britain's Iron Lady ("I love argument. I love debate. I don't expect anyone just to sit there and agree with me - that's not their job") - Thatcher's career can be tracked through her many quotes, which have gone down in history.

Globalisation reigning over our present-day Mauritius

In Mauritius,globalisation is the buzzword of our contemporary society. The term does not have a fixed definition, but as a whole, it can be explained as an ongoing process by which the regional cultures, societies, and economies have become integrated through a globe-spanning exchange network. Globalisation is a highly controversial issue as it can be very benefit to a country and can cause subsequent damage to another one - the outcome often depends on either the geographical location or the economic/political stability of the country.

Countries lying in the Sub-Saharan region are the most affected by the adverse economic effects of globalisation. However, albeit Mauritius is situated in this region, its economy has not suffered mainly due to the strong political stability and diversified economy that prevails in the country. By contrast to the neighbour countries, Mauritius has been taking full advantage of globalisation. It has developed its economy by exporting its local goods and services abroad, thus globalisation has helped small local businesses to develop into large multinationals. There are also the various facilities, such as low tax rates and cheap labour force offered to the investors which therefore, directly generates new jobs opportunities to the Mauritian people. Some years back, when modern globalisation was still a myth, the idea that foreign companies to invest in Mauritius was inconceivable but now, with the major improvements in transport and telecommunications, a company can run many offices from different parts of the world, as if they were found in the same locality.

        One sector in Mauritius that has known a boost since the inception of globalisation is the Tourism sector which is one of the pillars of the Mauritian economy. By the media being made more accessible through recent progress of the technology, such as the internet, the image of Mauritius as a tourist destination was highly promoted.

Government Drivers -Government in almost all developed countries over the world have promoted free trade and reduced trade barriers and the European Union has also liberalised capital flows in 1992 which has contributed towards globalisation. Furthermore, there has been a decline in the role of government as producers and consumers and large private firms have been seeking a physical presence in many major countries. It has truly transforming itself, slowly, into a Global system of governance, not so much by the use of raw independent power, but through the consensus of its most powerful members, and key players, increasingly multinational Corporations and International financial institutions, both formal and informal. This trend would continue, slowly almost imperceptibly to most Americans, though not to the world at large. In the past decade there has been also increasing participation of China and India in the global economy which has added towards globalisation.     

Globalisation is a historical process rather than political or economical. It is the result of human innovation and technological progress. Globalisation has shown the increasing integration of economics around the world. It has taken a greater aspect in the world particularly, through trade and financial flows. Globalisation has covered the broader culture, politics and environmental dimensions of globalization.

Today, globalization is well known topic across the world. The word has taken a common term. It is referred as the extension beyond national borders of the same market forces that have operated for centuries at all levels of human economic activity_ village markets, urban industries or financial centers.

Global markets promote efficiency through competition and the division of labour _ the specialization that allows people and economies to focus on what they do best. Global market offer greater opportunity for common people also to tap into more and larger markets around the world.

In the global market, people can access more capital flows, technology, cheaper imports and larger export markets. Today, commerce and finance are more developed and deeply integrated in global world.

The global era has raised many questions related to social, political and workers. Does globalization harm worker’s interest? Many theoreticians don’t believe in this question. However, this is right question. Globalisation is the parallel world between the rich and the poor. Capitalist globalization is always very harmful for workers.

In global world, only big giant can survive. Globalisation has given the theory of third world countries also. In the financial world globalization is known as the basic elements of periodic crisis of an inevitable consequence of globalization.

National Sovereignty question is also related to the globalization question. In the financial market national sovereignty is never followed however, the question always has taken place in political era. 

Competitive Drivers is the fourth factor that has contributed towards globalisation. Analysts hold that globalisation has a multi-causal dynamic involving the interrelation of several forces such as growth of global networks making countries interdependent in particular industries that they are becoming universally centred rather than nationally centred. For instance, in UK the personal savings of its citizen are now internationally diversified, making them less dependent upon the future success of Britain. Instead, the UK citizens are amassing shares in the developing countries.