We have a new Chief Justice of India, Justice B.R. Gavai. Fifty-second. First Buddhist.
Vaisakha Purnima, Buddha Purnima. Buddha. Sakyamuni. Siddhartha Gautama, the awakened one, enlightened one. Tathaagata. Born in Lumbini, some 2500 years ago. Lived for 80 years. Buddha’s teachings were oral. Buddha’s way is the ‘middle way’, between the extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification, to attain liberation, vimukti. Buddha’s monastic discipline calls for relying on a wider community for basic necessities – food, clothing, shelter et al. Ananda’s Sutra Pitaka, Upali’s Vinaya Pitaka (monastic code) are the first two canons, as a recall of what Buddha told. As exactly as possible. For Buddha, voluntary actions produce karma. Four Noble Truths, realities: suffering, duhkha – birth, aging, illness, and death, union with what is displeasing – separation from what is pleasing; suffering as an origin in craving, desire, and tanha; cessation of suffering is possible; path to cessation of suffering is through practice. Eightfold path. Wisdom – right view and right intention; Ethics – right speech, right bodily conduct and right livelihood; Concentration – right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration. To be practiced. Suffering – pain; suffering due to change; suffering due to conditions. Five aggregates of grasping: form (through pancha bhuta), sensations, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness. These aggregates are non-self – non-permanent; may lead to suffering; not dependently arisen. ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not myself’.
Buddham saranam gachchaami. Dharmam saranam gachchaami. Sangham saranam gachchaami.
Virat Kohli, 36 [5 Nov 1988], also retires from Test Cricket, after active 14 years. 9230 runs in 123 Tests, at 46.85 average. 30 centuries, 31 half-centuries. These include 7 double centuries. 254 not out is the highest score. Captain in 68 Tests, winning 40 Tests. He remains available for ODIs, maybe another 2-3 years.
Even after retirement from Tests, Rohit and Virat continue in A+ grade contract with BCCI. However, India needs to fill the opener’s slot, no.4 slot. Maybe a more lasting spinner slot.
Mystical, disappeared, antarvahini River Saraswati Pushkar time starts – 15-26 May. At Mana, near Badrinath; at Prayagraj; at Kaleswaram; at Somnath; at Pushkar; and at Bedaghat.
Are we losing South Asian leadership? Are we getting gradually trapped into the hands of the US? What after Modi 75? Will Modi transfer leadership to some young leader, or a group of leaders? Or will he continue for some more time, 5-10 years?
A study of brain scans: unduly long working hours affects brains badly. Beware.
Another study: Living beings emit a faint glow throughout their lives; it vanishes when they die. It is possible that these glows vary with condition and situation of the living beings, including health.
Nature does not really change. If we try to change it, it may backfire badly. No creature tries to change nature. On the other hand, they change and adapt. We can do the same. We can change. We can adapt. We can learn to adapt. Can we do it? Where required, instead of trying to change others, can we take care of ourselves, can we adjust?
Yes, we can. If we coexist, flowing. Listening to nature. In N? vartanayoga for 7L.