India is the birthplace of Buddhism and as one of the oldest faiths followed, there are many wonderous Buddhist sites. There is also a growing recognition of the countrys Buddhist heritage. One of the most holy Buddhist sites is Bodh Gaya, where the spiritual life of the Buddha is commemorated and revered by devotees from all over the world. Additionally, Bodh Gayas temple is one of the wonders of ancient Indian architecture.

According to Buddhist teaching, young prince Siddhartha Gautama was greatly moved by the suffering of the world and sought to end it. He retreated from the world, lived as an ascetic and spent his time searching for answers. When this failed, he chose a more moderate path and meditated under a fig tree, later known as the Bodhi Tree. Here he attained enlightenment and that moment was the start of Buddhism.

The Bodhi Tree was held sacred by the followers of the Gautama Buddha and when it died, its saplings were used to propagate others. As a result, the Bodhi tree that still stands in Bodh Gaya is a direct descendant of the fig tree under which Siddhartha Gautama became enlightened.

The followers of Buddha made pilgrimages from all over Asia to the holy site and it became known by its current name, great enlightenment. According to legend, the first temple was built by Ashoka the Great , emperor of the Mauryan Dynasty. It was later expanded during the Gupta Dynasty and flourished until the 8 th century AD. The site began to decline after the Muslim invasion of the Indian subcontinent and Buddhism went into rapid decline. The complex, however, was not completely abandoned as Burmese rulers supported the site financially.

Indian Buddhist monk in meditation near the Bodhi Tree and Diamond Throne ( artitwpd / Adobe Stock)

Under British rule in the 19 th century, the site was restored. The Bodh Gaya is still popular with Buddhist pilgrims across the world and is regarded as their most holy site, the navel of the earth. Bodh Gaya was awarded the UNESCO World Heritage status in 2002.

The most striking structure at the Bodh Gaya site is the Mahabodhi Temple, which is a pyramidal temple topped with a large stupa. This truncated pyramid is made of stone coated with stucco. It has been restored many times and the majority of the original structure dates to the Gupta period.

Mahabodhi Temple's central tower rises to a height of 160 feet (55 meters) and there are a number of statues of Buddha in niches along the structure. The upper part of the temple is plated with gold - a gift of the Thai King. The temple was once decorated with sculpted reliefs, masterpieces of Indian art, depicting scenes from Buddhist mythology , but these have now been moved to a nearby museum.

A number of smaller towers and stupas were built in the vicinity. The temple is surrounded on four sides by 6-foot-high railing that dates to the Shunga Empire . The 60-foot-high statue of the Buddha that dates back many centuries has been restored and plated with gold in parts.

Statue of Great Buddha in Bodh Gaya, India ( rpbmedia / Adobe Stock)

Beneath the holy Bodhi tree where Buddha meditated and attained enlightenment is the Vajrasana or diamond throne made of thick slab of granite. It was built on the orders of Ashoka the Great not long after 250 BC and the designs, as well as the decorative friezes, are similar to those found on the Pillars of Ashoka . A public space for worshippers is located in front the tree.

Bodh Gaya is approximately 60 miles (80km) from Patna, in the state of Bihar, situated in north-east India. Public transport to the site is readily available and a fee is charged to enter. Visitors are subject to security checks and in some parts of the site required to take off their shoes.

The atmosphere in Bodh Gaya is remarkable as the air is filled by the chants of monks . As this site is sacred to both Buddhists and many Hindus, visitors are reminded to behave in a respectful and appropriate manner.

Top image: Mahabodhi Temple, Bodh Gaya, India. The site where Buddha attained enlightenment.

Source: tinnaporn / Adobe Stock

By Ed Whelan

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Why Bodh Gaya is Considered the Navel of the Earth - Ancient Origins

Satans existence is suggested by human experience and the Bible and is confirmed by reading the Times. The Times is almost surely not a particularly diabolical organ, but it does report the news and the news often shows signs of the demonic.

The bad news about the world is evidence for evil that goes beyond the merely human.

The Devil is a spiritual being gone wrong who could not be satisfied with goodness, truth, and beauty. This proud tyrant seizes power and authority that he is not fit to wield. The Creator grants the Devil his free choice and allows the natural consequences of his folly to come to full fruition.

God, in his justice, allows the case against truth, goodness, and beauty to be made by Satan to humankind. Sensible humans will take this into account when living life.

The existence of the devil is a good reminder that just because a being is spiritual does not mean he is benevolent. Religious experiences can be diverse partly because we misunderstand them, but partly because some spiritual beings are deceptive and malevolent.

Theology, the science of knowing God, helps protect humankind from these beings. People who try to be spiritual without theology are doing the spiritual equivalent of walking into Los Angeles and asking anyone they meet to be their best friend and boss. It might work out well, but it probably will not.

God speaks to humanity and the Devil has chosen to try to confuse our reception of His loving words. As a good Father, God tries to warn us of bad behavior and theology and the Bible gives us those warnings in writing. One hears the voice of Satan when this sensible morality is attacked in the name of a new theology which is always as old as the Garden of Eden.

Satan tells every generation of Christians that something big has happened and that the Church must change or die. The Internet, the pill, the bomb, World War II, flappers, the steam engine, the Enlightenment, the Fall of Rome all have been given as reasons that goodness, truth, and beauty had to change to fit the times. Ignoring this demonic folly has proven good policy.

Humans are quite capable of imagining and performing evil acts without help, of course. In our broken condition we act badly even when we wish we wouldnt. Nobody needs a devil for that kind of thing, but with a little aid and encouragement we can go further and become positively inhuman. Knowing this puts us on our guard and makes our prayers an even more pressing priority.

Because he is not a god, Satan cannot do everything. His resources are great, but limited. He is often happy to be ignored, because the ignorant cannot expose his limitations. The skeptic will overlook what he does do and the fanatic will give him credit for evils he could not do. Like any insecure and tyrannical soul, Satan cannot simply hide, but must sometimes demand either fear or love.

His limitations suggest a mixed policy of encouraging atheists to ignore him, Satanists to worship him, pagans to misidentify him, and Christians to be obsessively fearful of him. This maximizes his influence and minimizes his defeats.

Nobody save a prophet can look at the Times and be sure what God or the Devil is doing at any given moment or in any given news story. Gods providence is inscrutable in its complexity, but rational, while the Devils work is manifestly irrational and thus difficult to discern.Over time, in the hideous works of Stalin, Hitler, or Mao, humankind can begin to discern a touch of the diabolical. Meanwhile, we trust in God, attempt to do the good He gives us to do with the means he gives us, and keep an exorcist or pastor handy.

It is sensible to suspect the diabolical when an evil is sustained, irrational, and obviously and spectacularly destructive to the very parties practicing it. We should enter such situations reasonably and prayerfully. Let me suggest two types of front page wickedness that might give a Christian special concern.

The irrational, wicked, continuous, and destructive hatred of the Jewish people has a bloody and sordid history. Anti-Semitism has sponsored so much wickedness that it is reasonable to suspect diabolical forces behind it.

The tyrant in any cult of personality in a nation or in a small group behaves much like Satan. The weird, wicked, and ultimately self-destructive actions of the leader of North Korea make our special prayers for the deliverance of that nation especially appropriate.

Jesus believed He was God and died for our sins, Kim Jong-Il acts like he is god and kills others for his sins. If Dear Leader is not possessed of devils, he gives a fair imitation.

Of course, the pages of the Times only record the public actions of humankind. They rarely venture to tell the private struggles of the men and women that form most of the actual history of our sad race. It is there that most of us come face to face with devils.

Each of us faces temptations and some of these come with special force and are particularly hard to resist. No man can blame devils for bad choices or pass off his personal moral responsibility, but many men are aware of the persuasive power of Satans pleading for evil.

The devil did not make us do it, but he surely is not helpful.

Plunging into wickedness is bad for the human soul in itself, but also because it allies the bad man with the devils. Demons are not helpful or trustworthy allies.

Satan exists with his demons and he is intent on destroying as much that is beautiful as he can. We need not fear him, but cannot ignore him. And so the wise man prays for deliverance from human and diabolical temptation while longing for mercy from Jesus Christ, Gods Son, for our failures.

Thank God such mercy is available.

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Satan in the Times | John Mark N. Reynolds - Patheos

Bob Stefko These majestic water-dwellers have colorful flowers and pretty leaves, but there's so much more to them that you might not know.

The quiet beauty of a pond or lake is instantly enhanced by a water lily's rounded leaves and starry flowers floating placidly on the surface. These unique aquatic plants can bloom in a range of colors anytime from late spring through fall in most regions of the country. Their leaves can be cup-shaped, star-shaped, and smooth or jagged. And while water lilies may be most visible on the surface of still freshwater, they are rooted in the mud below, where they overwinter and regrow the following year. Here are a few more interesting facts about these amazing flowers that will likely surprise you.

When you imagine a water lily, you probably think of the classic white bloom bursting from a deep green lily pad. But water lilies actually grow in a rainbow of colors, including pink, red, orange, yellow, purple, and blue. Tropical varieties take on jewel tones (purple, orange, bright blue, and yellow), whereas hardier varieties boast a pastel palette. Sometimes hardy varieties change shades as their blooms age. Even the leaf colors vary from deep green to rich burgundy. Water lilies aren't just a one-trick pretty pony; they have lots of tricks up their sleeves.

Although they're known for their stunning appearance, water lilies are actually important players in the aquatic ecosystem. These plants are found in shallow and still freshwater such as ponds, lakes, and the edges of slow-moving streams. Because they rest on top of the water's surface, the flowers and pads provide shade above the water, keeping it cooler and preventing algae that thrives in heat from growing in excess. Water lilies also help shelter fish swimming beneath them from the heat of the sun and predatory birds.

Attention July birthdays: Water lily is your flower! (Along with larkspur.) It's no wonder that these bright blooms are linked to July, because they're mainly a summer flower. Water lilies bloom from May through September, putting July smack in the middle of prime water lily season. In frost-free regions, water lilies bloom year-round. But you have to be lucky to catch a water lily blooming; each individual flower lasts for about four days before sinking under the water to rot. Water lilies' beauty is short-lived, but that makes it even more special.

Each variety of these stunners (there are over 50 species) is unique, whether it's the shape, size, color, fragrance, or blooming pattern. Water lilies are native to tropical South America, particularly Brazil, but now inhabit ponds, lakes, and streams all over the world. The largest variety of the water lily is fittingly called the giant water lily. Other names for this huge flower are the Amazon water lily and the royal water lily. This massive, magnificent flower can grow to have a diameter of three to six feet wide and can support 66 pounds of weight; that's means a young child could perch on a giant water lily pad, no problem.

Water lilies mean many things in different areas of the world, but they have special significance in Buddhism and Hinduism. For these religions, the water lily symbolizes resurrection, because these flowers close up at night and reopen in the morning, similar to a spiritual rebirth. Buddhists also believe that the water lily represents enlightenment because a beautiful bloom emerges from the dark, dirty mud.

The impressionist painter Claude Monet often used water lilies as the subject of his work. In fact, he painted more than 250 pieces that featured this aquatic plant, and several of them are among his most famous works of art.

Gallery: 10 of the Best Annuals to Grow in Your Cutting Garden (Better Homes and Gardens)

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6 Facts About Water Lilies That Will Make You Love Them Even More - MSN Money

Meditation might be an ancient practice but its benefits for reducing stress, improving mood, sleep and focus transcend centuries.

For millennia, people have been meditating to connect and reflect on their life to find deeper meaning. Its an intensely personal and spiritual experience that requires dedication and is practised by everyone from Oprah Winfrey and Jennifer Lopez, to Angelina Jolie and Eva Mendes.

By practicing meditation with regularity, you will be able to downshift into the bodys natural relaxation response, helping to lower blood pressure, and improve heart rate and breathing,' Sara Auster, one of New Yorks top sound therapists and meditation teachers, tells ELLE UK.

But just how straightforward is practising meditation on a daily, if not weekly, basis? After all, if it was so simple to calm and refocus the mind, wouldnt we all be doing it?

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We spoke to several experts to find out everything you need to know about meditation, from what it is and its techniques, to breathing and body scanning.

Its unknown when exactly meditation came about, but the earliest documented mention involved Vedantism, a Hindu tradition in India, around 1500 BCE. The verb to meditate originated in the 12th Century and comes from the Latin word meditatum meaning to ponder.

The five major religions Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all practice forms of meditation but its widely practiced by non-believers, too.

Contrary to popular belief, meditation is more than just sitting with your legs crossed and closing your eyes in order to find yourself.

According to the meditation app Headspace, meditation is has nothing to do with someone trying to become a different, new or better person. Its about training in awareness and getting a healthy sense of perspective, it explains. Meditation isnt about preventing your thoughts from wandering or 'disappearing', rather observing them without judgment.

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Sarah Romotsky, Director of Healthcare Partnerships at Headspace, tells us: You can practice meditation anywhere; there is no set location, or any equipment needed, and you dont need to necessarily be lying down or sitting on the floor.'

Theres often confusion about mindfulness - the ability to be present, free from distraction, with an open mind and a kind heart - and meditation.

Living more mindfully, by focusing your attention on the present moment without judgement, is a wonderful way to ease stress and anxiety, while creating a sense of peace and ease, explains Romotsky. And then meditation is the more formalised practice of training in mindfulness.

To better understand this, Auster advises experimenting with a sound bath whereby participants 'bathe' in sound waves for a deeply-immersive, full-body listening experience that nurtures both mind and body.

Meditation is more than just sitting with your legs crossed and closing your eyes

A sound bath can be helpful for anyone who wants to access the benefits of meditation but may be intimidated by the so-called rules of meditation. Instead of a meditative practice that requires you to sit up straight or have a point of focus, recite a mantra or count your breaths, to fully participate in a sound bath you simply need to show up and listen.'

Sara Auster running a Sound Bath session

The meditation expert knows that finding space to listen in a world thats over-stimulated and noisy can be a challenge and notes that even the best listeners can struggle to quiet the mind and be fully present.

But when we tune out from constant status updates, non-stop news cycles and instantaneous access to every song/movie/show ever made, we can clear mental space to listen deeply and truly rest, she adds.

Theres no prescriptive way to meditate. As with many practises, the way you meditate might be different to the way a friend, teacher or celebrity goes about it.

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We know that finding time to read a book is often hard enough, let alone carving out a moment in the diary for 15 minutes of meditation. But in order to be truly present in life and reap its benefits in a calm and fulfilled way we need to take time to be recognise our thoughts, feelings and environment.

There is a Zen proverb that goes something like this: You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes each day, unless you are too busy; then you should sit for an hour, Auster notes. If there are so many crazy things going on in your life, then all the more reason to stop for a few minutes.

Many people say they actually get more done and feel more productive after meditation. Thats because meditation helps improve focus and lowers stress. If 20 minutes a day feel challenging, start with two or three minutes and build up so you dont get discouraged and skip it altogether. Something is always better than nothing.

So, how do you go about meditating while balance a hectic social and work life?

Romotsky suggests starting small, noting: Setting aside just three to 10 minutes each day to meditate is all you really need to feel the benefits and to help keep you in a calm and present mindset.

We find that people who meditate in the morning or integrate it into a consistent routine, same time, same place, are most likely to maintain their practice over time.'

Auster believes in thinking about the 3 Es when beginning a meditation practice.

Being able to access a moment of stillness internally when everything is rapidly swirling around outside of you (or perhaps also inside) is like a superpower, she adds.

There are hundreds of types of meditation practice, which can depend on traditions, cultures, spiritual disciplines, and religions.

Fortunately, as there are many definitions and methods of meditation, there is no right or wrong way to meditate. The main types include: mindfulness, spiritual, focused, movement, mantra and transcendental. Find out more about which meditation technique suits you here.

Most calming meditation practices involve focusing on a particular object your breath, a mantra, a visualisation, a physical object, even physical sensations within your body and returning to that object whenever you get distracted or notice your mind starting to wander, explains the Headpsace app.

You can mediate on your own in silence, with a meditation app like Headsapce or Calm on the move, with music or with friends. As long as youre focusing on your surroundings, feelings, sensations and thoughts then youre good to go.

Setting aside just three to 10 minutes each day to meditate is all you really need

I find meditation in sitting on the floor with the kids colouring for an hour, or going on the trampoline, Angelina Jolie previously told Stylist magazine. You do what you love, that makes you happy, and that gives you your meditation.

Its totally fine for your mind to wander slightly during meditation. In fact, thats part and parcel of the practice and helps you notice other sensations in the body, your surroundings and thoughts you hadnt paid much attention to previously.

Most first-time meditators find it strange and sometimes unnatural to sit in silence for a couple of minutes and be with their innermost thoughts and feelings, says Romotsky. To sit and do nothing are the very things that the mind tends to resist.

However, many people who attempt meditation panic that a wandering mind or feeling fidgety suggests theyve somehow failing which couldnt be further from the truth.

Meditation is about setting time aside to guide your mind. Its a peaceful yet active process, adds Auster. Youre not sitting back with a blank mind; instead youre softly moving your mind toward more awareness, consciousness, and choice.

She advises guiding your attention is a way to calm the mind, not silence it. Each time you try, you will get better at it. There is a reason we call it a practice. It only works if you do it (again and again and again).

If you feel uncomfortable practising meditation, Romotsky advises asking yourself where feelings of discomfort are coming from; does it reflect feelings in the mind or external influences?

A lot of the time, these feelings may be caused by resistance and fighting against these might cause more agitation. By allowing these emotions to escape the body during meditation, both the mind and the body can settle down quite quickly, she says.

When it comes to Sound Baths, in particular, Auster notes that being comfortable is important as chances are if youre in pain or distressed you wont want to practise again.

Guiding your attention is a way to calm the mind, not silence it.

It is not necessary to sit cross legged and perfectly straight, she notes. Try sitting in a chair or on the couch or even lying down.

When youre lying down, try supporting the body in different ways. Use pillows, blankets or towels to support your lower back, knees, head, neck and arms. You may even want to weight the body with a blanket across the midsection, to cultivate a grounding sensation.

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She also suggests creating a peaceful corner of a room where you live and decorating it with beautiful or meaningful objects there to make the space feel special.

If youre someone who cant sit still, Romotsky suggests mindfulness on the move, taking in all the sights, sounds and smells particularly those you would not normally notice.

She says: Mindful walking can help you to step away, reset, refresh, and be present in the moment, preventing your mind becoming distracted from stressful and unwanted thoughts. Check out Headspaces Mindful Walking exercises here.

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Inhaling and exhaling is a pretty essential component for survival, but it's also key in helping calm and prepare the body and mind for meditation.

Auster quotes Paula Watkins, PhD, a clinical psychologist and meditation expert, who says that 'the process of breathing sits directly at the interface of our voluntary nervous system (aspects of our physiology under our conscious control) and our autonomic nervous system (aspects generally not under conscious control)'.

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Its a direct path for us to communicate quickly to the brain via what we do with our body. It also offers a direct link for balancing the sympathetic (fight-or-flight) and parasympathetic (rest-and-relax) branches of the nervous system,' she adds.

Auster notes that some breathing exercises are thought to bring balance emotionally, mentally, and physically. Science is only beginning to explore how and why this is happening.

To mindfully breathe, Romotsky suggests finding a comfortable upright position.

Mindful walking can help you to step away, reset, refresh, and be present in the moment

'As you inhale, your diaphragm muscle contracts downwards and as you exhale, the muscle relaxes upward; having the space in your physical body to expand is helpful in order to reap the benefits,' she says.

'If you find yourself becoming stressed, a couple of deep diaphragm breaths breathing shallowly (also known as chest breathing) can help to reset your breath and help aid relaxation.'

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There is no dress code to get into the meditation club, no bouncer outside the door to enlightenment turning people away because of their wardrobe, jokes Auster, who says that many people she works with wear suits, ties and jeans for the practice.

If you happen to love flowy pants, colourful leggings, mala beads, patchouli oil, and crystals thats great, but these items arent a required entry point to starting a meditation practice, she adds.

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If you've ever noticed your mind doing one thing and your body reacting in a completely different manner, you're unconsciously body scanning.

'A body scan is when you mentally scan yourself from head to toe, being aware of every part of your body as you go down and flagging any areas of aches, pain, tension, or general discomfort,' explains Romotsky.

There is no dress code to get into the meditation club

Scanning helps us increase out awareness to the patterns and make them one.

She adds: 'The Headspace Body Scan meditation recommends sitting down in a comfortable position, taking a deep breath to begin and then closing your eyes before scanning down from the top of your head to the tips of your toes, noticing any particular areas of tension or perhaps calm.'

There are several A-list celebrities who have advocated for the benefits of meditation over the years.

Celebrities who meditate include Hugh Jackman, Paul McCartney, Tina Turner, Sheryl Crow and Halle Berry.

In 1999, J-Lo opened up to Winfrey about using meditation to stay grounded while living in hotels in New York. Meditation helped me connect to who I am, she said. The way I do that is by centring myself and taking time for myself to connect to me.

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Years later, Winfrey wrote about her own love of meditation, writing on her website: I'm a big proponent of formal meditationfor the discipline, joy, and calm it bringsI'm moving into an even greater phase of being fully present all the time.

It's a heightened state of being that lets whatever you're doing be your best life, from moment to astonishing moment.

In 2016, Katy Perry opened up about her love of transcendental meditation which she began to practise five years prior.

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Describing it the technique as a great workout for your mind without working out, she said: Im on a plane more than I am on ground. This tool helps me find moments of peace because I dont have a whole lot of time that extend my day so I can live my fullest capacity. It gives me two days in one day!

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How To Meditate, Body Scan, Breathe Mindfully And Become More Present - elle.com

PANIC disorder is a debilitating mental health condition that you would not wish on your worst enemy.

I know this because I suffered through it for seven long years from 2006. I was lucky enough to come out of it through much reflection and study, changing my lifestyle and focusing on others.

Recently, when I thought about my experience, I found myself reflecting that this country, this nation of diverse people, seems to be suffering through the same thing. And I think how I came out of the condition could throw some light on how we could progress as a nation in the near and far future.

What is panic disorder? In one sense, it is a condition of being deathly afraid of... nothing! Suddenly, the mind sends signals of fear, anxiety and stress over pending destruction and catastrophe that are simply non-existent.

How can I describe it simply? Imagine thinking that you are suffering from a serious illness such as a heart attack or a stroke and those feelings pop up 20 times a day for the next one year of your life.

A simple headache that can be cured with paracetamol becomes fear of an impending stroke. Gastric heartburn sends signals that you might be having an early heart attack.

People who have panic disorder cannot go to work or even leave the house for fear that they might suffer an attack. I could not even drive to the nearest petrol station and I could only go in to work at the university if my wife came along. She eventually asked for early retirement just to accompany me to my lectures and everywhere, basically.

I usually had one public speaking engagement a month but from 2006 to 2008, I refused all invitations to talks, forums and public lectures. Panic disorder almost ended my career.

After working with a psychiatrist, much Internet surfing and reading about the condition, I came to understand it better and how I might break the vicious cycle of anxiety-fear-anxiety.

There are three things that feed the cycle of fear and anxiety leading to total panic.

The first is a fear of the unknown future that the mind fills with scenarios of disasters, be it economic, health or career disasters, you name it, the mind conjures it up.

Second is living with a perpetual what if state of mind so you can plan for every eventuality no matter how extreme. Third is totally focusing on yourself and all these worries.

How did I eventually get out of this condition? First, I had to recognise my number one and number two enemies: my own mind and my daily habits.

The mind must be refocused into thinking of something other than disaster scenarios and the body or actions must fall into rhythms and rituals that are different.

I had to refocus to listen more to my wifes talk of friends, family, how to redecorate the house, anything. I had to stop focusing only on completing my next book, my next piece of writing, my next argument in a forum, about uniting the nation and furthering my career as I did before.

I also had to learn to waste time more. I had to learn to wash my car, do gardening, walk or jog and go shopping with my wife. All these things I used to detest because they had no market value or political mileage. I had to learn to do the little things and dial back the big stuff. Only in this way can the brain be rewired differently and the anxious thoughts recede into the background. Physically, the new habits sent different signals to my muscles, also helping me to get out of that vicious cycle.

In the same way, politics and misunderstanding between our cultures and races create a panic disorder condition among us.

Each ethnic group fears an invisible enemy of the other religion, culture and way of life. This is reinforced by unscrupulous politicians and racist academics fuelling the fears. The thought of what if this or that happens plagues our minds to the point that this concern for our normal way of life takes precedence over everything else. These fears make each group resolve in only self-centred behaviours and further narrow its friendship circle into a small one indeed.

To become a more trusting and harmonious nation, each ethnic group must refocus its thinking on other things. There is no enemy trying to destroy us. Just our active imaginations, a few bad politicians and misguided academics. Why listen to these people who cari makan by playing on our fears for their own self-promotion?

Learn new things about other religions and cultures in our country. Dont just focus on your own group in complete self-interest. Help children, people from other communities instead of focusing on just ourselves. The single most important spiritual lesson of enlightenment is always about helping others because in doing that, your own self-centred ego will be kept on a tight leash.

If people can rewire their thinking by learning more about other ethnic groups in Malaysia and retrain their habits into helping the others then we will live a more spiritual life that will see this nation dump two of our worst enemies: bad opportunistic leaders and our own self-centred thinking.

It is really not that difficult to change this country just change ourselves and our thinking first lah.

Prof Dr Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi is Professor of Architecture at UCSI University. The views expressed here are entirely the writers own.

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When panic disorder hits a nation - The Star Online

The Laws of Happiness

NEW YORK (PRWEB) August 05, 2020

The Laws of Happiness, first published in Japan in 2004, the new edited English version will be published on August 28, 2020 by World Teacher and Happy Science founder Ryuho Okawa. The Laws of Happiness represents the Four Principles of Happiness which Okawa suggests that all people regardless of their religious or spiritual background should practice in order to pursue true happiness which continues from this world to the next. It is a work in which, as the title suggests, the nature of human happiness is explored at length in a practical and spiritual manner.

Okawa states outright at the beginning of the book that happiness is a decision rather than a quality dependent upon environmental factors. No objective or fixed circumstances can guarantee happiness, and instead happiness is a feeling that is innately generated. Part of the process of learning to be happy exists in accordance with learning from ones experiences and embracing the reality that each person is given their own workbook of problems to which they alone have the answers.

The balance of maintaining happiness along the path of progress in life is explored at length in this work. Okawa states that the seed of unhappiness exists in moments of happiness; in other words, where there are good and successful times, challenging times will inevitably follow as life proceeds onwards. To become aware of this fact during the happy moments is a key to self-improvement whereby ones weaknesses can be recognized and strengthened in preparation for the future as a means to preventing future unhappiness; all of this requires that one be willing to shed their old self as life progresses. Shortcomings are a positive indication that there is still room for growth all throughout the lifespan.

There are inevitable changes that will occur for all people throughout their life, and adaptations must be made. For example, while younger people benefit from having high energy, they also may suffer from a lack of knowledge and wisdom; as a person ages, they will have less energy but more knowledge, and it is such that changes need not be a source of unhappiness provided one can embrace the opposite strengths that come with ageing. Another example is that a person who is very spiritual benefits from developing practical and worldly insights: whatever the greatest strength a person possesses, they can benefit from developing that which is the opposite of it, and such can be a source of happiness.

Okawa provides a teaching that throughout life each person will gradually see the world through two different eyes: the differentiating eye and the eye of equality. The differentiating eye learns to distinguish the differences between all people and other living things, while the eye of equality learns to see the beauty in that which is common to all things. The former of these allows for the recognition of the individual purposes and roles of all things in the world, while the latter of these allows for the development of compassion and empathy; the continuous development and refinement of these two forms of vision, which Okawa states are the manner in which God views the world, are a key to the path of enlightenment.

There is an extensive discussion in the book concerning finding happiness in work, which is something that many people struggle with. While it is ideal that one works in the area that one is most passionate about, such is not always possible, and when it is not, a change of attitude can bring about happiness even in less than ideal work situations. It is possible, given the limitless potential of humans, to always be working towards improvement in the area of ones work. Such is accomplished by a combination of factors, and Okawa provides the practical advice of reading to obtain new information, writing ones thoughts to sort them out, listening to other people in order to learn their thoughts, and thinking in such a manner that ones thoughts become increasingly developed. Okawa likewise provides several excellent methods for generating and developing new ideas into realities, and emphasizes that ideas which endeavor to contribute toward the collective tend to manifest greater success.

Okawa presents The Four Principles of Human Happiness, which are the practice of overcoming suffering through love, wisdom, self-reflection and progress; these may be understood as a contemporary version of Buddhist teachings on enlightenment that are suitable for all modern people. These are explored at depth and with considerable insight that touches upon a combination of spiritual, psychological and environmental factors that impact all people in some way. Some key points include all people want to be loved, no person is 100% perfect, self-reflection is the easiest method to combat negative spiritual influences, and that because ones thoughts become ones reality, it is beneficial to concentrate upon positive thoughts in order to manifest a happy life. Ultimately, it is stated that humans benefit the most from seeking the kind of happiness that leads to the happiness of others.

An extensive introduction to Happy Science is provided toward the end of "The Laws of Happiness" and provides an overview of the history and progress of this new religion. It may be stated that "The Laws of Happiness" as a whole is an introduction to the type of limitless, positive and happy thinking that is characteristic of Happy Science. Many of the teachings provided in this work are akin to a modern approach to Buddhist, Christian and other spiritual teachings, and are accessible to all people in the world regardless of their religious background. In a world where all humans desire to be happy and most people struggle to achieve or maintain a state of happiness, "The Laws of Happiness" provides the answers that many are looking for.

The Laws of Happiness is available for pre-order at all major bookstores nationwide and online retailers, including Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

IRH Press USA

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World Teacher and Happy Science Founder Ryuho Okawa Introduces Four Principles of Happiness that Transcends Race and Religion in His New Book...

Tony Simmons| tsimmons@pcnh.com

Zachary Ian Garden described himself as a lifelong creative, but he first became serious about art when he got his first job at a tattoo shop in 2007.

Garden, 32, is one of the local tattoo artists featured in The Art of Tattooists, the new exhibition opening Friday, Aug. 7, at the Panama City Center for the Arts.

Born in Panama City, Gardens youth was nomadic.

RELATED: Virtual art classes, at-home projects offered by Panama City Center for the Arts

When I was 2 months old, my family and I started our adventures. We moved/traveled abroad and around the states most of my childhood, he said in an authors statement provided by the Center for the Arts. We moved back to Panama City in 2002. As an adult, I have carried on the family tradition of traveling, but I always come back home.

RELATED: Center reopens with three new exhibits

A young father, Garden said his art style derives from an unexpected source.

I have always had the desire to create. ... Most of my art is inspired by my spirituality, he said. As a child, I was forced to go to church with my mom. I hated it. It caused a lot of resentment and negativity for years.

But then he experienced a spiritual awakening on his first trip to Cambodia.

You cannot deny the energy you feel there. That set me on the path to enlightenment Im on now, he said. Im not sure where the path will lead me, but Im excited for the journey.

Garden learned his art on the job, not taking any classes.

Thankfully, I did a three-year tattoo apprentice, he said. My friends at the shop taught me everything I know about painting. From there, I just made up what works best for me. I use a mixture of liquid acrylic, watercolor and India ink on watercolor paper.

A desire to make things that appeal to him is the basis of Gardens current work.

I spent too many years trying to make things I thought other people would like, he said. I am having more fun and enjoying the outcome better now. Mix that in with my spiritual journey plus my anxiety, and you get the art I create.

Though he has participated in local art shows at other venues, The Art of Tattooists is the first time Gardens work has been exhibited at the Center for the Arts.

I painted two of the pieces during quarantine. It was my way of showing how the isolation made me feel. See if yall can guess which two, he said. The other three were just ones I enjoyed making.

Garden said he had never thought about what it meant to be featured in a exhibit of this kind before the question was raised: I would have never thought twice about it, but if youre wanting to know what I hope to get out of it some exposure would be nice. Get my name out to people that dont know me yet.

Gardens portfolio can be viewed at his Instagram account, @zacharyiangarden.

The Art of Tattooists will be on display at the Panama City Center for the Arts, 19 E. Fourth St.,until Aug.29. Admission is free. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m, Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.Saturdays. Visit PCCenterForTheArts.com for more details, including COVID-19 safety information.

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ARTIST: Zachary Ian Garden featured in The Art of Tattooists - The News Herald

Team 17 and Sole Survivor Games, at least one of which could say it has cult status, are about to blow your mind as they announce a new cult management simulator, Honey I Joined A Cult.

Coming to PCs in early 2021, Honey I Joined A Cult is a 1970s based cult management sim that challenges players to build and grow their very own cult. Taking at least a little inspiration from old school Theme Hospital, which also served as inspiration for the amazing Two Point Hospital, this brightly spiritual management sim challenges is a cartoonish twist on the classic management genre.

Thrust back to a simpler time, Honey I Joined A Cult allows players to developer their fledgling cult by recruiting new followers and acolytes. They will need somewhere to practice and study the most secret of paths to enrich your glorious cult leader, also allowing players to build a groovy headquarters for their followers. All this should, hopefully, increase each cults influence and make the organization as successful as possible. Of course, things wont always go smoothly. As things progress, players will face challenges from inside and outside the cult, not least the leaders ever-growing ego and an increasingly meddling media, all of which need to be kept in check in order for the cult to flourish.

Navigate these internal issues and there will be plenty of other things to do in Honey I Joined A Cult. The upcoming title includes a range of missions, rewarding cultists with extra resources, all of which will probably be squandered on your egotistical leader. Assuming you feel up to the challenge, you can join this cult when it arrives on PC in early 2021. For now, check out the reveal trailer above, maybe go wishlist it on Steam if youre up for enlightenment, and check out the official team 17 website for this groovy top down sim.

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Honey I Joined A Cult Coming To Brainwash PCs in 2021 - GameSpace.com

When were troubled we look for help where we can find it. If its not friends and family then you might end up looking into self-help.

The industry is worth billions every year, which is no wonder since most of us have dabbled in at least reading a self-help book at one stage or another.

However, there is a dark side of enlightenment.

Where there are desperate people, there are those waiting to offer help for a price, of course.

Self-help gurus are especially big in where else? the US, where seminars, wellness camps and retreats are held for people to get better.

But it all comes with a cost.

In 2009, more than 50 followers of self-help guru James Arthur Ray approached the conclusion of a five-day Spiritual Warrior seminar they paid 8,000 or more to attend.

Rays instructions to followers towards the end of the retreat were to shave their heads, sit in a sweat lodge, and avoid drinking water.

Things didnt go well.

Rays workshop, in Sedona, Arizona, resulted in the deaths of three people, who died after taking part in the sweat lodge ritual.

Here, the mother of one victim, Kirby Brown, speaks in the Guru trailer.

Ray was later found guilty on charges of negligent homicide and sentenced to two years in prison.

According to Wondery, though, hes back in business.

The build up to the ill-fated retreat is covered in Guru, a new podcast from Wondery, hosted by Matthew Stroud.

This new series looks at the incident and how dangerous the self-help scene in the US where the industry is worth an estimated 10 billion can be.

James Arthur Ray isnt the only self-help guru people should have been wary of

Gure, Wondery, Apple Podcasts

Things might be a bit doom and gloom at the moment, but Give Me Some Good News is here to help.

Stand up comedian Nathan Caton is fed up of the negativity in the mainstream media.

So along with radio presenter Rich Wolfenden, Nathan gets a guest on Zoom and asks them to do one thing. Give him some good news! A bit like the anti-Room 101.

Have you ever been so excited about something that someones told you to calm down?

Then this is the podcast for you.Friends and broadcasters Sarah Gosling and Becky Hand are joined each week by a guest known for their enthusiasm to chat about whats gotten them enthused over the past week in culture, work, and life in general, and who inspired them to be like that.

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Pick of the Podcasts: Guru, Calm Down Dear, Give Me Some Good News - The Sunday Post

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Excerpt: From the Translators Note to Rumi; A New Collection Selected and Translated by Farrukh Dh... - Hindustan Times

Progressive rabbis in the UK havewritten to the Israeli embassy in Londonto express their concern over the Israeli governments plans to annex parts of the West Bank. The letter has been sent fromBritish Friends of Rabbis for Human Rights, an organisation which supports the work of Rabbis for Human Rights working in Israel and the West Bank. It draws its members from both Progressive (Reform and Liberal) as well as Masorti and Orthodox rabbis. However, the forty signatories to this latest statement are dominated by Reform and Liberal rabbis, including the outgoing Reform senior rabbi, Laura Janner-Klausner, and former Liberal senior rabbi, Danny Rich, whose communities make up around 20% of UK Jewish synagogue membership.

Theanti-annexation letterreads powerfully and asks rhetorically:

If Judaism teaches us not to oppress, not to disenfranchise, not to stand idly by the blood of our neighbour, then where do we all stand?

Its a stronger statement than you would find being made formally by the Reform or Liberal movements themselves, so in practive its an outlet for the rabbis to speak out as individuals rather than representatives of the organisations which employ them. That reflects the hypersensitivity, professional risk, and fraught communal politics generated by Israel.

The wording of the letter is significant in what it reveals about the condition of Progressive rabbinical thought on Israel. But before diving into the exegesis, let me offer some personal history on Reform Judaism.

I grew up in the Reform synagogue movement in the UK and it remains my spiritual home. I use the Reform Judaism prayer book to welcome in the sabbath with my family each Friday night, and during lockdown Ive been following the services conducted via Zoom fromthe shul in which I was raised, Bromley Synagogue in South East London.

In my youth I dont remember support for Israel being the focus of division in synagogue life that its become today. In those days, the main external preoccupation of Bromley synagogue wasthe plight of Soviet Jewsfacing cultural, economic and religious persecution by the Soviet Russian authorities.

Led primarily by women in our synagogue, we campaigned, protested and adopted Jewish families in Moscow, offering what practical and emotional support we could. I remember international phone calls being set up at the synagogue and relayed via loud speaker to the gathered community. We listened to our refuseniks on the crackly telephone line telling their experience of being denied permission to leave Russia for Israel and the consequences for their daily lives.

The motivation for this work fitted well with Progressive Jewish concerns for justice, compassion and for the victims of oppression. Little did we know how this story would play out and how it would influence politics in Israel thirty years later.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 90s, a million former Soviet Jews migrated to the Jewish State welcomed with open arms by a government looking for an influx of Jews to bolster Jewish demography (against rising Israeli Arab population growth). Politically, the Russian Jews making their new home in Israel turned out to be less concerned with universal rights and compassion for the oppressed than we had been in Bromley. The majority of Russian Jews have voted consistently for right-wing Israeli parties opposed to peace deals and enthusiastic for Settlement expansion. Broadly speaking, they are secular and highly nationalistic in behaviour and outlook. Its an ironic consequence of all that Progressive Jewish action that took place on their behalf in the 70s and 80s. Perhaps, its a metaphor for the entire relationship between Israel and Reform Judaism: mismatched visions, conflicting agendas and compromised values.

The co-author of this months anti-annexation letter, Rabbi Sylvia Rothschild, became the rabbi for Bromley Synagogue in the late 1980s while I was completing my undergraduate degree at Manchester University. By that time, I was already on a journey to Palestinian solidarity driven by my roots in Reform Judaism, influenced by the motivations behind the Soviet Jewry campaigns, and bya determination to understandwhat had caused the outbreak of the First Palestinian Intifada.

Ever since those student days, Ive followed the statements made by Reform and Liberal rabbis concerning Israel. Im sorry to say, theyve been consistently disappointing. On each occasion they failed to address the enormity of Palestinian dispossession and the on-going injustices committed against them. They pulled their punches on the moral questions for the State of Israel, and as rabbis, they shied away from publicly examining the ethical consequence for the global Jewish diaspora and for Judaism itself.

I long ago understood that however critical of specific Israeli actions these rabbinic statements might be, Progressive rabbis would avoid the most serious implications of their concerns. Their public letters and press releases would begin with a preamble of fidelity to the Jewish State, intending this to give them permission to speak out. The statements would invariably conclude with expressions of even-handed compassion and desires for peace. No doubt they appeared bold, radical and controversial to some, but to me they were mired in denial about the true power dynamics and immorality at work in Israel/Palestine.

A good example of this rabbinical genre of Israel related handwringing wasa letter sent to The Timesin August 2014 as the Israeli assault on Gaza was taking place. During those summer weeks, 500 Palestinian children were killed by the IDF, mostly by Israeli aerial bombardments using the most sophisticated and precise weaponry available. Meanwhile, one Israeli child was killed by a Hamas rocket. Heres how the Progressive rabbis began their letter:

Sir, We write as passionate and proud supporters of Israel. This past month we have witnessed devastating loss of life on all sides, so many of whom are civilians, as Israel has again been thrown into conflict with her neighbours and tried to deal with the missiles and tunnels used by Hamas. We have watched with great sadness as communities in the region and beyond have become embroiled in anger and hatred towards the other.

The letter concluded with the affirmation that the rabbis remained dedicated to Israels character as a Jewish and democratic state along with the values of social and political equality for all citizens, alongside freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel, and as enshrined in itsDeclaration of Independence.

That appeal to Israels Declaration of Independence as being the true soul of the Jewish State crops up time again in Liberal Zionist discourse, even though the document was never enshrined in constitutional law and contains plenty of historical airbrushing out of diaspora Jewish history whichProgressive rabbis ought to object to.

I like to think that behind the composition of these weak texts (which always ended in both political and ethical failure) there were some spiritual and intellectual struggles that went on in the hearts and minds of those who composed them.

Theres always been a tension at the centre of Reform Judaisms relationship with Zionism. That was bound to be so. Reform Judaism, as it developed in 18thand 19thcentury Germany, was a response to enlightenment thinking, the social emancipation of Jews in Western Europe, and a Jewish theology which looked to emphasise a universalistic mission for Jews and Judaism based on themes of biblical prophetic justice. The Jewish people were understood as being a religious community with a shared historical experience, commissioned by God to build a just society wherever they lived. Religious practices were guided by reason and ethics.While Reform Judaism would speak of a Jewish people or a Jewish nation, this was understood as broad and transnational in character, rather than narrow and territorial.

These ideas continued as the movement spread from Germany to north America (where it became a dominant Jewish denomination) and to the United Kingdom. Before the Second World War, Reform Judaism did not favour Zionism as a response to the issues of Jewish modernity in the early 20thcentury. All that began to change after the Holocaust, as it did for all Jewish institutions.

The universalistic mission of Reform Judaism, with its belief in working towards of messianic age of global justice now had to accommodate an inward looking and less ambitious agenda. The safety and security of the Jewish people became the post-Holocaust preoccupation, and the modern State of Israel became the accepted vehicle for achieving that security.

Over time, the narrow purpose of tribal physical security has grown from political theory to religious tenet, merging seamlessly with scripture, liturgy and religious festivals so that Zionism appears entirely consistent with centuries of Jewish self-understanding. In truth, it was an abrupt break with past rabbinic understanding of religious exile and spiritual redemption. For Reform Judaism, Israel created a tension between defending the fledgling Jewish State, seen as existential for Jewish survival and future growth, and Reforms previous ideals for the humanistic and ethically grounded role which Jews could and should play in all societies.

But have Progressive rabbis now recognised the ethical cul-de-sac theyve led their communities down over successive decades?

This monthsletter to the Israeli embassyin London starts to look like Progressive rabbis are finally confronting the Jewish implications of the entire Zionist project. Although the layers of denial and ethical dissonance are still on display, its the strongest and most despairing expression of criticism Ive seen.

Once again, the rabbis letter lacks any historical context or political analysis concerning whats brought us to this point. The authors see the prospect of annexation as a pivotal moment, threatening our moral survival as a people of integrity, when in fact its just the latest stage in a long drawn out process of colonisation of Palestinian land. If the problem is this serious today, what made it any less serious yesterday?

But heres the key paragraph, which implicitly acknowledges a collective Jewish (certainly rabbinical) responsibility, which goes far beyond any specific Israeli government or Prime Minister:

The moral integrity of the Jewish people is at stake. History will judge us and ask us: have we been faithful to the prophetic teachings of justice, compassion and peace? Or have we created a mockery of our Jewish tradition and of the founders of the State, by standing on the wrong side of Jewish teachings and our history?

The questions are asked rhetorically but they demand actual answers. The obvious response to the rabbis is: No, you have not been faithful to Jewish teaching through your mild-mannered criticism of Israel. And Yes, you have created a mockery of our Jewish tradition by failing to centre your teaching on Palestinian suffering. I would also caution them against their on-going moral confidence concerning the founders of the State since the greatest single moment of Palestinian dispossession was not the Six Day War of 1967 but the Nakba of 1948.

The rabbis letter once again drags Israels Declaration of Independence into service as evidence of a righteous past that has been lost, but could yet be found again:

And where do we stand in relation to Israels Declaration of Independence? The State of Israel that was created was to be based on the principles of liberty, justice and peace. These plans deny those foundational principles of the Declaration.

But the Declaration of Independence was never enacted, its never been a legal document. There has never been social and political equality for Palestinians in Israel. For the first 20 years of Israels history, its Arab citizens were ruled under military law as a fifth column; internally displaced, their homes and land were confiscated through government legislation; their friends and relatives who had fled their homes in fear and crossed borders, were never allowed to return even when the fighting ended.

Palestinian Israelis remain socially, politically and economically disadvantaged to this day. They are not a small minority, they are 20% of the countrys population. Its not an accident. Its not their fault. Its institutionalised discrimination thats existed since the day David Ben-Gurion read the Declaration out loud in the Tel Aviv Museum more than 70 years ago. Israel as a Jewish and democratic state of all its citizens was always a myth. As all Progressive rabbis will tell you, religious myths serve an important function in the development of morality, this though is a political myth, which serves only to prop up a false narrative that denies another peoples lived experience. The rabbis need to let go of the Declaration rather than continue to use it to obscure the truth.

This letter, even with its failings, is setting up a watershed moment for its Reform and Liberal signatories and the congregations which they lead. Even if annexation is delayed indefinitely, something has changed in Progressive rabbinical thinking on Israel. And if the rabbis are serious about the moral integrity of the Jewish people and how history will judge us, then some big changes are required.

Whats needed is a return to the bolder ambitions of religious purpose that characterised the first century of Reform theology. A Jewish mission of universal justice thats applied to Israel as well as every other nation on earth.

In practice what must that look like?

Any understanding and teaching of Zionism must embrace the experience of Palestinians. Zionism has been a national project of self-determination for Jewsandan act of brutal settler colonialism for Palestinians. Both experiences are true and valid. One cannot be told without the other. In this century, the Jewish and the Palestinian stories have become entwined and interdependent. Our future wellbeing is locked together. This is what we must teach ourselves and our children if we are serious about respecting the heritage of Progressive Judaism.

In making that educational commitment, Reform and Liberal rabbis must abandon their support for politicised definitions of antisemitism which end up silencing Palestinian solidarity and denying Palestinian history. Many of the same rabbis whove signed this months letter on annexation, including Sylvia Rothschild, Danny Rich and Laura Janner-Klausner, also signeda letter to the Guardianin July 2018 supporting thedeeply problematic IHRA definitionof antisemitism.

The rabbis need to understand the damage such documents are doing to the prospects of a genuine Jewish/Palestinian dialogue. Anti-Palestinianism is as bad as antisemitism.

Support for Israel from Reform and Liberal movements must become conditional on equal rights and equal security for all who call the Holy Land their home. How can a Jewish religious movement call for equality and justice for all, while making an exception in the very place where we claim our Jewish origins?

Jewish education about the Holocaust needs expanding and reframing too. Today, we are in danger of merely passing on to future Jewish generations an on-going, unprocessed, collective trauma. Its a trauma that informs our understanding of Israel/Palestine and what constitutes Jewish safety and security. A Sparta State dependent on superpower backing and endlessly suppressing an indigenous population will never deliver Jewish security. Progressive Judaism must reclaim its universal principles and apply them to a Jewish understanding of the Holocaust which recognises that our security will always be dependent on promoting a common humanity, based on justice, equality and mutual responsibility.

And heres my final challenge to the rabbis.

In Judaism there is a tradition of collective responsibility, which the rabbis letter on annexation alludes to. On Yom Kippur, the most solemn and holy day of the Jewish religious calendar, we stand together in the synagogue and ask for forgiveness for the sins we have committed, not just as individuals, but as a community, as a people. When our Reform and Liberal rabbis have the courage to lead us in asking for forgiveness from the Palestinian people and offering them restitution, then we will have finally arrived at a place from which we can move forward with a genuinley progressive Jewish agenda.

This post first appeared on the Patheos site on July 26.

The rest is here:

'History will judge us' Have progressive UK rabbis reached end of the road on Israel? - Mondoweiss

The gaze in Hua-Lam-Pong is inconspicuous. The viewer's perspective takes on Siriphol's crouched view, unseen by his subject. That same angle appears in parts of Sleeping Beauty (2006), a portrait of the artist's elderly grandmother, which Siriphol made as a film student at King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, where he started making experimental short films that blurred the boundaries between fiction and documentary.

In these early years, the artist's ability to move from moments of pathos to subversive wit became somewhat of a hallmark. In the comedy Golden Sand House (2005), Siriphol's family reality becomes enmeshed with a popular Thai soap opera, while his thesis film Danger (2008) is a standard murder mystery created in accordance to the dictates of his teachers, which was re-cut after he graduated, interjecting the film with text echoing his teachers' instructions and concluding with a burning self-portrait. To quote Kong Rithdee, 'It was a mockery of himself and of the system.'[1]

Chulayarnnon Siriphol, Danger (2008) (still). Courtesy the artist.

Much of Siriphol's work is reflective of the post-2006 landscape in Thailand, following a military coup that deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Planetarium (2018) is a short film about a cultish military regime run by a dolled-up matron dressed in regimental pink, who controls an army of cadets with a smartphone. The work formed one fourth of the 'Ten Years Thailand' anthology, an official selection at Cannes Film Festival in 2018, which also featured shorts by Aditya Assarat, Wisit Sasanatieng, and 2010 Palme d'Or winner Apichatpong Weerasethakul, whom Siriphol cites as a key influence in showing him the possibilities of film.

'Ten Years Thailand' was based on the 2015 dystopian science fiction anthology 'Ten Years', which imagined life in Hong Kong in 2025 (and whose ban in China must extend into the city by now). 'Acquiescence and hopelessness prevails' in 'Ten Years Thailand', writes Maggie Lee in Variety, 'exacerbated by an undercurrent of distrust and hostility.'[2]

Chulayarnnon Siriphol, Planetarium (2018) (still). Courtesy the artist.

Motifs in Planetarium link to other Siriphol works. The snail gel that splashes across the faces of the regime is featured in Golden Spiral (2018), which explores the deeper desires behind an anti-aging beauty craze. The planking figures diverging from a public standing to attention first appeared in Planking (2012), a reference to a memetic social media craze in which people basically mimic a plank of wood, with Siriphol and a friend laying prone as the national anthem plays in different public settings.

Pyramids made from light tubes are central to Myth of Modernity (2014), a mockumentary connecting the Buddhist 'three worlds' cosmology that centres around Mount Meru, whose form appears in conical and pyramidal shapes in ancient and modern Thai architecture, with the contemporary Thai politics. What connects all these works is an interrogation of ideological and political doctrines in order to unmask their dangerous absurdities.

Chulayarnnon Siriphol, Golden Spiral (2018). Video installation. Sound, colour. 18 min. Courtesy the artist and Ghost Foundation. Photo: Miti Ruangkritya.

Siriphol's latest exhibition at Bangkok CityCity Gallery, Give Us A Little More Time (21 June9 August 2020), was selected for the Discoveries sector at the cancelled 2020 Art Basel in Hong Kong. Four video screens dramatically installed like a giant scroll that rolls down the gallery's back wall and onto the floor host an intricate web of images: collages the artist created out of Thai newspaper clippings every day since the May 2014 coup, when the military junta seized power (again).

The artist describes Give Us A Little More Time as a virtual war between military, protesters, artists, and cyber warriors'a manifestation of disparate ontologies of media, and how the sense of the worlds is being made through different views.' In this conversation, he discusses the work's construction, connecting its themes with his broader practice.

Exhibition view: Chulayarnnon Siriphol, Give Us A Little More Time, Bangkok CityCity Gallery, Bangkok (21 June9 August 2020). Courtesy the artist and Bangkok CityCity Gallery.

CSOn 22 May 2014, the Thai military took power from the elected government in order to 'solve' the problems and conflicts among Thai people, and started controlling media outlets, including television and newspapers.

As an artist, I thought about how I should respond to this unstable political situation. The day after the coup, I went to protest the military government. When I read the news on social media and in the papers the next day, I found that the newspapers didn't present the news as I experienced it. So I started to create a collage from newspapers in response to the situation and vowed to keep making these collages until national election day. For me, newspapers communicate information in the same top-down manner as the military. By using scissors to create the collages, I positioned myself as a citizen cutting the power of the military, just as the coup represents scissors for the military government.

Chulayarnnon Siriphol, Give Us A Little More Time (2020). Four-channel animation video, sound, colour. 12 min. Edition of 3 + 1AP 2020 Chulayarnnon Siriphol. Courtesy the artist and Bangkok CityCity Gallery.

The title, Give Us A Little More Time, comes from the lyrics of the propaganda song that was created after the coup. The full lyrics are, 'We will keep our promise, give us a little more time', which relates to the military government's promise to restore happiness to the Thai people. Over the years, I have learned that the military government is very powerful, and the power of the people is minimal. Elections were announced every year, but that day was always postponed, until 24 March 2019, when there was finally a national election. In total, I created 1,768 collages, representing 1,768 daysalmost five yearswhen Thailand was under a military government. Sadly, the election was neither free nor fair, and the military government won.

CSNowadays, communication has shifted from print to digital media, and physical presence is not really necessary anymore. It's not only newspapers or magazines that have shifted to digital, but people, too. From the tracking of people's activity on social media and the use of popular hashtags to mobilise political change, digital media is the new battlefield of information between governments, corporations, and people. But how should people respond to the control of this information?

In response to these shifts in the world of communication, I decided to transfer my collages into the digital format. I selected some from my archive of 1,768 collages and re-collaged them as animations, which gave them a new spirit.

Exhibition view: Chulayarnnon Siriphol, Give Us A Little More Time, Bangkok CityCity Gallery, Bangkok (21 June9 August 2020). Courtesy the artist and Bangkok CityCity Gallery.

In the exhibition space, this animation is presented as a four-channel video installation with eight speakers. Each screen shows the same animation, but delayed by five seconds. Audiences can see the past, present, and future at the same time, as if we are in an echo chamber or scrolling through social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram, where there is a repetition of information. Audiences can walk through the installation, so that it feels as if the information is floating in space, overwhelming them like the dust of a great war. The experience of video art in the physical exhibition space is still important, because we cannot appreciate this experience online.

The last part of the animation is a virtual time tunnel, which was created through repetition of the animation itself. The work refers to my previous video series, 'Black Hole' (2015), which consisted of a site-specific video installation presented in many places, including Chulalongkorn University, for the exhibition Through the Place and Image (17 August10 October 2015), and at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre for the 20th Thai Short Film and Video Festival in 2016. In those videos, which were made specifically for those locations, I created fictional spaces resembling endless holes.

Chulayarnnon Siriphol, 'Black Hole' (2015). Courtesy the artist.

CSAfter I finished all 1,768 collages, I looked for certain words and sentences in them and created a poem. The poem presents a narrative that is not directly related to the political situation in those five years, but relates to a pixel that can transform into many characters that fight each other in an ongoing war of media and time. These characters are based on people in the physical world: a 'war veteran', 'proliferating reptile', 'scum-of-the-land artist', 'cyber warrior', and 'idol of light'. The 'proliferating reptile' is a political prisoner whose political ideologies can expand rapidly without control.

For the animation, I invited actors and actresses who have worked with me in previous video works and short films to create the voice-overs for each of these characters, and the text from the newspaper collages are synchronised with the voice-overs in the animation.

Exhibition view: Chulayarnnon Siriphol, Give Us A Little More Time, Bangkok CityCity Gallery, Bangkok (21 June9 August 2020). Courtesy the artist and Bangkok CityCity Gallery.

CSI am interested in religious or ritualistic sounds that can elevate viewers to a feeling of sublimation, as if they are floating in space. The sound elements in many of my works create a spiritual sound, like chanting. I don't use human voices. For Planetarium, I worked with sound designer Viveka, to refer to futuristic electronic sounds of the 1980s. For Give Us A Little More Time, I worked with another sound designer, Marmosets, who creates electronic music for night clubs. These sound designs make connections between the past and future, and human and universal spirit.

Exhibition view: Chulayarnnon Siriphol, Give Us A Little More Time, Bangkok CityCity Gallery, Bangkok (21 June9 August 2020). Courtesy the artist and Bangkok CityCity Gallery.

CSElectricity is a symbol of modernisation. On the other hand, light is a symbol of enlightenment or faith in many religions, including Buddhism. Nowadays, most Thai people are still influenced by Buddhism. For me, Buddhism in Thailand has changed and adapted to fit modernisation and globalisation, so I use electric light to symbolise modern Buddhism.

In my works this light takes a geometric, graphic form. In Myth of Modernity, for example, I transformed traditional forms from Buddhism such as the pagoda, palace, and temple, into a simple, pyramid shape. In Planetarium, I transformed many Buddhist symbols into graphic windmills to create a scientific universe based on ancient Buddhist cosmology.

I am interested in religious or ritualistic sounds that can elevate viewers to a feeling of sublimation, as if they are floating in space.

In Give Us A Little More Time, the 'idol of light' character is represented as a cult figure in Thailand. On the faade of Bangkok CityCity Gallery, I placed a huge windmill from Planetarium, which appears like a huge clock expressing endless time. It has the spiritual power of a big brother figure, floating in space, making an offer that we can't refuse.

These light sculptures create a visual connection between my works, representing cults, supernaturalism, and Buddhist faith in modern Thai society, which holds an invisible and untouchable power. Although it looks colourful, energetic, and fascinating, it is also powerful, harmful, and dangerous. Faith can transform to rancour. In Planetarium, the colourful windmill transforms into a killing machine that cuts humans into pieces.

Chulayarnnon Siriphol, Planetarium (2018) (still). Courtesy the artist.

CSI don't define myself as an activist artist, but as an artist who focuses on politics. For me, art should be presented in public, to enable debate of contemporary issues. Give Us A Little More Time confronts the idea of a utopian democracy. In the digital collage that I put forward, physical media, absolute power, and the physical body have been cut, deconstructed, and decentralised.

I see the political conflict in Thailand as a battle for absolute and centralised power. We had a big debate about democracy for 88 years until the revolution in 1932, when Thailand changed from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy. Since then, we have had many political crises, protests, and movements against dictatorships. Many people have died fighting for democracy, yet it has not yet been fully achieved. The coup d'tat on 22 May 2014 marked the 13th since the revolution in 1932, and once more, the voice of the people was silenced.

I don't define myself as an activist artist, but as an artist who focuses on politics.

Totalitarianism has been very present in this country. The military would like to shape Thailand as conservative and nationalist on every level, in order to maintain a concept of authentic 'Thai-ness'. This means that they want to freeze Thailand as a beautiful, peaceful country as pictured in tourist postcards, where there is no conflict, debates, protests, or progress. We have limited freedom of speech under the lse-majest law, with nation, religion, and the monarchy the core values that are being preserved. In the age of the internet, young people represent a new hope to liberate the country from these conditions.

Exhibition view: Chulayarnnon Siriphol, Give Us A Little More Time, Bangkok CityCity Gallery, Bangkok (21 June9 August 2020). Courtesy the artist and Bangkok CityCity Gallery.

CSAlthough my artworks are related to Thailand, the world is now so connected. We cannot say that Thailand is not related to other countries. In my artworks, I talk about conflicts in Thailand, but I also generalise those conflicts for international audiences in order to find the connection between the local and the global.

In Planetarium, I present a dystopic vision of Thailand in the next ten years, but to some maybe it looks like a utopia. The story is set in a school under the Ministry of Communication, where boys are trained to be cyber boy scouts or cyber warriors, and can legally kidnap people who have a radical political attitude. Those who are kidnapped are brainwashed and killed in the virtual universe, and the boy scouts are blessed as good guys despite these killings.

In my artworks, I talk about conflicts in Thailand, but I also generalise those conflicts for international audiences in order to find the connection...

The story of Planetarium can apply to the current and future Thai political situation, yet it can also apply to international themes of propaganda, digital surveillance, and brainwashing through education, revisionist histories, and belief in supernaturalism. We can see these themes in the politics of many countries. Recently, we have seen a movement of shared politics called the Milk Tea Alliance between China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Thailand, expressed through sarcastic memes that speak against authoritarianism on social media.

But in my works, I don't talk about politics in these specific countries directly; I use the political situation in Thailand as a platform to connect with international audiences on these common themes.

Chulayarnnon Siriphol, Planetarium (2018) (still). Courtesy the artist.

CSCentre of the Universe is a video work projected on the floor, which starts by showing Thai people wearing yellow shirts, picnicking and waiting to worship and celebrate on the King's birthday in the centre of Bangkok. The image moves upward, from the ground to the universe, which transforms into an image of modern Buddhist cosmology.

Charles and Ray Eames' Power of Ten shows that we occupy a very small place in the universe, but at the same time, we are the universe. The film reflects on the relationship between human life and cosmology. Centre of the Universe is not only about cosmology, but the relationship between contemporary life and ancient Buddhist beliefs. This is the link between local and global. We are in the same universe, but we share different visions.

Chulayarnnon Siriphol, Centre of the Universe (2017) (still). Courtesy the artist.

One of the biggest problems for me is how international audiences can appreciate my works. Looking back at the history of moving images, there are many filmmakers and artists whose work I admire. When I was in high school, I was inspired by Pen-Ek Ratanaruang's early works. His films are very mysterious, sarcastic, and romantic at the same time. I also like the film Talk to Her by Pedro Almodvar. Shji Terayama's film, Pastoral: To Die in the Country, and Alejandro Jodorowsky's The Holy Mountain still inspire me. These are all artists and filmmakers who have created unique visual languages and ideas on an international platform.

I like many of Apichatpong Weerasethakul's films and video worksthey are pioneering of a new film language. Weerasethakul was already a successful artist and filmmaker when I started making films in early the 2000s. Though his films are not popular among the masses, they are famous among film students and film lovers.

This is the link between local and global. We are in the same universe, but we share different visions.

The success of Thai independent filmmakers internationally inspired many groups and movements to produce independent films, and I was one of them. Through analysing their films, I learn how to transform local content into global content through film language. A curator has said that we, as young independent filmmakers, originated in the post-Weerasethakul age, which I agree with, though I have different experiences and come from a different background. I can learn from successful filmmakers, but I also have to create a new film language of my own to talk with international audiences.

Chulayarnnon Siriphol, Myth of Modernity_ (2014) (still). Courtesy the artist.

CSIn the world of moving images, there are many different forms, including fiction, documentary, experimental, animation, advertisement, and music video; materials, including celluloid film, magnetic tape, and digital; and genres, such as romantic, drama, comedy, and thriller. Recently, moving images have expanded to social media. We can see people broadcasting themselves or creating their own content. In recent years, we have also seen virtual and augmented reality.

Moving images are slowly expanding their boundaries; they are present in our daily lives, providing new tools of expression and constructing new realities and languages. In many of my works, I mix different forms and materials to represent this reality, and to show the illusion of moving images at the same time.

Chulayarnnon Siriphol, Myth of Modernity (2014) (still). Courtesy the artist.

When I learned about history in school, I believed it constituted historical facts. Growing up, however, I developed questions on how history is established. I tried to get more information from underground books, through talking with friends, and reading shared comments on the internet. I found out that the history I learned is only one side of history, or so-called propaganda.

In the age of the internet, information has been cracked down on but hidden histories have also been revealed. As an artist, I feel a duty to express personal feelings and opinions on public issues through my works. For example, Myth of Modernity questions the contemporary political ideology of conservative nationalists and Buddhist fundamentalism through the form of documentary and science fiction.

Moving images are slowly expanding their boundaries; they are present in our daily lives, providing new tools of expression and constructing new realities and languages.

In Give Us A Little More Time, I deconstruct traditional media in the age of the internet, and in particular during a time of totalitarian power. Since I cannot present my political ideology directly in the work, due to law and censorship, I have to find ways to express my opinion, and one tool that I always use is parody, which blends truth and fiction together to go beyond censorship. I can hide what I really think behind laughter or colourful visuals. In that sense, many parts of my works are realist, but also uncanny and absurd. Magical realism may be a good term to define the works in this contemporary political situation.

Chulayarnnon Siriphol, Planetarium (2018) (still). Courtesy the artist.

CSTV soap operas are part of Thai popular culture. Sometimes, the characteristics of soap operas come out in real life, and we cannot define the boundary between reality and fiction. In 2005, I asked my family to perform each one of the characters in the famous Thai novel and soap opera, Golden Sand House. I also performed as one of the characters.

Golden Sand House is a novel by Ko Surangkhanang about a new maid who starts working for an elite family. The maid is pressured to work too hard but surprisingly, at the end, she falls in love with the house's owner. I adapted this novel so that every member of my family performed each character, and the maid was performed by my family's maid, who belongs to the Tai Yai ethnic group, from Myanmar. The house's owner was played by my father, and I performed a handicapped boy in a wheelchair. This short film reflects on social classes and the migration of people around Thailand, who transform themselves to be workers in the big city.

Since I cannot present my political ideology directly in the work, due to law and censorship, I have to find ways to express my opinion

Thirteen years later, in 2018, I adapted another novel: a famous tragic love story called Behind the Painting, about a young Thai student, Nopphon, who studies in Japan and encounters an elite Thai lady called Kirati, who is already married to an old man. Their love cannot be realised because of age, class, and political ideology, and Kirati finally dies because her love for Nopphon cannot come true. The novel was written by Sri Burapha in 1937, before World War II and five years after Thailand had changed from an absolute to constitutional monarchy. In Thailand, the novel is represented as a tragic love story, but I wanted to re-present it in the context of political history.

Chulayarnnon Siriphol, Forget Me Not film poster (2017). Watercolour on paper. 111 x 76 cm. Courtesy the artist.

I started remaking Behind the Painting as a film at Aomori Contemporary Art Center in Japan in 2014 as part of the group exhibition, Politics of Humor and Play, where I completed the first half of the novel. Then, in 2015, I completed the second half of the novel in Thailand and presented the two parts as a solo exhibition, Behind the Painting at Silpakorn University in Bangkok.

In 2017, I created a fictional museum at Bangkok CityCity Gallery for the show Museum of Kirati. This 'museum' was founded by Nopphon in honour of Kirati. Although this exhibition was created by me, it appeared as a real museum, composed of a temporary exhibition, permanent collection, museum shop, and library. On the last day of the exhibition, I screened the feature film Forget Me Not, composed of a remake of Behind the Painting, based on the original novel and set in Japan and Thailand in the first half, with an extension of the original story in the second half. This film explored the blurred boundary between visual art and film.

Exhibition view: Chulayarnnon Siriphol, Museum of Kirati, Bangkok CityCity Gallery, Bangkok (11 November 201721 January 2018). Courtesy the artist and Bangkok CityCity Gallery.

CSFor me, visual art is experienced in physical space, whereas film is a time-based experience presented on screen. In Forget Me Not, I used my solo exhibitions at Silpakorn University and Bangkok CityCity Gallery as the locations in the film, to create an expanded cinema where film and physical space are connected with the audience and other art objects.

My physical artworks can be transformed into films, while the physical space can be transformed into time-based space, film, or another physical space, as was the case with the gallery-turned-fictional museum. The physical space can also be transformed into digital space. Moreover, thinking about my body as a container or a kind of hardware, it can also be transformed into a fictional character. The performer in this sense is a kind of worker who transforms invisible energy into a visible artwork.[O]

[1] Kong Rithdee, 'The (sur)real world', Bangkok Post, 11 March 2015, https://www.bangkokpost.com/life/arts-and-entertainment/493988/the-sur-real-world.

[2] Maggie Lee, 'Film Review: "Ten Years Thailand"', Variety, 17 May 2018 https://variety.com/2018/film/asia/ten-years-thailand-review-1202807160/.

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Chulayarnnon Siriphol on Finding Ways to Express Opinions - Ocula Magazine

The Freedom of Speech: Talk and Slavery in the Anglo-Caribbean World

by Miles Ogborn

University of Chicago Press, 309 pp., $105.00; $35.00 (paper)

by Vincent Brown

Belknap Press/Harvard University Press, 320 pp., $35.00

by Tom Zoellner

Harvard University Press, 363 pp., $29.95

In June thousands of people, provoked by the Black Lives Matter protests sweeping America, took to the streets in the United Kingdom to demonstrate against racism in their own country. One target of their anger was statues honoring British men of the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries who prospered by enslaving and oppressing others, among them one in Bristol of Edward Colston that was pulled down and thrown into the harbor. Its hardly surprising that many such monuments exist, for the apathy of the English, Scots, Welsh, and Irish toward their historical complicity in slavery has always been as striking as their indifference to its enduring legacy. Compared to the United States, and despite the work of many outstanding British (and non-British) historians,1 slavery remains a marginal subject in the public imagination, its reality and consequences mentally separated from the identity and experiences of the nation.

Across the British Isles there are also numerous public monuments to the abolition of the slave trade in 1807permanent celebrations of national enlightenment and redemption (though in reality, British slave-owning continued for decades and was phased out only gradually after 1834). As far as I know, only a single recent sculpture, on the quayside of the former slaving port of Lancaster, simply honors the millions of victims. Its as if every memorial in postwar Germany primarily commemorated the liberation of the death camps and the ousting of the Nazis, rather than the Holocaust itself.

Slavery was foundational to Britains prosperity and rise to global power. Throughout the eighteenth century the empires epicenter lay not in North America, Africa, or India but in a handful of small sugar-producing Caribbean islands. The two most importanttiny Barbados and its larger, distant neighbor Jamaicawere among the most profitable places on earth. On the eve of the American Revolution, the nominal wealth of an average white person was 42 in England and 60 in North America. In Jamaica, it was 2,200. Immense fortunes were made there and poured unceasingly back to Britain. This gigantic influx of capital funded the building of countless Palladian country houses, the transformation of major cities like London, Bristol, and Liverpool, and a prodigious increase in national wealth. Much of the growing affluence of North American ports like Boston, New York, and Philadelphia was likewise based on trade with the West Indies. Sugar became Britains single largest import, and the craze for it revolutionized national diets, spending habits, and social lifenot least because of its association with that other newly fashionable drug, tea. Between 1700 and 1800, English consumption of sugar skyrocketed from about four pounds per person per year to almost twenty, roughly ten times as much as that of the French.

All this abundance, luxury, and social progress at home derived from the brutal exploitation of huge numbers of enslaved African men, women, and children across the Atlantic (thousands of whom were brought over to the British Isles as well): by the eighteenth century, Britons were the worlds preeminent slave traders. As its defenders liked to point out, slavery was not new. It had been taken for granted in biblical and classical times, and practiced by virtually every previous civilization. It was common in Africa itself. But there had never been anything like the plantation culture that the British helped pioneer in the Americas, where so many slaves were held in proportion to the population of free people.

And even within this new system of mass bondage, the West Indian sugar islands were exceptional. In Virginia, which had by far the most enslaved people of the thirteen mainland colonies, they made up perhaps 40 percent of all pre-revolutionary inhabitants: whites always remained in the majority. Only in South Carolina and French Louisiana, which were much more sparsely populated, did the balance ever tip slightly the other way. In eighteenth-century Jamaica, by contrast, enslaved men and women vastly outnumbered their captors. In some rural parts of the island the proportion was as high as fifteen to one; overall, more than 90 percent of the population was held in bondage.

As atrocious as the treatment of the enslaved was in North America, it was incomparably worse in the Caribbean. West Indian sugar estates were not just the largest agricultural businesses in the world but also the most destructive of human life. By the mid-eighteenth century, North American planters no longer needed to import many captive Africans, because their existing slave populations increased through a natural surplus of births over deaths. In the West Indies, by contrast, men and women were worked to death so ruthlessly that this transition to demographic self-sufficiency never took place. As most plantation slaves survived only for a few years, very large numbers of fresh imports were continually needed to maintain the workforcelet alone increase it, as the colonists steadily did. Of the roughly six and a half million Africans taken as slaves across the Atlantic by Europeans in the eighteenth century alone, around 350,000 were sent directly to the North American mainland. During the same period, more than two million were shipped to the British Caribbean. (A further million or so ended up on the nearby French islands, primarily Saint-Dominguepresent-day Haitiwhose demography and economy ran on similar lines.)2

These extraordinary circumstances raise obvious questions about how this uniquely West Indian brand of slavery was imposed, experienced, and resisted, day to day, month to month, year to year. One answer that leaps out immediately is the sickening degree of extreme violence that Caribbean slaveowners routinely inflicted on their human chattels. In Barbados in 1683, an old Negro Man was moved to anger about the bloody flogging of some other slaves: for his insolent words he was burned at the stake. At other times, black people were judicially electrocuted, maimed, beaten to a pulp, decapitated, drawn and quartered, roasted alive over a Slow fire, or publicly starved to death while suspended in iron cages (gibbeted).

Beyond such horrific formal penalties lay the lawless universe of everyday enslavement, in which whites tortured, killed, raped, and mutilated black people with complete impunity. Thomas Thistlewood, an ordinary, bookish young Englishman who came to Jamaica in 1750 to seek his fortune, left a matter-of-fact diary of his three and a half decades as a rural overseer and small-time slaveowner. He considered slaves to be rational human beings and treated them as individuals. Like almost all West Indian whites, he also took for granted that they needed to be frequently and harshly punished. He flogged them incessantly and savagely, rubbing salt, chili peppers, lemon juice, and urine into the scarified flesh to increase their suffering. At his whim, any man or woman might be scourged, branded, chained, dismembered, or exposed naked in the stocks day and night, covered in treacle and swarmed by biting flies and mosquitoes. Sometimes he would then force another slave to defecate into the injured victims mouth, and gag it shut for 4 or 5 hours. In his diary are also recorded 3,852 acts of rape or other forced intercourse with almost 150 enslaved women. Other than in the thoroughness of his record-keeping, he seems to have been entirely typicalif anything, relatively restrainedin his behavior.3

White Caribbeans shared the general European conviction that black people were inherently inferior. But ironically their primary justification for perpetrating such relentless sexual, mental, and physical abuse was a deep fear of their slaves. Driven by their own greed and maltreatment to import more and more Africans, the tiny bands of white islanders were acutely conscious of being surrounded by a potentially overwhelming force of hostile captives. In Jamaica especially, this huge numerical disparity gave enslaved people much more autonomy than they ever gained on the North American mainland. They lived in large groups, and their spiritual and cultural practices were largely free of white oversight. They fed themselves, and much of the white population as well, by growing produce on land given to them to cultivate. As well as possessing and inheriting such individual plots, livestock, and goods, Jamaican slaves often kept and carried guns, moved around the countryside unsupervised, and congregated at their own Sunday markets to trade, drink, and talk. In addition to a small population of free blacks, the island was also home to several groups of so-called Maroons, runaway slaves and their descendants, who controlled semiautonomous strongholds in its mountainous interior and whose relations with the British fluctuated between uneasy truce and outright war.

White supremacy was always unstable and incomplete. Despite the vast imbalance of power between slaveholders and enslaved people, Jamaican slavery was marked by continuous violent resistance. In addition to numerous smaller conspiracies, and full-blown wars between the colonists and Maroons in 17281739 and 17951796, we know of major plots, involving hundreds, sometimes thousands, of slaves, in 1673, 1676, 1678, 16851687, 1690, 1745, 1760, 1766, 1776, 17911792, 1808, 1815, 1819, 18231824, and 18311832. Throughout this period, too, the Caribbean was an important theater in the ongoing hot and cold global contests among Britain, Spain, and France. The threat of an invasion that would spark slave mutiny was never far away; nor was the inflammatory news of risings in neighboring colonies. In the 1790s, following a mass slave insurrection on Saint-Domingue and the outbreak of the French revolutionary wars, repeated military expeditions from Jamaica and Britain tried unsuccessfully to capture the territory from rival French and Spanish forces and to reimpose slavery. Altogether, perhaps as many as 350,000 people died on all sides before the establishment of the free black republic of Haiti in 1804.

Between 1500 and 1865, in the lands that became the United States, enslaved people were almost always outnumbered, physically separated, and economically disempowered. By the mid-eighteenth century most of them were locally born and had no experience of any other life. In such circumstances, open revolt was rare, difficult, and relatively easy to suppress. But in the West Indies, for as long as it lasted, slavery was always a much more sharp-edged state of conflict.

How did peopleblack, brown, and white, male and female, master and slavespeak to one another under such conditions? That is the simple but rich question the English geographer Miles Ogborn sets out to explore in his fascinating new book, The Freedom of Speech. Its a daunting task. Speech has always to be reconstructed from fragmentary, unreliable, written traces, and its notorious that in such records the enslaved are given voice only through the hostile ears and pens of their oppressors. But Ogborns concern is not to recover exactly what people in eighteenth-century Jamaica and Barbados said, but rather to analyze how they spoke. Like Indian Ink, his previous book on imperial geography and communication,4 The Freedom of Speech draws on an eclectic range of social theorists, above all Bruno Latour, whose methods Ogborn uses here to explore various forms of talk: legal, political, scientific, religious, and abolitionist. In each of these domains, the rules and effects of spoken words were different, and the force and meaning of speech acts always contingent and relational; yet in each, too, the conditions of speakingwho could say what, when, where, and howwere invariably shaped by race, gender, class, and religion.

A limitation of this approach is that each chapter turns into a self-contained case study of a particular discourse, with different speakers, sources, and subjects. One takes us deep into the world of gentleman botanists, their plant talk, correspondence, public lectures, and patronage networks; the next surveys ideas about religious speech among Anglicans, Methodists, Baptists, and adherents of obeah (a contemporary term for the spiritual practices of enslaved West Africans). Moreover, as Ogborn is well aware, his records and categories of talk are essentially those of white propertied men: they map only imperfectly onto the mental and discursive worlds of his other subjects. Because of this, we mainly learn how educated white colonists and abolitionists saw the world, and how they interpreted and (mis)understood enslaved men and women. The voices and outlook of black and brown people themselves come into focus only piecemeal and intermittently.

Nonetheless, taken as a whole, this is a remarkably original and insightful contribution. As Ogborn contends, speech was central to the culture of enslavement. Spoken words were both representations and actions: their utterance was the most ubiquitous way in which the boundaries between liberty and bondage were constantly reinforced, negotiated, or contested. During the eighteenth century, freedom of speech, a concept previously associated only with parliamentary debates, came to be seen as foundational to all political liberty. For propertied, Protestant, white male Britons of this era, it was both an immensely potent new ideology and a constant practical marker of their superiority over others. Colonial law and politics alike were transacted through verbal ritualslike the taking of oaths, the giving of evidence, or the making of public speechesfrom which women, slaves, and other lesser humans (such as Jews, Quakers, mulattoes, Indians, and free blacks) were to a greater or lesser extent excluded. The exact contours of this power to speak, to be heard, and to silence others were frequently disputed, both within the colonial population and across the different legal and political zones of empire, but thats precisely because it was so central to the meaning of freedom.

Even more than that, speech was pivotal in eighteenth-century definitions of humankind. Abolitionists claimed that the eloquence of slaves and Africans proved their equal humanity, but most Europeans had long taken for granted that black utterances were inherently inferior, even bestial. This was why, when the philosopher David Hume set out to prove in 1753 that whites were intrinsically superior to all other human breeds, he confidently discounted a seemingly contrary West Indian example by appealing to the same prejudice: In Jamaica indeed they talk of one negroe, as a man of parts and learning; but tis likely he is admird for very slender accomplishments, like a parrot, who speaks a few words plainly.5 No black voice could ever be more than a brutish squawk.

Reasoning like this buttressed acceptance of the slave trade. But though Hume disdained to name him, the subject of his dismissive remark was no slave but an unusually privileged free black Jamaican, Francis Williams, a man of property who had been educated at the Inns of Court in London, was an accomplished Latin poet and mathematician, and owned slaves himself. Because white West Indians were so heavily invested in trying to make the distinction between slavery and freedom synonymous with the supposedly straightforward difference between black and white, it was deeply aggravating that (as one leading slaveowner complained) Williams had not the modesty to be silent and instead publicly insisted that skin color was irrelevant to intelligence (virtue and understanding have no color; there is no color in an honest mind, nor in art, he wrote). White Jamaicans tried repeatedly to quiet his voice, yet never with complete success. When in 1730 the islands Assembly passed a law degrading his legal rights (as an uppity negro), Williams successfully petitioned the imperial authorities in England (as an educated, wealthy, free-born slaveowner) to overturn it. He knew that how speech was received and what force it carried always depended on its audience, not just its author.

Through their martial prowess, the Maroons likewise compelled the British to accept the authority of their words. When in 1739 they ended their decade-long war with the colonists and entered into peace treaties, neither side gave much credence to the written documents that were drawn up and signed. Instead, they reposed their trust primarily in a carefully choreographed, ritualized public exchange of verbal oaths: under the right conditions, such performative speech acts were more authoritative than any piece of paper. Slave utterances, of course, were normally granted no such power. And yet its striking how much effort was put into physically, as well as legally, silencing enslaved people. As a young boy on a Virginia plantation in the mid-1750s, Olaudah Equiano (recently transported there, via the West Indies, from the Guinea coast) was terrified by the appearance of a black house slave who moved around fixed in an iron muzzle, which locked her mouth so fast that she could scarcely speak; and could not eat nor drink. Some slaveowners ordered such equipment from London; others, like Thistlewood, improvised their own revolting gags.

Freedom of speech and the power to silence may have been preeminent markers of white liberty, Ogborn argues, but at the same time, slavery depended on dialogue: slaves could never be completely muted. Even in conditions of extreme violence and unfreedom, their words remained ubiquitous, ephemeral, irrepressible, and potentially transgressive. In that sense, even the speech of the unfree was always free. Talk was the most common way for enslaved men and women to subvert the rules of their bondage, to gain more agency than they were supposed to have. Moreover, Africans, too, came from societies in which oaths, orations, and invocations carried great potency, both between people and as a connection to the all-powerful spirit world. To be prevented from speaking, an Akan proverb warned, was akin to being murdered; to silence another unjustly was a grievous crime. Just as the British Empire was an oral creation, sustained through spoken as well as written and printed words, so too (and to a much greater degree) were the spiritual, legal, and political cultures into which most West Indian slaves had been born, and that they adapted in their Caribbean purgatory. For all these reasons, slaveowners obsessed over slave talk. They could never control it, yet feared its power to bind and inspirefor, as everyone knew, oaths, whispers, and secret conversations bred conspiracy and revolt.

The largest uprising the British Empire had ever faced erupted on Jamaica at Easter, 1760. For almost a year of intermittent guerrilla warfare, over a thousand slaves across the island rose up in successive waves of violent rebellion, seizing guns, killing scores of white and free black people, torching plantations, and establishing camps in the inaccessible, densely forested uplands. Already within a few weeks of fighting, so many insurgent corpses littered the jungle that, far away on his estate near the coast, Thistlewood began to smell on the wind the awful odor of the dead Negroes in the Woods. It was only with difficulty and at huge cost, after mobilizing the combined might of the imperial navy, battle-hardened marines, the British army, and local Maroon forces (bound by their treaties to assist the British against their slaves), that the colonists managed finally to subdue the rebels.

Many quietly gave up and slipped back into servitude. But scores of others killed their children and committed mass suicide rather than return to bondage. At least five hundred rebels were killed or executed; another six hundred or so were permanently exiled. Those publicly put to death often displayed striking defiance. They burned alive without flinching or crying out; one, already half-consumed by the fire, snatched a blazing log and flung it in the face of his executioner. Two rebels named Fortune and Kingston, gibbeted in May 1760, survived for seven and nine days respectively, surrounded by their countrymen, treating white onlookers with hardened insolence and laughter. A few months later, another condemned man, called Cardiff, warned the colonists that Multitudes of Negroes had took Swear that if they faild of success in this rebellion, to rise again: they would never capitulate.

Despite its scale, we know little about this extraordinary episode. The rebels left no record of their names, aims, alliances, or planning: all their communication was verbal. What survives is only the prejudiced speculation of their British enemies, whose written interpretations determined the revolts subsequent history. They portrayed it as a rising of dangerous, naturally warlike Coromantees (their label for the different peoples of the Gold Coast) against their masters, mainly focused around a slave named Tacky, one of the leaders of the first outbreak.

In an inspiring feat of scholarship, Vincent Browns Tackys Revolt transforms our understanding of the events of 1760 and 1761. It does so by expanding our sense of their scale and geography, and by developing the contemporary insight (expressed, for example, by Equiano and before him by John Locke) that slavery itself was always a state of war. Instead of a doomed local rising by desperate, enslaved victims, Brown sees something much more consequential: the Coromantee War, a serious military campaign led by experienced African fighters, part of an ongoing, transnational, interlocking network of wars that stretched across Europe, Africa, and the Americas. By tracing the entwined journeys of its different groups of combatants, he connects this insurgency directly to the major West African conflicts that fed the slave trade and to the global imperial wars that expanded slavery and capitalist agriculture, as well as to the day-to-day race war of whites against slaves, the retaliatory insurrections of the enslaved, and the constant struggles among black people themselves.

Because theres so little direct evidence, and the scale of Browns reframing is so ambitious, all this requires a lot of scene-setting and circumstantial analysis. We dont get to the revolt itself until halfway through the book, and at every step Brown carefully spells out how contingent events and alliances in this world always were, and how uncertain our knowledge of them is. The exact connection between the different incidents of 17601761 remains ambiguous: perhaps there was an island-wide conspiracy, or perhaps each uprising simply provoked the next. Nor can we presume solidarity among enslaved men and women of different backgrounds and trajectories. One of the questions the book illuminates is why so many other slaves, Maroons, and free blacks passively stood aside or actively opposed the rebels. Caught up in empires of war on both sides of the Atlantic, dark and light-skinned groups and individuals alike were forced into constant strategic calculations and maneuvers while trying to survive, minimize risk, or improve their lot.

Yet though this is a dense, cautious, and eminently learned book (rich with with digressions into everything from the design of West African war clubs to the details of the British navys code of war), its also an impassioned argument about human agency, with lessons for our own age of imperial overreach, asymmetrical warfare, and indigenous insurgency. Brilliantly transcending the silence of the written archive, it manages to present rebel and nonwhite backgrounds, perspectives, and politics in as rich, complex, and conflicted detail as those of their literate opponents.

Even the ultimate military failure of the Coromantee War, Brown suggests, should be viewed primarily as a consequence of subaltern decisions and divisions rather than of a stable colonial hegemony. Nor was any defeat in battle ever final. Enslaved men, women, and children fought not only to win freedom (whatever that might mean in such circumstances), or territory, or simply a space to live their own lives, but to uphold their human dignity: to fight was to raise hope, to create possibilities, to refuse to be subjugated. And it always inspired others. Well into the next century, when newly captured Africans arrived in Jamaica, their fellow plantation slaves would instruct them in the history of Tackys Revolt. Slavery was always violently contested from within: even if every individual battle was lost, the struggles of the enslaved did at least as much to hasten its collapse as the efforts of abolitionists.

In the decades following the Coromantee War, Jamaican slavery expanded and flourished as never before. In 1760 there had been about 150,000 slaves on the island; by 1808 there were over 350,000. To safeguard its white inhabitants, the colony became ever more heavily militarized. In the aftermath of rebellion, new laws severely curtailed the rights and movements not only of slaves but also of all other nonwhites: white solidarity was increasingly seen as crucial to security. Meanwhile, the widely noticed writings of the planters leading apologist, Edward Long, whod lived through the rebellion, helped develop new, scientific theories of black inferiority and racial danger that had a lasting impact on European and American thought.

Yet the end of the war did not bring peace but only a return to the jittery status quo of plots, uprisings, and white anxieties about black power. Across the Americas, many passionate defenders of slavery, including Long, came to believe that the future lay in breeding an entirely native-born population of slaves, purged of militant Africans. In Virginia and Pennsylvania during the 1760s and 1770s, the specter of what had happened in Jamaica spurred slaveholders to restrict slave importationeven as, on both sides of the Atlantic, it also inspired early abolitionists.

The British finally outlawed the transatlantic trade in 1807 (the same year the United States did). But the fantasy of an acquiescent, native slave class, governed by benevolent masters, never materialized, nor did the gradual withering away of slavery that abolitionists had hoped for. On the contrary, as Tom Zoellner argues in Island on Fire, it was another Jamaican insurrection that finally precipitated the end of British slavery in the West Indies. Shortly after Christmas 1831, between 30,000 and 60,000 men and women rose up and ran away, refusing to work any longer as slaves. Hundreds of plantations were set on fire, but with conspicuously little personal violence: probably only two whites lost their lives in direct attacks. In reprisal, more than a thousand black people were lynched, shot on sight, or summarily executed. A year and a half later, the newly reformed British Parliament, lobbied by abolitionists and fearful that the continuation of slavery would only lead to further revolts, risking the loss of the Caribbean colonies, passed the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833.

Island on Fire, which tells both parts of this story, focuses especially on the uprisings best-known leader, a charismatic, educated, Creole house slave named Samuel Sharpe. Zoellners vivid, fast-paced book stresses Sharpes Baptist theology, his message of nonviolent passive resistance, and the rebels misguided belief that the British king had, in fact, already emancipated them. Yet just as striking are the many continuities with previous uprisings: the sophisticated planning, the importance of oaths and spiritual rituals, the rebels geographical knowledge and tactics, and the critical participation of the Maroons in deciding the outcome.

Equally resonant is the perpetual question of the meaning of freedom in a racialized world. The Slavery Abolition Act didnt apply to India or Ceylon, and though it technically liberated over 800,000 British slaves in the Caribbean and Africa, all of them (excepting only small children) were forced to continue to labor as unpaid apprentices for a further six years, on pain of punishment. Under the terms of the act, they were protected against overwork and direct violence from employers, but remained their transferable property, subject to punishment for indolence, insolence, or insubordination. So many black West Indians were jailed for resisting these outrageous terms that full emancipation was eventually brought forward to August 1, 1838. That moment provides the dramatic climax of Zoellners account, but it, too, didnt much change colonial attitudes or practices. In 1865, largely unarmed protests over the continued blatant suppression of black economic, legal, and voting rights were met with renewed, murderous white rage: hundreds of nonwhite men and women were indiscriminately shot or executed.

A century on, the independence of most Caribbean colonies in the 1960s was followed by decades of racist British immigration policies that not only sought to prevent black West Indians from coming to the UK but eventually, under the Conservative governments of the past decade, ended up deliberately destroying the lives of thousands of lifelong legal residents by treating them as illegal migrants.6 In the meantime, for almost two hundred years, British taxpayers funded the largest slavery-related reparations ever paid out. Under the provisions of the 1833 act, the government borrowed and then disbursed the staggering sum of 20 million (equal to 40 percent of its annual budgetthe equivalent of 300 billion in todays value). Not until 2015 was that debt finally paid off. This unprecedented compensation for injustice went not to those whose lives had been spent in slavery, nor even to those descended from the millions who had died in captivity. It was all given to British slaveowners, as restitution for the loss of their human property. Black lives, white rights.

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Speech and Slavery in the West Indies | by Fara Dabhoiwala - The New York Review of Books

Express News Service

BENGALURU: Every day, about 600 people across the world are setting up their alarms for 4.45 am to wake up, and join Kartika Nair, coach, trainer and manifestation practitioner, for her 5 am club. A group meditation, chant, affirmations, dream discussions... is what Nair calls The Magic Morning Manifestation Club from 5 am to 6 am.This 29-year-old brought up in Bengaluru says the Covid-19 times has seen a surge in the number of people watched her videos on YouTube, who attended her webinar and signed up for her course. In these trying times, self-love is most important to stay safe and sane. The 5 am club is about self-healing with a mix of self-worth, she says.

A firm believer in the Law of Attraction, manifestation and visualisation techniques to realise dreams, Nair believes that her life itself has been the greatest teacher, besides of course, the online training certifications she has obtained. She says that she is an introvert who suffered from Panic Disorder. My panic disorder was so severe that I could not even step out of the house. Even the rustle of a leaf sounded like an earthquake rumble. I had many such issues. In fact, 2013 was the year I hit rock bottom.

My self-esteem was zero. I undertook all possible therapies for the next three years, but it was the book Power of Now The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment is a book by Eckhart Tolle. The book is intended to be a guide for day-to-day living and stresses the importance of living in the present moment and transcending thoughts of the past or future. It changed my life. I started believing reading and practising mindfulness, positive thinking, manifestation etc.

Nair then started sharing her knowledge through YouTube videos through her channel called Synchroshakti. People started watching my videos and started messaging me for details or for guidance. Today I have 142K subscribers but I get over 1.2 million views for some videos such as Hooponopono, a Hawaiian practice of reconciliation and forgiveness. But what about those who debunk theories such as Law of Attraction or that we attract everything in our life based on our vibrations? How does she convince people who do not believe in such easy peasy solutions? Nair states firmly that she is not here to prove a point to anyone. If someone thinks, this is all pop psychology, so be it. This is what I believe in. And 600 others who spend time and money to join me every morning. Obviously, they are getting the results, she adds.

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Power of 5am thoughts - The New Indian Express

Though India is perceived as a spiritual country at the heart of it, there's still a lot more that its citizens can and ought to draw from the Bhagavad Gita, said renowned Vedanta scholar Jaya Row. "We are still not taking the wealth of the Gita and are still looking westward. We are only taking concepts from the surface that have been marketed. The modern world is promoting and nourishing desire and the financial world is based on desire," said Row, during e-expressions, a virtual dialogue organised by The New Indian Express. The session also included TNIE's Editorial Director Prabhu Chawla and AUthor and Journlaist Kaveree Bamzai.

She also spoke about how they were trying to reach more people through sensible influencer targeting, "We should look at COVID as nature's way to course-correct. If a few leaders of society do it then the rest will follow. It's like promoting veganism. The goal was to get the top 7% of America to do because they knew the world will follow. We are trying to reach thinkers and intellectuals so that more people follow the path," she added that, "Hollywood stars like Will Smith and Julia Roberts have said that they are reading the Gita."

Row, who is an established lecturer and speaker who has served as the Managing Trustee of the Vedanta Trust, said that she had faith in the country because of its deep spiritual ties, "I am optimistic because of the aspirations of people. There are people in small towns who will work to realise their aspirations. This is what is keeping India going. India is still a spiritual country. Talk to people about it and it will touch a chord. This will not happen anywhere else in the world." This spirituality is vital, according to her, in keeping your immunity up during these troubled pandemic times, "We have spiritual immunity, especially among the poor, that is helping them cope. I think it's positive where people understand challenges will come and that it will pass.

Responding to a question about why people only turn to spirituality when hit by personal loss, she explained that it was inevitable as it was hardcoded into human nature, "The majority of people turn to spirituality when they face some loss or bereavement or tragedy in life."

But will this lockdown and the threat of COVID have steered more people towards embracing their inner spirituality? Row confessed that she had cautious optimism in this regard, "I'm not sure if people will return to nature. I think it is a temporary hiatus and that people will resume their life with a bang. There are people who have used this opportunity to do things they have never had the time to. Even businessmen have turned to the path of enlightenment. Vedanta has a longlasting effect on people even if they are materialistic, to the extent they are receptive and use it."

When asked what her number one lesson from this lockdown was, Row who is currently in Mumbai, said, "There are so many things denied to us during the lockdown and yet life moved on. The lesson is that we don't really need it. It has helped us to look inward to find happiness." And is there a secret formula to achieve happiness? She promptly replies, "The Gita gives a formula for happiness: Happiness = Number of desires fulfilled/Number of desires harboured. If you bring down the denominator to zero, you hit infinity!"

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India is a spiritual country, but we're still not taking the wealth of the Bhagavad Gita: Vedanta scholar Jaya Row - The New Indian Express

Abid Hussain Rather

The Islamic calendar starts with the month of Muharram and ends with the month of Dhu al-Hijjah. When we look at these two months, both are marked with acts of sacrifice. On the 10th of Muharram the grandson of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) Imam Hussain (RA) and his 72 companions sacrificed their lives for the sake of Islam. During Dhu al-Hajj, Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) agreed to sacrifice his beloved son, Ismail (AS). The story is narrated in the Quran as:When he was of an age to work with him, he [Ibrahim] said, My son, I saw in a dream that I must sacrifice you. What do you think about this? He [Ismail] said, Do as you are ordered, father. God willing, you will find me steadfast. Allah ransomed him with a mighty sacrifice. So pray to your Lord and sacrifice. Quran (108:2)Allah accepted Ibrahims sacrifice and put a ram in place of Ismail. We can therefore say that the sole purpose of our life is complete submission before Allah. We should always sacrifice our will before the will of the Almighty, without any doubts or disputes. The Arabic term Islam itself means surrender. A true believer is always ready to surrender his will before Allah and the event of Eid-ul-Azha reminds us of this fundamental duty.When we trace the history of sacrifice in Islam we find that it were the two sons of Prophet Adam (AS), Habil and Qabil, who were first asked by Adam (AS) to make a sacrifice to resolve a different between them. Habil sacrificed his best, well-fed and healthy animal, as he was a shepherd, while as Qabil, who was a land tiller, unwillingly sacrificed some produce grown from his land. Allah accepted Habils sacrifice as he was pious and righteous while Qabils sacrifice was rejected as he was without righteousness and had not made his sacrifice with sincerity. Habil explained to his brother that Allah accepts sacrifice of only those people who have Taqwa. This story illustrates that sincerity and purity of intention are the most important part of the sacrifice. Almighty Allah is not a human being and He doesnt need flesh, blood or meat of the animal. Rather, the essence of sacrifice lies in Taqwa righteousness and piety which has to be attained through the spirit of devotion and sacrifice. It is clearly mentioned in Quran:Their meat will not reach to Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you Quran (22:37).Sacrifice in Islam is a spiritual activity and a beautiful chance to draw us closer to Almighty Allah. Love lies at the roots of sacrifice and love for Allah and His Prophet (PBUH) is vital for a believer. It is the piety of Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) which needs to be celebrated rather than the sacrifice of animals.Though the concept of sacrifice in Islam has been criticised by many non-believers, particularly in the Christian world during the age of enlightenment, for example by Immanuel Kant, who argued that Ibrahim (AS) should have been certain about his own moral sense and suspicious about an ostensibly divine voice commanding him to do something as cruel as sacrificing his son. Though Kant was not necessarily advocating defiance of God, he was empowering human reason. The argument of Kant clashes with the basic tenets of Islam where a believer is asked for complete submission. Whenever the will of a believer clashes with the will of the Almighty or with the basic principles of Islam, he has to sacrifice his own will and follow the greater principles. A believer should always believe that Allah has bestowed him with limited knowledge while only Allah has infinite knowledge. So, even the apparently wrong judgements of Allah are never wrong in the true sense. Sacrifice in Islam teaches us to slaughter our innate hatred, jealousy, pride, greed, animosity, and doubts before the will of Almighty Allah.

The writer teaches Geography at GDC, Kulgam. rather1294@gmail.com

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For eight centuries the Hermitage of St. Sava has clung to the sides of Radoelo Mountain as an enduring testament to the Christian faith of Serbia. The site is named for the patron saint of Serbia, who lived there for much of his later life while he was pursuing his mission to evangelize the Serbian people.

There are few records that remain from the construction of this hermitage, but it is generally agreed that the hermitage sprang up at about the same time as the nearby Studenica Monastery, which Atlas Obscura explains, was commissioned by Stefan Nemanja, the medieval Grand Prince of the Serbian Grand Principality. St. Sava was Stefans son, making him a prince of Serbia, and he went on to become the first Archbishop of Serbia.

The breathtaking mountainside structures stand at 300 feet above sea level, which gives the Hermitage an awe-inspiring view of the surrounding canyon landscape. StudenicaInfo, a website dedicated to the Studenica Monastery, explains that the Hermitage of St. Sava is only accessible by a difficult foot trail up the canyon wall. This path has remained unchanged since the time of St. Sava and offers pilgrims the opportunity to experience the same walk as the saint.

Once in the Hermitage, which is still home to monks, pilgrims and visitors can explore the historical grounds, including monksquarters, the scriptorium, St. Savas cave, and a well spring from which ice cold water can be drawn. The Hermitage played an important role in the enlightenment of Serbia, as St. Sava led his monks to produce literature of an edifying nature. The saint himself is said to have written two of his works at the hermitage: Studenica Typikon and Life of St. Simeon.

While the many sights of the Hermitage of St. Sava are worth a trip all on their own, pilgrims may find the most spiritual value in the long walk up the mountain through serene scenery. The quiet one might find at the mountainside property makes it an exemplary place for meditation or reflection.

For a view of the Hermitage of St. Sava, in Serbia, take a look at the short video featured above, and then check out our slideshow.

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View the awe-inspiring Hermitage of St. Sava - Aleteia IT

With the BBC adaptation of A Suitable Boy garnering rave reviews, its time to revisit the best box office hits set in India:

Danny Boyles Bollywood experiment paid off in 2008 when Slumdog Millionaire was an international smash hit, garnering no fewer than eight Academy Awards. Loosely based on the novel Q & A by Indian author Vikas Swarup, the film wasnt universally adored by critics despite winning big at the Oscars. Still, audiences loved the way it applied the Dickensian drama of a rags to riches story with a vivid depiction of street life in Mumbai. It made stars out of its leads Dev Patel and Freida Pinto and deservedly so.

As the title suggests, this well-known 2001 film plays out over the course of a Punjabi wedding in New Delhi. It has a beautifully understated screenplay and is visually gorgeous, surprising everyone when it grossed over $30 million at the box office a highly unusual feat for a foreign language film at the time. The plot centres on a family gathering from all four corners of the globe for a sumptuous wedding, during which dark secrets from the past threaten to rear their heads again in the present. The titular monsoon occurs at the end of the film and is cathartic in more ways than one.

This endearing film about a culinary friendship that is struck up when a spurned wifes lunchboxes are delivered to the wrong man, won plaudits at The Sundance Film festival. Its a gentle but engrossing plot whose disarmingly vulnerable characters draw you in right from the beginning. The film started its life as a documentary about the famous Mumbai lunchbox system but soon developed into a romantic epistolary tale once the writer realised its potential. A must-watch and my favourite on the list.

Wes Andersons films are always a sensory feast and, in many ways, Indias visually claustrophobic aesthetic is the ideal match for his directorial style. This 2007 tragicomic film about three brothers coming to terms with the death of their father takes place on an Indian train. Most of the film was shot inJodhpur, Rajasthan. As the three brothers attempt to cart around their fathers signature possessions on the cramped train, their search for spiritual enlightenment is at once farcical and deeply relatable. A pitch-perfect reflection on the absurdity and profundity of grief.

The Duchess of Sussexs old chum Priyanka Chopra takes the leading role in this 2019 Hindi Bollywood flick. Chopra recently married Jonas Brother Nick Jonas in a star-studded Mumbai wedding. Here, she plays the role of a mother whose family is divided between London and New Delhi and whose youngest child is diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder. Its as melodramatic and full of song as youd expect from a Bollywood film and, best of all, you can watch it on Netflix.

Much of this Bond classic was shot in Udaipur, India, where Bond infiltrates a floating palace where Bond meets its mysterious owner a wealthy business woman named Octopussy.The Monsoon Palace served as the exterior of Kamal Khans palace, while scenes set at Octopussys palace were filmed at the Lake Palace and Jag Mandir, and Bonds hotel was the Shiv Niwas Palace. The setting makes up for the screenplay which is full of cringe-inducing 007 quips: You have a nasty habit of surviving, says Kamal Khan to Bond. Well, you know what they say about the fittest.

Lion tells the true story of Saroo who gets lost on a visit to the city with his brother and ends up being adopted by an Australian family. The film charts his quest to retrace his past and find his mother and brother again once he grows up. Despite the potential for clich, the plot is utterly engrossing and carefully and thoughtfully navigates the ethical pitfalls that might come with a multi racial adoption story. Author Salman Rushdie was so impressed with the realism of the films Indian segments that he said he wept unstoppably whilst watching it.

This was the crowd-pleasing follow up film from Bend it Like Beckham director Gurinda Chadah. A Bollywood retelling of Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice, its never in danger of taking itself too seriously. Chadah cleverly riffs off the similarities between the social mores of Georgian England and Punjabi marriage traditions to create a film that gave many Western audiences their first taste of Bollywood.

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A Suitable Boy: Seven films to watch that are set in India - Spectator.co.uk

Rewind Time is a tribute to his transitioned homeboys.

Much of the material may sound new to some fans, but Chingy points out that he has studied anatomy, astrology and metaphysics. He considers himself a mystical thinker who looks at how the universe and human beings go together.

Though his music hasnt always reflected it, Chingy (Howard Bailey Jr.) says he has always been this way. Now 40, he says it all intensified when he turned 29 and began doing research.

A lot of people didnt know, throughout my career, I was going to school on the road, he says. Im still going to school online.

Around that time, a bad business situation arose in which a so-called friend in the industry ended up stealing royalties. He says hes still dealing with the situation today and chalks it up to a lack of knowledge back then.

I vowed to never let that happen again, he says. Now I take the initiative to make my own decisions.

Hes more comfortable now than ever with releasing this music; once he hits the studio, its all that comes out.

Thats whats speaking to me, he says. Were in a time where people are going through things and need to hear things that are in a positive space.

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Chingy wants to uplift with self-reflective new album, 'Crown Jewel' - STLtoday.com

An interview with Mike Hastie, a member of Veterans for Peace who federal officers assaulted with pepper spray at close range Saturday night, unprovoked

Michael Hastie was a Vietnam War medic with the U.S. Armyin the early 1970s. Now, at 75, he's on the front lines documenting the Black Lives Matter and now anti-federal troops demonstrations in Portland.

This week hes making national news as the Vietnam veteran in Portland who federal officerssprayed directly in the face at close range with OC chemicals.

Hastie likens himself as a peace photographer, a role he has held for more than 40 years. Hes taken his two Nikon cameras to places such as Palestine, Japan, Nicaragua, Lebanon and Vietnam.

He sees the demonstrations as a flashpoint for revolutionary change in Portland.

Hes also a member of Veterans for Peace. This is an excerpt from an email sent to the groups supporters shortly after the incident, describing the mood Saturday evening about three hours before he was assaulted:

The energy and Justifiable Cause was absolutely electrifying. Once I got into the middle of it, I turned to someone I didn't know and said, God I love this city. The solidarity hairs rose on my back and arms. There were two African-American men leading cheers and chants that hypnotically motivated what would eventually be three thousand Portlanders. At one point, all those people took their cell phones out and turned their flashlights on. What a beautiful scene of togetherness.

He emphasizes that throughout his decades protesting, sometimes change happens one conversation at a time.

When Hastieapproached federal agents just before midnight on Saturdayin front of the federal courthouse in downtown Portland, he was attempting to tell them about his experience as a medic in Vietnam.

I was giving a lecture to the police, he told Street Roots. My job as a Vietnam vet is to tell people why I am protesting to let people know theUnited States government committed atrocities every day inVietnam.

Thats when a militarized federal law enforcement officer wearing a gas mask approaching from his left, abruptly sprayed him with pepper spray the nozzle mere inches from his eyes as the chemicals were sprayed directly onto his face.

Since then, he's been fielding interviews, including with CNN and other national news outlets. The viral video of his assault has been viewed more than 5.6 million times.

The attack came on the heels of another instance of brutality against a veteran in Portland at the hands of federal troops. Navy veteran Christopher David suffered a broken hand after police pepper sprayed him and assaulted him with batons last week.

People are interested in this because they wonder why are two military vets getting pepper sprayed for standing up for our free speech rights what we as former military swore an oath to protect, Hastie said.

Hastie said his eyes recovered around 90% of their normal functioning by Monday afternoon. Hes been contacted by a couple of attorneys to see if I want to pursue suing. He said he is not opposed to litigation.

Neither I or the navy veteran were a threatto anyone. And they just wailed on Christopher David. Two fractures in his hands, he said.

In his childhood, Hasties family moved around a lot, living on both the East and West coasts of the U.S., and in Germany and Japan. His father was a career military man. Hastie enlisted at age 24, and ended up in a medic program at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in Aurora, Colo.

I spent a year there, undergoing advanced medical training, he told Street Roots.

He turned 25 in Vietnam.

It was toward the end of the war. We got war casualties from time to time. But everything was falling apart, chaos, he said. We saw homicides, suicides, heroin overdoses, addiction.

Hastie may have gone into the Army gung-ho due to the influence from his career military father who had fought in World War Two but he returned to the U.S. a wreck.

I knew I was the enemy, he said. We had no right to bomb Vietnam. It would be as if the U.S. military went into Mississippi and bombed it. Every day we committed atrocities there.

He mentioned, several times, the horror around My Lai, the infamous murder of more than 500 unarmed men, women and children by a group of U.S. Army soldiers in Charlie Company led by Lt. William Calley.

Hastie has sincebeen all over the United States and to numerous foreign countriesto demonstrate against war and U.S. aggression overseas.

He infers a call of duty beyond military allusions: To photograph events and to bear witness and thereby teach people how the U.S. is the greatest purveyor of violence in the world.

In 1967 Martin Luther King gave his Beyond Vietnam oration at New Yorks Riverside Church, and it moved Hastie.

King denounced the U.S. as the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today, and saw the war was a symptom of a far deeper malady within the American spirit. Later that spring, he asserted that the evils of racism, economic exploitation and militarism are all tied together. We could not get rid of one without getting rid of the others (and) the whole structure of American life must be changed.

These words deeply influenced him and the fact that, said Hastie, my own government was spending all this money on war, but not on the poor people, the homeless.

Hastie quoted King again: A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.

With protests following the police killing of George Floyd and the wave of social justice demonstrations aligning with Black Lives Matter, Hastie has stationed himself on new front lines.

Hastie was discharged from the military at Fort Hood, and after which he decided to become a nurse. He went to Eugene to go to Lane Community College. Then, he ended up in Portland, finishing his nursing program at Good Samaritan. Hes been in Portland ever since.

For 20 years he worked in emergency rooms as a nurse.

By 1980, Hastie was facing both divorce and the impacts of post traumatic stress disorder.

He was hospitalized for several days with suicidal ideation. That bout was followed by several others once following a visit to Vietnam wherehe spoke withsurvivors of the My Lai massacre.

We were talking to people who had survived it and to family members who did not, right at the very spot at the very ditch where so many murdered Vietnamese were piled up, he said.

He also struggled with alcoholism, but stopped drinking in 1976. A decision that he said saved my life.

He said he realized the myth of American exceptionalism believes the countrys good guy reputation began to tarnish in Vietnam.

The biggest positive thing that came out of the Vietnam War was that I saw myself as a global citizen, Hastie said.

When the blinders come off, he said there can be a disquieting and disorienting reverberation.

Your core belief systems are dismantled. It was like an emotional white out for me, he said. I was a stranger in a strange land when I came home.

Hastie developed a new belief system based on the war experience, his awakening and the Black soldiers in Vietnam who showed him what solidarity means.

He cites Victor Frankl, an Austrian psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, as another influence that helped him frame feelings he had about atrocities hooked to his own memory of the Vietnam War. Much of the trauma comes from enlightenment, Hastie said from knowing about the continuing atrocities this country has perpetrated.

Frankl once said: An abnormal reaction to an abnormal situation is normal behavior. He was referring to the psychological makeup and behavior patterns of prisoners in concentration camps during World War II.

Hastie concluded his email to Veterans for Peace supporters early in morning Sunday, July 26:

Everyone at these demonstrations are committed to standing up for monumental change, at any price. While this government preaches Democracy, that is the very thing the U.S. Government steals from other countries when the U.S. Military invades them. Domestically, the militarized police in America are doing the same thing. Being in Viet Nam woke this white boy up, and so much of that awareness came from Black soldiers who educated me on racism. The Viet Nam War was a racist war, and those who resisted U.S. Power were called, Gooks. Power To The People!

Hastie emphasized that during the Portland protests of late, his role as a freelance photographer is often superseded by his role as sandwich maker.

I show up three times a week to various spots in Portland with my homemade sandwiches, he said.

Too many people know whats going on but dont put their feet on the streets, Hastie said of the ongoing demonstrations in Portland. I dont know if the empire can be stopped with a peace sign, but we are doing what we can. Unfortunately, and Ive said this often, but this country needs to go through more suffering before real change will happen.

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Feds sprayed chemicals into the eyes of a retired ER nurse and veteran - Street Roots News