Ajay0

Ethical discipline is a necessary pre-requisite for philosophical enquiry and Self-realisation. Ethics is an enquiry into the nature of good and is concerned with an analysis of the concepts of good and bad, virtue and vice, right and wrong. ~ Swami Sivananda Ethics lead to restraint of the lower self and thereby the mind is calmed. Through calmness of mind, discrimination dawns and one knows the Self. Without ethical perfection there is no spiritual progress. ~ Swami Sivananda

But India is also one of the leaders of the NAM ( non-aligned movement), which was created to prevent the world's nuclear powers from blindly pursuing nuclear war and holocaust to the peril of their own nations. Non-aligned India can create a space of dialogue and diplomatic negotations which can prevent war and foster peace and a win-win scenario for both sides. India due to its historic relationship with the Russians can also be in a role to influence them to conduct diplomatic talks with India as mediator. This can aid the war-mongering US-Nato and Russian blocs to end their hostility and promote peace instead.

Sadly, there are many human corpses of mountaineers who had died during their expedition to the summit and which have been lying there for decades. I am hoping that drone technology can help bring down these human corpses from the mountain and hand them over to their respective families for burial.

At this point of time, one can say that gun violence in the U.S has become a threat to the democratic process itself. Two American presidents have been gunned down in the past. It is high time legislation is created to ensure hard controls on possession of guns.

Do you know the ego feels its existence in negativity and in positivity the ego doesn't feel so strongly? The ego pulls the mind back to negativity to feel its existence. Go back to your past: how many bad events of life do you remember and how many good events? You will find 90% are bad and more clear. 10% are good but like in a fog. This is the great power of our ego. ~ Baba Hari Dass In good things, the ego doesn't feel its strength of individuality as strongly as in doing bad things. If you do bad things, the ego is right there in the present. Then its memory which repeats in the past. Then its imagination of doing bad things in the future appears. If we look back in our own life, what do we remember the most? All bad things we did or people did to us. Memories of good things appear as if veiled by fog. ~ Baba Hari Dass The tendency of the mind is to hold on to something negative. If ten compliments and one insult are given, the mind holds on to the negative - that one insult. So when we know this, we are already one step out of it. Time and again, we must realize: 'I am going on a negative trip' and immediately come back to the here and now. ~ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar If we reflect on your past, you will notice that all bad things that happened to you appear as if they happened yesterday and the memory of good things appear as if in a fog. Our ego feels its presence more deeply in pain or in pain causing events, thoughts, emotions. So we always think about such things which bring unhappiness. In that unhappiness, we feel 'its happening to me' even though it happened 10-20 years ago. So pain and suffering are the expressions of the ego caused by desires and attachments. ~ Baba Hari Dass We are attached to our negative qualities because they strengthen our ego. We feel our existence more in our negative aspect of life. ~ Baba Hari Dass Desire to be happy is a natural thing in all human beings. But the mind likes to be in pain by bringing the past memories and not seeing any progress in the future. If we dwell on the negative side of the mind, then we can't be happy in any situation. ~ Baba Hari Dass

Here is an interesting conversation between the female enlightened sage Anandamayi Ma and a disciple... Through this Anandamayi Ma too, like the Buddha and female enlightened sage Rajini Menon, states that an ethical and virtuous life, is a spiritual exercise in itself and is potent enough to bring about enlightenment on its own. 'Wholesome virtuous behavior progressively leads to the foremost.' ~ Buddha AN 10.1 I would say this showcases the importance of virtues and virtuous conduct as taught in the world religions and secular humanism, and shows that they are not mere abstract contrivances or limited to mere conditioning as the nihilist philosophy states them to be.

The 40,000 strong Indian territorial army is a reserve military force composed of part-time volunteers with basic military training who provide support services to the Indian army. The Indian Army is probably the only army in the world which has implemented the concept of ecological units of the Territorial Army since the 1980s, focussed on ecological conservation and combatting deforestation, desertification and pollution . These units, called Ecological Task Forces (ETF), are officered by a mix of regular and Territorial Army officers and based on manpower comprising of young ex-servicemen. https://www.usiofindia.org/publication-journal/an-overview-of-ecological-task-forces-etf-and-ecological-institutions-of-the-indian-army-2.html Celebrating its platinum jubilee year in 2024, the Territorial Army has similarly engaged in a mass plantation drive, planting fruit-bearing and shade-giving trees https://www.indiatodayne.in/assam/story/assam-territorial-army-celebrates-platinum-jubilee-with-mass-plantation-drive-1033419-2024-06-21 I would say similar units can be created in the world's armies focusing on ecological conservation with military discipline and organization, considering the negative impact of global warming and afforestation around the world resulting in increasing frequency of natural disasters , adverse economic impact and challenges to food security.

Rajini Menon is a modern enlightened sage who attained enlightenment just through adhering to virtuous conduct and obedience to inner voice or conscience. I had described about her in this thread... In the below article Rajini Menon explains on distinguishing between the inner voice and mind noise... https://rajiniji.com/whatislife/

India to launch Chandrayaan-4 in 2028 to bring rocks from the Moon https://www.indiatoday.in/science/story/india-to-launch-chandrayaan-4-in-2028-to-bring-rocks-from-the-moon-2508305-2024-02-28

Easy to do are things that are bad and harmful to oneself. But exceedingly difficult to do are things that are good and beneficial. ~ Buddha ( Dhammapada 163) Sin is easy to commit. ~ Ashoka If there is a right thing and a wrong thing, it takes longer for the right thing to be implemented, while the wrong thing will be implemented immediately. ~ Dada Bhagavan The nature of the mind is such it ignores all the good and holds on to the negative. ~ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar The mind naturally tends towards evil deeds. It is lethargic in doing good work. That is why I say that perseverance and tenacity are necessary for success in all works.~ Sri Sharada Devi The nature of the mind is to be easy-going and indolent. It loves to shirk responsibility and to get attached to the senses and their objects. A careless man gets attached to sense-pleasures and becomes weak and stupid. The mind of such a man gets impure and weak. ~ Swami Narayanananda

Perhaps I have more experience in the real world. I think you have had some nasty experiences with poorly trained therapists and is now generalizing all as despicable. This is actually poor judgement on your part based on the actions of a few, and correlates with similar jaundiced observations of yours on other nations as well.

It is the uneducated or ignorant mind that is imprecise. You cannot generalize all people as uneducated or ignorant. If that is the case humanity would never have produced a Buddha or an Einstein. Thank you for the inspiring words. I hope you add theraphobes to the list as well. https://www.fastestbooks.com/fear-of-therapists/

This is the nature of all sensory and intellectual pleasures which are not of a permanent nature due to the factors of saturation or impermanence. You have to keep chasing such fleeting pleasures in the hope of eternal happiness which is but a mirage or illusion. However joy and bliss of a permanent nature and greater intensity than sensory pleasures, is within ourselves and accessible if one makes the proper efforts for it. Being in present moment awareness or mindfulness is one such way forward. Present moment awareness or mindfulness however requires a lot of intelligent practice as it does not come easily due to the incessant thinking and emoting of the mind. It would be great if you are in the midst of nature or in the beach as the high prana/chi levels enables better present moment awareness. Being in present moment awareness is not contradictory to enjoyment of work. In fact, if you enjoy your work projects it automatically ensures awareness. This saying by Barry Long will shed light on the subject..

Pushpak was tested a third time successfully in more challenging and demanding conditions . https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/2024/Jun/24/third-final-landing-of-pushpak-gives-wings-to-isro

The Indian Space Research Organisation is gearing up to conduct the second landing test of the Reusable Launch Vehicle, Pushpak. https://www.indiatoday.in/science/story/isro-to-conduct-second-landing-test-of-reusable-launch-vehicle-pushpak-2514143-2024-03-13

You can generalize for yourself, but it is not correct to generalize on the part of other human beings, especially enlightened one's who are entrenched in the oneness of all life and who do not have a dualistic perspective. So professional therapists adhere to a code of conduct to limit their biases and be objective in their analysis. You may be unfortunate enough to have dealt with some unprofessional ones just as there are unprofessional policemen and engineers. But that does not mean you can generalize all therapists as having an agenda. That would be an unsubstantiated bias on your part.

If you are stating that all humans hold biases, that would mean an assertion that you yourself hold biases, which is an admission of faulty judgement in yourself. Since you have certified yourself as having poor judgement, it means that your conclusions regarding therapists are not valid and subject to correction.

I think you need to meet a therapist to get rid of conditioned prejudices and biases as well as inner psychological insecurities and complexes that may be damaging your social and professional life. I have been to a therapist reluctantly at 22 after the death of a close relative on the request of my uncle , and found the experience cathartic and productive. I find a combination of meditation and therapy useful for getting rid of mental ailments, and modern sages have also recommended the same.

The Brahmakumaris held exhibitions and meditation exercises as part of its tobacco de-addiction efforts and awareness campaign on the dangers of smoking , marking 'World No Tobacco Day' on May 31,2024 . Meditation was presented as an alternative to tobacco use or smoking. https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/mumbai-brahmakumaris-world-no-tobacco-day-campaign Smoking tobacco is associated with heightened risk of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, diabetes, increased risk of loss of vision and hearing, weakened immune system vulnerable to infections, dental problems, osteoporosis and so on. https://www.health.gov.au/topics/smoking-vaping-and-tobacco/about-smoking/effects In addition to the detrimental impact of tobacco on health, the total economic cost of smoking (from health expenditures and productivity losses together) are estimated to be around US$ 1.4 trillion per year, equivalent in magnitude to 1.8% of the world's annual gross domestic product (GDP). https://www.who.int/health-topics/tobacco#:~:text=In addition to the detrimental,gross domestic product (GDP)

India's first multi-wavelength space telescope, AstroSat, has successfully detected its 600th Gamma-ray Burst (GRB). https://www.indiatoday.in/science/story/indias-astrosat-captures-600th-mega-explosion-that-rocked-the-universe-2468116-2023-11-27

India's first multi-wavelength space-based observatory, AstroSat, has made a significant discovery by detecting bright pulses of energy coming from a magnetar in deep space. https://www.wionews.com/science/astrosat-detects-millisecond-bursts-from-new-magnetar-to-unveil-concealed-secrets-within-673435

Okay, but western military industrial complex and defense company shareholders have also benefitted from the war as share values have rocketed sky high due to demand for weapons. https://theprint.in/defence/russia-ukraine-war-a-gold-mine-for-us-british-defence-firms-sales-rocket-stock-prices-soar/2056134/

Dude, the EU reduced imports of Russian fossil fuels from a high of $16 billion per month in early 2022 to around $1 billion per month by the end of 2023 (Figure 1). This still amounts to a huge figure of a billion dollars per month. https://www.bruegel.org/analysis/european-union-russia-energy-divorce-state-play#:~:text=The EU reduced imports of,largest part of the reduction. The EU is also the biggest buyers of refined oil from Turkey and India which originates as crude oil from Russia actually. Also the EU has increased substantially its gas imports from Russia. https://www.dw.com/en/war-in-ukraine-why-is-the-eu-still-buying-russian-gas/a-68925869#:~:text=According to the data provider,to the EU in 2021.

Yes, ethics or morality does not mean total self-lessness. As a parkor saying goes, 'Be strong to be useful' ( “Etre fort pour être utile” ) . One must be selfish initially or at times to ensure optimal strength and growth. It is the strong who can help or love, not the weak.

Are Spain and Turkey part of BRICS ! Spain is the second largest importer of liquified natural gas from Russia, while Turkey is the third largest importer of Russian oil. Austria, Hungary, Belgium in EU constitute other high importers of Russian gas. https://www.dw.com/en/war-in-ukraine-why-is-the-eu-still-buying-russian-gas/a-68925869#:~:text=According to the data provider,to the EU in 2021. Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has stated that Europe has imported six times the fossil fuel energy from Russia than India has done since February 2022.