PERSPECTIVES

🌊 Born by the River: The Bharathapuzha Trail A journey through memory, mud, and the murmurs of a sacred river By Ashok Kizhepat 📍 Introduction In the southern folds of India, beyond the rustling coconut groves and ancient temple bells, lies a river that doesn’t shout its presence—but hums it. Bharathapuzha , known lovingly as Nila , is Kerala’s second-longest river. Yet, for those of us born by her side, she is first in our hearts . This is not just a geographical trail. It is a pilgrimage of memory —a return to roots, to people, to silences. A walk not just along the river’s path, but along the winding course of a life once lived in its shadows. 🌱 At the Source: Anamalai Hills Bharathapuzha begins as a soft spring in the Anamalai Hills —not far from the Tamil Nadu border. There are no grand declarations here, only a gentle whisper of water threading its way through rocks and roots. Standing by her origin, I’m reminded of the quiet beginnings of my own story...

Mysticism, Modernity, and Meaning: A Conversation with Swami Chinmayananda In this rare 1984 interview at Deakin University, Swami Chinmayananda eloquently bridges ancient Vedanta and modern life, addressing topics like Hindu philosophy, caste, mysticism, and Western rationalism. With clarity and wit, he reveals how spiritual self-mastery offers a timeless path to inner peace and social harmony. Introduction In 1984, the serene halls of Deakin University, Australia, played host to one of the most compelling voices of modern Vedanta—Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati. During his first visit to Australia, Swamiji engaged in a wide-ranging dialogue that traversed not only the depths of Hindu philosophy but also its relevance in the modern world and its resonance with Western thought. Swami Chinmayananda (1916–1993) was a visionary teacher and spiritual leader who spearheaded a global movement to share the timeless wisdom of the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and Advaita Vedanta. A former journ...

While quantum mechanics, supersymmetry, and Advaita Vedanta arise from different traditions—one scientific and one spiritual—their core ideas resonate deeply: Both suggest that reality is non-dual at its most fundamental level. Both indicate that perceived separateness is an illusion. Both hint that observation (or consciousness) plays a fundamental role in shaping reality. Both point toward a deep unity underlying all diversity. Of course, science relies on mathematical models and empirical validation, while Vedanta relies on direct realization through inquiry (Jnana Yoga). Yet, as modern physics inches closer to a grand unified theory, it seems to echo ancient Vedantic wisdom. Perhaps, as the physicist Erwin Schrödinger—one of the pioneers of quantum mechanics—once said: "In truth, there is only one mind. This knowledge is called Vedanta." Satyendra Nath Bose (1894–1974) was an Indian physicist who made groundbreaking contributions to quantum mechanics. He is be...

Even Intelligence is a Construct of Maya: The Advancement of AI as Proof of Intellect as Avidya or Maya  An exploration through the lens of Advaita Vedanta In the labyrinth of Advaita Vedanta, the ultimate reality is Brahman—unchanging, infinite, and the sole substratum of all existence. Everything else, including the material world, sensory experiences, and even the human intellect, is but a projection of Maya, the cosmic illusion. This doctrine challenges the essence of human intellect, suggesting that even the sharpest intelligence is entangled in the fabric of illusion, veiling the ultimate truth. The advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) provides a contemporary prism to reflect on this profound Vedantic insight. AI, a creation of human intellect, mirrors the intellect's limitations and underscores its entrapment in Maya, or Avidya (ignorance). Understanding Maya and Avidya Maya, in Advaita Vedanta, is the force that projects the unreal as real. It is responsible f...

Tommy’s Mysterious Appearance (A Recreation of a Fictional Story by Ram Mohan) Growing up in Kalyan Sadan was like living in the heart of a shared universe, a world brimming with love, laughter, and an unspoken kinship that bound us all. It was no ordinary house but a haven, a joint family enclave where cousins of all ages collided and coexisted. My mother, one of thirteen siblings, brought with her a teeming crowd of cousins who painted our days with vibrant chaos. We shared everything—meals, stories, secrets, and the peculiar magic that comes from knowing you belong to something larger than yourself. Even amid the lively tumult of Kalyan Sadan, there were figures who stood apart. My eldest cousin, Rammohan, was one of them. He had a gift for spinning tales, and his stories would leave us wide-eyed and speechless, even long after the fireflies disappeared into the night. One of his stories, "Tommy’s Mysterious Appearance," became a legend among us—a tale that blu...

Through the Mist: A Journey Beyond Time The night was still, wrapped in a cloak of silence, as we arrived at Mettupalayam station. My brother Shank, my cousins Satyan and Hrishi, and I carried the sort of youthful resilience that makes scarcity seem like an adventure. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway train stood quietly on the tracks, a dormant steel creature awaiting dawn. We were the only souls on the platform, the echoes of our footsteps swallowed by the station's emptiness. A guard, perhaps moved by our predicament or the simplicity of our request, allowed us to sleep in the very train we were to board the next morning. As we stretched out on the wooden seats, their solidness seemed oddly comforting. The rhythmic ticking of the station clock merged with the occasional creak of the train, becoming the lullaby that carried us to sleep. Morning arrived softly, with the air cool and the first light of the sun painting the horizon. The canteen beckoned us with the aroma of c...