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Yuval Noah Harari on How Wheat Manipulated Us
Yuval Noah Harari, in his book Sapiens, makes a bold claim that the invention of farming was the biggest fraud in the history of humanity. He particularly substantiates this claim by discussing the role of wheat production in altering the lifestyle of our species. Let’s take a look at what he says. Sapiens had been…
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Medical Maladies: Meditations on Illness
Illness is a part of life. It may not be a pleasant one, it may not help anyone, but, try as you may, you cannot always deny it the entry. Even if you – somehow – manage to stay away from it, you’d inevitably see it around you. What do we do, then? Everyone who…
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A Case for the Presidential System in India
Should there be a presidential system in India? Or… is the parliamentary system working just fine? Author Bhanu Dhamija presents a strong case for the presidential system in his book Why India Needs the Presidential System. In this post we will consider his argument and see what this could mean to the Indian political landscape.…
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The Philosophy of Islam
In order to better grasp the underlying philosophy of Islam, it is important to address a key question that often arises in this context. Is Islam a political ideology or a moral and spiritual guide? Interestingly, the answer is not straightforward and depends on one’s point of view. There is an important reason for this…
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Understanding Islam
Islam, the second-largest religion in the world today, literally means submission to God. That is the starting point. It signifies the natural inclination of human beings, a God-centred worldview. Also, it’s worth noting that Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, continued the monotheistic tradition of Abrahamic religions – Judaism and Christianity – after the Quran was…
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Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras on Pranayama
Pranayama, as we learnt, is the regulation of breath, and subsequently, energy. Now let’s see what the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali say about pranayama. There are three sutras dedicated to it in the text from 11:49 to 11:51. We will discuss them one by one. Asanas are important The first sutra (11:49) defines the pranayama…
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Yoga Sutras and the Art of Breathing
Previously, we learnt about the importance of breath. Now let’s turn to an important text, which considered to be the foundation of yoga and meditation: Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali described the ways of overcoming the afflictions of the body and the fluctuations of the mind. About the Yoga Sutras Patanjali’s…
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How to Breathe: Lessons from Ancient India – Part One
Breath… Perhaps it’s the only thing that stays with us for as long as we live. You can’t get rid of it, try as hard as you may. The breath won’t leave you. It’s what gives us life — that’s why the ancient Indians called it Prana, the life force. Most of the time we…
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