• The Zen Philosophy of Tea

    The drinking of tea has always been associated with Zen, and from the earliest times the monks have used it to keep themselves awake during long periods of meditation. There is a gruesome legend as to its origin which tells that Bodhidharma once fell asleep during his meditations and was so furious that he cut…

  • Mindfulness According to the Buddha

    Thich Nhat Hanh was a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, revered around the world for his pioneering teachings on mindfulness. In his book Old Path White Clouds, Thich Nhat Hanh traces the Buddha’s life, drawing directly from over 24 Pali, Sanskrit and Chinese sources. While taking the reader through the life of the Buddha, the books also…

  • Is the World Getting Better or Worse?

    Is the world getting better? A look at the news headlines would suggest otherwise. The world is doomed. Rich are getting richer, poor are getting poorer. Air-pollution is going to take millions of lives. This could very well be the end of the western civilisation. The society is disintegrating at a surprising pace. When we…

  • George Orwell’s Reflections on Gandhi

    In his essay, Reflections on Gandhi, Orwell tries to examine Gandhi’s principle of Satyagraha and how he applied this principle during his political struggle against the British. Let’s take a closer look.

  • Read Aloud, Write Aloud: Margaret Atwood’s Advice

    Whenever I’m asked to talk about what constitutes a “good” story, or what makes one well-written story “better” than another, I begin to feel very uncomfortable. Once you start making lists or devising rules for stories, or for any other kind of writing, some writer will be sure to happen along and casually break every…

  • A 19th-Century Advisory on Romantic Love

    You’ve been in love, of course! If not you’ve got it to come. Love is like the measles; we all have to go through it. Also like the measles, we take it only once. One never need be afraid of catching it a second time. The man who has had it can go into the…

  • Have Grammar Rules Changed?

    Of course, they have. Grammar is not a static idea; it evolves with the passage of time, exposure to new ideas and cultures, and intrusion of some creative geniuses. That’s why it is important to recognise that many of the grammar and style rules you were taught never to break may have changed. In fact,…

  • Gossips from the Mughal Courts

    In all of Delhi’s history, at no period was that thin dress of civilisation more beautiful – or more woven – than during the first half of the seventeenth century, during the Golden Age of Shah Jehan. After the death of his beloved queen Mumtaz Mahal, Shah Jehan decided to move his court from Agra…