Little Information Regarding the State of Manipur

Physiography:- 

Physiography of manipur can be classified into following ways:-

• Mountainous region
• Valley region
• Lakes and rivers

Mountainous Region:- 

In the north Manipur is surrounded by Naga hills and Patkai bum hills, in south it is surrounded by mizo hills. These hills are majorly resided by Naga Tribes and kuki tribes.

Valley region:-

Nearly 10-20% of land area comes under the valley region. This is land between mountainous region. Nearly, 60% of the Manipuri Population lives in the valley region. Among them, proportion of the Meitei people is greater than others.

Floating landmasses in Loktak Lake

Lakes and Rivers:-

In the middle of the Manipur there is Loktak Lake, which consists of the phumdi, Floating land masses. Large Land masses are called phumshong. Keibul Lamjao is the only floating national park in the world and it is in the midst of loktak lake. This national park is home to the endangered brown-antlered deer/ Sangai. 

Total 7 rivers are passing through the state of manipur. Among them, important one is barak river, which tributary to the meghna river.

Culture & History:-

About the Religion:-

Manipur has parallel history along with india. Before the advent of the vaishnavism into the manipur, Sanamahism was the religion practiced in the manipur. Some believes that it is practiced from 33CE.

Shri sankaradeva, A staunch vaishnavaite introduced the vaishnavism in manipur state.

William Pettigrew, an english man brought the christianity to the state  during the times of colonialism and now, this is one of the flourishing religion in the state of manipur.

Dance forms:-

Manipuri is one of the eight classical dances of India. Though expressions and themes of the dance exists since ancient times, Modern form is greatly influenced by the vaishnavism. It is particularly known for its Hindu Vaishnavism themes, and exquisite performances of love-inspired dance drama of Radha-Krishna called Raslila. rajarshi bhagyachandra introduced the raslila into the manipur. However, the dance is also performed to themes related to Shaivism, Shaktism and regional deities such as Umang Lai during Lai Haraoba. 

Regal History:-

The history of Manipur is obscure; Royal dynasty records such as the Cheitharol Kumbaba were composed after Manipur became a Hindu Kingdom and are mostly based on myths.

The Kingdom of Kangleipak was established by King Loiyumba in 1110 who ruled between 1074 and 1121. He consolidated the kingdom by incorporating most of the principalities in the surrounding hills and is credited with having enacted a kind of written constitution for his state.^[2] After subjugating all the villages within their valley Kangleipak kings grew in power and began a policy of expansion beyond their territory. In 1443 King Ningthoukhomba raided Akla, an area ruled by Shan people, initiating a policy of Manipuri claims to the neighbouring Kabaw Valley. The zenith of the Kangleipak State was reached under the rule of King Khagemba (1597–1652).

One of the last photos of S.C.Bose at Moirang,Manipur

the kingdom of kangleipak exists independent until british interfering into the burma. During the burmese expedition, manipur became the protectorate state in 1824. After the crushing the rebellion in anglo-manipur war in 1891, Manipur directly comes directly under the administration of the Britain.

Manipur has the rich history in modern india and the world history. During World War II, Moirang was the headquarters of Azad Hind Fauz. Colonel Shaukat Malik of the Indian National Army, (INA) hoisted the Tricolour for the first time on Indian soil on 14 April 1944, in Moirang with the help of Manipuris like Shri Mairembam Koireng Singh and others who were members of the INA. The INA Museum at Moirang displays some wartime relics and photographs.

In 1947, Manipur became the integral part of the India and became the union territory in 1956 and received full statehood in 1972.

Sports:-

Manipur has the credit of giving the Modern Polo to the world. Modern form of the POLO is played by the royal family in the back yard of the kangla Royal Fort. 

Regarding the Kangla Forts:-

Mystical Dragons in the Kangla fort

Kangla Royal Fort has the rich history. After loss of the anglo-manipur war, British took the control of kangla fort. Later, Assam rifles occupied after the independence. In the year of 2004, Assam Rifles vacated the Kangla Fort after the severe protests of the naked mothers of Manipur and death of Manorama, who is believed to be militant. Since then, Kangla Fort became famous tourist destination and symbol of manipur history and culture.



Current Events:-

• Protests in-favour of the Inner Line Permit, which exists in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, nagaland and Mizoram.
• Protest of the Naga People against the division of the existing districts.
  
  

What is depression?

Definition:-

Depression is a mood or emotional state that is marked by feelings of low self-worth or guilt and a reduced ability to enjoy life.

It's natural to feel down sometimes, but if that low mood lingers day after day, it could signal depression. Major depression is an episode of sadness or apathy along with other symptoms that lasts at least two consecutive weeks and is severe enough to interrupt daily activities. Depression is not a sign of weakness or a negative personality. It is a major public health problem and a treatable medical condition.

Symptoms:-

1. primary symptoms of depression are a sad mood and/or loss of interest in life. Activities that were once pleasurable lose their appeal. Patients may also be haunted by a sense of guilt or worthlessness, lack of hope, and recurring thoughts of death or suicide.

2. primary symptoms of depression are a sad mood and/or loss of interest in life. Activities that were once pleasurable lose their appeal. Patients may also be haunted by a sense of guilt or worthlessness, lack of hope, and recurring thoughts of death or suicide.

3. Depression is sometimes linked to physical symptoms. These include:

• Fatigue and decreased energy

• Insomnia, especially early-morning waking

• Excessive sleep

• Persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment

Depression can make other health problems feel worse, particularly chronic pain. Key brain chemicals influence both mood and pain. Treating depression has been shown to improve co-existing illnesses.

4.  Changes in appetite or weight are another hallmark of depression. Some patients develop increased appetite, while others lose their appetite altogether. Depressed people may experience serious weight loss or weight gain.

5.  the physical and emotional turmoil brought on by depression can derail careers, hobbies, and relationships. People with depression often find it difficult to concentrate and make decisions. They turn away from previously enjoyable activities, including sex. In severe cases, depression can become life-threatening.

6.  People who are depressed are more likely to attempt suicide. Warning signs include talking about death or suicide, threatening to hurt people, or engaging in aggressive or risky behaviour. Anyone who appears suicidal should be taken very seriously. 

Causes of depression:-

a prominent theory says that altered brain structure and chemical function is cause behind the depression. Brain circuits that regulate mood may work less efficiently during depression. Drugs that treat depression are believed to improve communication between nerve cells, making them run more normally. Experts also think that while stress -- such as losing a loved one -- can trigger depression, one must first be biologically prone to develop the disorder. Other triggers could include certain medications, alcohol or substance abuse, hormonal changes, or even the season.

If your mood matches the season -- sunny in the summer, gloomy in the winter -- you may have a form of depression called seasonal affective disorder (SAD). The onset of SAD usually occurs in the late fall and early winter, as the daylight hours grow shorter. Experts say SAD affects from 3% to 20% of all people, depending upon where they live.

Treatment for Depression:-

1. Cognitive behavioral therapy aims to change thoughts and behaviors that contribute to depression. Interpersonal therapy identifies how your relationships impact your mood. Psychodynamic psychotherapy helps people understand how their behaviour and mood are affected by unresolved issues and unconscious feelings. Some patients find a few months of therapy are all they need, while others continue long term.

2. Antidepressants affect the levels of brain chemicals, such as serotonin and norepinephrine. There are many options. Give antidepressants a few weeks of use to take effect. Good follow-up with your doctor is important to evaluate their effectiveness and make dosage adjustments. If the first medication tried doesn't help, there's a good chance another will. The combination of talk therapy and medication appears particularly effective.

3. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) can help patients with treatment-resistant depression that does not improve with medication. VNS is like a pacemaker for the brain. The surgically implanted device sends electrical pulses to the brain through the vagus nerve in the neck. These pulses are believed to ease depression by affecting mood areas of the brain.

4. Another option for patients with treatment-resistant or severe melancholic depression is electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). This treatment uses electric charges to create a controlled seizure. Patients are not conscious for the procedure. ECT helps 80% to 90% of patients who receive it, giving new hope to those who don't improve with medication.

5. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation:-
   
   A newer option for people with stubborn depression is repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). This treatment aims electromagnetic pulses at the skull. It stimulates a tiny electrical current in a part of the brain linked to depression. rTMS does not cause a seizure and appears to have few side effects. But doctors are still fine-tuning this treatment.

How to escape depression naturally?:-

1. Choose something you enjoy and aim for atleast 20 to 30 minutes four or five times a week.
2. Physical Exercise.
3. A playful puppy or wise-mouthed parrot is no substitute for medication or talk therapy. But researchers say pets can ease the symptoms of mild to moderate depression in many people. Pets provide unconditional love, relieve loneliness, and give patients a sense of purpose. Studies have found pet owners have less trouble sleeping and better overall health.
4. Because loneliness goes hand-in-hand with depression, developing a social support network can be an important part of treatment. This may include joining a support group, finding an online support community, or making a genuine effort to see friends and family more often. Even joining a book club or taking classes at your gym can help you connect with people on a regular basis.

Blogger’s own experience:- 

Depression is curable with the hope in yourself only. The present world has been created for our enjoyment(caution:- which doesn’t mean to hurt others). Diversification of our natural inclinations and creation of new and good habits will definitely create some hope in our thought process, which itself make us run for beautiful life, which we always sought after. Sitting idle and thinking about the same process would create the pain in the long run. Start anything in small pieces and bit-by-bit increase you capacity. Even a longest river in the world, Nile starts from the lake victoria.  Be Strong.

Salient Features of the new Rs.2000 note.

Features of the new Rs. 2000 note of India:-

The base colour of this note is magenta. And, with the dimensions of 66 mm × 166 mm, it is smaller than earlier banknotes of various denominations. This gives the new note a trendy and international feel. In addition, the smaller size results in (a) savings on the printing costs and (b) increase in the printing capacity.

Salient features on the Front of the Rs.2000 Banknote

1. See-through register, with denominational numeral 2000, can be seen when you hold the note against the light.

2. Latent image, with denominational numeral 2000, seen when you hold the note at 45 degree angle at the eye level.

3. Denominational numeral 2000 in Devnagari script.

4. As usual, there is a Portrait of Mahatma Gandhi in the centre.

5. Micro letters ‘RBI’ and ‘2000’.

6. Colour-shift windowed security thread with inscriptions ‘भारत’, RBI and 2000. Colour of the thread changes from green to blue when you tilt the note.

7. Guarantee Clause, Governor’s signature with Promise Clause and RBI emblem towards right.

8. Watermarks of Mahatma Gandhi portrait and electrotype (2000).

9. Number panel, with numerals growing from small to big size, is printed on the top left side and bottom right side.

10. Denominational numeral with Rupee Symbol ₹2000, in colour changing ink (green to blue).

11. The Ashoka Pillar emblem on the right side of the note.

12. Small horizontal rectangle with ₹2000 in raised print, above the Ashoka Pillar emblem.

13. Seven angular bleed lines, both on the left and right side, in raised print.

Salient features on the Reverse of the Rs.2000 Banknote

14. You will find '2016' as the Year of Printing on the reverse of the note.

15. Swachh Bharat logo with slogan, at the bottom left.

16. The language panel is towards the centre.

17. Also on the reverse is the Motif of Mangalyaan, depicting India’s first venture into the interplanetary space.

Following features help the visually impaired to identify the denomination of the banknote:

- Intaglio or raised printing of Mahatma Gandhi portrait and the Ashoka Pillar emblem

- Horizontal rectangle with '2000' in raised print on the right side

- Seven angular bleed lines, both on the left and right side, in raised print

Recently, BSF has seized Rs 2.97 lakhs worth of the money in new Rs.2000 notes. BSF said 13 out of the total 17 security features are compromised.

so, One has to look at these features very carefully to differentiate real with fake one.

Pros and Cons of Chir Pine in uttarakhand

Chir Pine( Pinus roxburghii) is the for the fist introduced by Britishers in the areas of uttarakhand and himachal Pradesh due to its quality wood which is used for constructing houses in the hills and in furniture-making.

The Forest Survey of India has found that chir has now taken over 16% of the total 71% forest area of Uttarakhand. Due to its enormous occupation of the territory, Chir Pine is causing the problems for the bio-diversity and other environmental related problems. 

(Note:-At present, There are only three states, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, in the country which produce Pine resin, the rest is imported from China and Indonesia.)

Pros:-

• Resin of the chir is used in varnishes, adhesives, dyeing, chemical industries and medicines.
• Due to its commercial and medical values, Resin of chir is being auctioned nationwide by Govt of Utterakhand, which is receiving annual income of Rs. 90 crore out of that auction.
• Villagers growing chirpine are being benefitted due to its annual returns.
• It is drought-tolerant and survives with less water.
• Leaves of the chir pine are being used as mats for animals, which are being affected by severe winter in the utterakhand. 
• Its trunk can be used as timber.

Cons:-

Cones of the Pine

• Chir pine is not edible for the both humans and wildlife. Epecially, wild life animals are suffering from the hunger due to vast presence of the chirpines, which spreads 16% of total forests of the utterakhand. 
• Due to its large presence, Chir pines are becoming the hurdle in maintaining the bio-diversity. Broad leafs in utterakhand, which is witnessing the vagaries of the climate, is much needed due to it ability to face the floods and in controlling the soil erosion but due to high presence of the chir pine is not allowing the broad lead presence.
• Resin of the chir is highly inflammable.
• Chir easily catches the fire. Thats what reason for the growing levels of the forest fires in recent years.
• Due to forest fires, damaged forest soil is not capable of preventing the either run-off or soil erosion, which automatically increases the devastating floods.
• the needles of Pine trees are acidic in nature which even turn the soil acidic, prohibiting any other green growth in the forest. Thats why Chir Pine doesnt allow any growth of plants or grass.
• The pine resin, exposed to the air, would easily harden and crystallise but it can be softened for use by heating. Thats why, many mafia people are setting afire for their commercial purposes.

To solve the problem, Govt shall takes steps to reduce the number of Chir Pines and move towards increasing the diversity of the region by reintroducing the local varieties, which are useful for feeding the hunger of wild-life, which reduces the man-animal conflict, for reducing the soil-erosion, forest fires and for increasing the flood-resistance in ecologically sensitive area. 

What is Hindutva according to the judiciary?

On Tuesday, a seven-judge Bench of the Supreme Court, which is currently hearing oral arguments in two cases — Abhiram Singh v. C.D. Commachen and Narayan Singh v. Sunderlal Patwa — declined an opportunity to reconsider the correctness of a series of judgments rendered by Justice J.S. Verma in December 1995. There, in what are collectively called the “Hindutva cases”, the court delivered rulings that caused great mischief on the idea of India as a pluralistic, secular state. It held that pleas made by appealing to the terms “Hindutva” or “Hinduism” during an election campaign did not necessarily constitute a corrupt practice in violation of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (RPA) since the terms ordinarily refer not to religion but only to “a way of life”. The judgments, however, overlooked the RPA’s true objective. As is plainly evident from the legislation’s language, it intends to instil in India’s elections an atmosphere of secular integrity. Now, the seven-judge Bench, presided by Chief Justice T.S. Thakur, has expressed its unwillingness to test the legitimacy of Justice Verma’s view, on the ground that the issue finds no mention in the orders referring the cases to it. The upshot is the continued perpetuation of judgments that are not merely deeply flawed, but also eminently dangerous in their purport.

Secularism can mean many different things, and, in India, the term is often imbued with a significance that goes well beyond its popular meaning. But what’s clear from the debates of both the Constituent Assembly and Parliament, in various iterations, is that one of the key features of secularism, as it’s understood in India, is an endeavour to separate religion altogether from electoral politics. B.R. Ambedkar, who played a sterling role in the RPA’s drafting, was particularly keen on ensuring that the statute conformed to secular principles. “I think that elections ought to be conducted on issues which have nothing to do with… religion or culture,” he said during a crucial stage of the debate in the lead-up to the law’s enactment by what was then a provisional parliament. “A political party should not be permitted to appeal to any emotion which is aroused by reason of something which has nothing to do with the daily affairs of the people.”

Ultimately, it was with this sentiment in mind that the RPA, through Section 123(3), outlawed, as a corrupt practice, the appeal for votes by any candidate contesting in an election, on grounds, among others, of religion. In the celebrated S.R. Bommai v. Union of India case, the Supreme Court recognised the value in this provision. To fight elections on a plank of religion, Justice B.P. Jeevan Reddy wrote, was tantamount to eroding the country’s secular fabric. But, barely a year later, the court subverted India’s secular credentials when it ruled on the Hindutva cases.

A Bench comprising Justices Verma, N.P. Singh and K. Venkataswami heard appeals by 12 different members belonging to the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), including Bal Thackeray and the then Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Manohar Joshi. These persons, some of whom had won in the State’s elections held in 1987, had been found guilty by the Bombay High Court of violating Section 123 of the RPA. They had, in the court’s view, invoked either or both Hindutva and Hinduism to influence the outcome of the elections.

The Supreme Court’s chief opinion in these cases was rendered in the case of Dr. R.Y. Prabhoo v. P.K. Kunte. Here, the court heard appeals over a verdict which had found the mayor of Bombay, Prabhoo, and Bal Thackeray, who had campaigned for him, guilty of corrupt practice. The court ultimately dismissed both appeals. Indeed, it would have been difficult for it to rule in any other manner — Thackeray in his campaign speeches had not only appealed to the idea of Hindutva, but had also claimed that “[The Muslims] should bear in mind that this country is of Hindus, the same shall remain of Hindus... if Shiv Sena comes to power and if the morchas come — first of all (we) shall make them come. Everybody will have to take diksha (initiation) into Hindu religion.”

But in arriving at its conclusion, the court made several inexplicable findings that ultimately helped foster a culture of electoral perversion. “The term ‘Hindutva’ is related more to the way of life of the people in the subcontinent,” wrote Justice Verma. “It is difficult to appreciate how… the term ‘Hindutva’ or ‘Hinduism’ per se, in the abstract, can be assumed to mean and be equated with narrow fundamentalist Hindu religious bigotry, or be construed to fall within the prohibition in [the RPA].” It’s of course true that the mere mention of the word Hindutva or Hinduism can barely be seen as offensive in and of themselves. But Justice Verma’s attempts at defining these terms only gave a fillip to those from the far-right.

Quite opposed to analysing the real roots of Hindutva — which V.D. Savarkar had defined to include “all the departments of thought and activity of the whole Being of our Hindu race” — the court, in Prabhoo, instead referred to Maulana Wahiduddin Khan’s work, Muslims: The Need for a Positive Outlook. In so doing, Justice Verma concluded that the word ‘Hindutva’ “is used and understood as a synonym of ‘Indianisation’, i.e. development of uniform culture by obliterating the differences between all the cultures coexisting in the country.” As A.G. Noorani, most notably, has since pointed out, the court’s elisions lie not only in failing to refer to Savarkar’s works, but also in the misquoting of the Maulana, who hardly saw Hindutva as a redeeming movement. The judgment in Prabhoo makes for even poorer reading when seen in conjunction with the verdict in CM Joshi’s case, where the court found that the statement, the “first Hindu State will be established in Maharashtra”, was not tantamount to invoking religion in soliciting votes, but was rather merely “the expression, at best, of such a hope”. As a result of these opinions, today, a candidate who declares himself to believe in Hindutva or in a Hindu Indian state would not be indulging in a corrupt practice. For he may simply be referring to India’s cultural ethos as a whole.

In its immediate aftermath, Justice Verma’s judgments secured widespread approval from Hindu nationalist groups. “The Supreme Court has put its seal of judicial imprimatur on the Sangh ideology of Hindutva by stating that it is a way of life or state of mind and that it is not to be equated with religious fundamentalism,” said an editorial in the Organiser, a publication of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. To the BJP, the judgments acquired a near-cultist status; the party routinely sought protection from the rulings to justify remarks made along starkly communal lines, by trumpeting an idea that Hindutva is after all only a way of life.

However, in truth, these celebratory actions, aimed at creating an impression that the Hindutva judgments are entrenched as law, ignore vital facts. Only a few months after Justice Verma gave his rulings, the Supreme Court, through a different Bench, found itself in disagreement with his views. And it referred the case, an appeal filed by the BJP’s Abhiram Singh, for the consideration of a larger Bench. Eventually, in 2014, this reference (now heard by a five-judge bench) came to be tagged with another BJP leader’s case, which had, in turn, been referred to a seven-judge Bench; in that order of reference, in Sunderlal Patwa’s case — ambiguous as it is — doubts appear to have been raised over whether an appeal by a candidate to a religion other than that which he practises amounts to a corrupt practice under the RPA.

No doubt, between the two orders making reference to a seven-judge Bench there is no specific question concerning a reconsideration of Justice Verma’s judgments. But to use this as a ground to abstain from reviewing those opinions overlooks the fact that for more than 20 years, the verdicts in the Hindutva cases have stood, despite being questioned by a Bench of the Supreme Court’s own judges. Needless to say, on the relative merits of Mr. Singh and Mr. Patwa’s cases, the court would have to consider, on facts, whether they indulged in any corrupt practice under the RPA or not. But to decline altogether the opportunity to review Justice Verma’s judgments is an exercise which is, at best, pedantic, and, at worst, an abdication of a critical responsibility. For it once again places at the peril of the unique deferrals of India’s judicial system a group of decisions that have proved most damaging to the country’s secular fabric.

Liberal theory, in certain forms, may demand unconstrained speech, even in the course of electoral campaigning. But, in India, the right to free speech is subject to reasonable restrictions on grounds, among others, of morality and decency. To hold that secularism is a part of the Constitution’s basic structure while simultaneously condoning a politics of hate that is propagated in the name of religion — in this case, Hindutva and Hinduism — is simply incongruous. As Chief Justice P.B. Gajendragadkar observed in his 1964 opinion in Kultar Singh v. Mukhtiar Singh, to allow any sway in election campaigns for appeals made on the basis of religion, race or caste “would vitiate the secular atmosphere of democratic life”. The Supreme Court’s seven-judge Bench would have done well to defer to Chief Justice Gajendragadkar’s views. A re-examination of Justice Verma’s judgments, far from being “pseudo-secular” as some critics might have us believe, is imperative in the interests of restoring an element of integrity in India’s political process. It is time we placed precepts of democratic morality and decency at the vanguard of our republic.

by

Suhrith Parthasarathy is an advocate practising at the Madras High Court.

The Art of Accomplishment: Six Principles from Vedanta

The essence of Vedanta is self-knowledge. In my work with organizations, I found six principles derived from Vedanta to be quite helpful in coaching executives to become successful and fulfill their dreams. These six principles are interdependent and describe a cycle. When you follow this cycle, you develop new competencies and achieve higher levels of success. Also, the more you practice the six principles, the more you begin to know yourself.

1) Clarity of Intention: Many of us have some idea of what we are after when we take on a project. More often, though, we may not have clarity about our goal, let alone know how to measure success if we do achieve it.

Intention is critical to achieving success. For example, in India, when we perform a special religious ceremony like 'Sri Satya Narayana Puja,' we start with 'Sankalpam,' a Sanskrit word for 'Intention.' We pray for our wishes (purusharthas) like dharma, money (artha), desires (kama), and spiritual freedom (Moksha) to be fulfilled. We also pray for the benefit of society/world (loka kalyana praptyartham).

When the intention is not clear, attention shifts from one thing (one desire) to another and leads to confusion (vikalpa). In such circumstances, we often end up compromising our own efforts and receive less than what we desired or even deserved. Without a crystal clear intention, we rarely experience a sense of accomplishment.

So, how do you increase the clarity of your intention? Ask yourself:

• What is it that I want?

• What evokes passion and joy in my heart?

• What am I willing to give up (sacrifice) to achieve the desired goal?

• If I have more than one intention, which one should I first attempt?

These questions bring to the surface some of our assumptions and passion and help us prioritize our intentions (and hence our actions).

2) Awareness: To succeed, intention alone is not enough. The message of Swami Vivekananda is: 'arise (Utthistatha), be awake and aware (Jagritha) and stop not till you reach your goal' (prapthavaran nibhodhata). Awareness is of two kinds: Self awareness and the awareness of the world around us. When we develop true awareness of self, we begin to understand the true nature of world also and that we are manifestation of Brahman-ultimate reality. There are four special sentences in Upanishads that reveal the nature of Atman (self) and Brahman and those are called 'maha vakyas' or 'great sentences:' Each approach Brahman from a different perspective while addressing the non-differentiation of Atman and Brahman.

• The first sentence or Maha Vakya, from an Upanishad related to Rig Veda, tells us that Consciousness is the Brahman (Pragnanam Brahma). It is called a 'Lakshana vakya' meaning 'defining sentence' because it defines Brahman in terms of Consciousness. 

• The second Mahavakya, from an Upanishad related to Yajur Veda, tells us that each of us are Brahman (Aham Brahmasmi). It is called 'Anubhava vakya' as only through experience that we can gain understanding of our true nature. 

• The third Maha Vakya, from an Upanishad (Chandogya) connected with Sama Veda, is 'Tat-tvam-asi.’ It is not just that I am Brahman, you are Brahman and the entire substratum of this world is also Brahman. This is called 'Upadesha Vakya' or sentence that is taught by teachers (Gurus) to their disciples to prevent arrogance and develop respect and compassion for others. 

• Finally, the fourth Maha Vakya, from an Upanishad (Mundaka) related to Atharva Veda, is 'Ayamatma Brahma' meaning ‘This Atman is Brahman.’ Since this sentence reveals the non-dualistic nature of atman and Brahman and keeps us connected with the larger reality, it is called 'Anusandhana Vakya.'

What blocks our awareness? Patanjali (exponent of Yoga Sutras in addition to Grammar and Ayurveda) said that there are five mental processes that act as enemies to awareness. They are:

• Our own expectations and standards (pramana),

• Our mis-identified and wrong knowledge (viparyaya),

• Our imagination (vikalpa),

• Sleep (nidra) and

• Memory (smruthi).

While sleep and old memory are easy to understand as blocks to awareness, Patanjali warns us that we have to watch out that our own standards, incomplete and false knowledge, and imagination don't take over our mind and make us either proud or sloppy or negligent. Indeed, we must be aware and vigilant against our complacence (Jagriti). Know that we shape the world through our actions and the world shapes us through its reactions. And we need to continually and dynamically re-assess where we've been, where we are, and where we want to go.

How do you develop more awareness? Reflection/contemplative practices, writing a journal regularly to become aware of our own thought processes and continual reassessment of our intentions are helpful. Most awareness is tacit. Learning to pay attention to body signals, pains and pleasures and energy shifts in the body is key to developing higher awareness and acute sensitivity to one's own body and mind. The more aware you are of yourself, the sharper your senses are to observe your surroundings!

3) Empathy for one another: While clarity of intention and awareness gets us onto the path to success, empathy and compassion helps us to gain support of others. Both in Bhagavad Geeta as well as Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, friendliness (maitri) and kindness/compassion (karuna) are two attitudes that are encouraged in working with others. When you begin to see yourself in others and feel for others genuinely, you will find that others reciprocate those feelings. Time and again, I have found that affection (vatsalyata bhava) and warmth towards to new people always brought positive results. When the situation had conflicts and divisive, these attitudes of maitri and karuna were able to diffuse that tension and create some 'openness' to an amicable solution.

What is empathy? It is like "walking in another's shoes." It implies the imaginative act of being the other person. Empathy is the foundation for emotional intelligence. By being kind and empathetic when you could be harsh, you can build lasting relationships with your colleagues, employees and customers.

The practice of empathy really requires demonstrating openness, mutual respect and trust in relationships. Deep listening, not just to the words but the meaning behind the words, is the foundation for an empathetic relationship. Sharing from the heart and feeling the pain of the other nurtures relationships. Empathy begets more empathy and is the source of a creative partnership.

4) Appreciation for each other and what you receive: While empathy opens the door, appreciation welcomes you in. Vedanta tells us to tell the truth that is pleasing to others and withhold what is disliked even if it is the truth. (satyam bhuyat, priyam bhuyat, na bhuyat satyam-apriyam) It does not mean that we should lie to please others, but it maybe better for people to find such truth themselves. Appreciation is not flattery but genuine acknowledgment of another's contribution. By letting you know that I appreciate what you have done for me, genuinely and specifically, I let you know that I honor and respect who you are. Appreciating a person and their work boosts morale and amplifies what brought that appreciation in the first place.

However, one can only appreciate others to the extent that one appreciates oneself. So appreciation is also about self acceptance. How does one practice self acceptance? Make it a ritual every day to find something positive that you have done or some contribution that you have made to others. Even if the work did not yet produce the desired result, appreciate the steps you have taken so far. Similarly appreciate what others have done, even if the results are not produced the first time they try it. Be authentic when you give such feedback and only then discuss how to improve future efforts and results.

5) Stretching beyond your own limits: We operate mostly on autopilot (under the influence of Maya). We become comfortable with 'karma theory' and when we fail, we say that it is our fate. While our fate might have something to do with our circumstances, if we don't learn from those failures and take actions that stretch us beyond our comfort zone, we are not using our free will (sveccha) to break out of our karma. Sveccha came from two words 'Sva' and 'iccha' meaning my desire. This is where we make choices and the clarity of our intention helps us immensely. When we are stretched, we gain access to our creativity and passion.

People are naturally uncomfortable taking risks and failing because we focus only on the end result. We don't accept or appreciate failure very well in our culture. Each 'failure' could create a mental block in us and create boundaries around us. Most such boundaries are self-imposed, though we like to blame others for their contribution. By learning to stretch even though we don't want to, we begin to break those mental barriers and discover untapped potential. Aspiration and desperation are two good motivators for stretching beyond our limits. And curiosity, genuine inquiry (not inquisition), empathy, and appreciation provide the impetus and support for people stretching beyond their limits and discovering new possibilities.

To practice this principle, find opportunities to learn and be vulnerable. Be willing to fail and look stupid and ask questions instead of making assumptions. Practice telling the truth when you are not sure what the implications are. Interestingly, you will find out that you are modeling a behavior that leads to 'stretching the limits.' You are creating an environment of nurturing and caring in which other people let their guards down and discover themselves to be bigger than their own imagination!

6) Letting go of what does not work and old mindsets: Practice (abhyaasa) and detachment (vairaagya) are two recommendations that Lord Krishna gives Arjuna in Geeta to gain control of his mind. While the first five principles could get you to the edge of success, success eludes those who are not able to know when to let go and move on. Letting go does not mean giving up. It means not to be attached to the result while continuing to perform the action.

Habits are difficult to change because we continue to do what we have always done by default and expect different results. By learning to let go of our old mindsets, we can begin to discover new possibilities and new approaches. Krishna advises Arjuna to do his best and to let go of his attachment to the fruits of his action. Such letting go gives us freedom to act and takes care of our nervousness. Many top athletes set themselves high goals and then let go of the attachment to those goals making them free to play their natural game bringing out the best in them.

Letting go is also about flexibility and good judgment. When I know what to let go of and when to do so, I can take responsibility for what I can hold onto and for how long. I can only take responsibilities for what I have freedom to let go. I cannot take accountability for any of my actions that I do not have such freedom.

The Cycle of Six Principles

Intention provides the direction and focus for our actions. Awareness gives us the capacity and intelligence to go after our goal. Empathy helps us build partnerships with others and appreciation is the key to motivation and productivity. Stretching beyond the perceived limits helps us to grow and meet the challenges presented and letting go of our attachment assures not only success but accomplishment. Together, these six principles convey the essence of Vedanta. Practicing them with self awareness leads not only to success but to self-discovery!

Source:-

http://mithya.prasadkaipa.com/learning/sixprinciples.html