Showing 437 articles
Reviving a Culture of Human Values
Author: Zarina ScrewvalaMarch 31, 2021
The New Acropolis Culture Circle explores the diverse expressions of culture through a series of intimate and interactive presentations, in an attempt to revive the spiritual essence that forms the basis of all classical art and culture. Far from being definitive, this article is an attempt to share a synthesis of my learning from some of the [...]
Unity in Diversity – Lessons from the Animal Kingdom
Author: Dilip JainMarch 31, 2021
Om Purnamadaha Purnamidam Purnat Purnamudachyate Purnasya Purnamadaya Purnamewa Vashishyate This creation is whole and complete. From the whole emerge creations, each whole and complete. Take the whole from the whole. The whole yet remains, undiminished, complete. -Brihadaranyaka Upanishad I come from the limited world of business governed by ever-changing rules of finance and management. Hence, [...]
The Art of Losing
Author: Gilad SommerMarch 24, 2021
“Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest. Except when you don’t. Because, sometimes, you won’t.” (Dr. Seuss, “Oh, the places you’ll go”) Everybody likes to be a winner; Nobody wants to be a loser. We all dream of ourselves conquering the trials of [...]
In the Hollow of a Weeping Willow
Author: Tushar SawantMarch 1, 2021
“Knock on wood!,” as the saying goes. The universal tradition of knocking on, or touching wood to drive away misfortune has its roots in an archaic Celtic tradition. Many ancient European cultures held the willow tree in high regard in their customs and traditions. Some mystical fairy tales make mention about the wind within the [...]
Reflections of the Fall
Author: Tushar SawantFebruary 28, 2021
2020 has been a tumultuous year. We are dealing with a quarantine instigated by a global pandemic and the quietude such isolation can provide us, in addition to the clamor of civil uprisings incited by a myriad of injustices. Whether we have experienced great tragedy or merely bore witness to the absurdity of our condition, [...]
Mithras and the Mithraic Mysteries
Author: Agostino DominiciJanuary 23, 2021
The Mithraic Mysteries have their roots in the remote Vedic culture of India. Already in the Rig Veda, we find the god Mitra as regent and protector of a perfect cosmic order. Subsequently, in the Indo-European tradition of Iran, we find Mithra identified as the tutelary god of the pact (or oath), slowly assuming a [...]
The Right to Speak Right
Author: Gilad SommerJanuary 16, 2021
The topic of freedom of speech has been much in the news in recent years. On one hand, there are those who view the freedom of speech as an inalienable sacred right (especially when it comes to their own speech…) that should not be infringed upon by other people, institutions, governments or corporations, regardless of [...]
The Digitalization of Society
Author: Julian ScottJanuary 3, 2021
During the lockdown, some of you may have come across a short story by E.M. Forster called The Machine Stops, which made it into the news due to its extraordinary prescience. Written in 1909, five years before the cataclysmic event of the First World War, the author describes a future world in which people ‘self-isolate’, [...]
All the Time in the World
Author: Sivan BarzilayDecember 27, 2020
For many of us who live in big cities, Time is something we always lack. We find ourselves struggling to reach places on time, to submit our work on time, to wake up on time, and the list can go on and on… If only someone could give us a little more time to complete [...]
Ubuntu: I Am Because We Are
Author: Manjula NanavatiDecember 27, 2020
One of the foundations of how we conceptualize our sense of self today, perhaps came from the 17th century philosopher Rene Descartes’ most famous maxim, cogito ergo sum or I think therefore I am. Taken to an extreme that Descartes himself may never have meant, we are conditioned to prioritize self-interest, applaud the pursuit of [...]
Courage to Be A Daily Hero
Author: Vasant Sanzgiri & Samarth ShettyDecember 27, 2020
The word ‘hero’ comes from an ancient Greek root, which literally translates to ‘protector’ or ‘defender’. Dictionary.com defines the word as “a person noted for courageous acts or nobility of character”, and popular perception recognizes a hero as one who performs deeds that are not commonly possible, or one who exhibits virtues or values that makes them [...]
Facing Life, Beyond Life
Author: Sukesh MotwaniDecember 27, 2020
A short night wakes me from a dream that seemed so long. ~ Yayu (1783) The following piece is my humble investigation into my fear of death; the fear of my own (impending) death and also the fear of the eventual death of a loved one. This journey began 8 years ago with my [...]