Core Buddhist texts, written as they were more than two millennia ago, tend to carry patriarchal social overtones. Indeed, in many passages in the Tripitaka (especially in the Jatakas) the Buddha admonishes his disciples for their interactions with women. But as Satha-Anand takes pains to explain, the real issue countered by the Buddha is sexuality…
Author: admin
Search and Seizure in civil and common law systems
‘Search and Seizure’ are couple of legal terms (usually used together) in civil and common law systems, where law-enforcement authorities or their representatives, search a person’s property and confiscate valuable evidence to a purported crime. The persons upon whom search and seizure are committed are selected on grounds of reasonable suspicion. In most cases, the…
The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico
The book The Broken Spears is a very interesting and illuminating scholarly work about the important historical event of the Spanish Conquest of the Aztecs. Author Miguel Leon-Portilla had undertaken the arduous task of translating key passages from the native-American Nahuati language accounts of the Spanish invasion and conquest. In the latest edition of the…
A vignette on Cognitive Psychology
Cognitive psychology is one of the disciplines in psychology that focuses on studying internal mental processes. How individuals perceive, conceive, recall from memory, articulate their views and arrive at conclusions, etc, are all studied. As opposed to Freudian psychology, Cognitive psychology adopts a scientific analytic method rather than introspective or speculative theorizing. At the outset,…
The radicalism of the Haitian Revolution
The Haitian revolution is the years of conflict during 1791 to 1804 between the white settlers and the enslaved black population. The French colony of Saint-Domingue was the center-stage of this revolution, which resulted in the mass murder of thousands of white people and led to the liberation of Haiti from the grips of colonialism….
Supplier Relationships and Negotiations
Good relationships with suppliers are essential for running successful businesses. Managing supplier relationships can be a challenging and resource intensive operation. It would also require time and energy to be invested. Hence, it is important that the management identifies priorities in this area and focus their attention there. Segmenting the vendor base is one practical…
The pros and cons of using development assistance/foreign aid to promote democratization and good governance
The granting of foreign aid/ development assistance to developing and underdeveloped countries can often is a challenging task. While these countries definitely need assistance from the developed world, charitable intentions doesn’t necessarily translate into desired outcomes. That is why the decision makers in government and other international financial institutions will have to weigh the pros…
An overview of native Australian art forms
Native Australian art forms have received renewed interest in recent decades, with anthropologists and historians arriving at a refined understanding of them. Of particular interest is the emphasis on artistic style and environmental sensitivity displayed by artefacts. Recent research on this interesting field was made possible through the analysis of numerous aboriginal wooden artefacts traded…
Walt Whitman’s Poetry and American Identity
Born on 31st May, 1819, Walt Whitman is an iconic figure in the history of American literature. His lifetime’s work, especially his poetry, has come to define the sentiments, aspirations and experiences of American citizens in the nineteenth century. Although Whitman was not active politically, he expressed his political views through his poetry. Having lived…
The benefits of Tai Chi practice, especially for the aging population
Tai Chi Chuan (usually shortened to Tai Chi) is a traditional Chinese practice, that involves both physical and mental exercise. Compared to popular martial arts such as Karate and Kung-Fu, Tai Chi is a slow motion stretching and boxing routine. “Instead of focusing on quick, powerful, and vigorous movements for self-defense or attacking actions like…