Speaking Tree

An Immersive Cultural Holi Experience Colours • Music • Traditions • Family Celebration Presented by Bhagavat Inspired by the authentic Holi celebrations of Vrindavan and Barsana, this experience brings alive centuries-old Braj rituals, symbolism, and cultural depth far beyond typical Holi events. From Phoolon Ki Holi and Lathmaar-inspired rituals to music, décor, and colours, every element is thoughtfully curated to recreate the true spirit of Braj Holi, not a party format.

Biography Professor Pankaj Jain is an internationally recognized academic leader in Sustainability, Jain Studies, Film Studies, and Diaspora Studies. He is the Head of the Department of Humanities & Languages and the Chair of The India Centre at FLAME University. Earlier, he was the founding co-chair of India Initiatives Group and Associate Professor in the Departments of Philosophy & Religion and Anthropology at the University of North Texas, a tier-1 American university.

सद्गुरु: इन सात दिनों में हम कृष्ण के बारे में जो कुछ भी कर पाए, वह वास्तव में उनके जैसे व्यक्ति के साथ न्याय नहीं कर सकता। उन्हें हम सात दिनों में समा नहीं सकते। लेकिन किसी तरह, मेरे विचार से आपको इतना पता तो चल ही गया होगा कि वे जो कुछ भी करते थे, उसके प्रति उनमें कितना जुनून था। हर स्थिति में - चाहे वह एक बच्चे के रूप में हो, एक युवा के रूप में, एक योद्धा के रूप में, एक राजनेता के रूप में, समाज में एक निश्चित संतुलन स्थापित करने का प्रयास करते व्यक्ति के रूप में, एक शिक्षक के रूप में हो,...

The meaning and purpose of life is an introspective quest that many of us indulge in at some point in life. Arthur Schopenhauer gives the purpose of life a subjective hue, rooted in compassion, kindness, and love. His philosophy asserts that acknowledging the pervasive nature of suffering in all living beings fosters a compassionate attitude. And that the cultivation of moral virtues is a means to transcend the inherent suffering in existence.

The irony is that we don’t spend our lives trying to be happy, instead we just spend our time trying to avoid suffering. Avoiding suffering is not exactly happiness. The mind’s pre-occupation with dukkha is well attested by the copious amounts of attention it receives in philosophical inquiries and ecclesiastical doctrine. The Yog Sutras of Patanjali, too, addresses the question of dukkha. Sutra 2.16 observes that ‘Heyam duhkham anagatam’ – the pain that is yet to come can be avoided.

We look at successful people and marvel at their talents. We watch all-star basketballs players win championship titles and talk about how gifted they are. People see great golfers win one tournament after another and think they were born with a special gift. We notice how artists turn out one masterpiece after another and wish we were born with such luck. When billionaires top the “richest person in the world” list we wonder at their gift at business.

In the process of growing and evolving, it is natural to fail many times. Certainly, failure is disheartening and sometimes it has dire consequences which can range from mental stress to even suicide. But there also exists a positive aspect of failure: the many lessons learned from it, fresh ideas and a hope which gives a completely new direction to our path of progress. The fact is, that failure is far more common than success.

The Heart Sutra, in Buddhism, speaks of navigating the path from emptiness to compassion. Buddhist teachers have stressed that emptiness is not the same as nothingness. HH The Dalai Lama has explained how we can use emptiness “as a way to dissect and dissolve the heart of hatred. If you hate someone, where is that person? In which part of him does it lie? It’s mostly in your head. And so with love.” He adds that freedom comes only when you cut out delusion and projection.

According to American writer Norman Vincent Peale, lack of self-confidence and deep-rooted feelings of self-doubt and insecurity are serious problems that have negatively impacted our lives today. In all walks of life, we come across people “who are inwardly afraid, who shrink from life, who suffer from a deep sense of inadequacy, who doubt their own powers”. They are constantly haunted by some sinister fear that some unfortunate occurrence is going to take place.

French existentialist Albert Camus’ quote – “the need to be right is the sign of a vulgar mind” – has profound relevance in all situations and circumstances in life. The morbid insistence on being right all the time makes one rigid, ossified and monomaniac. The magnanimous acceptance that you can be wrong more than you can be right in your whole lifetime, makes you a thoughtful human. Life’s so intricate and also egalitarian in the sense that it also offers your opponents to be right at times.