THE NIGHT IS MY HAVEN, MY SANCTUARY; IT CRADLES MY MUSE, MY VIGOR, MY SANGUINITY.
WHEN THEE AFTER DUSK COMETH LOOKING FOR ME, I REFLECT UPON THEE THAT'D COMETH ONTO ME.

The Fellowship

Sunday, August 21, 2005

HINDsight - 4

Ashoka, grandson of Chandragupta Maurya, was born in Hotel Maurya, Patna. He wasn't a hotelier though... He killed about 100 brothers and others who could challenge his accession, and then in a sudden twist of events, became a Buddhist. He was India's biggest exporter at that time. He exported Buddhists.

Oh ! btw, Gautama was born in 487 BC. He too was a prince and thus worth the mention. He discovered that undergoing acute austerities was the path to enlightment. He was what i call "buddhu" but people preferred to call him Buddha.

Vardhaman was about 20 years older than Buddha. Gautama : Buddha = Vardhaman : Mahavira. The transformation from Vardhaman to Mahavira inspired Jainism. Jainism in turn inspired and preached a lot of practices. Digambara, one of the Jain sects, advocates nudity. Apparently clothes give rise to pride of possession and the fear of being deprived of them. Modern day nudists needed no more excuses.

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