NEW TOMORROWS

The eight International Holy Books Conference will be held in Kualalumpur, Malaysia in April, 2019. This event in the intertextuality series was founded in 2005 by a group of eminent scholars from Melbourne University and India. It is held once in two years. The previous one was in Bangkok, Thailand in January, 2017 . This year the theme is "Holy Books and World Literature." Scholars from different countries will present papers. This program is jointly organised by Dr. Alexander Mar Thoma Centre for Dialogue, Kottarakkara and Cosmic Community Centre, Karickam. Previous Conferences: 2005- Kottarakkara, Kerala, India: Intertextuality of the Holy Books 2007- Kottarakkara, Kerala, India: One Word, Many Versions: a Rereading of the Holy Books 2009- Alwaye, Kerala, India: Holy Books and Violence 2011- KIPS, Karickam, Kerala: Holy Books and Life after Life 2013- Kerala, India: Holy Books and People of Living Faiths 2015- Sri Lanka: Holy Books and Eco Spirituality 2017--...

women initiative

Helping People Upakaropiniichanaam Apakaraya vartatee Paya: paanam bhujangasya Kevalam   Vishavardhanam This Sanskrit sloka postulates a big lesson for every one: If you do good to an evil minded person, it can become dangerous for you, because we don't know when they react. Even if you feed a serpent with milk, it will help only in increasing its poison. So we have to be judicious even in helping people. 

The Parliament of World's Religions Meets Again!                      Abraham Karickam ( Secretary General, URI Asia Region) on I st  of November, 2018 the Parliament of World’s  Religions transpired at Toronto, Canada.  Ten thousand religious leaders from all parts of the world participated at the week long encounters. It was in 1893 that the World Parliament was organized for the first time. Swami Vivekananda was the centre of attraction there. His participation unraveled a fascinating story, which has to be dealt with separately.  ​The occasion for celebration in 1893 was the fourth centenary of the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the American continent. Four thousand delegates attended at that time, mostly from America. It took one hundred years again to convene a similar conference in Chicago agai...

Lakshmir Lakshana heene Kulaheenee saraswathee Apathre Labhathe naari Megha Varshanthu Parvathe. Neethisaram is the best example of "condensed wisdom". Three things are like rain falling on the mountains; it is of no use. If the goddess of wealth blesses a person without any quality it is useless. Best education given to an undignified person and a best woman given as wife to an undeserving being are similar- like clouds showering on the mountain. It goes without any use. Blessings on deserving human beings will grow multifold.

Craze for Wealth. So many contemporary issues in Kerala remind me of a sloka in Sanskrit. It is about the dangers inherent in the crazy race for money: Arthanaam aarjena dhukham Arjithanaam thu rakshanee Ayee dhukham vyayee dhukham Artha Kim dukhabhaajanam. By wealth we procure only sorrows and worries. Once wealth is attained, again we need wealth to protect it. It is an unending process of agony. The process of earning money brings only sadness; spending is also sorrowful. The essence is that money means sorrow. This must be about earning money through unlawful means. Even if we attain wealth by lawful means, spending will become a pleasure only when it is given for the good of humanity, for the benefit of all and not for the destruction of any one.

Release of Three Books It was an honour for me to release three books yesterday at Kurakkar City Centre. Two books were authored by Susamma George Odanavattom and the third one was the second edition of a novel by Neeleswaram Sadasivan. The audience was a stellar group of writers and artists. Kottarakkara is blessed with a great line of first class artists, and the union of all was an exemplary experience.  

Natural Beauty spots as Class Rooms Today I was privileged to attend a lecture by Prof. Unnikrishnan of Sasthamkotta D. B college at Malamel rock. This rock on Malamel Mountain can contain around five hundred people. The topic of the lecture was " Holy Scriptures and Literature." It was exciting. How poor would have been the world literary scene sans the Holy Books. Natural beauty spots become better class rooms, no doubt. I congratulate the  mar Thoma Diocesan youth officers for their bold moves in this direction. Both the topic and the place chosen were promising. 

About Education I would like to start with a sloka on education from "Neethisaram": "Kamadhenu sama vidyaa Sadaiva phaladayinee; Pravasee maathryvrithsmad Vidya guptadhanam smritham" Vidya (education) is like kamadhenu, the legendary cow which gives milk eternally. There is no end for her blessings. It gives fruits perennially. While in pravasam or away from home,vidya is like a mother that protects one always. Education  also brings hidden wealth, which knows no end. "Gupta dhanan", It difficult to come across a better definition for education and I am proud of our ancient rishis who could formulate such beautiful visionary gleams. Abraham Karickam