LEARNING IS LIFE

  On 18 May 2026, museums around the world come together to celebrate International Museum Day under the theme “Museums Uniting a Divided World”. The observance is coordinated by , International Council of Museums (ICOM).   The theme reaffirms the organisation’s longstanding commitment to strengthening the global museum community and advancing its social role. According to the organizers of the observance, this year’s theme highlights the powerful role museums play as bridges across cultural, social, and geopolitical divides, fostering dialogue, understanding, inclusion, and peace within and between communities worldwide. The theme highlights the potential of museums to nurture respectful dialogue without erasing differences and there is a need to  help societies engage with complexity constructively. Open and accessible to all, museums foster diversity, sustainability, and social cohesion. I think, for school kids, the interactive museum exhibits can work as tools fo...

 The Saga Dawa festival is being celebrated in Arunachal Pradesh, which has a sizable number of the followers of  Mahayana Buddhist communities like the Monpas. It is a highly significant, sacred month-long festival marking the birth, enlightenment, and passing away of Gautama Buddha, informs a facebook friend by sending an inset poster. The significance of the festival is illustrated by an an acrostic on SAGA DAWA S: Sacred month, where blessings do abound, A: All three great moments on hallowed ground. G: Growth from birth, to wisdom's clear bright light, A: And peace in Nirvana, shining ever bright. A: Deep devotion, in lamps that softly gleam, A: All chanting prayers, a spiritual dream. W: Wishes offered, in acts of pure delight, A: And merits grow, with all our loving might.

  J KRISHNAMURTI ON TRUTH  I maintain that truth is a pathless land, and you cannot approach it by any path whatsoever, by any religion, by any sect... Truth, being limitless, unconditioned, unapproachable by any path whatsoever, cannot be organized There is no path to truth. Truth is not to be understood through any system or any path. What the mind seeks it will find; what it finds will not be the truth. Truth is not something to be remembered, stored up, recorded, and then brought out. What is accumulated is not truth Truth cannot be given to you by somebody. You have to discover it; and to discover there must be a state of mind in which there is direct perception.... Truth cannot be copyrighted or stored up as intellectual property because the moment you "know" something as a concept, it ceases to be the living truth ~ J Krishnamurti INSPIRED POEM Leave thoughts behind, let intellect cease, To find the Truth, the infinite peace. Beyond the mind, a subtle gleam, Unseen, un...

 On the occasion of World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD), May 17, 2026, the UN called on governments, industry, and communities to strengthen the digital lifelines that keep the world running.  "In a world that increasingly depends on uninterrupted connectivity, the resilience of our digital networks is essential. Digital lifelines – terrestrial networks, submarine cables, satellites, and data systems – form the backbone of our communities and economies," stated the UN. The theme of the observance this year "Digital Lifelines—strengthening resilience in a connected world," is focusing on keeping communication and information systems safe, secure, and operational during crises. Based on the Wikipedia and e-gyankosh, an information society is a post-industrial society where the creation, distribution, and manipulation of information are the primary economic, political, and cultural activities. Driven by digital advancements, it relies on informa...

  Today, May 17, 2026. the Jains are celebrating the Garbh Kalyanak of Lord Ajitanatha, the second Jain Tirthankara. He was bBorn in Ayodhya, and  his name signifies "the unconquerable one"— referencing his ultimate victory over inner sins and worldly attachments to get liberated.  In Jainism, self-restraint is the cornerstone of Tapas or austerity, serving as the active means to burn away karmic impurities and progress toward spiritual liberation. Far from mere physical mortification, victory on sensual and mental evils leading to inner and outer discipline to shield the soul from worldly attachments. Here are a few couplets on Jainism The soul, the self, not bound by flesh, Beyond the seen, a spirit fresh. The world outside, a foggy guise, Keeps truth from our awakened eyes. The soul divine, in all resides, Non-injury, where pure truth hides. To let things go, the human quest, To find true self, and be at rest.

I ntroductory Cockroach farming  is done in a few countries and hilly tribal regions of the world. It is a rapidly expanding industrial sector, primarily in China, and surrounding regions where billions of these insects are bred in technologically-facilitated and climate-controlled facilities for protein rich food, medicine, animal feed, and waste management  Ode to the Esteemed Cockroach Oh, humble cockroach, protein's delight, For humans and beasts, a nourishing sight. Your body, a bounty, rich and sound, On farms you're cultivated, on fertile ground. A healer too, in ancient lore, With drinks you're mixed, to help restore. To keep us fit, a healthy brew, A medicinal marvel, for me and you. Yet, scorned you are, your name a curse, A low comparison, for something worse. But feeding on the lowly, is no disgrace, True respect is earned, in time and space. Be not ignorant, with minds so small, For all beings have worth, stand up tall. Like youth you are, uniquely made, Do not...