Tillitonse - A Transformational Journey Together

Hinduism and Islam - Came across this nice piece... Vivekananda did not hesitate to speak his mind about any religion, its great truths and its drawbacks in practice. He did not shy away from the truth that ‘practical advaitism, which looks upon and behaves to all mankind as one's own soul, is yet to be developed among the Hindus.' “On the other hand our experience is that, if ever the followers of any religion approach this equality in an appreciable degree in the plane of practical work-a-day life, it is those of Islam.” While he believed that advaita-vedanta ‘is the religion of the future-enlightened humanity' he was ‘firmly persuaded that without the help of practical Islam, theories of vedantism, however fine and wonderful they may be, are entirely valueless to mankind'.  Therefore, “I see in my mind's eye the future-perfect India rising out of this chaos and strife, glorious and invincible, with vedanta brain and Islam body.” Ultimately, “we want to le...

Beyond the Bullets - The Warmth of the Pakistanis Dec 2012 “So, how many terrorists did you meet?” is unfortunately the most often asked question (in one way or another) since my return from Karachi. Alas, many of us Indians for way too long have been fed on the diet of Pakistan=Terrorism & therefore by association, Pakistanis=Terrorists. My recent week-long trip has opened my eyes and heart to a whole different reality.  I hope this brief note captures the essence of this wonderful journey. First, the Pakistanis are the warmest and most hospitable people I have encountered. I have been around the world a fair bit, but no one has come close in making me feel more welcome. Minutes after landing in Karachi, the extremely friendly and helpful Rozina (immigration official) shared casual banter and told me about her roots from Gujarat, India. During my trip, so many Pakistanis repeated the story of strong family links with India.  My colleagues w...