Category: <span>Education</span>

The Importance of Education in Today’s Society

Posted in Education by anshbookstore on October 28, 2022 @ 4:31 am

So, do you believe that EDUCATION is absolutely necessary in today’s society? Does being educated make a significant difference in someone’s life?

Education is the process of learning and acquiring knowledge at school from a teacher, receiving knowledge at home from a parent, a family member, and even an acquaintance. Education is a key that allows people to move up in the world, seek better jobs, and succeed in life. Education is one factor that affects job positions people hold, advance in their further career, the income they make, and the title they hold. The more educated a person is, the more prestige and power that person holds.

However, unfortunately we have places in the world, where not everyone has an opportunity or chance to receive formal education. India is amongst the countries, where there is a high population of people who are illiterate. Almost, 55% of the population in India is illiterate. Partly, because most of the country resides in villages and not in cities, where education is more prevalent. Most of the people living in villages spend majority of their time in cultivating crops and harvesting their fields and don’t find it necessary to be educated in order to harvest their fields or to do household chores. The girls living in villages marry at a young age and later get busy with family and doing household chores. According to Indian belief, girls commonly get married at an early age and are advised to stay home and take care of the household instead of studying or working. That’s the reason why lot of parents in India are worried about getting their daughter married rather than her education. I can give you an example in my own life. When I was in India I wanted to get further education and fulfill my dream. On contrary to what society thinks, I wanted to pursue my career in the health care field to serve my own community. The support from my family, especially my grandfather, gave me the strength to keep my dream alive. I was 18 years old when we moved to the United States, and the transition to a country that is different culturally, academically, and politically was not easy. I did not know what I could do with my life when I came to the States. The transition was difficult for my parents as well. The need for finding a business, concern about my sibling’s education and me and adjusting in a new environment was definitely challenging. After doing most of college in India, it was hard for me to start over my college education. My dad’s brother, who is a physician, inspired me to keep my dream alive to pursue a career in medicine. I started my education at the community college, where I struggled with most of my classes in the first year as the educational system was different than the one I was used to. I joined clubs and other organizations at the college to know more about the medical careers. I got the knowledge that I required for pursuing a career in medicine but still, I had never experienced how things are in the real world of medicine. I have done everything that I could to help me fulfill my dream. I am currently an Emergency Medical Technician and I enjoy working in the allied health field.

I think being educated is the most important thing not only for success in one’s life, but the better educated population plays an important role in making a nation more successful and well rounded. Receiving formal education is vital, but to achieve success in life, informal education is essential. One can learn English, History, Math, Science in school, and be “book-smart”. Furthermore, one can learn how to live life by knowing what to say when, acting a certain way in specific situation, and be “street-smart”. You can have all the “book” knowledge in the world about a certain profession, but if you don’t know how to behave with your colleagues and your superiors than having “book” knowledge won’t take you too far. For example, if you are a Physician by profession, you have all the knowledge about the world of medicine and know much about health care, but if you do not have bed side manners and don’t interact well with your patients, co-workers, and the team, than what’s the point of having all “book” knowledge. To achieve success in life and reaching a point in life where people respect you for what you are is what makes a difference, because at that point you excel in both formal and informal education. Education is very important and no one should be deprived of it.

“No nation can leave its security only to the Police and the Army, to a large extent national security depends upon the education of citizens, their knowledge of affairs, their characters and sense of discipline and their ability to participate effectively in security measure.” – Kothari commission

A well educated population represents a well secured, well developed, strong Nation.

Source by Charmi Patel

25 Oct

Parivartan Education Services – Education Facilitation Online Services For Schools

Posted in Education by anshbookstore on October 25, 2022 @ 4:20 am

Inside School

Today school education sector is primarily motivated by performance and the intense competition. Categorically speaking, the two important levers of performance displayed in the diagram are performance and feedback into the cycle.

Though not clearly visible, Indian education system is prone to the following gaps:
o Limited feedback of performance
o Lack of awareness of varied aspects of education
o Absence of competitive environment due to small peer size
The primary opportunity for a caring parent to know about his ward is ‘Parent – Teacher Meeting’. Except such meetings, limited platforms exist where the parent can be abreast of regular information about the education of his ward.

Gone are the days when the child used to grow in the cozy and safe environment created by the localized and limited awareness of parents and school faculty. Today, the child is highly exposed to the stiff competition very early in life. If the exposure to the competition is sudden, then it leaves the student confused and clueless about the way out of this situation.

The most important component of any performance appraisal is the peer size and the kind of peer group. Constraining one self to a small group in school adds to the limited growth of the child. Consequently, when the scope of competition suddenly increases during the board exams, the student finds himself out of place. In view of the mentioned concerns, we bring on table a host of services which converge on a single platform to facilitate the efforts of the student for his preparedness for the forthcoming challenges in the competitive environment by plugging the existing gaps in the existing educational framework.

With inputs from the school, we wish to enter into the GeNext of Learning, which will provide an opportunity of global assessment, best-in-class mentoring of the student and the best possible core learning services. Our introductory services of ‘Inside School’ to bridge the existing gaps in the education system are with the help of our three premier services – dWand, Waig and samaWesh.

dWand

What it is?
The milestones of Class X and Class XII Board examination marks hold extreme value in our life. In the ever increasing cut throat competition, any lack of awareness of the competition takes you out of competition.

Need for Parivartan

As mentioned earlier, today a student is assessed on the basis of his performance with regard to the peer group in his school alone. In spite of the true competition being among a widespread national student community, the scope of such benchmarking is near to nil. So, dWand brings the Parivartan by grading the student against students of many other premier schools in the same class. The portal provides full flexibility to the student/ parent to decide the parameters of comparison with respect to school, geography, subject etc.

With a comprehensive set of statistical tools complemented by historic data from the school, we promise to answer all of your questions to provide a judicious and correct method of evaluation.

Waig

What it is?
Caring for one’s beloved kid was never so easy! Waig, the new generation solution puts an end to the distance between you and your child when he/she is at the school. Waig will mark the end of era which had written communication as the only mean of communication.

Need for Parivartan

Because of different existing constraints there are limited opportunities of interaction of parents with the school in regard to the feedback of their ward. The existing feedback reporting is unable to bring the desired result because of the large time gap between the occurrences of activity and reporting. Waig brings the Parivartan of online tracking of all the school activities. With the real time information flow, the update of school activities becomes instantaneous and error free.

With the help of indigenously developed software, schools will have the access of data entry on a PDA/ Computer in the classroom, which translates into summarized SMS everyday for the important messages.

samaWesh

What is it?
We are living in a world where integration of various points is not just a need, but a necessity. Same theory has found wide acceptance in schools too. Samawesh brings to you integration of various learning opportunities at a single place – school. Defying the traditional constraints of schools to provide the curriculum education by the teachers of the school, Samawesh promises to bring learning services of various kinds which would include focused sessions/workshops for specific courses which are normally not covered in school curriculum.

This helps in creating more awareness for the child about the developments in other schools. Also, this would help the school to know about the functioning of the other good schools. It will lead of replication of best practices for learning followed in other schools.

Such integration of services learning opportunities under a single umbrella will create a unique positioning of the school, and attract the best of talent.

Need for Parivartan

Presently the single source of knowledge and information is the school teacher alone; thereby limiting the all round development of the student to a small group. samaWesh brings the Parivartan of sessions and workshops by best faculty from different parts of the nation in your school. Also, it introduces better knowledge exchange of the present faculty with a more experienced faculty.

Source by Ahaskar Kumar Pandey

22 Oct

Somatic Education for Musicians

Posted in Education by anshbookstore on October 22, 2022 @ 4:08 am

“To make the impossible, possible, the possible easy, and the easy, elegant”-Moshe Feldenkrais

These words could well describe a musician’s goals in using technique to realize musical inspiration, whether it be refining a compositional idea or perfecting a demanding instrumental passage. Yet they were written to describe the goals of a Sensory -Motor learning method that uses gentle movement and directed attention to increase ease and range of motion, improve flexibility and coordination, and prevent and treat many common overuse and misuse injuries musicians encounter.

Tendonitis, Repetitive Stress Syndrome, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, sore backs, necks, shoulders, etc. are all too common among musicians. Many conditions require medical attention and it is wise to consult a doctor when pain or discomfort alerts you to a problem. But treating the symptom may not get at the cause. Fortunately, there exist a number of methods oriented toward the development of body awareness in movement which can be used to prevent these injuries and, where they already exist, apply non-medical approaches to improving our functioning. Grouped together under the name “Somatic Education,” these methods address postural and movement issues extremely relevant to musicians but often neglected in the pursuit of instrumental skills.

Its not surprising that movement education is of value to musicians. All music production involves movement, and it follows that paying attention to the way we move to make music will affect the music we make. Exploring this simple connection can have profound affects on biomechanical health as well as developing sensitivity and power in music production.

Historical Roots

Somatic (from the Greek work Soma, meaning “living body”) education might be thought of as a physical education that does not separate mind and body. The roots of the Somatic approach go back to the Gymnastik movement of Northern Europe and the Eastern U.S. during the late 1800’s. These teachers shared ideas about posture and movement, which were at odds with dominant models in classical ballet, physical education, religion and medicine. Gymnastik pioneers rejected the separation of mind and spirit from a mechanistically conceived body, encouraged self-developed values over conforming to an ideal, and approached physical education as a unity of movement, body structure, and psycho-spiritual health. Following the disruptions of two world wars, strands of this shared vision came together as old pioneers and new methods established schools and spread their work. Today thousands of educators practice methods such as Sensory Awareness, the Alexander Technique, Ida Rolf’s Structural Integration, Moshe Feldenkrais’s Awareness Through Movement and Functional Integration, Gerda Alexander’s Eutony, as well as Aston-Patterning, Body-Mind Centering, Trager Work and others. After exploring a few common threads running through these approaches, we’ll look at the two most commonly used with musicians: The Alexander Technique and the Feldenkrais Method®.

Importance of Movement & Awareness

Musicians are familiar with the notion of our instrument being an extension of ourselves; and in a way, the primary instrument is the self. A pinnacle in our species’ evolution of motor skills, playing an instrument demands a highly complex use of the neuromuscular apparatus. But precious little of a musician’s training involves refining one’s ability to move efficiently, sense strains, and attend to more of oneself while making music. Without this training, we unwittingly develop neuromuscular habits that are physically stressful and increase our vulnerability to injury. When the movement is poorly organized, forces are created that generate unnecessary heat in the joints, with shearing and other stresses in the connective tissue and muscles. Done repeatedly over time, damage and injury are more likely to occur. Postural problems from sitting and standing for long periods, instrument-specific problems (such as pain in a picking hand) and simple tension leading to unnecessary muscular contraction are common results of inefficient movement patterns.

The first step to recognizing harmful habits is to find out what we do already, that is, become aware of our movement. When we exert a lot of muscular effort, it is impossible for our brain to make the sensory distinctions needed to improve our neuromuscular organization. With this in mind, many Somatic methods use gentleness, delicacy and slowness of movement to notice what is actually happening. It is analogous to the way a slow ballad tends to reveal many nuances of the sound: tone, intonation, and time all become easy to notice when we slow everything down. In the same way, paying attention to subtle distinctions becomes easier when we slow our movement and avoid excess effort and strain.

Mind, Body And Environment-A Functional Whole

Movement occurs through an information feedback process between our senses, muscles and central nervous system. As we move, our senses of touch, balance, sight and sound send our brain information about our position and muscular activity and it responds by modifying the outgoing messages to our muscles. All this occurs in response to the challenges of our environment. You play a note, hear the sound, and make changes or adjustments for the next attack, all while considering the environment or context (the style of the music, the room or audience, other musicians). These elements exist as a functional whole–one never occurs in the absence of the others.

Similarly, the source of a given problem is often a combination of a physical limitation, mental, or emotional attitude, and the special challenges of the instrument itself. Each element may contribute and working in one area will have results in another. The pianist’s sore wrist may be related to one or more of the following: a shoulder that does not move freely, a mental attitude that results in practicing too long without breaks and/or a bench height preventing comfortable arm position. Treatments that focus on one of these elements to the exclusion of the others are often limited in effectiveness.

The holistic approach recognizes that difficulties are often part of a general underlying dysfunctional movement pattern. The manifestation of the problem may be far from its source and improving the general pattern often improves specific complaint.

Finding Our Own Way

Just as different styles of music call for different instrumentation, aesthetic choices, and musical values, somatic educators recognize that context and individuality play a significant role in determining appropriate action. For this reason, Somatic educators avoid general prescriptions for all to follow. Rather than espousing any one ‘right’ way of doing something they encourage individuals’ in developing the ability to sense, discover, and decide what is best for themselves. They promote our ability to trust our subjective and immediate perceptions of ourselves and cultivate the capacity to distinguish between acting to conform to an “external ideal,” and spontaneous natural action born of knowing oneself.

Let’s look at these principles in action in the work of two towering figures in modern education, F.M. Alexander and Moshe Feldenkrais.

Alexander Technique

F. Mathias Alexander (1869-1955) was an Australian-born actor who found himself losing his voice during performances. After doctors were unable to offer anything but rest as a treatment he began a thorough study of himself which continued over a ten-year period. This study revealed that he pulled his head back when speaking which led to pressure on the larynx, and vocal chords and resulting hoarseness. This head and neck position also caused him to lift his chest, narrow his back and grip the floor with his feet. He thereby realized his speech organs were influenced by misusing his whole self. Alexander went on to refine these insights into a more efficient use which he called “primary control”. This consisted of having his head forward and up in conjunction with lengthening and widening his back. Yet in spite of having found a more efficient organization he confronted an obstacle: overcoming the force of habit that continually reinstated movement patterns deep in the nervous system. He saw that focusing on the end result was obscuring the “means whereby” his movement took place. Alexander went on to refine a technique of “inhibiting” all automatic impulses just at the moment of movement and replacing this with “conscious constructive control.” He overcame his habitual wrong use and not only his voice problem but his nasal and respiratory difficulties vanished too. The end of his experiment was the beginning of a lifetime’s work refining and teaching his technique first in Britain and later all over the world. Endorsed and supported by such influential people as Aldous Huxley, John Dewey, and George Bernard Shaw, the Alexander technique proved especially valuable to vocalists (and has been on the curriculum of acting schools and music conservatories for decades.) In a typical Alexander session, the teacher uses gentle manual guidance to increase the student’s physical awareness in basic movements such as sitting-to- standing, and walking. Students will be trained to inhibit habitual patterns and recognize good coordination of the head, neck and trunk.

Gary Burton and the Alexander Technique Berklee College of Music Executive Vice President and vibraphonist Gary Burton credits an injury-free musical career to attention to his own biomechanics and lessons with an Alexander teacher. His interest in these matters came early in his development: “In my teens and early 20s,” Burton states, “when I practiced, I did a lot of thinking about how I was moving and what was moving and noticing tension. Over the years, I made changes as I became more aware of what was involved physically.” After a year of studying the Alexander technique, Burton developed a sense of how to hold his neck and head which felt correct. He developed a lasting body awareness and new habits yielding benefits that go beyond playing the vibraphone. “I’ve always had the unprovable assumption,” he says, “that the reason I’ve never had any back problems, after years of lugging a vibraphone around, lifting it in and out of car trunks, is because I’m quite aware how I move, when I pick something up where the pulls and strains are, and how to do it carefully.”

The Feldenkrais Method®

Moshe Feldenkrais was a Russian-born engineer, physicist and athlete who worked with Nobel Prize winner Joliot-Curie in early nuclear research. As one of the first Europeans to earn a Black Belt in Judo (1936) he introduced this Martial Art to the West through his teaching and five books on the subject. In the early 1940’s, after suffering a series of crippling sports-related knee injuries, he was given a 50- percent chance that surgery could repair his knees. But the doctors warned that if the surgery failed, he might end up with crutches or in a wheelchair. Feldenkrais chose not to undergo the proposed surgery and instead be began to study neurology, anatomy, biomechanics, human movement development, and systems theory. Using his own body as his laboratory , after two years of research and experimentation, he taught himself to walk again. Feldenkrais continued his studies and tested his ideas with friends and colleagues, treating their aches and pains, muscle and joint problems, and even serious neurological conditions. By accessing the power of the central nervous system and our extraordinary ability to learn, he found he could achieve improvement in people where many other approaches had failed. He continued to refine his ideas into a system known as the Feldenkrais Method, eventually training practitioners in Israel and the U.S. Today, there are thousands of practitioners worldwide and the Feldenkrais Method is taught in numerous physical rehabilitation centers, universities, theater and music programs and community education centers.

While Alexander had focused on the head-neck relationship, Feldenkrais– with his background as a Judo master–was especially interested in how the central, powerful muscles surrounding our pelvis and trunk properly do the hard work while the extremities fine-tune our movement. When, due to rigidities in trunk and pelvis, the smaller muscles are forced to take over work more efficiently done at our center, strain and injury often follow.

The Feldenkrais Method is taught in two formats. In group classes, called Awareness Through Movement®, the Feldenkrais teacher verbally leads students through movements which gradually increase in range and complexity. Based on developmental movements, ordinary activities, or more abstract explorations of joint, muscle, and postural relationships, the emphasis is on learning which movements work better and noticing the changes in your body. As students become more aware of their habitual neuromuscular patterns and rigidities, they develop new alternatives with improved flexibility and coordination the result.

Private Feldenkrais lessons, called Functional Integration®, are tailored to each student’s individual learning needs. Performed with the student fully clothed (usually lying on a table or in sitting or standing positions) the practitioner, through gentle touching and movement, communicates how you organize yourself physically and the student learns how to reorganize his or her body and behavior in more expanded functional motor patterns.

Learning Not Healing

While there are clearly therapeutic benefits to both the Alexander Technique and the Feldenkrais Method, they are educational in nature and achieve their results by tapping our vast potential for self-awareness and self-direction. The learning process used is not goal-oriented but exploratory, and works much like the way we learned as infants to sit, stand and walk–essential abilities that we all learned without a teacher. Without the idea of achievement (and the judgmental activity that accompanies it,) students are free to discover what they are doing (not what they are “supposed to be” doing) and from there explore other possibilities.

Learning this way reduces compulsive, self-destructive movement patterns. Practitioner Paul Linden’s comment shows the results: “he didn’t feel that he had learned a static formula which dictated the right way to play, but that he had increased his awareness so he was better at reading the cues his body and the sound of the music were giving him.”

Both Feldenkrais and Alexander refused to accept the opinion of experts and rejected the Western cultural emphasis on one correct way for everyone. Rather, by paying careful attention to their movement, they learned what they needed to improve their use of themselves. Through the methods they founded they demonstrated their implicit trust in the individuals’ ability to find his or her own way to better coordination.

Any program of treatment for overuse and misuse injuries should take advantage of the power of Somatic Education which is the power of learning that is every person’s birthright.

1 Don Hanlon Johnson, Body 2 Paul Linden Body Awareness Education for Musicians: A Case Study Illustrating Basic Exercises and Principles

Source by Richard Ehrman

19 Oct

USC Pharmacy School Application Requirements and Tips From an Accepted Student

Posted in Education by anshbookstore on October 19, 2022 @ 3:57 am

I will begin with the statistics of the accepted students into the University of Southern California Doctor of Pharmacy program for 2009. 460 students were offered interviews from a pool of over 2000 applicants. 240 students are accepted (11 students from out-of-state schools), and the expected class size for 2009 is 190. One must note that USC offers their undergraduates the opportunity of guaranteed admission as long as they complete their requirements in the TAP program (these students take up a large chunk of seats available for other applicants).

Obtaining a Bachelor’s degree is now a requirement for admission at USC. The minimum GPA requirement is a 3.0 (the average GPA of accepted students is a 3.60). Since USC does not require taking the PCAT, other admission criteria is weighed more heavily (GPA, interview performance, extracurricular activities, personal statements, etc.).

For the application process, it is very important for you to note that the University of Southern California sends out interview invitations on a rolling basis, so it is important that you turn in your PharmCAS application and supplemental application as soon as possible. The deadlines for both are early November, but I highly recommend that you turn both in no latter than early August (I turned in my applications by mid-July, just 1.5 months after the application was made available).

At your interview, you will be asked questions by a current pharmacy school student as well as a faculty member. Think of it more of a conversation where you also ask questions back to both of them. When you first arrive at the interview session, you will be greeted by several current pharmacy students, who do a great job of calming you down prior to your interview. Take this opportunity to ask questions and warm up your oral communication skills. Do not worry to much about the “essay” portion as it is just a test of how well you take notes off of a random article that you read. BE SURE to follow all directions provided to you as it is also a test on how well you pay attention to details.

Here are the pre-requisites for USC’s pharmacy program:

Calculus (for science majors)
Statistics (non-business)
Physics w/lab (science/life science majors- thermodynamics & Electromagnetism recommended)
General Biology w/lab (excludes human anatomy & physiology, botany, and microbiology)
Mammalian Physiology w/lab (human preferred-excludes plant, cell and marine physiology)
Microbiology w/lab (fundamentals of microbiology for science majors)
Molecular or Cell Biology(for science majors-one upper division course)
General Chemistry w/lab (for science majors-include inorganic & qualitative analysis)
Organic Chemistry w/lab (for science majors)
Biochemistry (for science majors one upper division course)
Human Behavior (General Psychology or Introductory Sociology)
Microeconomics

For Internationals (holders of foreign US bachelor’s equivalent):
English (expository writing)
Interpersonal Communications or Public Speaking

For specific course equivalencies from your college, please check the forms available from USC’s website.

The Pharm.D. program at USC is a 4 year program. USC is a private school, and our estimated tuition and cost of living for 2009 is approximately $60,000.

The University of Southern California provides students the opportunity to pursue dual degrees in addition to their Doctor of Pharmacy Degree. These include the following:

Pharm.D./Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)
Pharm.D./Juris Doctor(J.D.)
Pharm.D./Master of Public Health (M.P.H.)
Pharm.D./Master of Science in Regulatory Science (M.S. Regulatory Science)
Pharm.D./ Master of Science in Gerontology (M.S.G.)
Pharm.D./Graduate Certificate in Gerontology (Gerontology Certificate)
Pharm.D./Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Source by David E. Thompson

16 Oct

Practical and Detailed Time Management Tips for a Fulfilling Life

Posted in Education by anshbookstore on October 16, 2022 @ 3:46 am

Time is what we need most, but what we use worst – William Penn

One of the biggest reasons for stress, frustration and irritation is poor time management. We often feel that we never have enough time to do anything. This is a flawed assumption to begin with. Each and every one of us has twenty-fours in a day, no more and no less.

Why is it then that some people are able to accomplish many activities while others struggle on? Time management does not mean squeezing in many jobs in a short time-frame! Time management means managing your hours in a way that maximizes productivity while allowing free time for leisure, relaxation and fun.

Effective time management strategies can help you in several important ways and minimize stress. Are you managing your time effectively?

Signs of Poor and Ineffective Time Management

‘Short as time is, we make it shorter by wasting time’ Victor Hugo

Rushing around with a full diary of appointments, tasks and meetings does not imply good time management. If you notice any of the following signs in your life, you’re probably wasting precious time:

· Poor punctuality: You are always late for appointments

· Negative feelings dominate: You are always feeling stressed, anxious and impatient

· Poor work productivity: Are you always asking for extra time to complete projects and submit reports?

· Lack of leisure and relaxation: You find yourself always working with no time for family and friends

· Chronic Procrastination: Do you constantly find yourself postponing tasks?

If you constantly find yourself chasing your tail, unable to make decisions and falling through the cracks, you may need to understand why you are unable to manage your time.

10 Reasons why Time Management is Important

1. You can improve productivity and quality of output without burning out

2. Time management leads to more leisure and relaxation time and better work-life balance

3. We are able to accomplish much more while doing less instead of running around in circles

4. You no longer feel overwhelmed, rushed and stressed.

5. Managing our time effectively helps us make better decisions and make empowering choices as we no longer jump to erroneous conclusions in a rush

6. Effective time management is the key to professional and academic success

7. You will feel relaxed and will experience improved levels of mental and physical wellbeing

8. Time management is one of the most effective techniques to beat procrastination

9. You begin to value your time as a precious asset and learn to use it wisely instead of squandering it frivolously

10. Time management helps create a positive flow of energy in your life and is a key factor in goal achievement

Effective Time Management Techniques and Strategies

‘The bad news is that time flies; the good news is that you are the pilot’ Michael Altshuler

You can read through the following list of carefully chosen time-management tips and select the ones that resonate with you.

20 Effective Time Management Tips and Strategies

1. Stop wasting your energy complaining lack of time; start planning your day instead.

2. Slot your tasks and activities into defined time frames. Give 10 minutes to X activity, 30 minutes to Y activity and so on.

3. Show respect and value for your time and others will also follow suit.

4. Use effective time management tools like a calendar and an organizer. There are free online organizers include tools such as Google Calendar and Backpack. A good old diary is just as effective!

5. Create your priority list and time allotments according to your preferences. Don’t pressurize yourself because your friend wants to borrow your car during evening rush hour.

6. Set a definite time after which you won’t work; otherwise work will creep into your evening.

7. Do regular time audits for the week and examine how your time was spent. You may want to redistribute your time for better utilization.

8. Highlight deadlines clearly and legibly in your calendar so that you can plan before project end dates.

9. Pinpoint activities and people who waste your time and drain your energy.

10. Schedule time for relaxation with family, children, friends and pets. A good work-life balance is very important for a stress-free life.

11. Place your clock where you can see it clearly at all times. Many times, we tend to have to look for our mobile phones in order to see the time!

12. Open a minimum number of online tabs. This wastes time as the eyes are continually darting towards other tabs. Close down everything except what you need.

13. Delegate tasks for improved time management. Most people feel obliged to do everything on their own.

14. Whenever you make a time estimate, always add on extra time to be on the safe side. We have a tendency to underestimate time required for tasks.

15. Plan your time but don’t force an unnatural pace. See if the time management plan is aligned with your preferences and expectations. Each person is different and there is no single plan that fits all.

16. Batch similar tasks together for improved efficacy and minimization of time wastage.

17. Avoid fussing about unimportant and trivial details. Keep the larger picture in mind.

18. Don’t stick up tasks one after another; keep a 10-minute buffer zone to take a breath between tasks.

19. Schedule time to reflect on thoughts, conversations and ideas that may help improve your life.

20. Close your eyes for two minutes and breathe gently. Focus on your breathing. This will help clear the mind before any important meeting and reduce stress instantly.

You can start implementing the above listed tips at any time. As you use them consistently, you will be pleasantly surprised to discover that you are able to do much more in less time without salving yourself into the ground.

Summary

Time is a more valuable resource than money: Lost money can be recovered but lost time is lost forever! We are likely to experience improved levels of motivation and satisfaction. Time management strategies will help you lead a meaningful and purposeful life with an ideal work-life balance.

Source by Nirupama N Raghavan

13 Oct

Study Tips – How to Study for High School Finals

Posted in Education by anshbookstore on October 13, 2022 @ 3:35 am

Some of the most common questions involving studying concern finals, and rightfully so. For many high school students, their finals determine their success or failure in a class. That one test can be 50% of a student’s grade for an entire semester of work. Here are four steps that will help you make sure that you are getting the most out of your study sessions for high school finals.

1. Make sure you have all of your materials.

Few things are more annoying than having to continually re-gather your school materials. Make sure you have all the books and other materials you need for that class. Frankly, though, your books should simply be a reference by this time. You have been taking good notes and studying all along, so your most important materials aren’t in your books. It’s in your own words on your own paper.

You also want to make sure you have enough materials to stay put for at least 50 minutes. A writing utensil, paper on which to make new review materials, and a focused mind should be enough. If you would rather make a digital resource than a hand-written one, that will work. But before committing to a computer, consider these three benefits of hand-writing your review materials.

First, you have the added memory aid of kinesthetic learning. This is a primary way people take in information, and, believe it or not, simply writing something down can be tremendously helpful for memorization. Second, there are visual helps that come from hand-writing a new review sheet that are missed on a computer screen. For example, many people have had the experience of remembering where an answer was on a particular page. If you’ve ever thought, “I remember that It was under the picture of the alligator on the top right hand corner of the page… ,” you know what I’m talking about. That benefit is mostly lost on a scrolling computer screen. Third, successful students know the benefits of arrows, diagrams, scribbles, doodles, and every other weird hand-written elements for studying. You miss that on Microsoft Word. There is no way around it with the current state of technology.

If you have all of your materials, you are now ready for step 2, setting the environment for a successful final exam study session.

2. Set up a great environment for studying.

Many college students miss this element entirely. Consider this: how many students have you seen at Starbucks with a laptop open, Facebook in the background, gmail chat in the foreground, twitter feeds buzzing their phones, text messages coming in every three minutes, and a chemistry book in their lap? That type of studying – if it can even be called “studying” – is not particularly helpful for studying for finals. High school students need to understand this element of studying for finals before graduating. Your environment matters. It can make or break your study session.

The problem with a bad environment is that time moves at the same speed whether you are learning or not. Many a disappointed student has spent hours at the coffee shop cramming for exams but failed a test because of a poor environment. Great environments enhance studying exponentially.

Great environments, while being different for each individual, will have certain things in common. Social media will be held at bay. As difficult as that sounds, it must be done. Tell Facebook, “Goodbye,” for an hour. Twitter, texting, Voxer, and HeyTell have no place in a finals study session. More traditional media like television also needs to be shut down for a while. Set an environment where you can concentrate without the constant pull of media all around you. Music can help some students stay focused, but try to make sure it is instrumental and playing quietly in the background if at all. The quieter and more focused your environment is, the more productive your study session will be.

3. Focus your studies on the most important ideas and details.

When studying for finals, you should not be re-reading the chapters. Reading is an important part of the learning process, but it is too comprehensive to be helpful on a final exam. You want just the biggest, most important details. Birthdays, maiden names, pets names, favorite colors, and state flowers are usually not on the final exams. Essays about major thought-movements and the key thinkers involved are on final exams.

Acing your finals is dependent on whether or not you can focus your learning on the most important ideas. If you can, you are sure to score higher in less time studying. If you cannot, you are sure to know a lot of information, have spent a lot of hours in the library, and not understand why so much of what you studied wasn’t on the exam. Learning what to learn is as important as learning how to learn.

4. Study.

Get to work on what you know. Go over the notes you’ve made, make a study guide for yourself, and do the work. I recommend 50 minutes of studying at a time. Break those sections up with a ten-minute break to get the most out of your session.

5. Stop studying, sleep and dominate the final test.

There comes a point in every study session where every student has to sleep. Sometimes students forget about this. They stay up late, drinking a lot of coffee, feeling miserable, and working for a long time. Then when the test comes, they are groggy and end up writing weird things.

Don’t write weird essays. Just go to sleep. It is one of the most important things you can do during the studying process.

One high school friend of mine drew a sailboat on an essay exam because he couldn’t gather his thoughts enough to write a great essay. In case you are curious, sailboats don’t score well on essay tests. And yes, that is a true story. You can’t make that up.

If you’ve done your work, you should be set up for a great performance on your final exams. Relax, know that you’ve done your best, and dominate the test.

Source by Skylar Anderson

10 Oct

What Are the Programming Languages Required for Data Science?

Posted in Education by anshbookstore on October 10, 2022 @ 3:24 am

Since the advancement of Data Science is capturing more popularity. Job opportunities in this field are more. Therefore, in order to gain knowledge and become a professional worker, you need to have a brief idea about at least one of these languages that is required in Data Science.

PYTHON

Python is a general purpose, multiparadigm and one of the most popular languages. It is simple, easy- to-learn and widely used by the data scientists. Python has a huge number of libraries which is its biggest strength and can help us perform multiple tasks like image processing, web development, data mining, database, graphical user interface etc. Since technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning have advanced to a great height, the demand for Python experts has risen. Since Python combines improvement with the ability to interface with algorithms of high performance written in C or Fortran, it has become the most popularly used language among data scientists. The process of Data Science revolves around ETL (extraction-transformation-loading) process which makes Python well suited.

For statistical computing purposes, R in data science is considered as the best programming language. It is a programming language and software environment for graphics and statistical computing. It is domain specific and has excellent high-quality range. R consists of open source packages for statistical and quantitative application. This includes advanced plotting, non-linear regression, neural networks, phylogenetics and many more. For analyzing data, Data Scientists and Data Miners use R widely.

SQL

SQL, also known as Structured Query Language is also one of the most popular languages in the field of Data Science. It is a domain-specific programming language and is designed to manage relational database. It is systematic at manipulating and updating relational databases and is used for a wide range of applications. SQL is also used for retrieving and storing data for years. Declarative syntax of SQL makes it a readable language. SQL’s efficiency is a proof that data scientists consider it a useful language.

JULIA

Julia is a high level, JIT (“just-in-time”) compiled language. It offers dynamic typing, scripting capabilities and simplicity of a language like Python. Because of faster execution, it has become a fine choice to deal with complex projects that contains high volumes of data sets. Readability is the key advantage of this language and Julia is also a general-purpose programming language.

SCALA

Scala is multiparadigm, open source, general-purpose programming language. Scala programs are complied to Java Bytecode which runs on JVM. This permits interoperability with Java language making it a substantial language which is appropriate for Data Science. Scala + Spark is the best solution when computing to operate with Big Data.

JAVA

Java is also a general purpose, extremely popular object-oriented programming language. Java programs are compiled to byte code which is platform independent and runs on any system that has JVM. Instructions in Java are executed by a Java run-time system called Java Virtual Machine (JVM). This language is used to create web applications, backend systems and also desktop and mobile applications. Java is said to be a good choice for Data Science. Java’s safety and performance is said to be really advantageous for Data Science since companies prefer to integrate the production code into the codebase that exist, directly.

Source by Shalini M

07 Oct

Why Are Indians Good at Math?

Posted in Education by anshbookstore on October 7, 2022 @ 3:13 am

Historical Background

India has made significant contributions in the evolution of Mathematics. Aryabhatta, Brhamagupta and Bhaskara II are some of the famous mathematicians from ancient India. Concept of zero and the decimal system came from India. Significant work was done in the field of algebra and trigonometry. There is Vedic Math which teaches various computation techniques through sutras(rules). The growth and development by the mathematicians would have trickled through to the general population, making them interested and adept in computations.

Socioeconomic factors

Another factor is the Indian socioeconomic circumstances. Historically, engineers and doctors were the only professionals who had a prospect of lucrative jobs. Number of seats in colleges for these two streams was limited. In order to get admitted to engineering or medical school, a student has to pass very difficult entrance exam with stress on Math and Science subjects. Only the best of the best can get admission to a reputable college or university. This led parents, students, teachers and the school system to focus on doing well in math and science.

Rigor of Math

Kids learn multiplication from early childhood. Every evening, you recite multiplication tables. This practice makes kids good at mental math. As they grow older, they start learning math rules and formula. Indian methodology is based on learning and practicing. Kids are made to solve many problems in each of the mathematical concepts so that it becomes second nature to solve the problems. Unlike the US system, Indian education system does not put much importance on creative thinking and deep understanding of the subject. There are pros and cons of this approach. Pro is that there is less fear of math – You get mechanized about computations and problem solving. Being good and quick on basic math makes it easy to learn higher concepts. The disadvantage is the lack of innovation and creativity. But in a country with a population of over a billion and not enough educational or job opportunities, being good in giving a test is essential for the short-term goal of getting into the race.

Computer Industry Boom

This knack towards math and science and the knowledge of English language became great assets when the Computer and software industry blossomed. US had need of tons of software engineers. India had its potential base ready. Young graduates grabbed this opportunity and took classes in learning programming languages, databases and other technologies. Being good at math generally leads to being good in programming and analytical thinking. People who did not get into engineering colleges and did graduation in Math or Physics also started doing diplomas and masters in Computer applications. Year after year there are hundreds of thousands of Indians who come to US, get jobs in IT industry and make US their home. When they have family and kids, they apply the Indian method to their kids who go to US schools. Children of Indian origin living in US excel in math and science. This trend applies to kids from other Asian countries as well.

Math in US

In my opinion, US math books are very well-written and illustrated. They explain the concept, history and application of a particular topic. This gives a kid well-rounded education rather than learning the formula. However, the trouble is the lack of rigor. Be it physical fitness or mental fitness, a strong discipline, regular drill and successive goals for improvement and achievement are needed. Mathematics inherently needs practice. When you solve a math problem, it is either right or wrong – there are no grades like average or fair. In order to solve a problem correctly and quickly, one needs rigorous workout. If the teachers do not instill this discipline, students get more incorrect answers than correct. They get into the vicious circle of ‘I am not good at math-I hate math-Why do we need math’ and so on. If the teachers can guide the students towards a regular math work program, the circle can be reversed. They start solving problems, get excited about it and develop an interest in the subject. It will build math confidence and the fear will be gone. After all, school math is no Rocket Science! If students in India can be good at math, students in other countries can be good as well.

Source by Bina Mehta

04 Oct

The Joy of Learning Mathematics

Posted in Education by anshbookstore on October 4, 2022 @ 3:02 am

For many students, maths is a phobia at par with the fear of snakes, lizards, elevators, water, flying, public speaking, and heights. Though the “ailment” is neither genetic, nor infectious, they “inherit” it from their parents; and “catch” it from their friends. What are the reasons behind maths’ dreadful reputation that divides the society into mathematical “haves” and “have-nots”?

“One reason why students fare badly in Maths is that they are learning it mechanically, often not understanding what they are learning and they are unable to apply it to real-life situation,” says Vijay Kulkarni, the leader of the First Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) released recently by the well known Bombay-based non-governmental organization, Pratham.

Explaining the dismal scenario that the report portrays, especially about mathematics – forty two per cent of children between seven to ten years cannot subtract – Kulkarni says that the children are turned off, because the straitjacketed conventional teaching in classrooms has squeezed out the joy of learning, turning the schools into robotic factories.

Outdated teaching methods and an outdated curriculum – far removed from the students’ everyday experiences – contribute nothing to a student’s appreciation of the subject. Intelligence is often measured by the marks he gets in mathematics and his self confidence is eroded when he gets drubbed as dumb for scoring less in it.

Yet, taught the right way, learning mathematics can be easy, fun and can fill one with a sense of awe, with its inherently beautiful harmony and order. Both parents and teachers should convey the message that learning mathematics can be fun. Their expressions of interest, sense of wonder and enjoyment are critical to the child’s interest in the subject.

“Parents are the first mentors for a child. Even before the children can be formally admitted in pre-school kindergartens, they can start playing with numbers,” suggests Dr.MJ Thomas, a child psychologist in the city. Children are playful by nature and have irrepressible curiosity to explore the world through experimenting with the objects around them: see, touch, hear, taste, smell and arrange the objects, put things together or take them apart. Through such experience the children understand their world intuitively.

Dr. Thomas’ suggestions: collect beads of various colours and tell the kids to alternately string two beads of, say, two colours. Tell them to bring red and green balls and make two piles of equal number of balls. Another game could be to arrange playing cards in rows of three or four. These activities can enforce quantitative thinking and help make numbers our friend.

“While the other sciences have some amount of hands on activity included in the syllabus and the idea of a physics, chemistry or biology lab is common, maths is still taught only by the chalk and talk method,” says Dr. S.N.Gananath, recipient of Ashoka Fellowship for innovations in teaching activity-based mathematics. “This is particularly unfortunate as a subject like maths can be understood only when a child experiences, first-hand, the idea of weight and volume, shape and size, number and pattern,” he says.

Dr. Gananath has designed Maths Kits, with charts, diagrams and games, to explain various difficult concepts in Mathematics, like place-value, fractions or decimals. He takes a piece of paper, marks off lengths a and b and in minutes, by suitably folding the paper, arrives at formulas for (a+b) 2 and (a-b)2. Such activity-based teaching stimulates thinking, encourages discussion or search for alternate ways of solving problems. On the other hand traditional teaching in schools seems to give the impression that there is only one way to solve a given problem.

“Learning does not mean simply “knowing” facts; but understanding the underlying concepts that are anchored in experience,” says H.N.Parmesh, head-master of Born Free, a government school in the village of Banjarpalya, off Banaglore-Mysore road. His school has the rare distinction of all the students securing first-class in the VII standard public examination for several consecutive years. Parmesh and his team of dedicated teachers have used inexpensive materials like match-boxes and coloured beads made of baked clay to make educational aids that they affirm have helped the slow learners to understand maths better.

Several organizations like the Akshara Foundation and the Azim Premji Foundation, with support from corporate bigwigs, have collaborated with the government and used computers to capture the bored rural children’s attention, and spur their curiosity and imagination. However, using computer effectively to support teaching is no easy task. It needs good planning and design; otherwise it may end up as an expensive replacement for rote learning, if all it does is to replace dull text with colorful animations.

IT can be innovatively used to usher in interactive learning, as has been attempted by Oracle Education Foundation, which has designed a web-based educational environment – think.com for teachers and students in Bangalore, and elsewhere. This has enabled students and teachers to create personal Web pages and communicate or discuss with each other through message boards and e-mails. The website has made the students more creative and the teachers more responsive and accessible to students.

Games and puzzles are a sure way to aid learning. As children, we have asked each other the puzzle: a goat, a tiger and a bunch of grass should be transported across a river through a boat which can carry only one of the three at a time. Given that the goat will eat the grass and the tiger will eat the goat if left alone, how would you take them across one by one and save their lives? There is a similar exercise in logical thinking in the classic example of a village with two tribes – one which always speaks the truth and the other always tells lies. When you reach a point where the road forks into two paths, with one leading to treasure and the other to death, you see a member of each tribe. If you are permitted to ask only one of them a single question, who will you ask and what will you ask, so as to get the treasure?

Puzzles like this will initiate a lot of discussion. And the lessons learnt will not be easily forgotten; they will be applied when a similar situation occurs.

Learning must be guided by generalized principles in order to discover strategies for problem solving. Knowledge learned through rote memory rarely transfers to new, even though similar, situations.

Teacher-centric classrooms where teacher dominates the scene should soon become a thing of the past. Teachers should be facilitators of learning; they should stimulate thinking, which would lead to self-discovery, so that the child experiences the sheer joy of learning.

Source by Uma Shankari

01 Oct

Religion, Arts and Science – Why Branches of the Same Tree?

Posted in Education by anshbookstore on October 1, 2022 @ 2:51 am

All human creations can be divided broadly into three categories i.e. science, religion and arts. Initially, art referred to any human skill or mastery. However during the romantic period, art was separated from the other two main branches of human creation i.e. science and religion. Arts, science and religion are now considered as different specializations that have nothing in common.

Albert Einstein said “All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree. ” Yet we don’t know why? After all, religion is based on faith needing no evidence. Science is based on fact that has to be proven by evidence. Art relates to human emotion and requires neither faith nor evidence as we know it is a fiction or an object created purely from the imagination of a human mind.

Art: An Imagination that needs emotional evidence

It is extremely difficult to define art. Art is, fortunately, a work of human imagination and creativity that is free from any bondage or test. The only reason, why a particular music is considered as an art, is that it appeals to the listener. The test of a good painting is the appreciation of the viewer. No logic, reason or proof is required to term an art as good as its only criterion is that it should be appreciated by people.

While both science and religion claims to be factual and the representation of the reality, art has no qualm in admitting that it is nothing but a fiction. As a matter of fact, some forms of arts like movies and novels clearly state that these are the work of fiction and any resemblance with the fact or reality is purely accidental. Literature, another form of art, is officially called fiction as everything in the novel or the story is fictitious which are created purely from human imagination.

Thus one essential feature of art is that it is not a representation of fact or reality. Yet a good movie or a story makes you cry, increases your heart-beat, makes you laugh and makes you forget that it is not a reality. The effect of a good art is no different than that created by the reality.

The most interesting thing about an art is that it affects your emotions and not the mind. When you are reading a thriller like “Da Vinci Code, your mind is very much aware that everything in the novel is a fiction, yet you just can’t control your emotions which emerges in the reader as if you are reading a real life story of the characters in the real life situation. In a typical fiction, all the characters and situations are created by the imagination of the author, yet they seem quite real. A fiction is, thus, not a work of any imagination but it consists of many facts and realities that makes the fiction like a reality.

It can be compared with a painting of a beautiful girl. The girl may be imaginary, yet the features of the girl have a close resemblance with real girls. The colors of the painter are also real, which may not be exactly same as the real life girl give the impression of the real girl, when woven from the imagination of the viewer. An artist creates the body of the reality but the soul of the reality comes from the imagination of the viewer who pours his own soul in the art. Therefore, when a novel is read by a million people, each person imagine the characters and situation from his own imagination.

Thus an art is created by the imagination of the artist which appeals to the emotions of other persons. The real test of an art is not the test of Truth (how close it is from Truth) but how much it looks like Truth. The test of art is not the proof or evidence it has but how the reader perceives the truth in the fiction. To convey the real message in the guise of imaginative characters and situation itself is an art which only artists can understand. If the art fails to influence the heart (emotions) of the people, it can’t be said to be a good art.

Science: An Imagination that needs material evidence

Science is the knowledge that is created by the imagination (hypothesis) of human mind but verifiable by the material facts and evidences. A scientist typically observes a phenomenon, hypothesize an explanation for the phenomenon, predict a logical consequence of the guess, test the prediction, and review for any mistakes. Thus the origin of science is an hypothesis that a scientist make after making an observation. The critical test of the science is its conformity with the material evidence.

Hypothesis is nothing but imagination of the scientist. Thus every scientific theory like art finds its origin in the imagination of the human mind. However, science relates to matter and its truth has to be tested by material evidence. For example, if E=mc2 was not verifiable by experiments, scientist would have discarded the relativity theory of Einstein, irrespective of the soundness of the argument or the theory.

Religion: An Imagination that needs Social evidence

A religion often refers to an organized set of beliefs and faiths regarding the spiritual or metaphysical world. The concept of religion may or may not have the concept of God. All Religions, however, have some set of common believes and rituals that are required to be followed by its followers.

Religions are a curious mix of science and arts. The followers of the religions are absolutely sure about the truthfulness of their scriptures while other people often find it a work of fiction. However, unlike arts, where the artists always tell the people that the art is a creation of their imagination, the prophets or the originator of the religion often call it a gospel Truth which they have acquired directly from God..

Therefore, religions like arts and sciences also seems to originate from human imagination. Often, its creators are known as prophets or son of God who acquired the knowledge directly from the God or Spirit. For example, Bible and Koran are considered to be the revelation of God to the prophets and believed to be the words of God. Gita is believed to be the words of Lord Krishna. However, some religions like Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism are believed to be originated from mortal human beings even though, the follower of their religions often try to exalt their status to the level of deity by calling Mahavir Jain and Buddha not as ordinary human beings but avatars or the incarnation of God and constructing their statues like God.

One Tree Many Branches

It is evident that the source of all arts, science and religion is the imagination of the human mind. However, the human imaginations are given different names like fiction, hypothesis or the revelation depending upon the creation. When, Newton saw the apple falling from a tree, he imagined the force of gravitation that was attracting the apple towards the earth. Galileo formed his heliocentric theory of the solar system based on his imagination that earth was revolving around sun. This was an extraordinary imagination that was beyond the perception of the senses. He had no special sense to visualize how massive earth could revolve around a tiny (looking) sun. Einstein imagined that all motions of the planets are only relative or that light is both a particle and a wave based on his imagination.

Yet no one knows why such imagination arose in the minds of such chosen individuals. Was it the desire of God to manifest the Truth through these people? Or was it the desire of man to discover the Truth that lead to such imagination? The first hypothesis is the one that is given by the believers or the religious people. However, if we presume the truthfulness of second hypothesis then also the question remains, why such desire arose in those individuals that finally culminated into such extraordinary imagination?

Body Mind and Soul

Almost all religions and spiritual people believe in the existence of body, mind, soul and spirit (or God). However, science does not believe in anything other than body as it considers even the mind as the part of the body (brain) and explains the thoughts in terms of bio-chemicals. These concept are explained in different religions. Gita (III 42) explains the relationship of body, mind, soul and Spirit in the following words.

The senses are superior to the body. Above the senses is the mind, above the mind is the soul (individual intelligence) and above the soul is God (Universal Intelligence or Spirit).
Based on this theory, we find that there are four level of evolution of human thoughts. A man “sees” the world differently depending upon the “stage” of his evolution.

Eyes of Body: The first level of evolution is the level of body. At this level, we see the world from the physical eyes of the body. This capability is common to all the animals in the world as each one has the eyes of the body. At this stage seeing is believing.

Eyes of the Mind: In the next level of evolution, we can see the world from the eyes of the mind, i.e. using the logic and reasoning. We believe that every thing in the world can be explained by the mind. We not only see what is before our eyes, but also what can’t be seen from the physical eyes. For example, you see a car moving, you know that it must have driver that is driving the car. It is a stage when you see what you believe.

Eyes of the Soul: The next level of evolution is attained when we see the limitation of logic in explaining the world. Then we try to understand the world from our own perception and experience. The wise people always believed that to know the world, you must know your self. At this stage a man thinks “Ahem Brahmasm” (I am the universe). As Upanishads rightly stated many thousand years back.

As is the human body, so is the cosmic body

As is the human mind, so as the cosmic mind

As is the microcosm, so is the macrocosm

S Radhakrshnan, one of the greatest Indian philosophers of the modern science sums up the concept of the world inside in the following words

The philosophical attempt to determine the nature of reality may start either with the thinking self or the object of thought. In India the interest of philosophy is in the self of man. .. In India “Atmanam viddhi” Know the self, sums up the law and the prophets. With man is the spirit which is the center of everything.

In this respect, even western thoughts were not very different. Socrates said

“You can’t teach a person a thing. You can only help him discover it within himself.”

Man is capable of visualizing the Truths or the secrets of the universe that is neither visible from the eyes or senses nor understandable by mind and logic. These are Truths that are available in arts, religion and science. We know that we want to help a crying child or poor without knowing the logic and conclude that other people must also think likewise. We cry when we see injustice and we know that it is a universal desire of man. Once we know ourselves, we can know the universe

Eyes of the Spirit: When a person evolves to the level of spirit, he is able to see the entire world as the extension of his own self. The limits of time and space ceases to exist as his soul get one with the soul of the universal soul or spirit. From here he understand the thoughts of God or the deep secret of nature. All great imagination and classics are created only when a person is able to reach to the final stage of evolution. At this level, the soul is elevated to the level of spirit and the man moves farthest from the material body. However, this stage is not permanent as the man is soon brought back to the world, by the forces of the material world. Yet in the process, he acquires the thoughts of God. This is the highest state of imagination and one discovers the thoughts of God at this stage.

Translation of Divine Knowledge for the World

Once a person knows the thoughts of God or the deepest secrets of the universe, the difficulty is, how to make the world believe about what one has seen from the eyes of the spirit? His ideas seems stupid to the world as these are unique and not comprehensible to the ordinary man.

One method to convince about the Truth is to produce the imagination in words or in other forms of art like fiction, movie, visual art, music, poem etc. If there is a universal truth in these arts, it would affect the souls of other people as they would find the Truths in these fictions even if it can’t be proven. The characters and situation may be imaginary in the fiction but the truth in the art can be realized by the eyes of the soul. Thus an art is nothing but the Truth that can’t be explained by logic or reason. Thus art is a method of the expression of truths that are not to be proven by logic or scientific evidences but to be realized by the heart or emotions of the beholder.

Yet, it does not mean that art is without logic or evidence. No person would accept an illogical idea as art. If the movies or the fiction are devoid of logic, people can never accept it. However, the artist is under no obligation to give logic to what he says or does nor to provide evidence for it.

Religious principles too require prove by the society. It, therefore, has harder criterion for acceptance. The truth of the religion must be tested with real people. In most cases, the Prophets or Gurus themselves provide the proof of the truth by applying it on themselves and satisfying the inquisitiveness of the other people by providing satisfactory replies to their doubts. The life of Jesus or Mohammad is a proof that their truths were real and acceptable to the society. Same can be said with Buddha, Jain and Guru Nanak and so with the originators of the numerous sects. Imagine, if Buddha would have said the same things, while he was a dacoit or a thief. No one would have listened to his words. Thus religions too require proof.

If the religion claims supernatural and metaphysical consequences, people expect miracles from the prophets and Gurus. However, no such miracles are expected in the religions that are based on logic, notably Buddhism and Jainism. Thus the truth of the religion has to be tested by the people over time. Only when, religion has been tested over long period of time, it is accepted by the people as a matter of faith. Faith is not the cause of the religion but the consequence of its Truth.

The truth of a religion is applicable for the society, hence it must convince a society by making it stronger, merrier and more harmonious. It is a historical fact that Christianity, Islam and Hinduism did play an important role in the integration of large number of people in Europe, Middle East and Indian subcontinents and made its follower more powerful, prosperous and happier.

A scientific theory too starts with an imagination or hypothesis made by the scientist. However, a scientist has to convince the world by providing material evidence to the theory. It can be either in the form of experiments or in the form of logic. Yet material evidence is the core of science. For example, even though, Einstein gave the special theory of relativity in 1905 and the general theory of relativity in 1916, based on which he predicted the bending of starlight in the vicinity of a massive body such as the Sun, yet his hypothesis was confirmed only in 1919 during an eclipse of the Sun. It is only then, the scientific community accepted his theories and awarded him the Noble prize for the paper of photoelectric that was written in 1905. Since the truth of science pertains to matters, hence it has to be tested on matter.

Conclusion

Arts, Science and Religion find their origin from the imagination of the human mind. Yet all imaginations may not be true. Therefore, each imagination has to proven before it is accepted by the world. Thus these are the branches of the same tree as rightly said by Einstein as they all represent the truth, thoughts of God or the secret of the universe that are revealed to human mind from his imagination.

Source by Dr Awdhesh Singh