Podcasts about Assam

On 15 August 1950, an 8.6 magnitude earthquake shook the Himalaya mountains – wiping out whole villages in Tibet and north-east India.The death toll was estimated to be about 4,800.The late British botanist Frank Kingdon-Ward was camping in Tibet with his wife Jean when the ground beneath them began to sag.“I felt as though we were lying on a pie crust against whicha steam hammer was drumming,” he said.“In another minute it must crack, crumple, and drop us into the shuddering interior of the earth. “I can't convey to you our terror, bewilderment, sense of utter helplessness.”The pair had been planning to go seed hunting in the mountains. Instead, they were stranded with limited rations.In an interview he gave to the BBC in 1951, Frank Kingdon-Ward describes the destruction the quake caused and their perilous journey to safety. This programme is made in collaboration with BBC Archives. It's produced and presented by Vicky Farncombe. Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from the death of Adolf Hitler, the first spacewalk and the making of the movie Jaws, to celebrity tortoise Lonesome George, the Kobe earthquake and the invention of superglue. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: Eva Peron – Argentina's Evita; President Ronald Reagan and his famous ‘tear down this wall' speech; Thomas Keneally on why he wrote Schindler's List; and Jacques Derrida, France's ‘rock star' philosopher. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the civil rights swimming protest; the disastrous D-Day rehearsal; and the death of one of the world's oldest languages.(Photo: A bridge damaged by the 1950 earthquake in Assam, India. Credit: Getty Images)

To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause: The Many Lives of the Soviet Dissident Movement — the Pulitzer Prize-winning book by Professor Ben Nathans — is perhaps the sharpest, richest, and funniest account of the Soviet dissident movement ever written. Today, we'll interview Nathans alongside the legendary Ian Johnson, whose recent book Sparks explores the Chinese dissident ecosystem. We discuss… The central enigma of the Soviet dissident movement — their boldness in the face of hopeless odds, How cybernetics, Wittgenstein, and one absent-minded professor shaped the intellectual backbone of post-Stalinist dissent, Why the Soviet Union was such fertile ground for dark humor, and why humor played a vital role for Soviet resistance movements, How the architect of Stalin's show trials laid the groundwork for, ironically, a more professional legal system known as “socialist legality,” Similarities and differences between post-Stalinist and post-Maoist systems in dealing with opposition, Plus: Why Brezhnev read The Baltimore Sun, how onion-skin paper became a tool of rebellion, and why China's leaders study the Soviet collapse more seriously than anyone else. Today's episode is sponsored by Alaya Tea, cofounded by ChinaTalk listener Smita Satiani. Alaya Tea ships Indian teas straight from the source, and their products are 100% plastic-free. My favorite is their Assam black tea, which I've been using to make a fantastic milk tea. Go to ⁠alayatea.co⁠ and use the code CHINATALKTEA for free shipping. Outro music: Владимир Высоцкий - Охота на волков (YouTube Link) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hi everyone, thanks for listening. Drop a line or two about the episode! Writer and co-architect of the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe, Niren Bhatt, is here for a deep dive of Bhediya! We also talked about writing horror comedies, how our horror comedies differ from the horror comedies in the West, Niren's takeaways from working on a VFX-heavy film, and much more. Join us!If you enjoy the podcast, do consider supporting the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/257788/supportFeedback/comments/questions: loveofcinemasf@gmail.comCredits:Produced and hosted by: Himanshu Joglekar (@loveofcinemasf8)Editor: Devika JoglekarMusic: Nakul AbhyankarCopyrights © Love of Cinema 2025Support the showIf you liked the episode and found value, please considering supporting the show. Your support will help me continue making good content for fans of Indian cinema everywhere across the world: https://www.buzzsprout.com/257788/support

To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause: The Many Lives of the Soviet Dissident Movement — the Pulitzer Prize-winning book by Professor Ben Nathans — is perhaps the sharpest, richest, and funniest account of the Soviet dissident movement ever written. Today, we'll interview Nathans alongside the legendary Ian Johnson, whose recent book Sparks explores the Chinese dissident ecosystem. We discuss… The central enigma of the Soviet dissident movement — their boldness in the face of hopeless odds, How cybernetics, Wittgenstein, and one absent-minded professor shaped the intellectual backbone of post-Stalinist dissent, Why the Soviet Union was such fertile ground for dark humor, and why humor played a vital role for Soviet resistance movements, How the architect of Stalin's show trials laid the groundwork for, ironically, a more professional legal system known as “socialist legality,” Similarities and differences between post-Stalinist and post-Maoist systems in dealing with opposition, Plus: Why Brezhnev read The Baltimore Sun, how onion-skin paper became a tool of rebellion, and why China's leaders study the Soviet collapse more seriously than anyone else. Today's episode is sponsored by Alaya Tea, cofounded by ChinaTalk listener Smita Satiani. Alaya Tea ships Indian teas straight from the source, and their products are 100% plastic-free. My favorite is their Assam black tea, which I've been using to make a fantastic milk tea. Go to ⁠alayatea.co⁠ and use the code CHINATALKTEA for free shipping. Outro music: Владимир Высоцкий - Охота на волков (YouTube Link) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Finding Peace podcast, join us as we delve into an inspiring conversation with Sam, a man in recovery who is striving to change his life. With 18 months of recovery under his belt, Sam reflects on his journey towards better self-care, revealing his struggles with taking time off work due to deep-seated fears of rejection and being expendable. Together, we explore the roots of these fears, tracing them back to influential moments in his life and unveiling the shadows of the judge, martyr, and politician that have shaped his beliefs. As Sam opens up about the emotional wounds and expectations that have followed him since childhood, he discovers empowering insights and ways to challenge the narratives that have held him back. This heartfelt discussion offers listeners a window into one person's fight for self-acceptance amidst pressures for perfection, while encouraging us all to embrace our worthiness and prioritize self-care in our daily lives.   Thanks to the United States Marine Band and the following Artists from Artlist and Storyblocks Flint – Sunmonth, Daniel Pratt - Honest Thoughts cinematic-drama-sad-piano-and-clouds-of-strings-SBA Adam Dib - Up in the Sky Tomáš Herudek - Sound of Something Horrible Inon Zur - Searching in Shadow Shahead Mostafafar - Golden Diamond   Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue as performed by the United States Marine Band on July 10, 2018. This file is a work of a United States Marine or employee, taken or made as part of that person's official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, it is in the public domain.

Join Sam Spade, the legendary detective, as he embarks on a thrilling investigation in the mysterious Vale of Takaloma. In this episode, "The Rowdy Dowser Caper," Sam is drawn into a web of intrigue involving a missing uncle, a suspicious bank president, and a dowser with a hidden agenda. As Sam navigates through a series of unexpected twists and turns, he must unravel the truth behind a $53,000 embezzlement and a puzzling disappearance. Tune in for a captivating tale of deception, danger, and detective prowess.Join Sam Spade, the legendary detective, as he embarks on a thrilling investigation in the mysterious Vale of Takaloma. In this episode, "The Rowdy Dowser Caper," Sam is drawn into a web of intrigue involving a missing uncle, a suspicious bank president, and a dowser with a hidden agenda. As Sam navigates through a series of unexpected twists and turns, he must unravel the truth behind a $53,000 embezzlement and a puzzling disappearance. Tune in for a captivating tale of deception, danger, and detective prowess.

DPS Nacharam - State of the month - Assam by Jahnvi Gupta by 1K

This week on The Sound Kitchen, you'll hear the answer to the question about Togo's media ban. There's listener news, a surprise guest to tell you all about the ePOP video competition, “The Listener's Corner”, and Erwan Rome's “Music from Erwan”. All that and the new quiz and bonus questions too, so click the “Play” button above and enjoy!  Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll hear the winners' names announced and the week's quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you've grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week. The ePOP video competition is open! The ePOP video competition is sponsored by the RFI department “Planète Radio”, whose mission is to give a voice to the voiceless. ePOP focuses on the environment and how climate change has affected “ordinary” people. The ePOP contest is your space to ensure these voices are heard.  How do you do it? With a three-minute ePOP video. It should be pure testimony, captured by your lens: the spoken word reigns supreme. No tricks, no music, no text on the screen. Just the raw authenticity of an encounter, in horizontal format (16:9). An ePOP film is a razor-sharp look at humanity that challenges, moves, and enlightens. From June 12 to September 12, 2025, ePOP invites you to reach out, open your eyes, and create that unique bridge between a person and the world. Join the ePOP community and make reality vibrate! Click here for all the information you need.  We expect to be overwhelmed with entries from the English speakers! Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all! Facebook: Be sure to send your photos to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner! More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write “RFI English” in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos. Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you! Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard. Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level” and you'll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level. Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service, told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you'll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it! Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts! In addition to the news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more. There's Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, The International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis.  Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our journalists. You never know what we'll surprise you with! To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you'll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone. To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show.  Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below.  Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload! This week's quiz: On 21 June, I asked you a question about our article “Togo suspends French broadcasters RFI, France 24 for three months”. We were informed on June 16th. Togo has accused us of biased and inaccurate reporting. The shutdown followed protests in the country's capital, Lomé, in early June. You were to send in the answers to these two questions: What is the name of Togo's president, and what is the reason for the protests? The answers are: The name of Togo's president is Faure Gnassingbé. The reason for the protests is due to, to quote the RFI English article:  “… increasing pressure from critics over recent changes in the constitution that could effectively keep Gnassingbé in power indefinitely. Critics have called the changes a constitutional coup.” Faure Gnassingbé was elected in 2005. He's the son of Gnassingbé Eyadéma, who was president for 38 years. At the time of his death, Gnassingbé Eyadéma was the longest-serving leader in modern African history. In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “Have you ever made a mistake that ended up saving you?” It was suggested by Jayanta Chakrabarty from New Delhi, India. Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr The winners are: Sultan Mahmud Sarker, the president of the Shetu RFI Fan Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh. Sultan is also the winner of this week's bonus question. Congratulations, Sultan, on your double win. Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Ferhat Bezazel, the president of the RFI Butterflies Club Ain Kechara in West Skikda, Algeria, and RFI Listeners Club members Rubi Saikia from Assam, India, as well as Nasyr Muhammad from Katsina State, Nigeria. Last but not least, there's RFI English listener Kalyani Basak from Kerala State, India. Congratulations, winners! Here's the music you heard on this week's programme: “Raga Charu Keshi” played by Ravi Shankar; traditional music from Togo performed by the Flutistes Kotokoli; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children's Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and the Quartet in F major by Maurice Ravel, performed by the  Alban Berg Quartet.   Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr This week's question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you've listened to the show, watch the video and re-read Dhananjay Khadilikar's article “Swiss exoplanet pioneer reflects on Earth's place in the cosmos”, which will help you with the answer. You have until 22 September to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 27 September podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number. Send your answers to: english.service@rfi.fr or Susan Owensby RFI – The Sound Kitchen 80, rue Camille Desmoulins 92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux France Click here to learn how to win a special Sound Kitchen prize. Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.   

#cuttheclutter Proscribed militant outfit United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) evaded and fought Indian security forces for decades. But waning support for the movement and its ideology, coupled with decisive action by the govt, made the way for peace to return to Assam. In episode 1697, ThePrint Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta traces rise and fall of ULFA, back in focus after a splinter group claimed its camps were ‘attacked' by the Indian Army. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read Ratan Tata's obituary: https://theprint.in/opinion/a-frosty-start-featuring-ulfa-tapes-thawed-by-a-love-of-dogs-my-conversations-with-ratan-tata/2306557/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Produced By: Mahira Khan

Turning 40 is more than just a number—it's a celebration of the journey so far and the promise of what's to come. As Sam embraces this milestone birthday, he shares with Matt and the listeners a specially curated music mix that captures the essence of this new chapter. He begins with Logic's "Hallelujah," which echoes the importance of keeping an open mind.  This episode is filled with reflective insights and a touch of laughter. You'll find yourself drawn into Sam's world as he navigates the complexities of aging with inspiration and humor.What's the secret to living in the moment and letting go of past regrets? Sam explores this question through songs that remind us of the beauty of presence and self-forgiveness. With tracks like The All-American Rejects' "Move Along," Fountains of Wayne's "All Kinds of Time," and Pearl Jam's "Present Tense," you'll uncover powerful messages about savoring the present and embracing life's pace. These songs serve as an anthem for anyone who seeks to balance life's fleeting moments with thoughtful reflection.As the episode unfolds, Sam delves into the duality of life, highlighting growth and the balance between light and dark. "Let Go" by Frou Frou and Natasha Bedingfield's "Unwritten" inspire us to view life as an open canvas, full of potential and new beginnings. The exploration continues with Moby's "Run On" and Pink Floyd's masterpieces "Brain Damage" and "Eclipse," celebrating the artistry that captures both the light and shadow of the human experience. Join us for a musical journey that honors personal growth, self-reflection, and the joyous celebration of Sam's 40th birthday.https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/sams-birthday-mix-2025/pl.u-38oW9zbCY6Rke5jhttps://open.spotify.com/playlist/6LI2EFe5bNmr6IRe2VioGK?si=b50ff969a54b411e1. Hallelujah – Logic2. What's My Age Again? – Blink-182 3. Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl – Broken Social Scene 4. Move Along – The All-American Rejects 5. All Kinds of Time – Fountains of Wayne 6. Present Tense – Pearl Jam 7. Let Go – Frou Frou 8. Unwritten – Natasha Bedingfield 9. 2085 – AJR 10. Run On – Moby11. Brain Damage – Pink Floyd 12. Eclipse – Pink Floyd 

This week on The Sound Kitchen, you'll hear the answer to the question about France's maritime domains. There's a poem by Pradip Basak read by RFI English journalist Amanda Morrow, “The Listener's Corner”, and lots of good music. All that and the new quiz and bonus questions too, so click the “Play” button above and enjoy!  Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll hear the winners' names announced and the week's quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you've grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week. The ePOP video competition is open! The ePOP video competition is sponsored by the RFI department “Planète Radio”, whose mission is to give a voice to the voiceless. ePOP focuses on the environment and how climate change has affected “ordinary” people. The ePOP contest is your space to ensure these voices are heard.  How do you do it? With a three-minute ePOP video. It should be pure testimony, captured by your lens: the spoken word reigns supreme. No tricks, no music, no text on the screen. Just the raw authenticity of an encounter, in horizontal format (16:9). An ePOP film is a razor-sharp look at humanity that challenges, moves, and enlightens. From June 12 to September 12, 2025, ePOP invites you to reach out, open your eyes, and create that unique bridge between a person and the world. Join the ePOP community and make reality vibrate! Click here for all the information you need.  We expect to be bombarded with entries from the English speakers! Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all! Facebook: Be sure to send your photos to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner! More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write “RFI English” in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos. Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you! Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard. Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level” and you'll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level. Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service, told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you'll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it! Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts! In addition to the news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more. There's Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, The International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis.  Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our journalists. You never know what we'll surprise you with! To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you'll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone. To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show.  Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below.  Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload! This week's quiz: On 14 June, I asked you a question about the 2025 One Ocean Summit, which was held in the French city of Nice. There was very good news on the opening day: French Polynesia's President Moetai Brotherson announced that his country is on track to create the world's largest marine protected area. You were to re-read our article “French Polynesia unveils world's largest marine protected zone”, and send in the answer to this question: What is the size of France's maritime domain? The answer is: 11 million square kilometers. As noted in our article: “Polynesia's announcement alone allows France, whose maritime domain covers 11 million square kilometers, to increase the proportion of its waters under protection to 78 percent, a broad term that includes areas where activity restrictions are minimal. Of this area, 14.8 percent is now considered highly protected, compared to 4.8 percent before Polynesia's announcement. Just eight percent of global oceans are designated for marine conservation, despite a globally agreed target to achieve 30 percent coverage by 2030.” In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “Which season of the year do you like the most, and why?” The question was suggested by Rafiq Khondaker. Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr The winners are: Saleem Akhtar, the president of the RFI Seven Stars Radio Club in District Chiniot, Pakistan. Saleem is also this week's bonus question winner. Congratulations, Saleem, on your double win. Also on the list of lucky winners this week is RFI Listeners Club member Sahadot Hossain, who, as an Assistant Professor of Geography and Environment at the Gurudayal Government College in Kishoreganj, Bangladesh, can probably recite every country's maritime domain in his sleep! There are two more RFI Club members on the list this week, and they're both from Assam, India: Deekay Dimple and Karobi Hazarika. Last but assuredly not least, there's RFI English listener Lata Yeasmin Jahan, the co-chairwoman of the Sonali Badhan Female Listeners Club in Bogura, Bangladesh. Congratulations, winners! Here's the music you heard on this week's programme: “Dawganova”  by David Grisman, played by the David Grisman Quintet; “Le coucou” by Louis-Claude Daquin, performed by Ruth Laredo; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children's Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “Scar Tissue”, written by Anthony Kiedis, Flea, John Frusciante, and Chad Smith, and performed by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.   Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr This week's question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you've listened to the show, re-read our article “Seven Nobel laureates urge France to adopt tax on 'ultra-rich'”, which will help you with the answer. You have until 25 AUGUST (yep, summer vacation is coming up!) to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 30 August podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number. Send your answers to: english.service@rfi.fr or Susan Owensby RFI – The Sound Kitchen 80, rue Camille Desmoulins 92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux France Click here to learn how to win a special Sound Kitchen prize. Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.   

As Sam and Brian mop up the last scraps of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, Jack returns to the podcast to offer some final thoughts on our Bud-Arc adventure. We're also getting stumped by Star Wars Dad Jokes, talking about some Indy adventures that could've been, and handing out our Indy Awards!

In this lecture, Sam presents a powerful message centered around themes of forgiveness, repentance, and personal accountability, tailored specifically for a family service at St. Moe's. He emphasizes the importance of including children in the worship experience, indicating that the entire community, regardless of age, plays a vital role in the life of the church. The lecture opens with a call for unity in chaotic moments, underscoring that everyone, including children, belongs within this faith community.Sam transitions into discussing the biblical story of King David, particularly focusing on 2 Samuel 12. He illustrates how Nathan the prophet confronts David about his wrongdoings. Through a parable, Sam narrates the events that lead to David's realization of his own moral failings. The allegorical story of two men — one rich and one poor — reveals a profound truth about human behavior, particularly the imperfections inherent in leadership and authority. As David reacts with anger towards the rich man's actions, he is blindsided by the prophet's piercing revelation that he embodies the very wrong he detests.The use of hands as a metaphor is a significant part of Sam's message. He prompts the audience to reflect on the power and consequences of their actions, highlighting that hands may serve to heal or to harm. David misuses his authority and power, resulting in destructive outcomes. Sam relates this to the notion that often, attempts to cover up misdeeds lead to greater complexity and guilt. The lecture encourages the congregation, particularly the children, to acknowledge their wrongdoings rather than allow shame or fear to dictate their actions.Continuing on the path of David's journey, Sam explains the concept of repentance — a change of mind and heart. He equates this spiritual practice to the challenging sports drills of changing direction while running, pointing out that genuine repentance requires significant effort and humility. The discussion naturally leads to the role of the Holy Spirit as a guiding force in the process of transformation. Sam reassures the audience that while forgiveness is available, it often comes at a cost, which in David's case was the loss of his son, exemplifying the gravity of consequences tied to our actions.As Sam concludes, he connects the narrative back to the central theme of redemption offered through Jesus Christ, underscoring that through Him, believers are granted the opportunity for a fresh start. He likens this to the gaming concept of "respawning," emphasizing that forgiveness leads to new beginnings and enhanced potential for benevolent actions. The final call to action implores the audience to use their bodies — hands, feet, and words — in ways that contribute positively to the community, all the while recognizing the Holy Spirit's role in helping them move towards right actions. The lecture wraps up with a heartfelt prayer, reinforcing the importance of seeking divine guidance and living lives that glorify the essence of faith.

This week on The Sound Kitchen, you'll hear the answer to the question about the Macron/Starmer talks in Britain. There's “The Listener's Corner” and comic music from Rossini, as well as the new quiz and bonus questions, so click the “Play” button above and enjoy!  Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll hear the winners' names announced and the week's quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you've grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week. Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all! Facebook: Be sure to send your photos to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner! More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write “RFI English” in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos. Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you! Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard. Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level” and you'll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level. Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service, told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you'll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it! Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts! In addition to the news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more. There's Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, The International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis.  Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our journalists. You never know what we'll surprise you with! To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you'll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone. To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show.  Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below.  Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload! This week's quiz: On 24 May, I asked you a question about our article “EU and UK reunite in London for talks on diplomacy and defence” – that week, talks were held between France's President Emmanuel Macron and the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer – after five years of rather tense relations between the two countries, following Britain's exit from the EU in 2020. I asked you to send in the answer to this question:  Which three issues – aside from defense and security partnerships – were also discussed – issues which are still quite politically sensitive? The answer is: Fishing rights, food checks, and youth mobility. In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by Rafiq Khondaker: “What is your favorite animal, and why?” Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Nasyr Muhammad from Katsina State in Nigeria, who is also this week's bonus question winner. Congratulations on your double win, Nasyr. Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Debakamal Hazarika, the president of the United RFI Listeners Club in Assam, India, as well as RFI Listeners Club members Sharifa Akter Panna from Kishoreganj, Bangladesh; Zenon Teles, the president of the Christian – Marxist – Leninist - Maoist Association of Listening DX-ers in Goa, India, and last but assuredly not least, RFI English listener Rodrigo Hunrichse from Ciudad de Concepción, Chile. Congratulations, winners! Here's the music you heard on this week's programme: The overture to L'Italiana in Algerie by Giacchino Rossini, performed by Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic; “Round Midnight” by Thelonius Monk, performed by the Thelonius Monk Quartet; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children's Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and the Act I finale of L'Italiana in Algerie by Giacchino Rossini, sung by Marilyn Horne and Paolo Montarsolo with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra conducted by James Levine. Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr This week's question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you've listened to the show, re-read Alison's article “From Goma to Cape Town, the young Congolese athlete pedalling for peace”, which will help you with the answer. You have until 21 July to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 26 July podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number. Send your answers to: english.service@rfi.fr or Susan Owensby RFI – The Sound Kitchen 80, rue Camille Desmoulins 92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux France Click here to learn how to win a special Sound Kitchen prize. Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.   

In the aftermath of Diego's attack and a near-fatal rescue, tensions reignited between Sam and Liz as secrets began to unravel. Sam realized Liz may have been involved in the hit-and-run that nearly killed her—and confronted her, only to be met with a threat: if Sam exposed Liz, Liz would reveal Sam's darkest secret—watching Jake's kidnapping unfold without intervening. Their fragile truce shattered as both women scrambled to protect themselves, their reputations, and the children at the center of it all. Meanwhile, Lucky stood caught between the two—offering unwavering support to Liz while deepening his bond with Sam, unaware of the full truth either was hiding.As Sam's undercover mission with Jerry's drug ring escalated, so did the emotional fallout. Liz patched up Sam after a shooting and even encouraged her role in the boys' lives, while also confronting her own guilt and stepping back from Jason. Lucky, reeling from betrayals and burdened by unresolved feelings, remained the steady force in Liz's life. Though no longer romantic, their bond was undeniable—built on years of love, grief, and shared parenthood. In the wake of Jake's kidnapping and Liz's emotional unraveling, Lucky never wavered. He pulled her back from the edge, helped her through the trauma, and stood by her when she let go of Jason for good. Sitting together in the quiet aftermath, Liz and Lucky found not closure—but the strength to face whatever came next, side by side.#elizabethwebber #luckyspencer #rebeccaherbst #gregvaughn #jasonmorgan #steveburton #sammccall #kellymonaco #luluspencer #julieberman #gh #ghhistory #generalhospitalhistory #classicgh #luckyandliz #liason #generalhospitalabc #generalhospital Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah is in her homemade tea and nature girl era and She doeSn't even have to leave her own backyard! Cool guy Bobby discusses the cool S. In the game we talk about celebS and drug Slang and Scrabble and grocery StoreSTimestamps:1:18 - Sarah See Stuff in her backyard (not ghosts)8:50 - Tea queen & Teavana10:33 - Old Bandaid Tea  (Don't come for me aSSam lovers!)12:04 - Mulberry Vodka PoopS16:09 - Lincoln NebraSka Spring Break17:23 - Cool S and itS origin20:35 - Kilim lover  21:53 - "Our" code (already existed thing called pigpen) & owlS25:05 - Game BeginS: manholeS, Suquamish, Scrabble, Slip Walk, Smack, DrogaS,  Jollibee, Shopping49:54 - Bobby'S Reveal about the theme for thiS epiSode and why he did it. At what point did you realize the theme of the epiSode? our instagramBS's in this episodeBigtime ScrewupBtch SadBeautiful SummerBusiness SarahBed SheetsBrought (to you by) Skittles(Bad Sounds - Bobby's audio gets progressively less great and he has no idea what happened because he never changed anything on his end in the middle of recording but he'll get it sorted out for next time, thanks for bearing with us.) 

Hello, this is your daily dose of news from Onmanorama. Tune in to get updated about the major news stories of the day.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on The Sound Kitchen, you'll hear the answer to the question about the Cannes Film Festival. There's The Sound Kitchen mailbag, a surprise vocal guest for those of you feeling nostalgic, the “Listeners' Corner” with Paul Myers, and plenty of good music. All that, and the new quiz and bonus questions too, so click the “Play” button above and enjoy!  Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll hear the winners' names announced and the week's quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you've grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week. Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all! Facebook: Be sure to send your photos to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner! More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write “RFI English” in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos. Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you! Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard. Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level” and you'll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level. Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service, told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you'll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it! Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts! In addition to the news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more. There's Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, The International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis.  Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our journalists. You never know what we'll surprise you with! To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you'll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone. To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show.  Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below.  Another idea for your students: Brother Gerald Muller, my beloved music teacher from St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas, has been writing books for young adults in his retirement – and they are free! There is a volume of biographies of painters and musicians called Gentle Giants, and an excellent biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., too. They are also a good way to help you improve your English - that's how I worked on my French, reading books that were meant for young readers – and I guarantee you, it's a good method for improving your language skills. To get Brother Gerald's free books, click here. Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload! This week's quiz: On 17 May, I asked you about the 78th annual Cannes Film Festival, which opened that week.  RFI English journalist Ollia Horton was there, and I asked you a question about her article “Ukraine, Gaza and #MeToo in the spotlight as Cannes Film Festival opens”. You were to send in the names of the three documentaries about the Ukraine conflict - as well as the names of the filmmakers – that were screened on the opening day. The answer is: Zelensky, made by Yves Jeuland, Lisa Vapné, and Ariane Chemin; Notre Guerre ("Our War") by Bernard-Henri Lévy and co-director Marc Roussel, and 2,000 metres to Andriivka by Mstyslav Chernov and Alex Babenko. In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by Khondaker Rafiq Ul from Naogaon, Bangladesh: “What was your happiest moment in your radio - or your DXing – history?” Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr The winners are: RFI English listener Hijab Abid, a member of the Sungat Radio Listeners Club in Muzaffargarh, Pakistan. Hijab is also the winner of this week's bonus question. Congratulations, Hijab! Also on the list of lucky winners this week are Paresh Hazarika, a member of the United RFI Listeners Club in Assam, India, and RFI Listeners Club members Ataur Rahman Ranju, the president of the Alokito Manush Cai International Radio Listeners Club in Rangpur, Bangladesh, and Samir Mukhopadhyay from West Bengal, India. Last but not least, there's RFI English listener Rabiul Awal from Dhaka, Bangladesh. Congratulations, winners! Here's the music you heard on this week's programme:  “Gente Humile” by Garota, played by Baden Powell; “Stairway to Heaven” by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, played by Tetiana Mazur and Serhii Shamra; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children's Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “Cities in Dust” by Susan Ballion, Peter Edward Clarke and Steven Severin, performed by Siouxsie and the Banshees. Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr This week's question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you've listened to the show, re-read our article “Togo suspends French broadcasters RFI, France 24 for three months”, which will help you with the answer. You have until 14 July to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 19 July podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number. Send your answers to: english.service@rfi.fr or Susan Owensby RFI – The Sound Kitchen 80, rue Camille Desmoulins 92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux France Click here to learn how to win a special Sound Kitchen prize. Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.   

Lucky & Liz Nov 2007 - Feb 2008Tensions reach a boiling point in Port Charles as chaos erupts at Wyndemere—Liz discovers a corpse, weapons go missing, and a killer stalks the shadows. Lucky, Nikolas, and Coop scramble to find answers, but it's Jason who steps in to protect Liz, reigniting a storm of old secrets. The truth about Jake's paternity is finally exposed, tearing through the fragile foundation between Liz, Lucky, Jason, and Sam. A furious confrontation ends with Lucky punching Jason and demanding proof, as the emotional weight of betrayal threatens to crush them all.Meanwhile, Lucky and Liz find themselves at the center of the storm. As grief over Emily's death compounds their heartache, Liz turns to alcohol and Jason for comfort—while Lucky, still trying to be a present father to Jake and Cameron, is consumed by guilt and the crumbling of his family. Their already fragile relationship fractures further when Liz is injured saving Jake from a fire, and Lucky must rush into the burning hospital to help evacuate patients—starting with his son.As Sam and Liz clash, secrets come to light, including Sam's past misdeeds and her role in exposing Jake's paternity. Jason and Liz share moments of tenderness, but the danger surrounding them—both emotional and physical—keeps them apart. When Sam and Liz are abducted by the Text Message Killer, Diego Alcazar, it's Lucky who races to the rescue. As gunfire erupts, lives hang in the balance, and every decision carries devastating consequences.From paternity bombshells to deadly confrontations, this episode unpacks a turning point for Lucky and Liz—where love, loyalty, and loss collide. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the true story of ‘Jadav Molai Payeng', a young boy just like you from Assam who turned a empty land into a lush forest all by himself. With love, patience, and courage, he showed that even one person can help heal the Earth.

As Sam arrives in Vienna, a political bomb explodes. A secretly recorded video exposes ties between the far right and Russia, plunging the Austrian government into crisis and revealing a world where people like Jan Marsalek can thrive. Get ad-free access to the entire season of Hot Money: Agent of Chaos by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Access ad-free episodes, exclusive binges, full audiobooks, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows with Pushkin+. Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkinSubscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Abdulla Ajmal is the Chief Executive Officer of Ajmal Perfumes, a family-owned fragrance house renowned for its rich heritage and innovative approach to perfumery. As the first member of the third generation to join the business, Abdulla has played a key role in steering the brand toward global recognition while preserving its traditional values. Under his leadership, Ajmal Perfumes has expanded to over 50 countries, offering more than 1,000 fragrances through 300+ retail outlets and a robust e-commerce platform.Founded in 1951 by the late Haji Ajmal Ali, the brand began with humble roots in Assam, India, where Haji Ajmal transitioned from rice farming to perfumery with just Rs500. Ajmal is known for its unique "farm-to-fragrance" model, which controls every step from raw material cultivation to retail, ensuring quality and authenticity. Abdulla has further elevated the brand through global collaborations, sustainable initiatives, and creative collections like "The Untold Stories." His contributions have earned him recognition in Forbes Middle East and honors like the Divya Chakra Award.#hikmatwehbipodcast #podcast#arabicpodcast #AbdullaAjmal#Ajmal#wstudiodxbحكمت_وهبي#حكمت_وهبي_بودكاست##

First, The Indian Express' Tanushree Bose takes us through the case of the 22-year-old law student who has been arrested by the Kolkata Police over her “objectionable” social media post.Next, amid the ongoing debate over the size of the Indian economy, The Indian Express' Udit Misra breaks down what global rankings actually reveal,  and whether India is really the fourth-largest economy (10:38).And finally, we bring you updates on the grim flood situation in Assam, where at least 12 people have lost their lives in just 24 hours (24:40).Hosted, written and produced by Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

It's an Sam Solo Wednesday, and we have the latest on the Big Beautiful Bill inching its way through Congress. Some of the cuts will impact federally-backed science institutions, including weather monitoring. Florida meteorologist John Morales tells his viewers on air that he doesn't think he'll be able to predict the paths of hurricanes this season as he has in previous years because of the defunding of vital monitoring institutions. Scary. After that we have two great guests. First, Sam speaks to Wired senior writer Makena Kelly about Doge and Elon Musk's lingering impact on the government, as well as Palantir and it's role in government surveillance. Check out her reporting here: https://www.wired.com/author/makena-kelly/  After that Sam spoke to San Diego journalist Roberto Camacho to discuss his reporting in Bolts on a grass root organization dedicated to monitoring ICE and protecting immigrant communities. Check out his his piece here: https://boltsmag.org/how-volunteer-patrols-are-working-to-protect-san-diego-immigrant-communities-from-ice/ Follow Roberto on social media here: Twitter/IG/Threads: @rob_camacho_sd Bluesky: @robcamachosd.bsky.social In the Fun Half™, Elon Musk is now publicly poo poo-ing the Big Beautiful Bill which he thinks is bloated. Takes one to know one bud. As Sam points out, maybe it has something to do with how the bill would effect his bottom line. Patrick Bet-David and crew however are defending Trump, and Musk's drug use. They're in a tough spot these days. Alex Jones is going out of his way to defend Palantir. Gee, I wonder why? And for his part, Richie Torres is defending the Abundance Agenda.  Go figure. Here's the link to the petition that a commenter mentioned to stop Ohio Senate Bill 1 which would hurt freedom of speech and higher education: https://ohsb1petition.com/ Follow us on TikTok here!: https://www.tiktok.com/@majorityreportfm Check us out on Twitch here!: https://www.twitch.tv/themajorityreport Find our Rumble stream here!: https://rumble.com/user/majorityreport Check out our alt YouTube channel here!: https://www.youtube.com/majorityreportlive Gift a Majority Report subscription here: https://fans.fm/majority/gift Subscribe to the ESVN YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/esvnshow Subscribe to the AMQuickie newsletter here: https://am-quickie.ghost.io/ Join the Majority Report Discord! https://majoritydiscord.com/ Get all your MR merch at our store: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/ Get the free Majority Report App!: https://majority.fm/app Go to https://JustCoffee.coop and use coupon code majority to get 10% off your purchase! Check out today's sponsors: FAST GROWING TREES: Get 15% off your first purchase.  FastGrowingTrees.com/majority DELETE ME: Text MAJORITY to 64000 for 20% off your DeleteMe subscription JUST COFFEE: Go to https://JustCoffee.coop and use coupon code MAJORITY for 10% off your purchase! Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter: @SamSeder @EmmaVigeland @MattLech @RussFinkelstein Check out Matt's show, Left Reckoning, on Youtube, and subscribe on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/leftreckoning Check out Matt Binder's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/mattbinder Subscribe to Brandon's show The Discourse on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ExpandTheDiscourse Check out Ava Raiza's music here! https://avaraiza.bandcamp.com/ The Majority Report with Sam Seder – https://majorityreportradio.com/

First, we talk to The Indian Express' Sukrita Baruah about a series of detentions in Assam, where Bengali-origin Muslims declared foreigners have allegedly been pushed across the border into Bangladesh.Next, we speak to The Indian Express' Pratip Acharya about Mumbai's plan to clear over 270 acres of the Deonar landfill, one of India's oldest and largest, using bioremediation. (15:30)And in the end, we discuss Ukraine's latest large-scale drone operation, dubbed “Operation Spider's Web,” which targeted five Russian military air bases. (23:55)Hosted by Shashank BhargavaProduced and written by Shashank Bhargava and Ichha SharmaEdited and Mixed by Suresh Pawar

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Teri Allendorf, Executive Director of Community Conservation, to explore the transformative impact of community-led conservation. Dr. Allendorf brings over three decades of experience working at the intersection of biodiversity and local communities, with groundbreaking work in Nepal, India, Myanmar, Cameroon, China, and Belize. This conversation delves deep into how grassroots environmental initiatives and community-driven conservation projects are reshaping the future of wildlife protection and biodiversity conservation across the globe.Dr. Allendorf shares inspiring conservation success stories, including the remarkable revival of golden langur habitats in Assam's Kakarvijana Reserve Forest, tiger conservation in Nepal, and community forestry in Cameroon where gorilla habitats are protected through local action. We also revisit the origin of the now-celebrated Community Baboon Sanctuary in Belize, a pioneering project that catalyzed the global movement toward local wildlife protection and participatory conservation.The conversation highlights how biodiversity preservation efforts can only scale effectively when communities are seen not merely as beneficiaries but as agents of change. Community Conservation Inc. follows a unique nine-stage participatory model where local values and leadership define conservation priorities. This approach ensures that environmental protection is deeply embedded within the social and cultural fabric of the regions involved, linking cultural heritage and conservation in meaningful and lasting ways.We examine how gender inclusion plays a vital role in strengthening conservation outcomes. Dr. Allendorf shares her field experiences showing that when women are provided with the tools and knowledge—such as camera trapping techniques—they become powerful contributors to biodiversity management and local stewardship. The importance of engaging youth in conservation also takes center stage, as seen in programs like the summer camps and educational outreach hosted by women-led boards in Belize.The episode also confronts key challenges, such as the loss of community management when successful areas are turned into national parks, and how unsupportive or inconsistent government policies can stifle community momentum. Yet through it all, stories like the recovery of degraded forests in Assam and the rise of ecotourism and conservation in Belize show that community-based efforts can be both resilient and scalable.Listeners will gain insight into how sustainable community practices not only protect ecosystems but also enhance livelihoods, empower women, and strengthen governance. Dr. Allendorf emphasizes that effective conservation is polycentric—it thrives through collaboration among local communities, NGOs, scientists, and policymakers.Whether you're a conservation professional, a student, or someone passionate about wildlife and the environment, this episode offers a compelling look into how community-led biodiversity conservation is one of the most effective strategies for our planet's future. Discover how ordinary people—villagers, mothers, youth, and elders—are becoming extraordinary stewards of our planet's natural heritage.

This was a fire Questions & Answers discussion! After our Monday evening talk earlier this week, we explore some of the ecological, economical, political & sociological implications of Kālī sādhana. I make a case for overcoming all guilt and shame in the quest of personal self-expression, especially for women who are so often socialized to feel that their every impulse and desire is morally and culturally problematic. We discuss what it would be like to remove all barriers to a woman's being and, for lack of a better word, wild-ness and how Kālī sādhana demands just this. Along the same lines, we discuss the "taboo of menses": can I woman enter a temple and do sādhana during the time of her month? is there any reason behind this idea? We explore the reverence that Kaula Marga has for menses as the most potent and magical substances, with a reference to Mā' yoni in Kamakhya, Assam and Ambuvachi, when Mā bleeds. And then we compare this to the Dakshina marga or Brahmanical orthodox view that blood of all kinds is an impure and polluting substances to have a more well-rounded view of the issue across the entire spectrum of the tradition! Such wonderful questions and rich reflections. Thank you all for coming and participating! Jai Mā Kālī!And here is a playlist (our signature series, our flagship course), all of our talks on Mā.Support the showLectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and again Friday at 6pm PST.Use this link and I will see you there:https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnishTo get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM

This is the Catch Up on 3 Things by The Indian Express and I am Ichha SharmaToday is 28th of May and here are today's headlines.The Congress has renewed its call for President's Rule in Manipur after fresh violence in Jiribam and the resignation of BJP MLA Ashab Uddin. Party spokesperson Supriya Shrinate alleged that the N. Biren Singh-led government had failed to maintain law and order, calling the administration “invisible.” The opposition said the constitutional machinery had collapsed, with thousands still displaced since the 2023 ethnic clashes. The BJP, meanwhile, has defended its state government's handling of the situation.And from Manipur, we turn to Assam, where a legal battle is unfolding over alleged police encounters. The Supreme Court has stayed proceedings initiated by the Assam Human Rights Commission into 183 alleged fake police encounters that occurred between May 2021 and June 2022. A petition filed by a senior advocate claimed the panel had no jurisdiction, as many of the cases were already pending before courts. The Commission had asked Assam's top police and home officials to respond to its notice. The apex court has now called for affidavits from all parties within three weeks.Next, in Tamil Nadu, a remark by actor Kamal Haasan has sparked a linguistic and political row. Speaking at a Tamil Sangam event, Kamal Haasan claimed Tamil predates Kannada, citing a 2,500-year-old Tamil inscription. Karnataka BJP leaders sharply objected, accusing him of stoking regional discord. CT Ravi and Basanagouda Patil Yatnal called the comment disrespectful. Haasan later clarified that he was referencing historical records, not undermining any language.Two men in Kerala's Palakkad district have been arrested for assaulting a 24-year-old tribal man, alleging he had stolen a hen. A video of the attack, which took place on May 18 in Malampuzha, surfaced online, prompting public outcry. The accused were identified and booked under various sections, including those of the SC/ST Atrocities Act. Police confirmed the victim belongs to the Irula tribal community.Two Indian-origin men in the US have been sentenced to 33 and 63 months in prison for their role in a human smuggling operation. The case involved a family of four from Gujarat who died from exposure near the US-Canada border in 2022. The smugglers charged up to $100,000 for illegal crossings and had arranged the family's final, fatal attempt near Manitoba.This was the Catch Up on 3 Things by The Indian Express

In today's Tech3 from Moneycontrol, we unpack Cred's $75M fundraise at a steep valuation cut, Flipkart's plan to hire 5,000 people, and Tata Digital's move from Fort to Parel. We also track Tata's growing interest in Assam and spotlight Aequs, the aerospace manufacturer from Belagavi working with Boeing and Airbus. Plus, a funding roundup featuring Citykart, Frinks AI, and Slikk.

India eyes a fighter jet engine partnership with France's Safran post-Operation Sindoor, as delays hit GE supplies. Tata Sons faces fresh scrutiny over its listing exemption bid, with former CJI U U Lalit weighing in. Novo Nordisk races to launch Wegovy in India's growing weight-loss market. Plus, a monsoon-led market watch, Assam's semiconductor push, SEBI's block deal revamp, and the global family office pivot toward India.

rWotD Episode 2940: Honghari Welcome to Random Wiki of the Day, your journey through Wikipedia's vast and varied content, one random article at a time.The random article for Thursday, 22 May 2025, is Honghari.Honghari is the indigenous religion practice by the Karbi people of Assam in Karbi Anglong. The traditional religion of Karbi people is called Honghari.The Karbi religion and belief system is rooted in ritual ancestor worship, the veneration of household and territorial deities, and ceremonies for ancestors known as 'Karhi'. At the core of their spiritual tradition is the divine duo Hemphu and Mukrang, who hold the most prominent place in the Karbi pantheon. Karbis who continue to follow traditional practices are known as followers of Hemphu-Mukrang, and they often refer to themselves as 'Hemphu-Mukrang aso', meaning "children of Hemphu and Mukrang."Karbi deities are generally categorized into three groups based on their roles: Hem-Angtar, Rongker, and Thengpi-Thengso.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:44 UTC on Thursday, 22 May 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Honghari on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Danielle.

We recorded this some time back and its not as comprehensive as I would have liked it to be (lineage is such a rich and sprawling conversation, after all) so I never posted it but inspired by the conversations in the Discord this morning, I felt that this reflection would be good to have!There is some debate as to whether Macchanda, the founder of the Kaula lineage (who along with his consort and 12 children probably taught around 6-8th CE) is the same as the legendary Matsyendranatha who founded the Hatha Yoga tradition and who taught around the 12th or 13th CE. These are siddhas so they can live forever and materialize any body at any time for any reason, so dating can be a little complex! But there is no doubt that even if they are two different lineage founders that the Nath Sampradaya is included in the Kaula marga! Sri Ramakrishna inherits this lineage from both Kedarama Bhattacharyaji, who initiated him into the Kali mantra and also from Bhairavi Brahmani, who iniated him into the Kaula marga. Both Bhairavi Brahmani and also the legendary Macchanda, are said to have come from Assam. Whereas Konkanamba, by her name must have come from Maharasthra and Matsyendranath but especially Gorakshanath are perhaps from South India. By some accounts, Abhinava Gupta's guru Sambhunatha came from South India and Jnanetra Natha who founds the the Krama/Kali-Kula might have come from Jalandhara and been initiated by Kali herself in the form of the Yogini Mangala Devi in Oddiyana, in the swat valley! So what we get is a sort of Pan-Indian Kaula movement!You might enjoy Śani Deva's beautiful lineage tree which is part of the "community cheat sheet" he's working on!Support the showLectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and again Friday at 6pm PST.Use this link and I will see you there:https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnishTo get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM

We caught up with our friend Surya Ramachandran: Indian naturalist, author, big-cat tracker, and awesome guy.Highlights of our chat include:Home patch leopards: Surya's Nilgiri backyard hosts a multigenerational family of both black and rosetted leopards that he's watched closely for yearsSnow-leopard obsession: why eight straight winters in Ladakh still haven't dulled the thrill of the ghost of the HimalayasKing-cobra lore: nest-building serpents, roadside rescues, and the eerie pressure-cooker hiss they can emitHimalayan lowland magic: the diversity of Assam's Kaziranga–Manas–Nameri circuit—and why March should be peak time for Bengal floricans, Finn's weavers, and maybe even tiger...Life List tour: details on the 2026 Life List Assam Safari, with optional Taj Mahal/Bharatpur pre-trip and Kanha tiger post-extensionField-guide series update: Surya's next book covers India's deserts, salt pans, and forests of Western IndiaCome for the leopard cubs and king-cobra growls...stay for the tips on getting to see the best of India's birds and animals!Get more Life list by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com. Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adventures, and Mollee's company, Nighthawk Agency, to see more about what we're up to.

Crucial battles of World War II fought in India's northeast; followed soon after by India's Independence and Partition; had a critical impact on the making of modern Assam. In the three decades following 1947, the state of Assam underwent massive political turmoil, geographical instability, and social and demographic upheaval, among others. Later, the truncated state suffered widespread unrest as various groups believed their cultural identity and political leverage were under threat. New social energies and political forces were unleashed and came to the fore. This session draws from Arupjyoti Saikia's The Quest for Modern Assam: A History, 1942-2000 exploring the interconnected layers of political, environmental, economic, and cultural processes that shaped the development of Assam since the 1940s.  Arupjyoti Saikia will be in conversation with historian Anjum Hasan deliberating on the  questions which played a key role in the making of modern Assam and also that of the Republic of India. In this episode of BIC Talks, Arupjyoti Saikia will be in conversation with Anjum Hasan .This is an excerpt from a conversation that took place in the BIC premises in February 2025. Subscribe to the BIC Talks Podcast on your favorite podcast app! BIC Talks is available everywhere, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Overcast, Audible, and Amazon Music.

In today's Tech3 from Moneycontrol, we break down India's new approach to Chinese investments in electronics, Ultrahuman's surprising funding leap, YouTube's new India head, Dailyhunt's audit lapses, and Assam's bold plan for a Media City designed for influencers. Stay tuned for more news from the tech and startup world.

Episode SummaryIn this gripping episode of the GoMission podcast, Mark Gillmore interviews Brother Athing, a courageous church planter and missionary in Assam, Northeast India. Brother Athing shares his journey through intense hardship—imprisonment, persecution, loss, and natural disaster—and how God used each trial to deepen his faith and multiply gospel fruit. His story is a powerful testimony of perseverance and the unshakable resolve to follow God's call, even when everything else is stripped away.Note: Brother Athing speaks with a heavy accent that may be challenging to understand at times. A roughly summarized transcript of the episode is available to help you follow along.Topics DiscussedHow God called Brother Athing into missions in AssamInitial church planting and early fellowshipImprisonment and being abandoned by a supporting pastorStarting over after jail, with gospel tracts and hospital outreachLaunching a children's school and living in extreme povertyExperiencing betrayal, church arson, and the death of his brotherContinual persecution, including from radical Hindu groupsRebuilding a mission from scratch and launching a training centerThe conversion of a lead persecutor after receiving a gospel tractStrategic use of education as a gospel platformVision for a missionary training center and the fruit of over 38 churches plantedKey TakeawaysOpposition doesn't mean you're off course—in fact, it might mean you're right where God wants you.God tests before He opens doors—every major breakthrough in Brother Athing's ministry was preceded by trial.Faithfulness bears fruit—churches were planted, leaders trained, and persecutors converted because he stayed.Strategic compassion matters—a children's school became both a testimony and a shield for gospel work.God provides miraculously—from provision of land to the transformation of enemies into allies.If you have your own unique story of gospel advance or if you sense God leading you toward a particular people group, we'd love to hear about it. Even if it's just a sentence or two, share what God is doing in an email to gomission@theegeneration.org.GoMission, hosted by Mark Gillmore, is a monthly, missions-focused program designed to expose young people to the people, stories, and opportunities happening across the globe in the world's harvest fields. If you've been encouraged by this podcast, please take the time to give us a five-star rating and write a brief review. That would help tremendously in getting the word out and raising the visibility of the Thee Generation for others. For more faith inspiring resources and information about joining Thee Generation, please visit theegeneration.org.

First, The Indian Express' Varinder Bhatia discusses the Robert Vadra and DLF land case amid ED's recent summons.Second, we talk to The Indian Express Nikhila Henry about Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi being at the center of another controversy. (11:25)Lastly, we discuss the Assam panchayat elections' recent electoral conduct debate. (17:04)Hosted by Ichha SharmaProduced and Written by Shashank Bhargava, Niharika Nanda and Ichha SharmaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

Dr Julia Ravey and Dr Ella Hubber are both scientists, but it turns out there's a lot they don't know about the women that came before them. In Unstoppable, Julia and Ella tell each other the hidden, world-shaping stories of the scientists, engineers and innovators that they wish they'd known about when they were starting out in science. This week, the story of an Indian conservationist who combines stork preservation with female empowerment. On the banks of the Brahmaputra River in the Indian state of Assam, a young Purnima Barman discovers a love of storks whilst singing songs with her farmer grandmother. Fast forward decades later, she has created a community like no other by recruiting an army of over 20,000 village women to bring the Hargila storks from her childhood back from the brink of extinction. With their shared goal of restoring the relationship between the people and the wildlife, discover how Purnima is empowering women in the face of gender inequality. Presenters: Ella Hubber and Julia Ravey Guest Speaker: Dr Purnima Devi Barman Producers: Ella Hubber and Julia Ravey Assistant producers: Sophie Ormiston, Anna Charalambou and Josie Hardy Sound Designer: Ella Roberts Production Coordinator: Ishmael Soriano Editor: Holly Squire(Image: Purnima Devi Barman. Credit: Purnima Devi Barman)

How to be a Good Sexual Man: Interview with Sam Jolman Men, have you ever wished someone had sat you down and given you the sex talk you really needed—not the awkward, surface-level version, but a conversation that spoke to your heart, your masculinity, and how all of that relates to your sexuality and how God designed you?  That's exactly what therapist and author Sam Jolman offers in his book The Sex Talk You Never Got: Reclaiming the Heart of Masculine Sexuality. I was deeply honored to have him on the Delight Your Marriage podcast for a conversation I believe every man and every wife needs to hear. Below are some highlights from our conversation—rich truths that stirred awe, healing, and even some tears. We hope you can listen in on the podcast and check out his newest book, available everywhere books are sold. What Does It Mean to Be a “Good Sexual Man”? Sam shared how the term “good sexual man” often sounds like an oxymoron in our culture. If someone says a man is “very sexual,” we usually don't take it as a compliment. But what if masculinity and sexuality are meant to be good—designed by God, filled with honor, love, and even awe? Sam invites men to recover their God-given sexual goodness, not by ignoring the brokenness, but by acknowledging it and moving through it—through experiences of shame, silence, even possible harm into healing, wholeness, and holiness. He said, “The issue isn't too much sexual desire—but too little heart.”  Your heart was meant to be connected to your sexuality, and it is something that many of the men he speaks with have trouble bringing into their sexuality. Masculinity Reclaimed: More Than Behavior Management Too often, conversations around male sexuality in the church revolve around “behavior management”—Am I behaving or not? Am I sinning or not? But Sam urges men to ask deeper, more hopeful questions: What kind of lover am I?Do I pursue my wife emotionally, not just physically?Have I honored the wounds in my story that made me vulnerable?Have I mistaken my brokenness as only sin, when it's also about being wounded? This is not about making excuses—it's about seeking healing and becoming the kind of man who loves deeply and well. Awe, Sensuality & the Glory of a Woman's Body This part of our conversation brought me to tears. Sam quotes author Mike Mason who described his wife's naked body as glory. And Scripture supports this—glory is what is veiled in the Bible, not hidden out of shame, but out of reverence. What if we, as wives, were seen like that? What if our husbands truly beheld us as the masterpiece of God—with awe, wonder, tenderness, and joy? It is what every wife is truly longing for.  And what Sam beautifully points out is—this isn't about trying to say something simply to please your wife. It's about opening your eyes to the beauty God has already placed in front of you, for your pleasure, for your joy, and for your worship. Jesus: The Model of the Sensual and Strong Man Jesus was the manliest of men. He endured the cross, the lashing, the pain, all without complaint. But He also wept over the death of His friend. He was moved with compassion.He made excellent wine for a wedding! And as Sam so beautifully brought up, he received tenderness from a woman washing His feet with tears and perfume. Jesus was both strong and sensual. He didn't run from beauty—He embraced it. And Sam encourages men to do the same. Sex as Play, Not Pressure One of my favorite parts of Sam's book is the idea of sex as play. (As you know, we LOVE playfulness at Delight Your Marriage!) In the story of Isaac and Rebekah, Scripture uses the word “play” to describe their intimate interaction. Not “duty.” Not “obligation.” Not even “intercourse.” Just play. How different would sex feel to wives if it was simply seen as an invitation to play? To connect? To enjoy one another—without pressure or performance? When sex becomes play, there's less fear and more room for freedom and creativity. It becomes mutually joyful and it draws both hearts closer. We also both acknowledged that if sex is the only area right now where you play as a couple, it may not come as naturally or even feel awkward. Make sure to build a culture of play outside of the bedroom- go on playful dates, have playful jokes throughout the day- so that you can bring it into the bedroom more naturally. A Message to Men Carrying Sexual Shame Sam shared that many men, in the privacy of his counseling office, have revealed deep sexual shame—some of it stemming from trauma, abuse, or early exposure to sexuality that felt confusing or violating. The enemy wants men to bury those wounds in silence. But healing comes through truth, and through Jesus, who already knows, already sees, and already loves you.  As Sam reminded us, your brokenness is not just your sin—it's also your wounding. And it was wounding.  If this is you, you're not alone. And you can heal. God makes all things new. Final Thoughts: Why Every Husband (and Wife) Should Read This Book Sam's book isn't just another marriage resource. It's an invitation to men to become whole, godly, good sexual beings—men who integrate their strength with their heart, their sensuality with their faith, and their desire with deep love and awe of glory. And wives—if your husband reads this book, I believe you'll feel more seen, more cherished, and more pursued than ever before.We hope this conversation leaves you feeling inspired to take in the beauty around you, stand in awe of God, experience the sensuality and sexuality that God gave you (that was purposefully designed, not a mistake!), and experience the fullness of God in your relationship with your spouse. You can get The Sex Talk You Never You Never Got: Reclaiming the Heart of Masculine Sexuality wherever books are sold. (And there's currently a buy one, get one free on the website so go now!) samjolman.com Sam Jolman is a lover, father, therapist, and writer, generally in that order. His newest book, The Sex Talk You Never You Never Got: Reclaiming the Heart of Masculine Sexuality, has already received rave reviews, including a review and foreword from author John Eldredge (Wild at Heart). Sam also writes regularly on Substack and offers live monthly discussions with subscribers on topics like Christian sexuality, masculinity, healing from shame, and more. With love,   Belah & Team PS - If you're interested in learning more about our Masculinity Reclaimed program, please visit https://delightyourmarriage.com/programs/ or schedule a free Clarity Call at delightym.com/cc PPS - In case you missed it, we launched our social media channels last week! You can now get extra Delight Your Marriage content as you go about your week! Yeah, we're really happy about it too :) Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube, and say hello!

As Sam's time grows shorter, tensions and emotions run high. Rachel's estranged boyfriend unexpectedly shows up to support her, leading to a heated confrontation with her father over past grievances. Amid a bittersweet celebration, the family tries to hold on to moments of joy—but they're all painfully aware of what's coming. When Rachel uncovers a long-held secret, it might be the key to changing her father's heart.Featuring: Mairi Babb, Ron Lea, Brendan McMurtry-Howlett, Shaina Silver-Baird, Ralph Small.In Seven Days is by Jordi Mand.

First, we talk to The Indian Express' Sukrita Baruah who tells us about the arrest of journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumdar following his coverage of a protest against a government-affiliated bank in Assam.Next, The Indian Express' Nikhil Ghanekar discusses the parliamentary report highlighting the severe underutilisation of funds allocated for pollution control. (13:42)Lastly, we speak to The Indian Express' Parul Kulshrestha who talks about an initiative that has helped hundreds of people with disabilities in Rajasthan's Salumber district. (22:19)Hosted by Ichha SharmaProduced and written by Shashank Bhargava and Ichha SharmaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

This is the Catchup on 3 Things by The Indian Express and I'm Ichha SharmaToday is the 2th of March and here are the headlines.Kunal Kamra, in a standup show, had taken a jibe at Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde referring to him as a “gaddar” (traitor) following which an FIR for defamation was registered against the comedian on Monday. Shiv Sena workers had vandalised the Habitat studio where the standup show was shot, with 12 of them being arrested and later released on bail. Maharashtra Legislative Council Chairman Ram Shinde on Thursday said that the breach of privilege motion filed against stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra has been accepted and sent to the privilege committee of the legislative council.The Assam police arrested journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumdar on Tuesday night after detaining him for several hours following his coverage of a protest against the Assam Co-operative Apex Bank (ACAB). Hussain is a reporter with the Assam-based digital media portal The CrossCurrent, known for its investigative reportage on the state government. He is also the assistant general secretary of the Guwahati Press Club. The grounds for his arrest, which were presented to his family hours after he was detained, state that he was arrested for alleged criminal intimidation and violation of provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for “offensive remarks” against the complainant.Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy moved a resolution against delimitation in the legislative assembly on Thursday. The resolution read, quote “The house expresses its deep concern on the manner in which the impending delimitation exercise is being planned, without transparent consultations with stakeholders.” unquote. The resolution was later adopted by the House and passed. Reddy posted about it on X stating:quote “…People of Telangana and citizens of all other states of south India are united in protecting our rights” unquote.US President Donald Trump has decided to expand his trade war to the world's most traded product — automobiles and auto parts — by announcing 25 per cent tariffs on them from April 3. This has raised the uncertainty over Indian exports of auto components worth nearly $7 billion to the US and their future growth potential in the North American market. Citing national security concerns, the White House said that automobiles would be subject to 25 per cent tariffs starting on April 3 — a day after US reciprocal tariffs are set to come into effect — while auto parts would face similar tariffs “no later than May 3 2025,” unless such actions are expressly “reduced, modified, or terminated.”South Korea's government has been held responsible for multiple human rights violations for fabricating birth records, falsely reporting that children had been abandoned over decades for a programme which sent about 200,000 children and babies abroad for adoption, a landmark enquiry by the truth commission has found. Private agencies were able to export babies and children due to government's lack of oversight and the agencies were driven by profit which enabled the “mass exportation of children” and numerous examples of coercion, false records and fraud have been found in the scheme.This was the Catch Up on 3 Things by the Indian Express.

This is the Catchup on 3 Things by The Indian Express and I'm Ichha SharmaToday is the 26th of March and here are the headlines.In a late-night order on Tuesday, former Enforcement Directorate chief Sanjay Kumar Mishra was appointed a full-time member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM). The EAC-PM, an independent advisory body, has had one vacancy since the death of its former chairman Bibek Debroy in November 2024. The former Ed chief had a high-profile stint, and somewhat ignominious end, as the ED Director. After he took over in 2018, the agency went about pursuing money laundering investigations at a break neck pace. By 2022, 65% of all asset attachments carried out by the ED in the previous 17 years had been made under his signature, with the agency carrying out more than 2,000 raids.The Assam police arrested journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumdar last night after detaining him for several hours following his coverage of a protest against the Assam Co-operative Apex Bank (ACAB). Hussain is a reporter with the Assam-based digital media portal The CrossCurrent, known for its investigative reportage on the state government. He is also the assistant general secretary of the Guwahati Press Club. The grounds for his arrest, which were presented to his family hours after he was detained, state that he was arrested for alleged criminal intimidation and violation of provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for “offensive remarks” against the complainant.A spate of chain-snatching incidents in Chennai, executed within an hour on yesterday culminated in the fatal police shooting of one of the suspects near Taramani railway station today. Police said the men, part of a notorious gang, targeted elderly women and morning walkers in neighbourhoods along East Coast Road, Adyar and Besant Nagar. According to the police, two suspects, both from Uttar Pradesh, were intercepted at Chennai International Airport as they attempted to board a flight to New Delhi.A day after what Donald Trump termed as “the only glitch in two months”, US National Security Adviser, Mike Waltz, said he took full responsibility for leak of military plans in a Signal chat. He said quote, “I take full responsibility. I built the group. My job is to make sure everything is coordinated,” unquote in an interview with Fox News, in which he conceded: “it's embarrassing”. Waltz's comments came a day after Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of the Atlantic, revealed that he was added to a group on Signal, a private messaging app, that included vice-president JD Vance, defense secretary Pete Hegseth, secretary of state Marco Rubio and other high-profile figures discussing “operational details” of US airstrikes on Houthis in Yemen.South Korea's government has been held responsible for multiple human rights violations for fabricating birth records, falsely reporting that children had been abandoned over decades for a programme which sent about 200,000 children and babies abroad for adoption, a landmark enquiry by the truth commission has found. Private agencies were able to export babies and children due to government's lack of oversight and the agencies were driven by profit which enabled the “mass exportation of children” and numerous examples of coercion, false records and fraud have been found in the scheme.This was the Catch Up on 3 Things by the Indian Express.

This episode we will finish up the travels of Xuanzang, who circumnavigated the Indian subcontinent while he was there, spending over a decade and a half travelings, visiting important Buddhist pilgrimage sites, and studying at the feet of learned monks of India, and in particular at Nalanda monastery--a true center of learning from this period. For more, check out our blogpost page:  https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-122 Rough Transcript Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua and this is episode 122:  Journey to the West, Part 3 The courtyard at Nalanda was quiet.  Although hundreds of people were crowded in, trying to hear what was being said, they were all doing their best to be silent and still.  Only the wind or an errant bird dared speak up.  The master's voice may not have been what it once was—he was definitely getting on in years—but Silabhadra's mind was as sharp as ever. At the front of the crowd was a relatively young face from a far off land.  Xuanzang had made it to the greatest center of learning in the world, and he had been accepted as a student of perhaps the greatest sage of his era.  Here he was, receiving lessons on some of the deepest teachings of the Mahayana Buddhist sect, the very thing he had come to learn and bring home. As he watched and listened with rapt attention, the ancient teacher began to speak….   For the last two episodes, and continuing with this one, we have been covering the travels of the monk Xuanzang in the early 7th century, starting around 629 and concluding in 645.  Born during the Sui dynasty, Xuanzang felt that the translations of the Buddhist sutras available in China were insufficient—many of them had been made long ago, and often were translations of translations.  Xuanzang decided to travel to India in the hopes of getting copies in the original language to provide more accurate translations of the sutras, particularly the Mahayana sutras.  His own accounts of his journeys, even if drawn from his memory years afterwards, provide some of our most detailed contemporary evidence of the Silk Road and the people and places along the way.  After he returned, he got to work on his translations, and became quite famous.  Several of the Japanese students of Buddhism who traveled to the Tang dynasty in the 650s studied under him directly and brought his teachings back to Japan with them.  His school of “Faxiang” Buddhism became known in Japan as the Hosso sect, and was quite popular during the 7th and 8th centuries.  Xuanzang himself, known as Genjou in Japan, would continue to be venerated as an important monk in the history of Buddhism, and his travels would eventually be popularized in fantastic ways across East Asia. Over the last couple of episodes we talked about Xuanzang's illegal and harrowing departure from the Tang empire, where he had to sneak across the border into the deserts of the Western Regions.  We then covered his time traveling from Gaochang, to Suyab, and down to Balkh, in modern Afghanistan.  This was all territory under the at least nominal control of the Gokturk empire.  From Balkh he traveled to Bamyan, and then on to Kapisa, north of modern Kabul, Afghanistan.  However, after Kapisa, Xuanzang was finally entering into the northern territories of what he knew as “India”, or “Tianzhu”. Here I would note that I'm using “India” to refer not to a single country, but to the entirety of the Indian subcontinent, and all of the various kingdoms there -- including areas now part of the modern countries of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.  The Sinitic characters used to denote this region are pronounced, today, as “Tianzhu”, with a rough meaning of “Center of Heaven”, but it is likely that these characters were originally pronounced in such a way that the name likely came from terms like “Sindhu” or “Induka”.  This is related to the name of the Sindh or Indus river, from which India gets its name.  Xuanzang's “Record of the Western Regions” notes that the proper pronunciation of the land should be “Indu”.  In Japan, this term was transmitted through the Sinitic characters, or kanji, and pronounced as “Tenjiku”.  Since it featured so prominently in the stories of the life of the Buddha and many of the Buddhist sutras, Tenjiku was known to the people of the Japanese archipelago as a far off place that was both real and fantastical. In the 12th century, over a thousand stories were captured for the “Konjaku Monogatarishu”, or the “Collection of Tales Old and New”, which is divided up into tales from Japan, China, and India.  In the famous 9th or 10th century story, “Taketori Monogatari”, or the “Bamboo-Cutter's Tale”, about princess Kaguya hime, one of the tasks the princess sets to her suitors is to go to India to find the begging bowl of the Buddha.  Records like those produced by Xuanzang and his fellow monks, along with the stories in the sutras, likely provided the majority of what people in the Japanese archipelago knew about India, at least to begin with. Xuanzang talks about the land of India as being divided into five distinct parts—roughly the north, south, east, west, and center.  He notes that three sides face the sea and that the Snow Mountains—aka the Himalayas—are in the north.  It is, he says, “Wide in the north and narrow in the south, in the shape of a crescent moon”.  Certainly the “Wide in the north and narrow in the south” fit the subcontinent accurately enough, and it is largely surrounded by the waters of what we know as the Indian Ocean to the west, the east, and the south.  The note about the Crescent Moon might be driven by Xuanzang's understanding of a false etymology for the term “Indus”, which he claims comes from the word for “moon”.  Rather, this term appears to refer to the Indus River, also known as the Sindh or Sindhus, which comes from an ancient word meaning something like “River” or “Stream”. Xuanzang also notes that the people of the land were divided into castes, with the Brahman caste at the top of the social hierarchy.    The land was further divided into approximately 70 different countries, according to his accounts.  This is known broadly as the Early Medieval period, in India, in which the region was divided into different kingdoms and empires that rose and fell across the subcontinent, with a total size roughly equivalent to that covered by the countries of the modern European Union.  Just like Europe, there were many different polities and different languages spoken across the land – but just as Latin was the common language in Europe, due to its use in Christianity, Sanskrit was the scholarly and religious language in much of India, and could also be used as a bridge language.  Presumably, Xuanzang understood Sanskrit to some extent as a Buddhist monk.  And, just a quick note, all of this was before the introduction of Islam, though there were other religions also practiced throughout the subcontinent, but Xuanzang was primarily focused on his Buddhist studies. Xuanzang describes India as having three distinct seasons—The hot season, the rainy season, and the cold season, in that order.  Each of these were four month long periods.  Even today, the cycle of the monsoon rains is a major impact on the life of people in South Asia.  During the rainy season, the monks themselves would retreat back to their monasteries and cease their wanderings about the countryside. This tradition, called “Vassa”, is still a central practice in many Theravada Buddhist societies such as Thailand and Laos today, where they likewise experience this kind of intensely wet monsoon season. Xuanzang goes on to give an in depth analysis of the people and customs of the Indian subcontinent, as he traveled from country to country. So, as we've done before, we'll follow his lead in describing the different locations he visited. The first country of India that Xuanzang came to was the country of Lampa, or Lamapaka, thought to be modern Laghman province in Afghanistan.  At the time it was a dependency of Kapisa.  The Snow Mountains, likely meaning the Hindu Kush, the western edge of the Himalayas, lay at its north, while the “Black Mountains” surrounded it on the other three sides.  Xuanzang mentions how the people of Lampa grow non-glutinous rice—likely something similar to basmati rice, which is more prevalent in South Asian cuisine, as compared to glutinous rice like more often used in East Asia. From Lampa he headed to Nagarahara, likely referring to a site near the Kabul River associated with the ruins of a stupa called Nagara Gundi, about 4 kilometers west of modern Jalalabad, Afghanistan.  This was another vassal city-state of Kapisa.  They were still Mahayana Buddhists, but there were other religions as well, which Xuanzang refers to as “heretical”, though I'm not entirely sure how that is meant in this context.  He does say that many of the stupas were dilapidated and in poor condition. Xuanzang was now entering areas where he likely believed the historical Buddha had once walked.  In fact, Lampa was perhaps the extent of historical Buddha's travels, according to the stories and the sutras, though this seems unlikely to have been true.  The most plausible locations for the Historical Buddha's pilgrimages were along the Ganges river, which was on the other side of the subcontinent, flowing east towards modern Kolkatta and the Bengal Bay.  However, as Buddhism spread, so, too, did stories of the Buddha's travels.  And so, as far as Xuanzang was concerned, he was following in the footsteps of the Buddha. Speaking of which, at Nagarahara, Xuanzang mentions “footprints” of the Buddha.  This is a Buddhist tradition found in many places.  Xuanzang claims that the Tathagatha, the Englightened One, or the Buddha, would fly, because when he walked the land itself shook.  Footprint shapes in rock could be said to be evidence of the Buddha's travels.  Today, in many Buddhist areas you can find footprints carved into rock conforming to stories about the Buddha, such as all the toes being of the same length, or other various signs.  These may have started out as natural depressions in the rock, or pieces of artwork, but they were believed by many to be the actual point at which the Buddha himself touched down.  There are famous examples of these footprints in Sri Lanka, Thailand, and China.  Of course there are also traditions of creating images of the footprint as an object of worship.  Images of footprints, similar to images of the Great Wheel of the Law, may have been some of the earliest images for veneration, as images of the Buddha himself did not appear until much later in the tradition.  One of the oldest such footprints in Japan is at Yakushiji temple, and dated to 753.  It was created based on a rubbing brought back by an envoy to the Tang court, while they were in Chang'an. Like Buddha footprints, there are many other images and stories that show up multiple times in different places, even in Xuanzang's own narrative.  For example, in Nagarahara Xuanzang also shares a story of a cave, where an image of the Buddha could be just barely made out on the wall – maybe maybe an old carving that had just worn away, or maybe an image that was deliberately placed in the darkness as a metaphor for finding the Buddha—finding enlightenment.  This is not an uncommon theme in Buddhism as a whole.  In any case, the story around this image was that it had been placed there to subdue a naga. Now a naga is a mythical snake-like being, and  we are told that this particular naga was the reincarnation of a man who had invoked a curse on the nearby kingdom, then threw himself from a cliff in order to become a naga and sow destruction.  As the story went, the man was indeed reborn, but before he could bring destruction, the Buddha showed up and subdued him, convincing him that this was not right.  And so the naga agreed to stay in the cave, where the Buddha left an image—a shadow—to remind the naga any time that its thoughts might turn to destruction. Later in his travels, at a place name Kausambi, Xuanzang mentions another cave where the Buddha had subdued a venomous dragon and left his shadow on the cave wall.  Allowing for the possibility that the Buddha just had a particular M.O. when dealing with destructive beings, we should also consider the possibility that the story developed in one region—probably closer to the early center of Buddhism, and then traveled outward, such that it was later adopted and adapted to local traditions.  From Nagarahara, Xuanzang continued to the country of Gandhara and its capital city of Purushapura, aka modern Peshwar.  This kingdom was also under vassalage to the Kapisan king.  Here and elsewhere in the journey, Xuanzang notes not only evidence of the historical Buddha, but also monasteries and stupas purported to have been built by King Kanishka and King Asoka.  These were important figures who were held in high regard for spreading Buddhism during their reign.  Continuing through the region of Gandhara, he also passed through Udakhand and the city of Salatura, known as the birthplace of the ancient Sanskrit grammarian, Daksiputra Panini, author of the Astadhyayi [Aestudjayi].  This work is the oldest surviving description of classical Sanskrit, and used grammatical and other concepts that wouldn't be introduced into Western linguistics for eons.  Daksiputra Panini thrived around the 5th or 4th century BCE, but was likely one of the reasons that Sanskrit continued to be used as a language of scholarship and learning even as it died out of usage as the day to day language of the common people.  His works and legacy would have been invaluable to translators like Xuanzang in understanding and translating from Sanskrit. Xuanzang continued on his journey to Kashmira, situated in the Kashmir Valley.  This valley sits between the modern states of Pakistan and India, and its ownership is actively disputed by each.  It is the namesake of the famous cashmere wool—wool from the winter coats of a type of goat that was bred in the mountainous regions.  The winter coat would be made of soft, downy fibers and would naturally fall out in the spring, which the goatherds harvested and made into an extremely fine wool.  In the 7th century and earlier, however, the region was known not as much for its wool, but as a center for Hindu and Buddhist studies.  Xuanzang ended up spending two years in Kashmira studying with teachers there.  Eventually, though, he continued on, passing through the country of Rajpura, and continuing on to Takka and the city of Sakala—modern day Sialkot in the Punjab region of modern Pakistan.  Leaving Sakala, he was traveling with a group when suddenly disaster struck and they were accosted by a group of bandits.  They took the clothes and money of Xuanzang and those with him and then they drove the group into a dry pond in an attempt to corral them while they figured out what they would do—presumably meaning kill them all.  Fortunately for the group, there was a water drain at the southern edge of the pond large enough for one man to pass through.  Xuanzang and one other went through the gap and they were able to escape to a nearby village.  Once they got there, they told the people what had happened, and the villagers quickly gathered weapons and ran out to confront the brigands, who saw a large group coming and ran away.  Thus they were able to rescue the rest of Xuanzang's traveling companions.  Xuanzang's companions were devastated, having lost all of their possessions.  However, Xuanzang comforted them.  After all, they still had their lives.  By this time, Xuanzang had certainly seen his fair share of life and death problems along the road.  They continued on, still in the country of Takka, to the next great city.  There they met a Brahman, and once they told him what had happened, he started marshalling the forces of the city on their behalf.  During Xuanzang's stay in Kashmira, he had built a reputation, and people knew of the quote-unquote “Chinese monk”.  And even though the people in this region were not necessarily Buddhist—many were “heretics” likely referring to those of Hindu faith—the people responded to this pre-Internet “GoFundMe” request with incredible generosity.  They brought Xuanzang food and cloth to make into suits of clothes.  Xuanzang distributed this to his travel companions, and ended up still having enough cloth for 50 suits of clothes himself.  He then stayed at that city a month. It is odd that they don't seem to mention the name of this location.  Perhaps there is something unspeakable about it?  Still, it seems that they were quite generous, even if they were “heretics” according to Xuanzang. From the country of Takka, he next proceeded to the kingdom of Cinabhukti, where he spent 14 months—just over a year—studying with the monks there.  Once he had learned what he could, he proceeded onwards, passing through several countries in northern India until he came to the headwaters of the sacred Ganges rivers.  The Indus and the Ganges rivers are in many ways similar to the Yellow River and Yangzi, at least in regards to their importance to the people of India.  However, whereas the Yellow River and Yangzi both flow east towards the Pacific Ocean, the Indus and Ganges flow in opposite directions.  The Indus flows southwest, from the Himalayas down through modern India into modern Pakistan, emptying into the western Indian Ocean.  The Ganges flows east along the base of the Himalayas and enters the eastern Indian Ocean at Kolkatta.   At the headwaters of the Ganges, Xuanzang found a Buddhist monk named Jayagupta and chose to spend the winter and half of the following spring listening to his sermons and learning at his feet. From there he continued his travels, and ended up being summoned by King Harshavardhana of Kanyakubja, known today as the modern city of Kannauj.  Harshavardhana ruled an immense state that covered much of the territory around the sacred Ganges river.  As word of this strange monk from a far off land reached him, the King wanted to see him for himself.  Xuanzang stayed in Kannauj for three months, completing his studies of the Vibhasha Shastra, aka the Abhidarmma Mahavibhasha Shastra, known in Japanese as the Abidatsuma Daibibasharon, or just as the Daibibasharon or the Basharon, with the latter two terms referring to the translations that Xuanzang performed.   This work is not a sutra, per se, but rather an encyclopedic work that attempted to speak on all of the various doctrinal issues of its day.  It is thought to have been authored around 150 CE, and was influential in the Buddhist teachings of Kashmira, when that was a center of Orthodoxy at the time.  This is what Xuanzang had started studying, and it seems that in Kannauj he was finally able to grasp everything he felt he needed to know about it in order to effectively translate it and teach it when he returned.  That said, his quest was not over.  And after his time in Kannauj, he decided to continue on. His next stop was at the city of Ayodhya.  This was—and is—a city of particular importance in Hindu traditions.  It is said to be the city mentioned in the epic tale known as the Ramayana, though many argue that it was simply named that later in honor of that ancient city.  It does appear to be a city that the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, visited and where he preached.  It was also the home of a famous monk from Gandhara who authored a number of Buddhist tomes and was considered, at least by Xuanzang, a proper Boddhisatva.  And so Xuanzang spent some time paying homage to the places where the Buddha and other holy figures had once walked. “Ayodhya” appears in many forms across Asia.  It is a major pilgrimage center, and the city of “Ayutthaya” in Thailand was named for it, evoking the Ramayana—known in Thai as the Ramakien—which they would adopt as their own national story.  In Silla, there is a story that queen Boju, aka Heo Hwang-ok, wife to the 2nd century King Suro of Geumgwan Gaya, traveled to the peninsula all the way from the foreign country of “Ayuta”, thought to mean Ayodhya.  Her story was written down in the Gaya histories and survives as a fragment found in the Samguk Yusa.  Members of the Gimhae Kim, Gimhae Heo, and Incheon Yi clans all trace their lineage back to her and King Suro. From Ayodhya, Xuanzang took a trip down the Ganges river.  The boat was packed to bursting with some 80 other travelers, and as they traveled towards a particularly heavily forested area, they were set upon by bandits, who rowed their ships out from hiding in the trees and forced the travelers to the shore.  There the bandits made all the travelers strip down and take off their clothing so that the bandits could search for gold or valuables.  According to Xuanzang's biography, these bandits were followers of Durga, a Hindu warrior-goddess, and it is said that each year they would look for someone of particularly handsome features to sacrifice to her.  With Xuanzang's foreign features, they chose him.  And so they took him to be killed.  Xuanzang mentioned that he was on a pilgrimage, and that by interrupting him before they finished he was worried it might be inauspicious for them, but he didn't put up a fight and merely asked to be given time to meditate and calm his mind and that they perform the execution quickly so that he wouldn't even notice. From there, according to the story, a series of miracles occurred that ended up with Xuanzang being released and the bandits worshipping at his feet.  It is times like this we must remember that this biography was being written by Xuanzang's students based on stories he told them about his travels.  While being accosted by bandits on the river strikes me as perfectly plausible, we don't necessarily have the most reliable narrators, so I'm going to have to wonder about the rest.  Speaking of unreliable narration, the exact route that Xuanzang traveled from here on is unclear to me, based on his stated goals and where he was going.  It is possible that he was wandering as opportunities presented themselves —I don't know that he had any kind of map or GPS, like we've said in the past.  And it may be that the routes from one place to another were not always straightforward.  Regardless, he seems to wander southeast for a period before turning again to the north and eventually reaching the city of Shravasti. Shravasti appeared in our discussion of the men of Tukhara in Episode 119.  With the men of Tukhara there was also mentioned a woman from Shravasti.  While it is unlikely that was actually the case—the names were probably about individuals from the Ryukyuan island chain rather than from India—it is probably worth nothing that Shravasti was a thriving place in ancient times.  It was at one time the capital city of the kingdom of Kosala, sharing that distinction with the city of Ayodhya, back in the 7th to 5th centuries BCE.  It is also where the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, was said to have spend many years of his life.  This latter fact would have no doubt made it a place of particular importance to Xuanzang on his journeys. From there he traveled east, ending up following the foothills of the Himalayas, and finally came to some of the most central pilgrimages sites for followers of the historical Buddha.  First, he reached Lumbini wood, in modern Nepal, said to have been the birthplace of Prince Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha.  And then he visited Kushinagara, the site where the Buddha ascended to nirvana—in other words, the place where he passed away.  From there, he traveled to Varanasi, and the deer park monastery, at the place where the Buddha is said to have given one of his most famous sermons.  He even visited the Bodhi tree, the tree under which Siddhartha Gautama is said to have attained enlightenment.  He spent eight or nine days there at Bodhgaya, and word must have spread about his arrival, because several monks from the eminent Nalanda Monastery called upon him and asked him to come to the monastery with them. Nalanda Monastery was about 80 km from Bodhgaya.  This was a grand monastery and center of learning—some say that it was, for a time, the greatest in the world.  It had been founded in the 5th century by the Gupta dynasty, and many of the Gupta rulers and others donated to support the monastery, which also acted as a university.  After the fall of the Gupta dynasty, the monastery was supported by King Harsha of Kannauj, whom Xuanzang had visited earlier.  It ultimately thrived for some 750 years, and is considered by some to be the oldest residential university—meaning that students would come to the temple complex and stay in residence for years at a time to study.  According to Xuanzang, Nalanda hosted some 10,000 monks. Including hosts and guests.  They didn't only study Buddhist teachings, but also logic, grammar, medicine, and divination.  Lectures were given at more than 100 separate places—or classrooms—every day.  It was at Nalanda, that Xuanzang would meet the teacher Silabhadra, who was known as the Right Dharma Store.  Xuanzang requested that he be allowed to study the Yogacharabhumi Shastra—the Yugashijiron, in Japanese.  This is the work that Xuanzang is said to have been most interested in, and one of the works that he is credited with bringing back in one of the first full translations to the Tang dynasty and then to others in East Asia.  It is an encyclopedic work dedicated to the various forms of Yogacara practice, which focuses on the mental disciplines, and includes yoga and meditation practices.  It has a huge influence on nearly all Mahayana schools, including things like the famous Zen and Pure Land schools of Buddhism.  The Yogacharabhumi Shastra is the earliest such encyclopedic work, compiled between the 3rd and 5th centuries—so even if the monk Faxian had brought portions of it back, it was probably not in the final form that Xuanzang was able to access. Silabhadra, for his part, was an ancient teacher—some put his age at 106 years, and his son was in his 70s.  He was one of the few at Nalandra who supposedly knew all of the various texts that they had at the monastery, including the Yogacarabhumi Shastra.  Xuanzang seems to have been quite pleased to study under him.  Xuanzang stayed at the house of Silabhadra's son, Buddhabhadra, and they welcomed him with entertainment that lasted seven days.  We are told that he was then given his own lodgings, a stipend of spices, incense, rice, oil, butter, and milk, along with a servant and a Brahman.  As a visiting monk, he was not responsible for the normal monastic duties, instead being expected to spend the time in study.  Going out, he was carried around by an elephant.   This was certainly the royal treatment. Xuanzang's life at Nalandra wasn't all books: south of the monastery was the city of Rajagrha, the old capital of the kingdom of Magadha, where the ancient Gupta kings had once lived, and on occasional breaks from his studies, Xuanzang would venture out to see the various holy sites.  This included the famous Mt. Grdhrakuta, or Vulture Peak, a location said to be favored by the historical Buddha and central to the Lotus Sutra, arguably the founding document of Mahayana Buddhist tradition. After all, “Mahayana” means “Greater Vehicle” and it is in the Lotus Sutra that we see the metaphor of using different vehicles to escape a burning house.   We've already talked a bit about how the image of Vulture Peak had already become important in Japanese Buddhism: In Episode 112 we talked about how in 648, Abe no Oho-omi had drums piled up at Shitennoji in the shape of Vulture Peak. But although the sightseeing definitely enhanced his experience, Xuanzang was first and foremost there to study.  He spent 15 months just listening to his teacher expound on the Yogacarabhumi Shastra, but he also heard expositions on various other teachings as well.  He ended up studying at Nalandra Monastery for 5 years, gaining a much better understanding of Sanskrit and the various texts, which would be critically important when it came to translating them, later. But, Xuanzang was not one to stay in any one place forever, and so after 5 years—some 8 years or more into his journey, he continued on, following the Ganges east, to modern Bangladesh.  Here he heard about various other lands, such as Dvarapati—possibly referring to Dvaravati, in modern Thailand, as well as Kamalanka and Isanapura.  The latter was in modern Cambodia, the capital of the ancient Chenla kingdom.  Then Mahacampa—possibly referring to the Champa region of Vietnam—and the country of Yamanadvipa.  But there was still more of India for Xuanzang to discover, and more teachings to uncover, and so Xuanzang decided instead to head southwest, following the coast.  He heard of the country of Sinhala, referring to the island of Sri Lanka, but he was urged not to go by ship, as the long journey was perilous.  Instead he could stay on relatively dry land and head down to the southern tip of the subcontinent and then make a quick hop from there across to the island.  He traveled a long distance, all the way down to Kancipuram, the seat of the Pallava dynasty, near modern day Chennai.  From the seaport near Kancipuram, it was only three days to Sinhala—that is to say Sri Lanka—but before he could set out, he met a group of monks who had just arrived.  They told him that the king of Sinhala had died , and there was a great famine and civil disturbances.  So they had fled with some 300 other monks. Xuanzang eventually decided not to make the journey, but he did talk with the monks and gathered information on the lands to the south, on Sri Lanka, and on the islands south of that, by which I suspect he may have meant the Maldives.  While Sri Lanka is an area important to Buddhist scholarship, particularly to the Theravada schools, this likely did not impress Xuanzang, and indeed he seemed to feel that his studies in Nalanda had more than provided him what he needed.  Sri Lanka, however, is the source of the Pali canon, one of the most complete early canons of Buddhism, which had a huge influence on Theravada Buddhism in Southeast Asia and elsewhere. So Xuanzang took plenty of notes but decided to forego the ocean voyage and headed northwest, instead.  He traveled across the breadth of India to Gujarat, and then turned back east, returning to pay respects once more to his teacher in Nalanda.  While there he heard of another virtuous monk named Prajnabhadra at a nearby monastery.  And so he went to spend several months with him, as well.  He also studied with a layman, Sastrin Jayasena, at Stickwood Hill.  Jayasena was a ksatriya, or nobleman, by birth, and studied both Buddhist and non-Buddhist texts.  He was courted by kings, but had left to continue his studies.  Xuanzang studied with him for another couple of years. Xuanzang remained at Nalanda, learning and teaching, expounding on what he had learned and gathering many copies of the various documents that he wished to take back with him, though he wondered how he might do it.  In the meantime, he also acquired quite the reputation.  We are told that King Siladitya had asked Nalanda for monks who could refute Theravada teachings, and Xuanzang agreed to go.  It isn't clear, but it seems that “Siladitya” was a title, and likely referred to King Harsha of Kannauj, whom we mentioned earlier.  Since he was a foreigner, then there could be no trouble that was brought on Nalanda and the other monks if he did poorly.  While he was waiting to hear back from Siladitya's court, which was apparently taking time to arrange things, the king of Kamarupta reached out to Nalanda with a request that Xuanzang come visit them.  While Xuanzang was reluctant to be gone too long, he was eventually encouraged to go and assuage the king. Kamarupta was a kingdom around the modern Assam region, ruled by King Bhaskaravarman, also known as King Kumara, a royal title.  This kingdom included parts of Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal.  Bhaskaravarman, like so many other regents, seems to have been intrigued by the presence of this foreign monk, who had traveled all this way and who had studied at the famous Nalanda Monastery in Magadha. He invited Xuanzang to come to him.  Xuanzang's teacher, Silabhadra, had exhorted him to spread the right Dharma, and to even go to those non-Buddhists in hopes that they might be converted, or at least partially swayed. King Bhaskaravarman was quite taken with Xuanzang, wining and dining him while listening to him preach.  While there, Xuanzang learned about the country of Kamarupta.  He also learned about a path north, by which it was said it was a two month journey to arrive at the land of Shu, in the Sichuan Basin, on the upper reaches of the Yangzi – a kind of shortcut back to the Tang court.  However, the journey was treacherous—possibly even more treacherous than the journey to India had been. Eventually word reached the ears of King Siladitya that Xuanzang was at the court of King Bhaskaravarman, and Siladitya got quite upset.  Xuanzang had not yet come to *his* court, so Siladitya demanded that Bhaskaravarman send the monk to him immediately.  Bhaskaravarman refused, saying he'd rather give Siladitya his own head, which Siladitya said he would gladly accept.  Bhaskaravarman realized he may have miscalculated, and so he sailed up the Ganges with a host of men and Xuanzang to meet with Siladitya.  After a bit of posturing, Siladitya met with Xuanzang, who went with him, and eventually confronted the members of the Theravada sect in debate.  Apparently it almost got ugly, but for the King's intervention.  After a particularly devastating critique of the Theravada position, the Theravada monks are blamed for trying to use violence against Xuanzang and his fellow Mahayana monks from Nalanda, who were prepared to defend themselves.  The King had to step in and break it up before it went too far. Ultimately, Xuanzang was a celebrity at this point and both kings seem to have supported him, especially as he was realizing it was about time to head back to his own country.  Both kings was offered ships, should Xuanzang wish to sail south and then up the coast.  However, Xuanzang elected to take the northern route, hoping to go back through Gaochang, and see that city and its ruler again.  And so the Kings gave him money and valuables , along with wagons for all of the texts.  They also sent an army to protect all of the treasures, and even an elephant and more – sending him back in style with a huge send-off. So Xuanzang retraced his earlier steps, this time on an elephant.  He traveled back to Taxila, to Kashmir, and beyond.  He was invited to stay in Kashmira, but because of his retinue, he wasn't quite at leisure to just go where he wanted.  At one point, near Kapisa—modern Bagram, north of Kabul—they had to cross a river, and about 50 of the almost 700 documents were lost.  The King of Kapisa heard of this and had his own monks make copies to replace them based on their own schools.  The King of Kasmira, hearing that he was in Kapisa, also came to pay his respects. Xuanzang traveled with the King of Kapisa northwest for over a month and reached Lampaka, where he did take some time to visit the various holy sites before continuing northwest.  They had to cross the Snow Mountains—the outskirts of the Himalayas, and even though it wasn't the highest part of the range it was still challenging.  He had to dismount his elephant and travel on foot.  Finally, after going over the high mountains and coming down, he arrived back in the region of Tukhara, in the country of Khowst.  He then came to Kunduz, and paid his respects to the grandson of Yehu Khan.  He was given more guards to escort him eastward, traveling with some merchants.  This was back in Gokturk controlled lands, over a decade later than when he had last visited.  He continued east to Badakshan, stopping there for a month because of the cold weather and snow.  He eventually traveled through the regions of Tukhara and over the Pamir range.  He came down on the side of the Tarim Basin, and noted how the rivers on one side flowed west, while on the other side they flowed east.  The goings were treacherous, and at one point they were beset by bandits.  Though he and the documents were safe, his elephant panicked and fled into the river and drowned.  He eventually ended up in the country of Kashgar, in modern Xinjiang province, at the western edge of the Taklamakan desert. From there he had two options.  He could go north and hug the southern edge of the Tianshan mountains, or he could stay to the south, along the northern edge of the Himalayan range and the Tibetan plateau.  He chose to go south.  He traveled through Khotan, a land of wool and carpets.  This was a major trade kingdom, and they also grew mulberry trees for silkworms, and were known for their jade.  The king himself heard of Xuanzang and welcomed him, as many others had done.  While he was staying at the Khotanese capital, Xuanzang penned a letter to the Tang court, letting them know of his journey, and that he was returning.  He sent it with some merchants and a man of Gaochang to deliver it to the court. Remember, Xuanzang had left the Tang empire illegally.  Unless he wanted to sneak back in his best hope was that the court was willing to forgive and forget all of that, given everything that he was bringing back with him.  The wait was no doubt agonizing, but he did get a letter back.  It assured him that he was welcome back, and that all of the kingdoms from Khotan back to the governor of Dunhuang had been made aware and were ready to receive him. With such assurances, Xuanzang packed up and headed out.  The king of Khotan granted him more gifts to help see him on his way.  Nonetheless, there was still a perilous journey ahead.  Even knowing the way, the road went through miles and miles of desert, such that in some places you could only tell the trail by the bleached bones of horses and travelers who had not been so fortunate.  Eventually, however, Xuanzang made it to the Jumo River and then on to Dunhuang, from whence he was eventually escorted back to the capital city. It was now the year 645, the year of the Isshi Incident in Yamato and the death of Soga.  Xuanzang had been gone for approximately 16 years.  In that time, the Tang had defeated the Gokturks and taken Gaochang, expanding their control over the trade routes in the desert.  Xuanzang, for his part, was bringing back 657 scriptures, bound in 520 bundles carried by a train of some 20 horses.  He was given a hero's welcome, and eventually he would be set up in a monastery where he could begin the next part of his journey:  Translating all of these books. This was the work of a lifetime, but it is one that would have a profound impact on Buddhism across East Asia.  Xuanzang's translations would revolutionize the understanding of Mahayana Buddhist teachings, and students would come from as far away as the Yamato court to study under him and learn from the teacher who studied and taught at none other than Nalanda monastery itself.  His school would become popular in the Yamato capital, and the main school of several temples, at least for a time.  In addition, his accounts and his biography would introduce many people to the wider world of central and south Asia.  While I could go on, this has already been a story in three parts, and this is, after all, the Chronicles of Japan, so we should probably tune back into what is going on with Yamato.  Next episode, we'll look at one of the most detailed accounts we have of a mission to Chang'an. Until then, I hope that this has been enjoyable.  Xuanzang's story is one of those that isn't just about him, but about the interconnected nature of the entire world at the time.  While his journey is quite epic, there were many people traveling the roads, though most of them didn't write about it afterwards.  People, artifacts, and ideas traveled much greater distances than we often consider at this time, well before any kind of modern travel.  It was dangerous, but often lucrative, and it meant that various regions could have influence well beyond what one might expect. And so, thank you once again for listening and for all of your support. If you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan

First, The Indian Express' Himanshu Harsh tells us about ‘Operation Nataraj,' which led to the rescue of 47 minors who were forced into sex trafficking.Next, The Indian Express' Sukrita Baruah explains how individuals end up in Assam's Matia transit camp and shares the story of two such men. (05:37)Finally, The Indian Express' Naveed Iqbal discusses a recently held fashion show in Kashmir that has put the Omar Abdullah-led government in a bind. (16:10)Hosted by Shashank BhargavaProduced and written by Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

How to dwell in a forest alongside giants, avoid disturbing a living god, assist an animal with their manners, and help an elephant cross the road. The Presence of Elephants: Sharing Lives and Landscapes in Assam (Routledge, 2024) is an anthropological consideration of coexistence, grounded in people's everyday interactions with Asian elephants. Drawing on two years of ethnographic fieldwork in Assam, Northeast India, this book examines human-elephant copresence and how minds, tasks, identities, and places are shared between the two species. Sharing lives and landscapes with such formidable beings is a continuously shifting and negotiated exchange inherently composed of tensions, asymmetries, and uncertainties – especially in the Anthropocene when breakdowns in communication increasingly have a violent effect. Developing a multifaceted picture of human-elephant relations in a postcolonial setting, each chapter focuses on a different dimension of encounter, where elephants adapt to human norms, people are subject to elephant projects, and novel interspecies possibilities emerge at the threshold of nature and society. Vulnerability is a common experience intensified in contemporary human-elephant relations, felt through the elephant's power to disrupt and transform human lives, as well as the risks these endangered animals are exposed to. This book will be of interest to scholars of multispecies ethnography and human-animal relations, environmental humanities, conservation, and South Asian studies. Rituparna Patgiri is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati. Her research interests lie in the areas of food, media, gender and public. She is also one of the co-founders of Doing Sociology. Patgiri can be reached at @Rituparna37 on Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service.We hear about the moment Dr Max Perutz discovered the haemoglobin structure.Our expert is Professor Sir Alan Fersht, who is a chemist at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology and knew Dr Perutz personally.We also hear about 22 Inuit children from Greenland's indigenous population who were sent to Denmark as part of a social experiment in 1951.Also, when mixed-raced children from the then Belgian Congo known as ‘métis', were forcibly taken from their homes in 1953.When an eruption of violence in Assam led to an estimated 3,000 being killed in the Nellie massacre of 1983.Finally, the devastating impact of the 2010 tsunami in Chile and a woman who survived it.This programme contains outdated language which some people might find offensive.Contributors: Lectures and programmes from the BBC archive Professor Sir Alan Fersht - chemist at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology. Helen Thiesen - a child in Denmark's Inuit children social experiment. Marie-José Loshi - one of the mixed-race ‘métis' who was forcibly removed from her home in the then Belgian Congo. Bedabrata Lahkar - a journalist for the Assam Tribune newspaper at the time of the Nellie massacre. Alison Campbell - a survivor of Chile's 2010 tsunami.(Photo: Dr Max Perutz and Dr Paul Kedrew. Credit: Hulton Deutsch/Contributor via Getty Images)

The Nellie massacre on 18 February 1983 was the worst bloodshed in the country since Indian independence in 1947. It is estimated that 3,000 people died that day. Bedabrata Lahkar was a journalist working for the Assam Tribune newspaper at the time. He tells Gill Kearsley about the events that led up to the massacre and the devastating scenes he witnessed.A warning this programme contains descriptions of violence and language that some people may find offensive.Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic' and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy's Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they've had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America's occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.(Photo: Survivors of the 1983 Assam massacre. Credit: Santosh Basak/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

On this episode, Matt, Jason, and Don sit down with comedian, podcaster, and truth-seeker Sam Tripoli—a veteran stand-up comic and the host of Tin Foil Hat, Broken Simulation, and Zero podcasts. Sam has spent years pulling back the curtain on the elite's manipulation of society, the corporate press' narrative control, and the psychological warfare used to keep the masses in line. We dive deep into how society has a tendency to follow liars and thieves, blindly trusting authority while rejecting inconvenient truths. We discuss how people fight back when their perceived enemy is in power but go right back to sleep once “their guy” is in charge—making the cycle of corruption and control nearly impossible to break. From the MAGA movement cheering on globalist initiatives like Stargate to the normalization of mass surveillance and AI-driven technocracy, we explore the ways in which the illusion of choice keeps people stuck in the matrix. Sam brings his signature humor to the heavy topics of political deception, media manipulation, and the creeping rise of the technocratic police state. Despite the bleakness, we find a silver lining—acknowledging that waking people up doesn't always require direct confrontation. As Sam points out, comedy has the power to break down cognitive dissonance and allow people to process difficult truths in a way they wouldn't otherwise. Tune in for a compelling mix of humor, critical thinking, and unfiltered discourse, as they navigate through today's headlines with an eye towards awakening the sleeping lions of society. Whether you're here for the laughs or the liberty, this episode is sure to enlighten and entertain. (Length: 1:07:15) Sam's website: https://samtripoli.com/ Sam on Twitter: https://x.com/samtripoli  Sam on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samtripoli Sam's 2024 comedy special "Why is Everybody Gettin Quiet": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVBXnj4CmKc

Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) is rare, but awareness is crucial—especially as cases rise in Pune. In this episode of the Personality Development Podcast, we bring you the inspiring story of Dr. Bitu Mani Borah, who battled GBS at just 13, turned her recovery into an empowering book, and was even felicitated by the Governor of Assam.Join us as we explore her journey of resilience, the challenges she overcame, and the lessons she learned along the way. Let's raise awareness and support those facing this condition! Don't forget to Like, Comment, and Subscribe to spread awareness! Get connected with us to join the community:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/personalitydevelopmentpodcast/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaditya-mehta-342b7515a/Get connected with Dr. Bitumani Borah:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.bitu.mani.borah/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bitumaniborah/