Family and Nation

Author(s): Mahapragna Acharya, A P J Abdulkalam
Publisher: Harper Publications India

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THE DYNAMICS OF INDIAN CULTURE
the Buddhist philosophers rejected ether as an element and replaced it with life, joy and sorrow.
Indians saw two energy sources in the environment, namely, the solar energy flux and geomagnetic energy flux. The science of environmental bliss (vastu shastra) aims to control the flow of these energies by selecting a proper direction and alignment of objects. By understanding the direction of energy flow, one can easily relate North and South to the geomagnetic organic flow and East and West to the solar energy flux. It is believed that if there were an imbalance between the directions or the energy flow, the resultant energy would be negative energy, which would then result in environmental aggression, creating disharmony among humans residing at that particular space.
Shulba Sutras (The Rules of the Cord) is the oldest source of the geometrical concepts. Appendices to the manuals of ritual (Shrauta Sutras) include the oldest known formulation of geometrical theorems, developed in the context of Vedic altar-building. The first decimal system and the oldest names of 'astronomical' numbers such as quadrillions and quintillions are recorded in ancient Indian texts.
The theory of origin of animal life, particularly of man, was correctly understood by the ancient thinkers. The Vishnu Purana5 states that 'the aquatic life precedes the monkey life' and that 'the monkey life is the precursor of the human life'. The same theory was explained in an interesting way by the ten incarnations (dashavatara). The Chhandogya Upanishad described evolution as the manifestation of the Supreme Spirit (atman). In ancient India, medical science made advances in the areas of plastic surgery, extraction of cataracts, and dental surgery. The oldest treatise dealing with surgery is Shushruta's compendium, Shushruta-Samahita. Atraya and Charaka were great Indian medical practitioners.
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