Rashomon Effect – 10: Sri Lanka

Recently Sri Sri Ravishankar visited Sri Lanka and provided some video footage.
Ms. Jayalalitha:

“I met Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravishankar who has just returned from the war-zone in the Vanni. He gave me CDs and photographs of the atrocities. My heart boils when I looked at it,” the AIADMK leader said. If this pathetic situation of the Tamil people has to be removed, if the problems of the Lankan Tamils has to come to an end, an independent Eelam is the only solution, she added

Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa

“When Ravishankar met President (Mahinda Rajapaksa) after visiting the IDP camps he said it was one of the best camps he has ever seen in the world,” the powerful official, who is the brother of the President, said.

See Also: Episode 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Rashomon Effect (9)

Recently Mahatma Gandhi’s personal items were sold at an auction and it was bought by the Indian businessman Vijaya Mallaya.
Culture Minister, Ambika Soni:

“We have been able to procure them through the services of Mallya who was in touch with us,” an elated Culture Minister Ambika Soni told media-persons in New Delhi [Images], hours after the items were auctioned for $ 1.8 million.

Vijaya Mallaya:

In a shocking statement, industrialist Vijay Mallya has said that the Indian government had nothing to do with his bidding for Mahatma Gandhi’s memorabilia in a New York auction. Mallya said this in an interview to a TV channel from France. “I bid independently… I wanted to get back the items to the country… I am not sure if anyone was aware that I was bidding,” chairman of the United Breweries Group said. “Nobody from the government advised me on the bid… Our national treasure was up for grabs, for me it was emotional,” he said.

(hat tip: rand0mwalker)

See Also: Episode 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Rashomon Effect (8)

Frits Staal, Professor Emeritus, UC Berkeley in Mantras and Bird Songs

This applies equally to apparently “meaningless” mantras such as om or hum phat and to apparently “meaningful” mantras such as namo buddhaiya or sivaya namah.

We may formulate this conclusion in slightly different terms by distinguishing between apparently meaningless mantras such as om and apparently meaningful mantras such as sivaya namah.

Resul Pookutty , Oscar winner for Sound Mixing

I come from a country and a civilization that has given the universal word. That word is preceded by silence, followed by more silence. That word is “Om.”

See Also: Episode 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7