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Tag: Teachings

  • Parinirvana Day 2025 Date and Significance: What Is Nirvana Day? Life and Teachings of Gautama Buddha, Spiritual Meaning of the Observance & Other Details To Know

    Parinirvana Day 2025 Date and Significance: What Is Nirvana Day? Life and Teachings of Gautama Buddha, Spiritual Meaning of the Observance & Other Details To Know

    Parinirvana Day, also known as Nirvana Day, is a significant event in the Buddhist calendar that is observed every year on February 15. This day marks the anniversary of the death of Gautama Buddha, when he achieved full nirvana, or parinirvana, after his passing. For over 2,600 years, Buddhism has been a profound spiritual tradition, and Parinirvana Day offers a chance for Buddhists around the world to reflect on the Buddha’s life, teachings, and the path to enlightenment. In this article, we will explore the spiritual importance of Parinirvana Day 2025, the historical significance of Nirvana Day and the ways in which people observe this deeply meaningful occasion. The Life of Gautama Buddha, Story of Enlightenment and His Teachings To Know. 

    What is Parinirvana Day (Nirvana Day)?

    Parinirvana Day commemorates the moment when Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, passed away and attained parinirvana, which is a state of ultimate enlightenment and liberation from the cycle of birth and death (samsara). According to Buddhist belief, parinirvana occurs when an enlightened being passes away, having fully transcended all suffering, desires, and attachments.

    While Nirvana Day is celebrated on February 15 in most Buddhist traditions, the date varies in other regions. In some parts of East Asia, Parinirvana Day is observed on February 8, while in Bhutan, it is celebrated on the 15th day of the fourth month of the Bhutanese calendar. Regardless of the specific date, the central theme of this observance is the Buddha’s transition into complete peace and the profound spiritual teachings that can help others attain similar liberation. February 2025 Holidays and Festivals Calendar: Get Full List of Major Events in the Second Month of the Year. 

    The Life and Teachings of Gautama Buddha

    Gautama Buddha, born as Siddhartha Gautama in the 5th or 4th century B.C. in what is now Nepal, is revered as one of the most influential spiritual leaders in history. Initially a prince, Buddha left his royal life behind in search of answers to the suffering he observed in the world. After years of meditation, self-discipline, and reflection, he reached an enlightened state under the Bodhi tree, where he became the Buddha, or “the Awakened One.”

    Buddhism is based on the teachings and philosophy that Buddha shared, which are aimed at helping individuals overcome suffering (dukkha) and attain a state of inner peace and enlightenment. Central to his teachings are the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, which provide a roadmap for overcoming desire, ignorance, and suffering to achieve nirvana.

    The Four Noble Truths and the Path to Parinirvana

    The Four Noble Truths are fundamental principles that explain the nature of suffering and the path to its cessation. They are as follows:

    • The Truth of Suffering (Dukkha): Life involves suffering, dissatisfaction, and impermanence. Suffering can come in many forms, from physical pain to emotional struggles, and it is an inherent part of existence.

    • The Truth of the Cause of Suffering (Samudaya): The cause of suffering is craving and attachment. Humans often cling to desires, which leads to dissatisfaction and suffering.

    • The Truth of the Cessation of Suffering (Nirodha): Suffering can be overcome by letting go of cravings and attachments. Achieving enlightenment, or nirvana, is the end of suffering and the attainment of inner peace.

    • The Truth of the Path Leading to the Cessation of Suffering (Magga): The Eightfold Path is the path that leads to the cessation of suffering and the attainment of enlightenment. It includes practices like right understanding, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.

    To reach parinirvana, one must follow these teachings and understand the nature of suffering and the mind. By practicing the principles of Buddhism and embracing compassion, wisdom, and mindfulness, individuals can gradually achieve liberation from the cycle of samsara.

    Why Parinirvana Day Matters?

    Parinirvana Day is not only a day to remember the Buddha’s death but also an opportunity for Buddhists to contemplate the impermanence of life and death. It serves as a reminder that, like all living beings, we are subject to change, and that attaining peace involves understanding and accepting the transient nature of existence. The teachings of Buddha, centered around the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, continue to inspire millions of people worldwide, offering a profound approach to living with mindfulness, compassion, and wisdom.

    (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 15, 2025 07:30 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).

  • Trump puts higher education on notice for ‘dangerous, demeaning, and immoral’ DEI teachings

    Trump puts higher education on notice for ‘dangerous, demeaning, and immoral’ DEI teachings

    President Donald Trump’s latest executive order seeks to water down diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices in federally funded higher-education institutions in an effort to restore “merit-based opportunity,” according to the White House.

    During his first two days in office, Trump issued a slew of executive orders, including ordering that all federal agencies close their DEI offices by Wednesday and put employees in those units on paid leave. To further his effort to deter DEI, the president is launching a federal review of such teachings and practices in educational institutions receiving federal funding.

    “Institutions of higher education have adopted and actively use dangerous, demeaning, and immoral race and sex-based preferences under the guise of so-called ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion,’” reads the White House order, published on Tuesday.

    The order requires that the attorney general and secretary of education identify potential civil compliance investigations among institutions of higher education with endowments over $1 billion dollars and, accordingly, develop action plans to “deter DEI programs or principles that constitute illegal discrimination or preferences.”

    CONSERVATIVE GROUP REVEALS HOW TRUMP CAN CLEAN HOUSE AT DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, LISTS TO BUREAUCRATS TO FIRE

    President Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president on Monday. (Evan Vucci)

    Within 120 days, the AG and the secretary of education will issue guidance to state and local educational institutions that receive federal funds or grants or that participate in the student loan program. The focus will be on ensuring compliance with the Supreme Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College, a landmark case that held that race-based admissions practices violate the Fourteenth Amendment.

    “Illegal DEI and DEIA policies not only violate the text and spirit of our longstanding Federal civil-rights laws, they also undermine our national unity, as they deny, discredit, and undermine the traditional American values of hard work, excellence, and individual achievement in favor of an unlawful, corrosive, and pernicious identity-based spoils system,” the memo reads. 

    The executive order noted that it will not prevent educational institutions or agencies from engaging in “First Amendment-protected” speech.

    WHITE HOUSE OPM ORDERS ALL DEI OFFICES TO BEGIN CLOSING BY END OF DAY WEDNESDAY

    Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., who chairs the House Education and the Workforce Committee, applauded Trump for pushing back against the controversial practice.

    McMahon visits Capitol

    Linda McMahon, former administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration and education secretary nominee for President Donald Trump, arrives for a meeting with Sen. Bernie Moreno, a Republican from Ohio, not pictured, on Capitol Hill on Jan. 8, 2025. (Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg)

    “For too long, social justice warriors crusaded to mandate DEI in every corner of America. Instead of merit, skills and ability, DEI devotees pushed policies that are antithetical to American exceptionalism,” Walberg said. “From the classroom to the boardroom, Americans have felt the negative effects. DEI has bloated education budgets while telling students what to think instead of how to think.”

    Jonathan Turley, a Fox News contributor and the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University, suggested in an analysis of the executive order that it “will send a shock wave through higher education and the resulting agency actions are likely to trigger a tsunami of lawsuits.”

    President Donald Trump takes part in a signing ceremony after his inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025, in the President's Room at the U.S. Capitol.

    President Donald Trump takes part in a signing ceremony after his inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025, in the President’s Room at the U.S. Capitol. (Melina Mara)

    Meanwhile, one education expert suggested that universities could begin to pre-comply with new DEI measures. 

    “It seems very plausible that higher-education institutions will pre-comply, even before the Department of Education or the National Science Foundation writes it into specific projects,” Eboo Patel, founder and president of Interfaith America, told the Chronicle of Higher Education. “Universities will adopt the spirit of the executive order.”

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    Nearly 10 states, including one with a Democrat governor, have already either banned or prohibited the use of DEI initiatives in public colleges and universities.

    Aubrie Spady is a Writer for Fox News Digital.

  • Ram Navami 2025 Date and Auspicious Timings: Know Madhyahna Muhurat, Rituals and Significance To Celebrate the Birth of Lord Rama and His Divine Teachings

    Ram Navami 2025 Date and Auspicious Timings: Know Madhyahna Muhurat, Rituals and Significance To Celebrate the Birth of Lord Rama and His Divine Teachings

    Ram Navami, a significant Hindu festival, commemorates the birth of Lord Rama, one of the most revered deities in Hinduism. Celebrated on the ninth day of the Shukla Paksha in the month of Chaitra according to the Hindu lunar calendar, this festival typically falls in March or April on the Gregorian calendar. The festival is marked by various rituals, including Rama Katha recitals, temple processions dedicated to Lord Rama, and prayers at both temples and homes. Devotees across India observe these customs to honor the life and legacy of Lord Rama. So, when will Ram Navami be celebrated in 2025? In this article, we bring you Ram Navami 2025 date, madhyahna  muhurat, rituals and significance to celebrate the birth of Lord Rama. Hindu Festivals Calendar 2025: Know Dates of Holi, Chaitra Navratri, Durga Puja, Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali and Other Major Festivals in India. 

    Ram Navami 2025 Date and Shubh Muhurat

    • Ram Navami 2025 will be observed on Sunday, April 6.

    • Rama Navami Madhyahna Muhurat – 11:08 AM to 01:39 PM

    • Duration – 02 Hours 31 Mins

    Ram Navami Rituals and Significance

    Ram Navami is not just a celebration of Lord Rama’s birth but also a reminder of his divine principles and heroic deeds. In the Treta Yuga, Lord Vishnu incarnated as Rama, and his life story, which exemplifies virtues such as culture, morality, heroism, humility, and good governance, continues to inspire millions. His divine teachings, known as Lila, are revered in ancient scriptures and continue to guide people on the path of righteousness. Purnima 2025 Calendar: Know Full Moon Dates, Poornima Significance and Fasting Rituals for the Auspicious Observance. 

    The festival of Ram Navami, especially celebrated in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh—the birthplace of Lord Rama—draws massive crowds of devotees. This sacred city is beautifully adorned during the occasion, with devotees offering prayers and participating in processions to honor Lord Rama.

    The period leading up to Ram Navami is marked by Chaitra Navaratri, a nine-day fasting period during which Hindus refrain from consuming alcohol, smoking, and non-vegetarian foods, instead focusing on prayer and meditation. This purification ritual prepares the body and soul for the grand celebration on the final day, when Lord Rama’s birth is celebrated with fervor and devotion across the country.

    (Disclaimer: The information provided here is based on beliefs and legends only. Before applying any information in real life, consult the concerned expert.)

    (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 11, 2025 02:58 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).