DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (PHD)

Psychological Studies, 2012

His reputation travelled ahead of him. Much before I met him, a former teacher of mine, who had attended his lectures in a Summer Institute in Narendrapur, described him as an unparalleled teacher in the areas of learning theories and experimental psychology. "None other could deal with these areas with greater clarity and conviction" my teacher had told me. Later, when I met this great teacher of repute in person and got to know him professionally, I realized how apt was the perception of my teacher and, at the same time, his was still an inadequate compliment to this great Guru. Professor Lal Bachan Tripathi championed the cause of scientific and experimental psychology in India and, for decades, remained in the forefront of the profession as an outstanding teacher, celebrated researcher and accomplished institution builder. He lives behind a void in psychology in India, which generations would strive hard to fill in. His commitment to scientific psychology and strong faith in "experimental method (as) the mainstay of social science research in general and psychological research in particular" (see his Foreword to Broota 1989, p. v) endowed him with rare convictions with which he led the field of experimental research in India. Born on September 15, 1935 to a framer's family in Dharahara village in Balia district of Uttar Pradesh, Professor Tripathi's early education was in a traditional rural setting, which was also known for its scholarly traditions. He started his early schooling in a Sanskrit Pathshala in a nearby village and completed high school education in Azamgarh. His higher education was at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, where he studied psychology under scholars like Professor S. S. Jalota and Professor B. L. Atreya and obtained his Master's degree in psychology in the year 1955 with the distinction of securing the first position in first class. He started teaching as a Lecturer in the P.G.

The dasakarma vidhi (ten rites of passage) are performed in two different ways, namely jnana sambhara and karma sambhara. The former refers to the prerequisites of spiritual knowledge, whereas the latter refers to the prerequisites of action. Even the Buddha is said to have spiritually performed the dasakarma before he attained Buddhahood. It is said amongst the Buddhist Newars of the Kathmandu valley and elsewhere that one cannot achieve enlightenment without performing the dasakarma, either spiritually or ritually. The dasakarma begin with the birth ceremony (jatabhiseka) and end in the ceremonial initiation of the Supreme Seniormost or Head of the Community (cakresvarabhiseka). The system of the dasakarma is so instilled in the life of every Buddhist Newar that the rites have become part and parcel of the life-cycle, thus presenting as inseparable traditional and cultural rites unique among human beings on earth. The practices of dasakarma were initially performed by King Pracanda Deva of Gaud (India), who is said to have come to Nepal on a pilgrimage to pay homage to Svayambhu. This king, being highly inspired by the supreme serenity and spiritual tranquility of the Svayambhu jyoti rupa—the rays radiating from Svayambhu—made up his mind to renounce his kingship and sought ordination of cudakarmabhiseka (first initiation of entry into the life of homelessness), subsequently followed by acaryabhiseka (initiation into priestly life) bestowed on him by Manjusri. By thus performing the dasakarma vidhi he became the first Vajracarya, who was later known as Santikaracarya, the father of all Vajracaryas in the past and the present. The English translation of the Dasakarma Vidhi is thus a complex text that has its origins in Kuladatta’s mid-eleventh century work and has subsequently been altered in various ways by numerous other practicing Vajracaryas, including most especially Asha Kaji Pandit himself, and finally rendered in its present form through the work of Nhuchhe Bajracharya, Min Bahadur Shakya, Michael Allen and a number of other scholars. The book you hold in your hands is a distillation of Asha Kaji’s wisdom as a practising Buddhist priest and simultaneously as a learned pandit with a deep knowledge of his own tradition. Sadly, with modernity many young people in Nepal who wished to study Buddhism held their own elders in contempt because they did not have modern degrees and could not express themselves in English. The time has perhaps come when another generation is not so insecure and is ready, with the help of an English translation, to return to the knowledge and traditions of their grandparents. ASHA KAJI VAJRACHARYA Asha Kaji Vajracharya (b. 1908 - d. 1992) was one of twentieth-century Nepal’s most respected Buddhist figures. Having cultivated the traditional learning of a pandit, he became renowned in his native Lalitpur as an Ayurvedic doctor, tantric practitioner and raconteur of Buddhist lore. He published over thirty books, many of which were translations or commentaries based on Sanskrit originals, and opened up his own manuscript collection to photography by the Nepal-German Manuscript Preservation Project. He advised and collaborated with a number of foreign scholars, and became the first Newar master to teach the Buddhist tradition of the Kathmandu Valley outside Asia, touring Japan at his students’ request, and bestowing initiation into the cycle of Cakrasamvara upon a non-Newar couple for the first time in the modern era. He is survived by two sons, Saddharmaraj and Mahisvararaj, who are also well-known Buddhist teachers in Lalitpur. MICHAEL ALLEN Michael Allen was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1928. He received his B.A. degree in Philosoph y from Trinity College, Dublin in 1950 and his Ph.D. in Social Anthropology from the Australian National University in 1965. He was appointed to a lectureship in Anthropology at Sydney University in 1964 and retired as Professor in 1993. ln addition to his extensive fieldwork on Newar society and religion, conducted mainly between 1966 and 1978, Professor Allen has also carried out anthropological research in Vanuatu (1958-82) and in lreland (1988-96). He established an international reputation with his first book, Male Cults and Secret lnitiations in Melanesia (1967). Other important publications include The Cult of Kumari. Virgin Worship in Nepal (1996), Ritual, Power and Gender: Explorations in the Ethnography of Vanuatu, Nepal and Ireland (2000) and his edited collections Vanuatu: Politics, Economics and Politics in lsland Melanesia (1981), Women in lndia and Nepal (1982, with S.N. Mukherjee) and Anthropology of Nepal: Peoples, Problems and Processes (1994).

SKY-Scan and Know Yourself, 2019

Hypothesis Modern times have witnessed phenomenal progress and advancement in the world with science and technology, research and development. This has introduced numerous opportunities in choosing career and profession. Moreover, robust communication modes have increased competition too. In this scenario, it is difficult to narrow down on career or profession to become successful. The intensity of this chaos and confusion is increasing on the one hand and the struggle for both survival and sustenance is getting intense day on day. Essentially this needs to be addressed immediately. Making use of technology is important because it can increase the accessibility boundless. This solution is needed across the globe as this problem is faced worldwide. The right solution is to know our actual potential, understand our weak points overcome them and use our latent strength in choosing the right career. It can also help in refurbishing the personality to bring harmony and have peaceful living. Indian Yoga Abhyas and Ayurveda have convincing attributes to address these issues and offer a lasting solution. A major tenet in traditional medicine is, EVERYTHING is made up of the 5 elements. So every interpretation is based on these. Correlation between the five elements and the fingers of our hand is emphatically established in both Yoga and Ayurveda.

Hardwari Publications, Allahabad / Prayagraj (India), 2024

PADMASHRI PROF. DR. R. S. MISHRA (10.08.1918 – 23.08.1999) Posthumously remembered by his student Prof. Dr. R. B. Misra, Ex Vice-Chancellor, Dr. RML Avadh University, Faizabad/Ayodhya (India). Director (designate), Maths. Unit, School of Sci. & Engg., Univ. of Kurdistan Hewler, Erbil, KRD (Iraq). 1. Family and education: Professor Ratna Shanker Mishra was born on 26th September, 1919 A.D. on the auspicious day of Vijayadashmi. He was raised in the rich cultural heritage of a vaishnavite family. His parents (Pt. Kali Charan and Smt. Phoolmati Mishra) lived in the village Ajgain, District Unnao (on Lucknow – Kanpur sector of U.P., India). However, his date of birth was wrongly recorded by the school as August 10, 1918. Prof. Mishra could not get patronage of his father for long and was brought up by his widow mother only. As revealed by his mother to the author, Prof. Mishra was the only issue born to her. In conformity of the saying-"Honhar birvan ke hot cheekane paat"-Prof. Mishra demonstrated his brilliance right from his childhood when he scored a first division and distinction marks in Mathematics at his High School examination passed from Government High School, Unnao in 1937. Thereafter, he moved to Kanyakubja Intermediate College, Lucknow for his secondary education. He not only maintained his previous level of brilliance but improved it further by scoring first division with distinction marks in Physics in addition to Mathematics at the Intermediate examination in 1939. He graduated from Lucknow University in 1942-again scoring a first division at the (3-years) B.Sc. (Honours) course. Having narrowly missed his first division at the M.Sc. (Mathematics) examination of Lucknow University in 1943, he opted to go for a Teaching Certificate course (L.T.) at the Government Training College, Allahabad. Soon after that he decided for his teaching career and joined Ramjas Higher Secondary School, Delhi in 1944. Being there, he pursued his research work under the able supervision of the then Head, Dept. of Mathematics, Delhi University: Prof. Ram Behari and earned his Ph.D. degree in 1947. When the country was rejoicing its long-awaited independence Delhi University too had a distinguished honour to award its first ever doctorate to Prof. Mishra. ....

DECLARATION I hereby declare that this dissertation is my original work towards MPHIL and has not been presented either whole or in part, for any purpose anywhere. I have duly acknowledged information from other sources. ISAAC KOFI TWUMASI (REV.) ……………………… …………………… (Student) Signature Date Certified by: Rev. Fr. Dr. Peter Addai-Mensah ……………………… …………………… (Supervisor) Signature Date Certified by: Very. Rev. Dr. Nathan I. Samwini ……………………… …………………… (Head of Department) Signature Date iii ABSTRACT Youth employment as a concept holds that young people are an important resource and key to the growth and development of any nation. Youthful years are with great strength and ability; therefore it is incumbent on the government and other stakeholders including the Church to harness this tremendous potential in a co-ordinated approach to enhance its growth and development. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to express my sincere gratitude to the Almighty God for granting me the strength, wisdom and knowledge to bring this work to a successful completion. I extend my appreciation to my supervisor, Rev. Fr. Dr. Peter Addai Mensah, for the extreme patience and tolerance he exhibited in correcting and directing this work. The following people also deserve special mention for the invaluable roles they played in this writeup: Mr. Kofi Osei, a friend and lecturer at the University of Development Studies (UDS) Wa Campus for his invaluable suggestions, Mr. Obed Agyapong, Maame

Date ________________ I declare that the form and content of this dissertation are original. It has not been submitted in parts or full for any degree or diploma of this or any other University or institution. Signature ______________ Ms. Priyanka Gupta RESEARCHER Date ______________ iii Acknowledgements Firstly, I would like to thank my mentor Mr. Shripad Samant who helped me develop and structure my fragmented ideas into something much more concrete and logical. She went through all the drafts of my dissertation and gave me valuable feedback and suggestions and helped me when I did not know how to go about my research. It is because of her guidance and support that I have been able to complete this research.

Dissertation/thesis, 2019

A THESIS OF COMPILATION OF RESEARCH PAPERS, ARTICLES & WORK DONE Submitted for Doctor of Science (Yoga) (Honoris Causa) By Yogacharya Dr. Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani MBBS, MD (AM), ADY, DSM, DPC, PGDFH, PGDY, FIAY, C-IAYT. Yogacharya Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani, Director of the Centre for Yoga Therapy Education and Research (CYTER), and Professor of Yoga Therapy at the Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth, Pondicherry, was awarded the prestigious DSc (Yoga) award by the SVYASA Yoga University in Bangalore on the 12th January 2019. He received the DSc (Yoga) award from Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog, and Michael Nobel co-founder and former Chairman of the Nobel Charitable Trust in presence of the Chancellor of SVYASA Yogashri Dr HR Nagendraji at the university campus during a glittering 16th convocation held on the birth anniversary of Swamy Vivekananda, the 12 January. Dr Ananda becomes only the second Pondicherrian to receive this coveted academic honur after his illustrious Yoga research guru, Prof Madanmohan who had received the award 8 years ago.

Logos , 2015

Professor Saju, please tell us a bit about you. Why did you choose to become a philosophy professor and what are your interests in it? The very start of my philosophy programme happened because I had to do my theology. So, initially, I was asked to pursue philosophical studies at Dharmaram as part of my formation for priesthood in the Catholic Church. But once I started, I got interest in it and, in turn, it has influenced my grooming as a person and as a priest. Soon after I started my formal philosophy lessons, I was involving better in my studies and in writing papers. Towards the end of my two-year studies, some of the staff members of the Faculty of Philosophy asked me whether I would be interested to continue with philosophy further so that, eventually, I could be inducted into the Faculty. My superiors also positively responded to it. So, practically, the initial stage of my philosophical studies was out of a necessity; but, then, in the course of time, it became a passion for me. My Licentiate in Philosophy at Dharmaram gave me a lot of opportunities to read and reflect. Since we were only a few in number the staff members supported me and accompanied me very closely. I gratefully remember the way they invested a lot of time in developing my philosophical acumen. Towards the end of my Licentiate programme, I invested my time to do my thesis on the ethics of Ramayana. I was given the permission to go to Chennai, to consult the Adayar Library, Madras University Library and the Library at Madras Christian College. This not only opened me to new resources, but also broadened my perspectives. My research on Ramayana gave me a wonderful opening to the Indian reality. As far as the popular Indian mind is concerned Ramayana made a great impact in the formation of Indian consciousness. Getting into the depth of this epic as a text that shaped the consciousness of the people, I focused more on the value system that it has inculcated. That study also made a great impact on my mind and my understanding of Hinduism and Hindus who hold Ramayana close to their heart. This shaped my respect for other religions and religious texts. On the other side, a deeper analysis of the ethics and value system of Ramayana was also intellectually stimulating in terms of understanding the multi-layered theoretical positions entertained within Ramayana. I understood theories criss-crossing within Ramayana and found such an understanding philosophically formative. At the end of my Bachelor of Philosophy and my Licentiate in

Indian journal of plastic surgery : official publication of the Association of Plastic Surgeons of India

Mahajano Yen gata sa pantha" ("Follow the path tread by great wise people") T he Mahabharata (Vana-parva 313.117) 'Dr. Balakrishnan was a scholarly and modest man. He was original with genuine flair for Plastic Surgery. Men of his caliber are rare and should be fostered and given opportunities to match their natural talents and drive.'