Ukraine church scrutiny receives plaudits, but there is concern about overreach

The Eastern Orthodox Christians' holiest site, the Monastery of Caves, also known as Kiev Pechersk Lavra, can be seen in an aerial view taken through the morning fog at sunrise on Saturday, November 10, 2018, in Kyiv, Ukraine. On Tuesday, November 22, 2022, the Pechersk Lavra monastic complex, one of the most well-known Orthodox Christian sites in the nation's capital, Kyiv, was searched by members of Ukraine's counterintelligence service, police, and National Guard after a priest there made positive remarks about Russia, the country that had invaded Ukraine, during a service.

Other images released by the SBU agency, some of which were taken as recently as Wednesday, are clear; some show an armed Ukrainian officer standing in front of a church, while another show bulky, camouflaged officers interrogating clergy with long beards and cassocks. 



Following a schism in 2019, there are now two main Orthodox churches in Ukraine, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed measures on Friday largely aimed at the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Even though the UOC announced its independence from Moscow in May, the difficulties of Eastern Orthodox Christianity make such a declaration easier to speak than to implement. In addition, a lot of Ukrainians doubt that their country is truly free of Moscow.


Additionally, he requests an examination of the "canonical" relationship between the UOC and the Moscow Patriarchate, the seat of the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as the standing of the revered Pechersk-Lavra monastery in Kyiv, which is now government-owned but primarily utilised by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Additionally, the government imposed restrictions on its abbot, another wealthy churchman, and many bishops who were in Russia or regions of Ukraine that were under Russian control.

The situation is a test of the new republic's resilience in the face of Russian aggression and in its capacity as a pluralistic nation that upholds religious freedom. The two competing Orthodox churches compete for the support of the nation's predominately Orthodox people, which elevates the stakes.


Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 20

"Na jāyate mriyate vā kadāchin
Nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
Ajo nityaḥ śhāśhvato ’yaṁ purāṇo
Na hanyate hanyamāne śharīre"

Translation in English:

"The soul is never born and never dies; nor does it ever become, having once existed, it will never cease to be. The soul is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, and primeval. It is not slain when the body is slain."

Meaning in Hindi:

"आत्मा कभी न जन्मता है और न मरता है; न वह कभी होता है और न कभी नहीं होता है। वह अजन्मा, नित्य, शाश्वत, पुराणा है। शरीर की हत्या होने पर भी वह नष्ट नहीं होता।"

तारापीठ की शिलामयी मां केवल श्रृंगार के समय सुबह और शाम के समय ही दिखाई देती हैं।

तारापीठ की शिलामयी शक्ति की देवी काली के हर रूप का महत्व अलग है, तारा का अर्थ है आँख और पीठ का अर्थ है स्थान।

Encouraging Minds: The Changing Face of Education

1. Using Technology to Improve Learning: Technology is becoming a crucial component of education, transforming both teaching and learning. Through virtual classrooms and interactive online courses, educational technology is dismantling boundaries and enabling learning for people all over the world. Artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and e-learning platforms are revolutionizing the classroom experience by creating personalized learning paths that are catered to the individual requirements and learning styles of each student.

Buddhisms View of the Cause and Effect of Karma and Dharma

There are two crucial concepts of Karma and Dharma within the enormous expanse of Buddhist philosophy that act as the foundation for understanding existence, ethical behavior, and spiritual growth. These two principles which are deeply rooted in the teachings of Buddhism reveal how things arise due to something and end up with why they ended in such a situation; thus, imparting on individuals rightness or wrongness about their deeds linked to moral values as well as the way leading to enlightenment. This article explores Buddhisms understanding of Karma and Dharma by examining their definitions, implications, and role in ones spiritual quest.

Karma: The Principle of Cause and Effect

Definition and OriginsWhen we speak about karma we mean a term coming from Sanskrit meaning “action” or “deed,” which stands for the moral law of causation inherent to Buddhism. It is the belief that all actions – physical, verbal, and mental – have consequences that shape one’s future experiences. Although there is an ancient Indian religious origin to this concept called Karma it has been highly developed and enhanced within Buddhist thoughts.