Adelaide, Australia — Science can finally prove what Buddhists have sworn by for centuries - meditation really does sharpen and clear the brain.
Tests by Adelaide researchers have revealed that as people go further into a deep meditative state, their brain rhythms shift into a pattern of focus.
This supports long-standing beliefs that the practice can improve concentration levels and alertness in daily activities.
Scientists at the Flinders Medical Centre’s Centre for Neuroscience have completed the first scientific demonstration of brain activity changes in distinct meditative states.
They measured the electrical activity in the brain in a group of people as they moved from simple eyes-closed resting through the five states of meditation as defined in Buddhist teachings.
The Awakened One
A Sketch of the Buddha’s Life
A Chronology
Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta
Setting the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion
Translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu
Breaking free
“Bhikkhus, it is through not realizing, through not penetrating the Four Noble Truths that this long course of birth and death has been passed through and undergone by me as well as by you. What are these four? They are the noble truth of dukkha; the noble truth of the origin of dukkha; the noble truth of the cessation of dukkha; and the noble truth of the way to the cessation of dukkha. But now, bhikkhus, that these have been realized and penetrated, cut off is the craving for existence, destroyed is that which leads to renewed becoming, and there is no fresh becoming.”
— DN 16 (with dukkha left untranslated)
The elephant’s footprint
[Ven. Sariputta:] “Friends, just as the footprints of all legged animals are encompassed by the footprint of the elephant, and the elephant’s footprint is reckoned the foremost among them in terms of size; in the same way, all skillful qualities are gathered under the four noble truths. Under which four? Under the noble truth of stress, under the noble truth of the origination of stress, under the noble truth of the cessation of stress, and under the noble truth of the path of practice leading to the cessation of stress.”
— MN 28
One’s duties with regard to each of the Four Noble Truths
[The Buddha speaks of his Awakening:]
“Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before: ‘This is the noble truth of stress’… ‘This noble truth of stress is to be comprehended’… ‘This noble truth of stress has been comprehended’…
“Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before: ‘This is the noble truth of the origination of stress’… ‘This noble truth of the origination of stress is to be abandoned’… ‘This noble truth of the origination of stress has been abandoned.’
“Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before: ‘This is the noble truth of the cessation of stress’… ‘This noble truth of the cessation of stress is to be directly experienced’… ‘This noble truth of the cessation of stress has been directly experienced.’
“Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before: ‘This is the noble truth of the way of practice leading to the cessation of stress’… ‘This noble truth of the way of practice leading to the cessation of stress is to be developed’… ‘This noble truth of the way of practice leading to the cessation of stress has been developed.’
“And, monks, as long as this knowledge & vision of mine — with its three rounds & twelve permutations concerning these four noble truths as they actually are present — was not pure, I did not claim to have directly awakened to the right self-awakening unexcelled in the cosmos with its devas, Maras, & Brahmas, with its contemplatives & priests, its royalty & commonfolk. But as soon as this knowledge & vision of mine — with its three rounds & twelve permutations concerning these four noble truths as they actually are present — was truly pure, then I did claim to have directly awakened to the right self-awakening unexcelled in the cosmos with its devas, Maras & Brahmas, with its contemplatives & priests, its royalty & commonfolk. Knowledge & vision arose in me: ‘Unprovoked is my release. This is the last birth. There is now no further becoming.’”
— SN 56.11
See also:
· “The Four Noble Truths” (Study Guide)
· “The Four Noble Truths” in The Wings to Awakening
· “The Nobility of the Truths” (Bhikkhu Bodhi)
The True Teachings of The Awakened One
What is Theravada Buddhism?
by
John Bullitt
Nibbana
Giving
Right Concentration
samma Samadhi
The Fourth Noble Truth
The Noble Truth of the Path Leading to the Cessation of dukkha
dukkha nirodha gamini patipada ariya sacca
The Noble Eightfold Path
“And this, monks, is the noble truth of the way of practice leading to the cessation of dukkha: precisely this Noble Eightfold Path: right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.”
— SN 56.11
The threefold division of the path
[Visakha, a layman, ex-husband of Ven. Sister Dhammadinna:] “And are the three aggregates [of virtue, concentration, discernment] included under the noble eightfold path, lady, or is the noble eightfold path included under the three aggregates?”
[Ven. Sister Dhammadinna:] “The three aggregates are not included under the noble eightfold path, friend Visakha, but the noble eightfold path is included under the three aggregates. Right speech, right action, & right livelihood come under the aggregate of virtue. Right effort, right mindfulness, & right concentration come under the aggregate of concentration. Right view & right resolve come under the aggregate of discernment.”
— MN 44
An ancient path rediscovered
“It is just as if a man, traveling along a wilderness track, were to see an ancient path, an ancient road, traveled by people of former times. He would follow it. Following it, he would see an ancient city, an ancient capital inhabited by people of former times, complete with parks, groves, & ponds, walled, delightful. He would go to address the king or the king’s minister, saying, ‘Sire, you should know that while traveling along a wilderness track I saw an ancient path… I followed it… I saw an ancient city, an ancient capital… complete with parks, groves, & ponds, walled, delightful. Sire, rebuild that city!’ The king or king’s minister would rebuild the city, so that at a later date the city would become powerful, rich, & well-populated, fully grown & prosperous.
“In the same way I saw an ancient path, an ancient road, traveled by the Rightly Self-awakened Ones of former times. And what is that ancient path, that ancient road, traveled by the Rightly Self-awakened Ones of former times? Just this noble eightfold path: right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration… I followed that path. Following it, I came to direct knowledge of birth… becoming… clinging… craving… feeling… contact… the six sense media… name-&-form… consciousness, direct knowledge of the origination of consciousness, direct knowledge of the cessation of consciousness, direct knowledge of the path leading to the cessation of consciousness. I followed that path.
“Following it, I came to direct knowledge of fabrications, direct knowledge of the origination of fabrications, direct knowledge of the cessation of fabrications, direct knowledge of the path leading to the cessation of fabrications. Knowing that directly, I have revealed it to monks, nuns, male lay followers & female lay followers, so that this holy life has become powerful, rich, detailed, well-populated, wide-spread, proclaimed among celestial & human beings.”
— SN 12.65
A path to overcome danger
“There are these three things that are (genuine) mother-&-child-separating dangers. Which three? The danger of aging, the danger of illness, the danger of death.
“A mother can’t get (her wish) with regard to her child who is aging, ‘I am aging, but may my child not age.’ A child can’t get (its wish) with regard to its mother who is aging, ‘I am aging, but may my mother not age.’
“A mother can’t get (her wish) with regard to her child who is growing ill, ‘I am growing ill, but may my child not grow ill.’ A child can’t get (its wish) with regard to its mother who is growing ill, ‘I am growing ill, but may my mother not grow ill.’
“A mother can’t get (her wish) with regard to her child who is dying, ‘I am dying, but may my child not die.’ A child can’t get (its wish) with regard to its mother who is dying, ‘I am dying, but may my mother not die.’
“These are the three things that are (genuine) mother-&-child-separating dangers.
“There is a path, there is a practice, that leads to the abandoning and overcoming of these three mother-&-child-uniting dangers and these three mother-&-child-separating dangers.
“And which is that path, which is that practice…? Just this very noble eightfold path, i.e., right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.
“This is the path, this the practice, that leads to the abandoning and overcoming of these three mother-&-child-uniting dangers and these three mother-&-child-separating dangers.”
— AN 3.62
Awakenment is accessible only to those who follow this path
“In any doctrine & discipline where the noble eightfold path is not found, no contemplative of the first… second… third… fourth order [stream-winner, once-returner, non-returner, or arahant] is found. But in any doctrine & discipline where the noble eightfold path is found, contemplatives of the first… second… third… fourth order are found. The noble eightfold path is found in this doctrine & discipline, and right here there are contemplatives of the first… second… third… fourth order. Other teachings are empty of knowledgeable contemplatives. And if the monks dwell rightly, this world will not be empty of arahants.”
— DN 16
See also:
· “The Fourth Truth” in The Wings to Awakening
· The Noble Eightfold Path: The Way to the End of Suffering, by Bhikkhu Bodhi (Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 1994)
· Maha-cattarisaka Sutta (MN 117) — The Great Forty
Spiritual Community of The True Followers of The Path Shown by The Awakened One
Guided meditations: You are getting sleeeeepy
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http://www.missiondivine.org/?cat=13
http://www.myspace.com/kawaikoelea
What is Theravada Buddhism?
Nibbana
avijja
No single English word adequately captures the full depth, range, and subtlety of the crucial Pali term dukkha. Over the years, many translations of the word have been used (”stress,” “unsatisfactoriness,” “suffering,” etc.). Each has its own merits in a given context. There is value in not letting oneself get too comfortable with any one particular translation of the word, since the entire thrust of Buddhist practice is the broadening and deepening of one’s understanding of dukkha until its roots are finally exposed and eradicated once and for all. One helpful rule of thumb: as soon as you think you’ve found the single best translation for the word, think again: for no matter how you describe dukkha, it’s always deeper, subtler, and more unsatisfactory than that.
The definition
“Birth is dukkha, aging is dukkha, death is dukkha; sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, & despair are dukkha; association with the unbeloved is dukkha; separation from the loved is dukkha; not getting what is wanted is dukkha. In short, the five clinging-aggregates are dukkha.”
— SN 56.11
Sariputta’s elaboration
[Ven. Sariputta:] “Now what, friends, is the noble truth of stress? Birth is stressful, aging is stressful, death is stressful; sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair are stressful; association with the unbeloved is stressful; separation from the loved is stressful; not getting what is wanted is stressful. In short, the five clinging-aggregates are stressful.
“And what is birth? Whatever birth, taking birth, descent, coming-to-be, coming-forth, appearance of aggregates, & acquisition of [sense] spheres of the various beings in this or that group of beings, that is called birth.
“And what is aging? Whatever aging, decrepitude, brokenness, graying, wrinkling, decline of life-force, weakening of the faculties of the various beings in this or that group of beings, that is called aging.
“And what is death? Whatever deceasing, passing away, breaking up, disappearance, dying, death, completion of time, break up of the aggregates, casting off of the body, interruption in the life faculty of the various beings in this or that group of beings, that is called death.
“And what is sorrow? Whatever sorrow, sorrowing, sadness, inward sorrow, inward sadness of anyone suffering from misfortune, touched by a painful thing, that is called sorrow.
“And what is lamentation? Whatever crying, grieving, lamenting, weeping, wailing, lamentation of anyone suffering from misfortune, touched by a painful thing, that is called lamentation.
“And what is pain? Whatever is experienced as bodily pain, bodily discomfort, pain or discomfort born of bodily contact, that is called pain.
“And what is distress? Whatever is experienced as mental pain, mental discomfort, pain or discomfort born of mental contact, that is called distress.
“And what is despair? Whatever despair, despondency, desperation of anyone suffering from misfortune, touched by a painful thing, that is called despair.
“And what is the stress of association with the unbeloved? There is the case where undesirable, unpleasing, unattractive sights, sounds, aromas, flavors, or tactile sensations occur to one; or one has connection, contact, relationship, interaction with those who wish one ill, who wish for one’s harm, who wish for one’s discomfort, who wish one no security from the yoke. This is called the stress of association with the unbeloved.
“And what is the stress of separation from the loved? There is the case where desirable, pleasing, attractive sights, sounds, aromas, flavors, or tactile sensations do not occur to one; or one has no connection, no contact, no relationship, no interaction with those who wish one well, who wish for one’s benefit, who wish for one’s comfort, who wish one security from the yoke, nor with one’s mother, father, brother, sister, friends, companions, or relatives. This is called the stress of separation from the loved.
“And what is the stress of not getting what is wanted? In beings subject to birth, the wish arises, ‘O, may we not be subject to birth, and may birth not come to us.’ But this is not to be achieved by wanting. This is the stress of not getting what is wanted. In beings subject to aging… illness… death… sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair, the wish arises, ‘O, may we not be subject to aging… illness… death… sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair, and may aging… illness… death… sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair not come to us.’ But this is not to be achieved by wanting. This is the stress of not getting what is wanted.
— MN 141
A contemporary definition:
Dukkha is:
Disturbance, irritation, dejection, worry, despair, fear, dread, anguish, anxiety; vulnerability, injury, inability, inferiority; sickness, aging, decay of body and faculties, senility; pain/pleasure; excitement/boredom; deprivation/excess; desire/frustration, suppression; longing/aimlessness; hope/hopelessness; effort, activity, striving/repression; loss, want, insufficiency/satiety; love/lovelessness, friendlessness; dislike, aversion/attraction; parenthood/childlessness; submission/rebellion; decision/indecisiveness, vacillation, uncertainty.
— Francis Story in Suffering, in Vol. II of The Three Basic Facts of Existence (Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 1983)
Only dukkha
“Both formerly & now, it is only dukkha that I describe, and the cessation of dukkha.”
— SN 22.86
Three kinds of dukkha
“There are these three forms of stressfulness, my friend: the stressfulness of pain, the stressfulness of fabrication, the stressfulness of change. These are the three forms of stressfulness.”
…
[Jambukhadika the wanderer:] “What is the path, what is the practice for the full comprehension of these forms of stressfulness?”
“Precisely this Noble Eightfold Path, my friend — right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. This is the path, this is the practice for the full comprehension of these forms of stressfulness.”
— SN 38.14
meditation tests prove buddhists right
See also: First Noble Truth
Sarvajan Hitay Sarvajan Sukhay
Kindly visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qG2X9PchgvI&mode=related&search=
http://www.suttareadings.net/audio/index.html
Petty cases should be decided at the HOD level : Cabinet Minister
Lucknow : September 22, 2007 The Uttar Pradesh Government has decided for early disposal of cases pending before the Hon’ble High Court in the State. It has been decided to review cases pending in every department, so that effective pursuance of cases could be ensured and they were disposed of at the earliest. A decision to this effect was taken during the meeting of a six-member high level committee constituted for suggesting ways and means for early disposal of cases involving various departments of the State Government pending before the Hon’ble High Court. The first meeting of the committee, presided over the Cabinet Minister Mr. Satish Chandra Misra was attended by Advocate General of U.P. Mr. Jyotindra Misra, Chief Secretary Mr. Prashant Kumar Misra, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr. Shailesh Krishna, Principal Secretary Law Mr. Syed Mazhar Abbas Abdi and Secretary Parliamentary Affairs Mr. Pradeep Dubey. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Satish Misra said that the Government was taking the matter of pending cases seriously. It might be recalled that the Chief Justice of Supreme Court of India, during his Allahabad visit a few days earlier, had expressed deep concern over the large number of cases pending before courts. The committee had been constituted by the U.P. Chief Minister Km. Mayawati for suggesting ways and means for early disposal of pending cases. The Cabinet Minister said that 45 per cent of the total pending cases were related to service matters, suspension, transfer and departmental enquiry. He said that all the departments should review the pending cases concerning their departments within one month. The Chief Secretary would also monitor the progress of all such cases. He said that departments reviewing the cases should also come forward to dispose of small and petty matters at their own level, if possible. Mr. Satish Misra said that after obtaining the list of pending cases of all the departments from the office of the Advocate General, the work for disposal of cases should be allocated to the Government Counsels on the basis of their experience and expertise in different matters. Some Civil Judges should be appointed in the Law Department and their advice could also be obtained in these matters, he added. He further said that the petty cases, in which the Government had filed appeal, should also be reviewed. Counter affidavits had not been filed in a number of cases and a campaign should be launched for filing affidavits in such cases. Unanimous decision was taken in the meeting that the cases of contempt should also be reviewed and every effort should be made to avoid such a situation. The meeting also decided that every department should appoint a nodal officer for pursuance of cases concerning their departments and coordinate with the standing counsels in the pleading of the cases. It was decided during the meeting that the Advocate General will make available the list of fresh cases to the concerning department and it would be the duty of the department to make available the narrative of the case within a day to avoid inconvenience. The meeting also pondered over the issue that sometimes more than one writ was filed in similar matters and government should plead for clubbing of such writs. The State Government would also review the ambiguity of such rules and laws owing to which unnecessary cases were filed and take necessary action to amend them. Officers will also be imparted training for conducting departmental enquiries and certain cases will be handed over to the Administrative Tribunal for their early settlement. *****
Online edition of India’s National Newspaper
Sunday, Sep 23, 2007
‘Punish people getting jobs with false certificates’
Special Correspondent
JD(S)-BJP Government accused of not protecting interests of SC/STs (Original Inhabitants of The Great Prabuddha Bharath)
Original Inhabitants of The Great Prabuddha Bharath demand action against those responsible for inhuman treatment meted out to them
Seeking action: Activists of the Karnataka State unit of Original Inhabitants of The Great Prabuddha Bharath Vimochana’s Human Rights Forum staging a protest in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Bangalore on Friday.
Bangalore: A large group of Original Inhabitants of The Great Prabuddha Bharath, including women and children, under the banner of Original Inhabitants of The Great Prabuddha Bharath Liberation Human Rights Forum-Karnataka, on Friday staged a demonstration in front of Mahatma Gandhi statue, here demanding punishment to those responsible for various types of inhuman treatment meted out to them in the State.
The protesters alleged that the Janata Dal (Secular)-Bharatiya Janata Party Government headed by H.D. Kumaraswamy had failed to protect the interests of women and children among Original Inhabitants of The Great Prabuddha Bharath and other weaker sections. They demanded dismissal of this Government for failing to discharge its responsibilities.
State convenor of the forum Basavaraj Kautal alleged that 16,000 persons had secured jobs in various cadres in the State Government producing false caste certificates and impersonating as Original Inhabitants of The Great Prabuddha Bharath. He demanded filing of criminal cases against them under the Prevention of Atrocities Act and replacing them with the qualified and eligible Original Inhabitants of The Great Prabuddha Bharath.
Mr. Kautal alleged that the Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement, the special courts, special prosecutors and all commissions of enquiries appointed by the successive governments to redress the grievances of Original Inhabitants of The Great Prabuddha Bharath had failed in implementing the mandate given to these agencies.
He demanded that the agencies be made accountable. Criminal cases should be filed against the Deputy Commissioners, Superintendents of Police and MLAs concerned for atrocities against Original Inhabitants of The Great Prabuddha Bharath, he said.
The State Human Rights Commission should constitute a committee to go into the charges of untouchability in the anganvadis, midday meal centres and other public places, he said.
The villages where Original Inhabitants of The Great Prabuddha Bharath and their women were subjected to torture and harassment should be declared as a separate village and they should be rehabilitated. All such families and those, who were facing social boycott should be provided with land and irrigation facilities for eking out a respectable life in society, Mr. Kautal said.
The Original Inhabitants of The Great Prabuddha Bharath raised slogans condemning the Government’s inaction and urging implementation of their demands.
Later, the Forum presented a memorandum to the office of the Governor.
SC/ST(Original Inhabitants of The Great Prabuddha Bharath) colony attacked near Srirangapatna, 11 injured
Staff Correspondent
| Police lob teargas shells in the village; nine arrested |
Top officials camping in the village
Old enmity suspected to be the cause
MYSORE: Eleven Original Inhabitants of The Great Prabuddha Bharath were injured when a mob of over 150 people from “upper caste” attacked a Original Inhabitants of The Great Prabuddha Bharath colony of Chikka Ankanahalli in Srirangapatna taluk of Mandya district on Friday night.
Three injured Original Inhabitants of The Great Prabuddha Bharath have been admitted to K.R. Hospital, Mysore. On learning about the incident, the police rushed to the village and resorted to lathicharge to control the situation.
When this did not have any effect, they lobbed teargas shells to quell the mob. The situation is now under control and adequate police force has been deployed in the village, according to Superintendent of Police Seemanth Kumar Singh.
Mr. Singh, who is camping in the village, told The Hindu that nine persons had been arrested in this connection and a search was on to arrest others involved in the attack.
Motorcycle torched
The mob torched a motorcycle and three bicycles and damaged many houses. Officials were in the process of estimating the extent of damage, he said.
Senior officials, including Deputy Commissioner N.S. Channappa Gowda, Srirangapatna tahsildar Manjunath Prasad, Assistant Direct of Social Welfare Kavitharani are camping in the village.
Ms. Kavitarani said that efforts were on to disburse compensations to affected Original Inhabitants of The Great Prabuddha Bharath immediately.
According to Chandrashekar, a Original Inhabitant of The Great Prabuddha Bharath leader who visited the village, “caste” Hindus had damaged 37 houses and injured 11 persons.
While the police attributed eve-teasing as the provocation, Original Inhabitants of The Great Prabuddha Bharath leaders said animosity between youths belonging to “upper caste” and Original Inhabitants of The Great Prabuddha Bharath was the reason behind the incident.
There are 150 Original Inhabitants of The Great Prabuddha Bharath families at Chikka Ankanahalli, which comes under the jurisdiction of Arakere police. “Caste” Hindus form the majority in the village.
Mr. Chandrashekar said there was a fight between the two groups during Dasara Youth Sports in Srirangapatna recently and “caste” Hindus wanted to “teach Original Inhabitants of The Great Prabuddha Bharath a lesson”.
Provocation
A Original Inhabitant of The Great Prabuddha Bharath boy from Vajamangala visited Chikka Ankanahalli to invite his relatives for a ceremony on September 18. He was attacked by “caste” Hindu boys near a tea stall in the village. A few Original Inhabitants of The Great Prabuddha Bharath youths retaliated near Vajamangala gate on September 19.
Mr. Chandrashekar said “Caste” Hindu youths hatched a plan and after immersing the Ganesh idol, they raided a Original Inhabitants of The Great Prabuddha Bharath colony. They threw stones, damaged a Ganapathi pandal and the idol. They smudged the board of Ambedkar Sangh.
TV sets damaged
“Upper caste” youths attacked many houses and damaged television sets in three houses. Many Original Inhabitants of The Great Prabuddha Bharath youths were injured when they tried to stop them, he said.
Protection sought
He urged the district authorities to arrest the accused and provide protection to Original Inhabitants of The Great Prabuddha Bharath in the village. Any failure to do so would force the Original Inhabitants of The Great Prabuddha Bharath Sangharsh Samiti to launch an agitation, he said.
Condemning the attack on Original Inhabitants of The Great Prabuddha Bharath, Guruprasad Keragodu, a Original Inhabitants of The Great Prabuddha Bharath leader, said that it was the responsibility of the Government to take action against the accused by invoking SC/ST Atrocities (Prevention) Act. They should not be allowed to get bail.
‘Original Inhabitants of The Great Prabuddha Bharath Day’
He said giving compensation would not help in solving the problem. The authorities should identify “sensitive” villages in districts, where there was animosity between “upper castes” and Original Inhabitants of The Great Prabuddha Bharath and address the problem. “Otherwise, ‘upper caste’ people will continue their attacks on Original Inhabitants of The Great Prabuddha Bharath, and the Government as a ritual will distribute compensation,” he said.
Instead of conducting a Original Inhabitants of The Great Prabuddha Bharath Day in cities, authorities should organise a function in villages to boost the confidence of Original Inhabitants of The Great Prabuddha Bharath, Mr. Keragodu added.
Scheduled Caste ( Original Inhabitants of The Great Prabuddha Bharath) woman burnt to death in Firozabad
Firozabad: A
Firozabad: A Original Inhabitants of The Great Prabuddha Bharath woman, whose son was accused of eloping with a girl of another caste, was burnt to death while her family members were held hostage in Sirsaganj area here on Friday, police said.
Goondas set the woman ablaze in Krishnanagar area of Sirsaganj police station area.
The woman later died in a hospital in Agra.
Two persons were arrested on Saturday, Superintendent of Police V.K. Garg said.
Her family members were later freed, he said. Police in strength have been deployed in the area. — PTI
woman, whose son was accused of eloping with a girl of another caste, was burnt to death while her family members were held hostage in Sirsaganj area here on Friday, police said.
Goondas set the woman ablaze in Krishnanagar area of Sirsaganj police station area.
The woman later died in a hospital in Agra.
Two persons were arrested on Saturday, Superintendent of Police V.K. Garg said.
Her family members were later freed, he said. Police in strength have been deployed in the area. — PTI