Nature, in the broadest sense, is the natural, physical, or material world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. Although humans are part of nature, human activity is often understood as a separate category from other natural phenomena.

The word nature is derived from the Latin word natura, or "essential qualities, innate disposition", and in ancient times, literally meant "birth". In ancient philosophy, Natura is mostly used as the Latin translation of the Greek word physis, which originally related to the intrinsic characteristics that plants, animals, and other features of the world develop of their own accord. The concept of nature as a whole, the physical universe, is one of several expansions of the original notion it began with certain core applications of the word φύσις by pre-Socratic philosophers (though this word had a dynamic dimension then, especially for Heraclitus), and has steadily gained currency ever since. During the advent of modern scientific method in the last several centuries, nature became the passive reality, organized and moved by divine laws.With the Industrial revolution, nature increasingly became seen as the part of reality deprived from intentional intervention : it was hence considered as sacred by some traditions (Rousseau, American transcendentalism) or a mere decorum for divine providence or human history (Hegel, Marx). However, a vitalist vision of nature, closer to the presocratic one, got reborn at the same time, especially after Charles Darwin.

Within the various uses of the word today, "nature" often refers to geology and wildlife. Nature can refer to the general realm of living plants and animals, and in some cases to the processes associated with inanimate objects—the way that particular types of things exist and change of their own accord, such as the weather and geology of the Earth. It is often taken to mean the "natural environment" or wilderness—wild animals, rocks, forest, and in general those things that have not been substantially altered by human intervention, or which persist despite human intervention. For example, manufactured objects and human interaction generally are not considered part of nature, unless qualified as, for example, "human nature" or "the whole of nature". This more traditional concept of natural things that can still be found today implies a distinction between the natural and the artificial, with the artificial being understood as that which has been brought into being by a human consciousness or a human mind. Depending on the particular context, the term "natural" might also be distinguished from the unnatural or the supernatural.

 

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The Sinhala folk poetry

The folk poetry used by the ancient people to quench their thirst and fatigue has been created in various fields and professions. These folk poems can be described as the self-creation of the villager. The works of learned poets as well as folk poets are found in almost every literature. This is also the nature of Sinhala literature. Educated poets create by adhering to the rules of standard expression and the beautiful rules of voting. This expert poetic style is exemplified in many ancient works, from poems such as Silumina, Sasadavatha, Muvadevudavatha to Sandesha Kavya, Upadesha Kavya, which are considered to be the genre of poetry. Folk poetry originated among ordinary villagers who had no formal education. It is said that folk poetry reveals the thoughts and wishes of a certain community as well as their beliefs, values, livelihood, religious nourishment and rural aesthetics. Folk poetry is considered a genre of folklore. This is because these creations have been passed down from generation to generation among the common people over a period of time. Various folk poetry genres such as Pal Kavi, Paru Kavi, Nelum Kavi, Pathal Kavi are written today but we have inherited these because they have been passed down by word of mouth and have been preserved from generation to generation. There are also several books of written folk poetry among Sinhala folk poems. To Yasodara, Vesanthara Jataka Kavya, Tunsaranaya are. We also hear about famous folk poets such as Gajaman Nona, Ranchagoda Lamaya and Andare. Folk poetry differs from scholarly poetry in that it is composed for the learned because of the characteristics of authenticity, repetition, empathy, and restraint found in folk poetry. Paddy farming was the main source of livelihood and the simple agricultural society was the source of folk poetry. We can see various forms of folk poetry such as Goyam Kavi, Nelum Kavi, Pal Kavi, Kurakkan Kavi etc. These were created by combining fields, hay and plants. A scene of village women planting seedlings, planting weeds or harvesting is a beautiful experience that awakens the mind of the village poet. This is how it has been turned into an interesting poem by an innately talented folk poet.

දුම්බර කෙතේ වැට බැඳලා රැකුම් බැලුම් 

මහවැලි ගගේ දිය ඇදලා කෙතට ගිලුම්

බොළඳ ලියන් කර ඔසවා බලන බැලුම්

තුන්පත් රටාවයි දුම්බර කෙතේ නෙළුම් 

Fences in the Dumbara field are guarded

Water from the Mahaweli River plunges into the field

Baby Lian and Raising Balloons

The three-leaf pattern is the lotus in the Dumbara field

The field is the center of the self-sufficient economy of the villagers. Field work is festive. The fields not only provide rice to alleviate the hunger of the villagers but also drive away their misery and misery and bring satisfaction. This poem tells the story of how the villager saw the beauty of the field.

කෙතක ගොයම් පැළ නිල දිලිසෙන වා

විටෙක ඉඳන් මල් උයන්    තනන     වා

කෙතක ඉඳන් මල් මාල ගොතන     වා

මලක බඹරු බස් වට නද දෙන        වා

Let the stalks of the field shine

Let's build flower gardens from time to time

Let's make flower garlands from a field

Let the flower wasp roam around the bus

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The secret of susuccess

Why is it that some people achieve more than the average lot? Why are some people more successful than others?

Is it because they are smarter?

Are they just too lucky?

I don’t believe either of the above are reasons to be more successful.

“Luck favors those who help themselves”

People don’t get successful just because of luck, they keep applying a few core success principles in their lives consistently that lead them towards success. It is important to develop a mindset for success.

Just as an example, in the construction business, when any tall building has to be constructed, the most amount of steel and cement are required to build the basements since those are the base of the building. The base of the building has to be strong in order to take the load of upper floors.

Similarly, if you want to be successful, it is important to have your basics right. If you are following the basic principles correctly, you are definitely going to become successful. For someone, it might take a bit longer than others, but success can not elude you for long. These secrets of success are like important pillars that can help you create a wonderful foundation on your journey towards becoming successful.

Here are 7 secrets which are crucial to achieve success:

Success Secret #1: Get a Burning Desire

Successful people have a deep burning desire to achieve success. They want it badly.

A young man asked Socrates the secret to Success. Socrates told the guy to meet him near the beach next morning at 4 A.M.

The young man thought to himself, – “I am asking him the secret to success and Socrates is calling me near a beach!! Man, I do not want to learn swimming, I want to know the secret of success.”

Nevertheless, next morning 4 A.M he reached near the beach. Socrates asked the man to walk with him towards the beach.

When the water got up to their necks, Socrates dunked the young guy into water. The guy tried and struggled to get his neck out of water but could not. Socrates held the young guy’s head into water for around a minute and after that he released his grip and allowed the young man to come out of water. The young boy immediately took a deep breath of air.

Socrates asked him – “What did you want the most when you were under water?”

I am sure he must have wanted to say ”the most I wanted to do was – Kick you” but he replied that he wanted ‘air’ the most when he was under water.

Socrates said – That’s the secret to success, If you want success as badly as you wanted to breathe when you were underwater, then you would succeed.

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Agarwood,

Agarwood, aloeswood, eaglewood or gharuwood is a fragrant dark resinous wood used in incense, perfume, and small carvings. It is formed in the heartwood of aquilaria trees when they become infected with a type of mold (Phialophora parasitica). Prior to infection, the heartwood is odourless, relatively light and pale coloured; however, as the infection progresses, the tree produces a dark aromatic resin, called aloes (not to be confused with Aloe ferox, the succulent known as bitter aloes) or agar (not to be confused with the edible, algae-derived agar) as well as gaharu, jinko, oud, or oodh aguru (not to be confused with bukhoor), in response to the attack, which results in a very dense, dark, resin-embedded heartwood. The resin-embedded wood is valued in Indian-North Eastern culture for its distinctive fragrance, and thus is used for incense and perfumes. Its name is believed to have first and foremost Sanskrit origin, formed from ‘Aguru’. The aromatic qualities of agarwood are influenced by the species, geographic location, its branch, trunk and root origin, length of time since infection, and methods of harvesting and processing.

One of the main reasons for the relative rarity and high cost of agarwood is the depletion of the wild resource. Since 1995, Aquilaria malaccensis, the primary source, has been listed in Appendix II (potentially threatened species) by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. In 2004, all Aquilaria species were listed in Appendix II; however, a number of countries have outstanding reservations regarding that listing.

First-grade agarwood is one of the most expensive natural raw materials in the world,[citation needed] with 2010 prices for superior pure material as high as US$100,000/kg, although in practice adulteration of the wood and oil is common, allowing for prices as low as US$100/kg. A whole range of qualities and products are on the market, varying in quality with geographical location, botanical species, the age of the specific tree, cultural deposition and the section of the tree where the piece of agarwood stems from. The current global market for agarwood is estimated to be in the range of US$6 – 8 billion and is growing rapidly.

The odour of agarwood is complex and pleasing, with few or no similar natural analogues. In the perfume state, the scent is mainly distinguished by a combination of "oriental-woody" and "very soft fruity-floral" notes. The incense smoke is also characterized by a "sweet-balsamic" note and "shades of vanilla and musk" and amber (not to be confused with ambergris). As a result, agarwood and its essential oil gained great cultural and religious significance in ancient civilizations around the world, being described as a fragrant product as early as 1400 BCE in one of the world's oldest written texts – the Sanskrit Vedas from India.

In the Hebrew Bible, "trees of lign aloes" are mentioned in The Book of Numbers 24:6[8] and a perfume compounded of aloeswood, myrrh, and cassia is described in Psalms 45.

Dioscorides in his book Materia Medica (65 CE) described several medical qualities of agarwood (Áγαλλοχου) and mentioned its use as an incense. Even though Dioscorides describes agarwood as having an astringent and bitter taste, it was used to freshen the breath when chewed or as a decoction held in the mouth. He also writes that a root extract was used to treat stomach complaints and dysentery as well as pains of the lungs and liver. Agarwood's use as a medicinal product was also recorded in the Sahih Muslim, which dates back to approximately the eighth century, and in the Ayurvedic medicinal text the Susruta Samhita.

As early as the third century CE in ancient Viet Nam, the chronicle Nan zhou yi wu zhi (Strange things from the South) written by Wa Zhen of the Eastern Wu Dynasty mentioned agarwood produced in the Rinan commandery, now Central Vietnam, and how people collected it in the mountains.

During the sixth century CE in Japan, in the recordings of the Nihon Shoki (The Chronicles of Japan) the second oldest book of classical Japanese history, mention is made of a large piece of fragrant wood identified as agarwood. The source for this piece of wood is claimed to be from Pursat, Cambodia (based on the smell of the wood). The famous piece of wood still remains in Japan today and is showcased less than 10 times per century at the Nara National Museum.

Agarwood is highly revered in Hinduism, Chinese Folk Religion and Islam.

Starting in 1580 after Nguyễn Hoàng took control over the central provinces of modern Vietnam, he encouraged trade with other countries, specifically China and Japan. Agarwood was exported in three varieties: Calambac (kỳ nam in Vietnamese), trầm hương (very similar but slightly harder and slightly more abundant), and agarwood proper. A pound of Calambac bought in Hội An for 15 taels could be sold in Nagasaki for 600 taels. The Nguyễn Lords soon established a Royal Monopoly over the sale of Calambac. This monopoly helped fund the Nguyễn state finances during the early years of the Nguyen rule. Accounts of international trade in agarwood date back as early as the thirteenth century, note India being one of the earliest sources of agarwood for foreign markets.

Xuanzang's travelogues and the Harshacharita, written in seventh century AD in Northern India, mentions use of agarwood products such as 'Xasipat' (writing-material) and 'aloe-oil' in ancient Assam (Kamarupa). The tradition of making writing materials from its bark still exists in Assam.

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History of Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz traces its origins to Karl Benz's creation of the first internal combustion engine in a car, the Benz Patent Motorwagen, financed by Bertha Benz's dowry and patented in January 1886, and Gottlieb Daimler and engineer Wilhelm Maybach's conversion of a stagecoach by the addition of a petrol engine later that year. The Mercedes automobile was first marketed in 1901 by Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (Daimler Motors Corporation).

Emil Jellinek, a European automobile entrepreneur who worked with DMG, created the trademark in 1902, naming the 1901 Mercedes 35 hp after his daughter Mercedes Jellinek. Jellinek was a businessman and marketing strategist who promoted "horseless" Daimler automobiles among the highest circles of society in his adopted home, which, at that time, was a meeting place for the "Haute Volée" of France and Europe, especially in winter. His customers included the Rothschild family and other well-known personalities. But Jellinek's plans went further: as early as 1901, he was selling Mercedes cars in the New World as well, including US billionaires Rockefeller, Astor, Morgan, and Taylor. At a race in Nice in 1899, Jellinek drove under the pseudonym "Monsieur Mercédès", a way of concealing the competitor's real name as was normal and very regularly done in those days. The race ranks as the hour of birth of the Mercedes-Benz brand. In 1901, the name "Mercedes" was registered by Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) worldwide as a protected trademark. The first Mercedes-Benz brand name vehicles were produced in 1926, following the merger of Karl Benz's and Gottlieb Daimler's companies into the Daimler-Benz company on 28 June of the same year.

Gottlieb Daimler was born on 17 March 1834 in Schorndorf. After training as a gunsmith and working in France, he attended the Polytechnic School in Stuttgart from 1857 to 1859. After completing various technical activities in France and England, he started working as a draftsman in Geislingen in 1862. At the end of 1863, he was appointed workshop inspector in a machine tool factory in Reutlingen, where he met Wilhelm Maybach in 1865.[14]

Throughout the 1930s, Mercedes-Benz produced the 770 model, a car that was popular during Germany's Nazi period. Adolf Hitler was known to have driven these cars during his time in power, with bulletproof windshields. Most of the surviving models have been sold at auctions to private buyers. One of them is currently on display at the War Museum in Ottawa, Ontario. The pontiff's Popemobile has often been sourced from Mercedes-Benz. In 1944, 46,000 forced labourers were used in Daimler-Benz's factories to bolster Nazi war efforts. The company later paid $12 million in reparations to the labourers' families. Mercedes-Benz has introduced many technological and safety innovations that later became common in other vehicles. Mercedes-Benz is one of the best-known and established automotive brands in the world.

In November 2019, Daimler AG announced that Mercedes-Benz, up until that point a company marque, would be spun off into a separate wholly owned subsidiary called Mercedes-Benz AG. The new subsidiary would manage the Mercedes-Benz's car and van business. Mercedes-Benz-badged trucks and buses would be part of the Daimler Truck AG subsidiary.

For information relating to the famous three-pointed star, see under the title Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft, including the merger into Daimler-Benz.

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