Hinduism is the world’s oldest faith in the world. Hindus believe in the doctrines of samsara (the continues cycle of life, death and reincarnation) and karma (the universal law of cause and effect). In Hinduism, the soul or Atman is the crux of it. Continue reading
We are battling noise. We are surrounded by it. How can we define Mauna (silence)? It is the language of God which can only be heard when there is peace of mind. It is the language of the heart. How do attain Mauna or silence of the mind and our senses? Continue reading
Where the mind is without fear
And the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is lead forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my
Father let my country awake. – Rabindranath Tagore
This poem was written by Rabindranath Tagore during India’s pre-independence days. The poet is writing that a country should have people living without fear and with dignity. Continue reading
Creed and practice // Statement by Sukadev Volker Bretz.
(Originally in German with German subtitles. Activate YouTube subtitles and choose your language.)
As a spiritual-religious community, the members of Yoga Vidya e.V. live the teachings of Vedanta and Yoga in all aspects. How these two pillars shape the self-image of Yoga Vidya e.V. as a spiritual-religious community with an educational mission is explained by Sukadev Volker Bretz in this video. Continue reading
Trust is a word used by us frequently and its meaning is very powerful. The first and foremost is ‘Trust in God’.
Noun: Trust means the belief that someone is good, honest and sincere. One would not be cheated or tricked by him/her. Trust also means that there is a legal arrangement by which a person looks after the wealth for somebody until they are of age.
Verb: to believe that someone is honest and will not cheat or harm one.
Trust is having faith, belief or confidence in someone. Continue reading
What is loss? It is a very powerful word which encompasses many subjects. It has a great many meanings. How do we understand and perceive it? Loss relates to when we identify with our anxieties and insecurities. We lose our sense of clarity and we are faced with disillusionment and uncertainty. When we relate to this, we kill our self. Continue reading
Children love color and they are also influenced by what they see around them. They are drawn towards bright colors like red, yellow, green, blue, purple and pink. Such colors create a sense of energy and playfulness. These colors also emanate happiness. I have seen firsthand how kids love colors. Continue reading
Cry to your Mother Syama with a real cry, O mind!
And how can she hold herself from you?
How can Syama stay away?
How can your mother, Kali hold herself away?
O mind if you are in earnest, bring her an offering
Of bel-leaves and hibiscus flowers;
Lay at her feet your offering
And with it mingle the fragrant sandal-paste of Love. – Ramakrishna Parmahamsa
Guna means virtue and each one of us is blessed with three gunas. They emerge from Prakriti creating the essential aspects of all nature—matter, energy and consciousness. These are tamas (darkness and chaos), rajas (activity and passion) and sattva (beingness and harmony). These gunas are constantly in flux and they are responsible for creating maya (illusion). As human beings we can consciously alter our levels of gunas in our body and mind. Continue reading
Most of us do not think about it. It is a mundane exercise, performed by us 24/7. Now my dear ones, I am going to startle and shock you. There is a pause between our inhalation and exhalation and after. What is this pause? Can you account for it? It has gone forever from our lives. Continue reading
Be your own light.
Heraclitus’s famous analogy of life to a river: “Upon those who step into the same rivers, different and ever different waters flow down.” Heraclitus was an ancient Greek philosopher. The central idea of his philosophy was the unity of opposites and the concept of change. He observed the world as being in a state of constant flux. Nothing remains the same and the world is impermanent. It is changing continuously. Our ignorance is responsible for this false perception. Adi Shankara calls this ignorance avidya and to remove this we need that light, which is from within. Continue reading
The Latin root of Ether is aether, which means, “the upper, pure, bright air.” Ether was described as a substance that was said to fill all space and make up all bodies. Ether is the fifth and highest element after air, fire, water and earth. It is believed to be the substance composing all heavenly bodies. Continue reading
And save the Cosmos.
Our cosmos is comprised of ether, air, fire, water and earth. I have written about each one of the elements and how each on of us and all living creatures and plants are composed of these elements. Continue reading
Om Akashaay cha Vidhmahe
Nabho Devaay Dheemahi!
Thanno Gaganam Prachodayaat Om! Continue reading
Om Sarvapranaya Vidhmahe
Yasthhhastya Dhimahi
Thanno Vayuh Prachodayat. – Vayu Gayatri Mantra