The Ganga is considered a tirtha, which means a crossing point between heaven and earth. At a tirtha, prayers and offerings are thought most likely to reach the gods and their blessings descend readily from heaven. Continue reading
I heard a voice from within
‘Siva wake up and fill the cup of your life with this nectar
Share it with all
I shall give you strength, energy, power and wisdom’
I obeyed his command
He did fill the cup and I shared with all. – Swami Sivananda Saraswati
Shraddha or faith is the Bhahmastra of spirituality. The Brahmastra is a supernatural weapon and is considered the most destructive weapon described in Hinduism. It is faith (shraddha) which is our armour and it is considered the ultimate power of spiritual life. Continue reading
We do not exist independently….
Whenever I walk, sit, eat or practice calligraphy,
I do so with the awareness,
That all my ancestors are within me at that moment.
I am their continuation.
Whatever I am doing,
the energy of mindfulness
enables me to do it as ‘us,’
‘Through interbeing, not as me.’
Ancestors and me – Thich Nhat Hanh Continue reading
The Hindu belief is totally non-exclusive and accepts all other faiths and religious paths. An ancient Vedic text says that God or truth is one and wise persons refer to it by many names. Hindus believe that no one religion is exclusively true, that all major faiths are aspects of the one universal all encompassing truth, and that there are many paths to seek and experience religious understanding and enlightenment. Continue reading
Our veneration of the planet will lead to Dharma. The practice of Dharma (righteousness) will enable us to save Prithvi (mother earth) and ourselves.
There are four important acts that we must make a part of our daily life. Ahimsa, compassion, maintaining the ecological environment and being aware of the presence of the Divinity. Continue reading
Give it a thought. There are stories and stories. Some make us laugh, some make us sad, and some make us angry. Do we ever think about what some of the stories are telling us. Remember I wrote about Sphota, a revelation, which happens to the hearer. This word hearer is a strange word, we are accustomed to listener. Continue reading
In the Bhagwad Gita, Sri Krishna says (12:2—2):
Meditate on me, do japa of my name; to focus your mind single pointedly on me is Bhakti.
Bhagawan is God and prarthana is prayers.
The Lord is Bhagawan (God) and is described as one who knows the cause of creation and destruction, the reason for the birth and departure of Jiva, the period Jiva has to remain on the earth due to his Karma. Bhagawan is not a Guru and this is explained in the Sanskrit literature. Vishnu Purana defines Bhagawan as he who understands the creation and dissolution, the appearance and disappearance of beings, the wisdom and ignorance. Continue reading
Whatever happens in your life, no matter how troubling things might seem, do not enter the neighborhood of despair. Even when all doors remain closed, God will open up a new path only for you. Be thankful when all is well. A Sufi is thankful not only for what he has been given but for also all that he has been denied. – Shams Tabrizi
Like the rays of the moon the light of Yoga is expanding
All religions, beliefs and sects
Are receiving shelter
Under the kalpataru (wish fulfilling tree) of Yoga.
Towards the evolution of consciousness
Yoga has done unforgettable work.
Yoga will become tomorrow’s culture
And will show
A new way of life for mankind.
Dear ones, ask yourself this question. –Swami Satyananda Saraswati. 1981.
O Love, I see Thy glowing face in the gems. I behold Thy shy blush in the blossoms. I am enraptured, hearing Thee warble in the birds. And I dream in ecstasy when my heart embraces Thee in all hearts’ love, I met Thee in all things – only a little and for a while – but in Omnipresence I clasp Thee entirely and forever, and I rejoice in Thy joy evermore.
Love is a golden mansion in which the King of Eternity homes the entire family of creation. And at God’s command, love is a mystic fire that can melt the grossness of the cosmos into the invisible substance of eternal love.
Like a river, love flows continuously through humble, sincere souls; but it bypasses the rocks of egotistic, selfish, sense-bound souls, because it cannot pass through them.
Divine Romance by Sri Sri Paramahansa Yogananda. Continue reading
Before Enlightenment I chopped wood and carried water,
After Enlightenment I chopped wood and carried water. – Zen Saying
I read a very interesting story the other day. A man came to a Guru and asked how he could connect to the Divinity. The Guru said, ‘Write a letter to the Divinity with your address.’ The man wrote his address and handed it to the Guru. It was his residential address. The Guru looked at it and said it was incorrect and he repeated address, it has to be the right one. Continue reading
In the previous blog article, I wrote about a prayer and a promise. We had gone to a forest sanctuary for a holiday. In India, where ever there are mountains, there are temples perched on a peak. We visited two temples and in both places the guide told us that one’s wishes were always granted but one had to fulfill one’s promise. I thought that was ridiculous as my understanding was that one went to offer prayers with a genuine and sincere heart. The divinity always understood what the supplicant was asking. Yesterday when I read Swamiji’s lecture, I appreciated what our guide was saying. Continue reading