Environment and Dharma

The concept of Hinduism is Dharma. One of the attributes of dharma is protecting the environment. We must practice pro-environmental behavior. Pro-environmental behavior is the actions we take in daily life to protect the environment. There are three levels here, willingness to act, daily protection activities and efforts to bring about public change. Since our environment is composed of earth, water, fire, air and ether. We have to make sure that our earth is not exploited, our water is drinkable and our air is breathable. Continue reading

932 – Confrontation and Compassion

Living in this world, we are exposed to daily acts of compassion and confrontation. When one reads the newspaper or reads the news on the net or screen, news flashes past.

My morning started with my two wild cats coming for breakfast. One of them is an abandoned Burmese cat. He is enormous and handsome. My other cat is a female and she is the daughter of an abandoned Abyssinian. I know, many of you of will think that how is it possible that such beautiful cats have been forsaken. And look at the irony they have come to my balcony. Continue reading

905 – 9 ways to practice bhakti sadhana

  1. Shravana: listening to the stories of the lord.

  2. Kirtan: singing about the qualities of the lord.

  3. Smaranam: remembering the name of the lord.

  4. Padaseva: cultivating a feeling of universal oneness.

  5. Archana: surrendering all one’s deeds to the lord through worship, ritual and reverence.

  6. Vandana: the humbling of one’s ego, the bowing of one’s head.

  7. Dasya: serving, seva.

  8. Sakhya: having the attitude of a friend.

  9. Atmanivedana: surrendering oneself totally.

Srimad Bhagwatam

Let us examine these methods of Bhakti Sadhana. Continue reading

659 – The clever orchid

Belief, faith and hope, which order should we follow?

Before I write about these three words which rule us, I want to share with you a truthful tale about the orchids. My dear ones, you all have observed the beauty of the orchid. It flowers and then gives us so much joy with its beauty. They are mono symmetrical; this means that both halves of the flower mirror each other. The orchid flower is thief, liar and cheat. Continue reading

594 – Hinduism explained

by Dr Radhakrishnan and Swami Sivananda

Dr Radhakrishnan is considered one of the most learned of Hindu Scholars. He was a philosopher, author, statesman and educationalist. His birthday on 5th September is celebrated as Teachers’ Day in India. He was a former President of India and a professor of Eastern Religions at Oxford university. He was also named “Knight of the Golden Army of Angels,” the Vatican’s highest honor for a Head of State. Continue reading

550 – 11 advices how to live our lives

According to the Bhagavad Gita.

  1. Whatever you do in a daily life, do not bother about the results. Krishna says that we should focus on our karma (actions).
  2. Be objective in every action.
  3. Embrace love, compassion and faith in life.
  4. Have faith in yourself and take simple steps daily.
  5. Accept change, it is a part of life.
  6. Meditate for five minutes at least daily.
  7. Try to understand your food habits and change them if needed.
  8. Practice self-observation.
  9. Identify your fears, let them go and just focus on karma.
  10. Focus on the fact that we are equal.
  11. Connect with nature, people and the whole universe.

Continue reading

277 – Statue of a Deity

Why are statues of the deity important for us in our sadhana? The statue is a symbol, a medium for establishing communion with God. Images are not frivolous visions of the artist, but they are emanating from his heart. When the murtis (deity’s statues) are made for worship, the craftsman follows the design rules of the Shilpa Shastras. Continue reading