The scriptures describe two kinds of avatars, Nimitta and Nitya. The Nimitta and Nitya are manifestations of avatars of God. Nimitta avatars refer to the ten appearances of Vishnu (Buddha, Kalki yet to come). Krishna, is a Nimitta avatar, who was born to rid society of evildoers. Nitya avatars are the brahmanishtha (one who has realised Brahman, the Supreme personality of Godhead) sages. Continue reading
The ancient sages believed that life is nothing but an expression of consciousness and energy. Mind and matter are the expressions of consciousness and energy. Consciousness and energy manifest as life in the form of spirit, mind, senses, intellect and ego. Both are present in every aspect of creation in the form of Astha prakriti, the eight-fold aspect of manifest nature. Continue reading
Thursday is the day of the Guru? I asked myself this question, as must so many of you, “Who was Swami Sivananda’s Guru?” Swami Sivananda received mantra diksha from Parmahamsa Viswananda Saraswati, on the banks of the Ganga on 1st June 1924. Swami Sivananda was in quest of a Guru. Continue reading
According to the Vedas, when a soul takes birth, it descends through the heavens and the atmosphere before reaching earth. It takes on heavier sheaths of material density. It can only take birth in the physical plane at a time karmically in accord with its nature and destiny. The birth chart represents the seed pattern of its life; how it develops depends upon the environment as well. Continue reading