590 – Who is a Hindu?

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

543 – Triumph over the Gunas during Navratri

 

During the 9 days of worship of the Mother Goddess, the triumph of the divine feminine trinity of Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswathi occurs. In the course of this festival of Mother worship, respect is shown to young girls, married women, young learned boys, elephants and cows. Navratri represents the internal conquest of negativity. Continue reading

494 – Basant Panchami

Basant means one who bestows wishes and season of spring. Spring is about new beginnings and transformations. Panchami means the fifth day of the Hindu lunar month in the Hindu calendar marking the beginning of winter’s end and the coming of spring. And in the western calendar it is January—February. Continue reading

423 – Lotus, the favourite flower of Gods

The lotus is the most powerful symbol of spirituality, beauty, fertility and prosperity. According to Hinduism within each of us is the spirit of the lotus. It is the Anahata chakra or Hrit Padma (heart-lotus), which is the gateway to our soul. The Anahata chakra is described as blue. Continue reading

278 – Why should we go to the temple

A temple is a sanctuary. It is the place where there is a concentration of divine energy. However why should we go to a temple when God is present everywhere? We are the manifestation of Brahman and the meaning of Brahman is the supreme and eternal essence of the universe. We are lacking our connection to the real meaning of faith and divinity. We are governed by our thoughts and ahamkara (ego). Continue reading

243 – Gayatri Mantra

Gayatri is the equal partner of the sun and the mantra for prana, with three forms. In the early morning, Gayatri is a little girl. At noon she is a young woman in her prime. In the evening she is a wise, old woman. The colors used for Gayatri are red in the morning, yellow at noon, and grey at night. Continue reading

233 – Devi in the hindu tradition

The Goddess has been worshipped in the vedic and tantric traditions in numerous forms. Thousands of goddesses exist in India, all manifestations and symbols of one energy and power. As Durga, she is the remover of obstacles, as Kali, the destroyer of time and annihilator of the ego. As Lakshmi, she is the granter of wisdom and knowledge. As Saraswati, she is the granter of wisdom and knowledge. As Tara, she is the guiding light. As Jagdamba, she is the mother of the universe. Continue reading

219 – Man and Woman are equal

In Kaliyuga, we tend to be abrasive and abusive about life. We condemn and criticize. We think that we are self -sufficient.

I have been contemplating on the subject of man / woman attachments. A male form is incomplete without the existence of a female form. God cannot be incomplete. Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva have female counterparts: Sarasvati and Brahma, Vishnu and Lakshmi and Shiva and Shakti. Together these three couples embody the understanding of the ultimate divine. Brahma creates, Vishnu sustains and Shiva destroys. Sarasvati, Lakshmi and Shakti embody knowledge, wealth and power. Continue reading

213 – Namaste Navratri and Summer Solestice

We all have to join together and rid the universe of evil and destruction. In the Shastras it is written that the easiest way to experience God in these troubled and turbulent times is by worship. We need not go into a complicated philosophical discussion. All we have to do is to bow our heads before the deity, who is greater than any other power of the world. Aradhana (prayer) starts from this act and progresses gradually towards bliss and love. Begin with the deity, one loves and adores (it can be the elements, chakras, and yantras), and one rises progressively above the form and merges into the supreme atman. Continue reading

190 – Hindu Gods and the significance of their vehicles

Every important Hindu God has an animal as its vahana (vehicle). They are never without them. In Sanskrit vahana means that which carries or that which pulls. These vahanas are either animals or birds and they represent the various spiritual and psychological energy that bears the Gods. The vahana may wear a saddle upon which the deities sits, or they may pull a chariot, driven by the deity. Continue reading

The Meaning of Swami Bodhichitananda’s Name

Swami Bodhichitananda Saraswati speaks about the meaning of his name in answer to a question by Sukadev. He talks about the Shankaracharya Swami tradition and Vedanta – as all this is contained in the meaning of Swami Bodhichitananda Saraswati. More on Swami Bodhichitananda on . Seminars with Swami Bodhichitananda on https://www.yoga-vidya.de/nc/seminar-uebersicht/nach-seminarleiter/seminar-nach-seminarleiter/Swami-Bodhichitananda.html

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