Sitting among the Native American cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde in the southwest U.S., my mind drifts back to another time; a time that many consider an ancient period for humanity though only a few thousand years ago. While it is fascinating to see their homes, as I imagine the activities of these ancient people, […]
When SRF’s Paramahamsa Yogananda Met Ramana Maharishi
The greatest of yogis have descended upon earth to unchain man from eternal suffering. One of them was Paramahamsa Yogananda who wrote the eternal spiritual classic Autobiography of a Yogi and the other was Ramana Maharishi whose silence instilled in seekers the unspeakable joy of absolute awareness that Hindus who seek liberation identify with easily. […]
How Spiritual Experience has Transcended Religious Belief in Yoga
Many North Americans and westerners are turning to practices that promote spiritual experience rather than religious beliefs. One such widely practiced phenomenon that contributes to this transition from religious belief to spiritual experience is the practice of Yoga. Amidst this transition there are also many who have taken on Yoga without any religious beliefs preceding […]
Science, Vedanta and Free-will
(CHAKRA Blogs) I am sharing some of my thoughts on Science, vedAnta and free-will. I will be looking at these ideas through the Vedic lens, incorporating them into our present scientific understanding. Science does not ‘define’ fundamentals, it ‘describes’ phenomenons and interactions. Science helps us see connections and make material sense of this jagat by coming […]
Does Monotheism Kill Spirituality?
By Ajay Nemade Monotheist says, “God is one, my God is true and your God is false”. This kills spirituality. In spirituality there is no my God or your God. God is the same for all humanity, whether they believe him in any form. Monotheist insists on their own God which is actually their imagination […]
Learning the Ropes to Happiness
By Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant,VSM With the permission of our readers, may I say again : Happiness is a state of mind. That explains why I say it aloud every now and then: old boy, your mental make up says that you may not live long to be a Centenarian. I dismiss the idea as it […]
Waking vs Dreaming – Dissertation on the Illusoriness of the World
By Vishnu Prakash (CHAKRA) This is extracted from second chapter [Vaitathya prakaraNa] of Shri GauDapAda’s kArikA converted into a question answer format. Point of discussion: Analysis of Waking and Dreaming states. Q: How do you say that waking state is similar to dream state? A: You can’t accept the similarity because you have never compared them. As […]
Musings on AtmA
By Smita Agrawala (CHAKRA) There are two things in the world, the Atma or the Self which is real, and the body which is unreal (though as we will eventually see, the AtmA alone is the substratum upon which the entire world is based, and there is no duality on the absolute level). Both of these […]
Paths are Many, the Rishi’s Call it by Many Names .
By Yogi Baba Prem Yogacharya, Veda Visharada (CHAKRA) One of the most common quotes I hear from Hindu’s is that we are all one, all the religious teach the same thing, and there is no difference between Hinduism and other religions. Ironically, we do not hear this view from Christians, Muslims or other groups. The […]
In Dharmic Spirituality, Liberation and Redemption are Important
In spirituality, liberation and redemption from this world is a very important topic. Among all the religions of this world, the principal aim is God-realization, gaining salvation, and eventually entering the kingdom of Lord. The Saints tell that this objective has to be achieved in this life, here and now. The real devotee experiences the […]