1440 http://www.hinduismtoday.com/digital en-us © 2010 Himalayan Academy Publisher reads quarterly editorial Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami Every quarter the publisher of the international journal Hinduism Today reads his editorial on a pertinent subject facing modern Hindus today. Visit http://www.hinduismtoday.com/digital and subscribe to the Hinduism Today Digital Edition. Himalayan Academy senthil@hindu.org clean Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami The community temple, the home shrine and the sanctuary inside you are readily available to stabilize and uplift your daily life It would be hard to overestimate the power and importance of the temple in Hindu culture and spiritual practice--the home of God to which we go for solace and connection with the divine. When we think of temples, we naturally think of community temples, those always welcoming, often ornate, magical spaces which I like to call pura mandiras. Worshiping in these temples is a central practice in Hinduism. But there is a broader, seldom discussed understanding of the temple in Sanatana Dharma which embraces two other sacred places of communion as equally important. One is the home shrine, or griha mandira, and the other is the soul temple or atma mandira. http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/2009/7-9/media/bd-pubdesk_2009-07-01_three-kinds-of-temples.mp3 Tue, 26 May 2009 10:35:00 -1000 11:22 Hindu, guru, swami, Hinduism, Sanatana, Dharma, philosophy, worship, temple, mandir, koyil, shrine, soul, atman, home, God, Gods, Shiva, Vishnu, Shaivite, Saivite, Vaishnavite, Sakta, Shakta, Smarta Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami Our publisher offers a basic summary that you can proudly present to gatherings in your community Hindus in the West are sometimes invited to give a talk explaining their religion at a local college, schoolroom, interfaith group or even a Christian church. Some have confided to me that they do not feel qualified to give such a presentation. There is clearly a need for an authentic, non-academic introduction to Hinduism that can be presented with confidence on such occasions. Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami prepared this Publisher's Desk (drawn from our book What Is Hinduism?) as a broad summary of our faith that can be drawn upon to properly educate others in the basics of Hinduism, minus all the misconceptions and myths. http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/2009/4-6/media/bd-pubdesk_2009-04-01_introduction-to-hinduism.mp3 Sun, 12 Apr 2009 11:05:00 -1000 45:18 Hindu, guru, swami, Hinduism, Sanatana, Dharma, introduction, philosophy, worship, temple, God, Gods, Shiva, Vishnu, Shaivite, Saivite, Vaishnavite, Sakta, Shakta, Smarta Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami We celebrate Hinduism Today's productive past, introduce a few design changes and explore our impact and digital innovations The idea for hinduism today magazine came as an inspiration to Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami in the late 1970s during his extensive global travels to visit hundreds of far-flung Hindu communities. Like Hinduism itself, the message of Hinduism Today, as articulated by Gurudeva and the editors, has not changed over its thirty-year existence. However, the form the message has taken continues to evolve and improve with computer technology. Our first black-and-white newspaper issue when placed next to our latest four-color magazine shows a quantum leap in the use of computer technology. And certainly one of the reasons the magazine is greatly appreciated by our readers is its world-class graphic excellence. In celebration of our 30th year, the editors have made some small but significant changes. http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/2009/1-3/media/bd-pubdesk_2009-01-01_thirty-years-serving-dharma.mp3 Wed, 3 Dec 2008 12:10:00 -1000 12:13 Hindu, guru, swami, Hinduism, Sanatana, Dharma, world, global, innovation, philosophy, change, worship, temple, God, Gods, Shiva, Vishnu Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami Television, like real life, can help us work through our karma, if we approach it in the right way Television is a little like God: it's everywhere. Traveling by plane and staying in hotels, you encounter TV at dawn in the hotel's fitness center, then in the breakfast cafe and later at the airport and even on the plane 30,000 feet above the Earth! Settling down that night in your next hotel three thousand miles away, the TV is there; and sometimes it has already been turned on for you! Talk about ubiquitous influences. How does significant exposure to television affect us? Is it making us wiser or worldlier? Is it a help or a hindrance to our spiritual progress? The key lies in how we approach it and what we watch. Approached in the right way, TV can be a tool for spiritual progress. http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/2008/10-12/media/bd-pubdesk_2008-10-01_television.mp3 Wed, 3 Dec 2008 12:05:00 -1000 11:00 Hindu, guru, swami, Hinduism, Sanatana, Dharma, world, global, television, philosophy, spiritual, progress, worship, temple, God, Gods, Shiva, Vishnu Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami Rivalries abound in the world, even among Hindus, who occasionally vie for the supremacy of their Deity: Vishnu or Siva Have you ever heard a discussion between two or more Hindus as to who is greater, Vishnu or Siva? As is the case with many philosophical issues in Hinduism, there is, of course, more than one point of view. Our first answer is based on the Vaishnava scripture Srimad Bhagavatam (also called Bhagavata Purana), in which Lord Vishnu/Krishna is the Supreme, all-embracing God of all Gods. A second answer is found in a story from the Saiva scripture Siva Purana. In this answer, which represents a Saiva point of view, Siva is manifestly greater than Vishnu. Sometimes the rivalry between the Vaishnavite's staunch adoration of Lord Vishnu and the Saivite's steadfast adoration of Lord Siva goes to extremes. How is it that one Purana extols Vishnu as the Supreme and another elevates Siva? http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/2008/7-9/media/bd-pubdesk_2008-07-01_greatest-god.mp3 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 14:25:00 -1000 11:09 Hindu, guru, swami, Hinduism, Sanatana, Dharma, world, view, meditation, philosophy, science, worship, temple, God, Gods, Shiva, Vishnu Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami Meditative, philosophic, scientific and supramundane are dynamic perspectives we can employ every day In his mystical language of meditation, called Shum (pronounced shoom), Sivaya Subramuniyaswami brought forth four perspectives through which people look at the world. The first perspective is shumif (shoomeef), simply defined as awareness flowing through the mind, the mind itself being unmoved. This is the perspective we hold in meditation. The second perspective is called simnif (simneef). From this vantage point, the mind is moving, and the intelligence of the person observing remains stationary. The third perspective, mulif (mooleef), is philosophical, metaphysical and psychological. The fourth, dimfi (deemfee), is the perspective of space or worlds--inner worlds and outer worlds. Here we look at solutions to the common problem of depression from each of these four perspectives, giving an idea of how they can be used to approach virtually any aspect of life. http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/2008/4-6/media/bd-pubdesk_2008-04-01_four-world-views.mp3 Sun, 2 Mar 2008 9:25:00 -1000 10:25 Hindu, guru, swami, Hinduism, Sanatana, Dharma, world, view, meditation, philosophy, science, worship, temple, depression, problems Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami Three attitudes to help us cope with our planet's conflict-ridden condition and one strategic, long-term way to change it There are multiple viewpoints we need to hold about conditions in the world. One is that, yes, it is good to try to improve conditions, while keeping expectations reasonable. A second point of view is that trying to change the world is a little like trying to straighten a dog's tail. It keeps going back the way it was, no matter what you do. The key is to find the right balance between working to improve the world and accepting it as it is, knowing that you can't totally transform it overnight and that change does not come easily. A third, more philosophical, view to hold is that everything is as it should be. http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/2008/1-3/media/bd-pubdesk_2008-01-01_improve-the-world.mp3 Sun, 2 Dec 2007 10:21:00 -1000 11:13 Hindu, guru, swami, Hinduism, Sanatana, Dharma, world, condition, conflict, planet, global, change Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami By resolving negative happenings promptly, we free ourselves to flow with life's rhythms and accept all things as they are Being able to accept the world as it is, accept our life as it is, is the practice of surrenduring to or dancing with Siva. This does not mean we should be fatalistic and not try to make improvements. There are practical spiritual tools we can use to keep our subconscious mind clear and thus create a positive future in our lives. We can learn how to consciously dance with Siva, to move with the sacred flow that surrounds us. http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/2007/10-12/media/bd-pubdesk_2007-10-01_keep-mind-clear.mp3 Fri, 28 Sep 2007 12:48:34 -1000 10:17 Hindu, guru, swami, Hinduism, Sanatana, Dharma, mind, spiritual, practice, clarity Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami When problems arise, rather than restructing your buildings, look to your business and family planning. The physical orientation of the buildings of your home and business can bring harmony into our lives. But we need to be careful not to fall into emphasizing vastu above all else as the sole cause of lack of success. The most common cause of failure is lack of proper planning. The quality and comprehensiveness of our plans are a major factor in our ultimate success. Our plans should include not only our business but also our personal lives. http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/2007/7-9/media/bd-pubdesk_2007-07-01_planning.mp3 Tue, 22 May 2007 14:34:52 -1000 10:40 Hindu, guru, swami, Hinduism, Sanatana, Dharma, planning, success, vastu, business, home Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami Does Humanity's Most Enduring Faith Maintain Its Relevance Amid the Challenges of 21st-Century Life? Four key features of Hinduism that keep it on the cutting edge of human's future: the virtue of its nonviolent principles; the wisdom of its tolerance for all religious beliefs; the effectiveness of its diverse forms of worship; and the clarity of its understanding of the four goals of human life -- prosperity, love, dharma, and spiritual liberation. http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/2007/4-6/media/bd-pubdesk_2007-04-01_modern-life.mp3 Thu, 1 May 2007 17:58:59 -1000 12:10 Hindu, guru, swami, Hinduism, Sanatana, Dharma, modern, life, religious, belief, spiritual, liberation Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami A preview of our new book, which offers an inclusive, user-friendly presentation of Sanatana Dharma Find out the motivation behind What Is Hinduism?, a new book by the editors of Hinduism Today, assembling 46 of the Educational Insight sections of the magazine produced in the past 25 years to give an authentic, inside look at this global faith. http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/2007/1-3/media/bd-pubdesk_2007-01-01_what-is-hinduism.mp3 Fri, 1 Dec 2006 17:22:00 -1000 10:08 Hindu, guru, swami, Hinduism, Sanatana, Dharma, education, book Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami How a devotee received two potent teachings from Yogaswami of Sri Lanka: "We know nothing" and "Know thy Self" Satguru Yogaswami was one of the 20th century's most profound mystics. His insights about nothingness and not knowing guide the seeker toward the Truth that lies beyond the mind. http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/2006/10-12/media/bd-pubdesk_2006-10-01_lessons-simple-sage.mp3 Wed, 1 Sep 2006 16:25:00 -1000 12:56 Hindu, guru, swami, spiritual, lessons, mind, truth, nothingness, Self Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami What is the soul and how does it mature? People the world over are working for spiritual advancement. But just what is our soul and how does it progress and mature? http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/2006/7-9/media/publishers-desk_jul06.mp3 Wed, 1 Jun 2006 09:15:00 -1000 14:17 Hindu, guru, swami, soul, spiritual, advancement, progress, mature Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami Meeting life's challenges spiritually Life is demanding and you have no time for spiritual pursuits? Everyday happenings offer abundant opportunities to evolve. http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/2006/4-6/media/publishers-desk.mp3 Wed, 1 Mar 2006 16:30:00 -1000 13:36 Hindu, guru, swami, ashram, time, self-control