Source CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, July 3, 2014 (Houston Chronicle): With their brightly colored mats spread along a sidewalk, Tameka Lawson’s yoga students try to follow her instructions: concentrate on their breathing and focus on the beauty of their surroundings. But this is Englewood, one of Chicago’s most dangerous neighborhoods, where streets are dotted with boarded-up houses and overgrown lots, and residents…
Source KUNJARGIRI, INDIA, June 20, 2014 (The Hindu): Vishwapriya Tirtha Swami of Admar Math on Thursday anointed a junior seer of the math, which is one of the eight monastery or Ashta Maths of Udupi. Ishapriya Tirtha Swami (29) was anointed after he accepted sannyas diksha or intitiation as a sannyasin monk. He is the 33rd seer in the lineage…
Source BHUBANESWAR, INDIA, July 1, 2014 (Asian Age): The Gajapati king of Puri, Dibyasingha Deb, on Monday expressed his deep shock and anguish over the non-participation of the Shankaracharya of Goverdhan Peeth Swami Nischalananda Saraswati in the Rath Yatra festival on Sunday as the government put restrictions on the seer’s right to climb the chariots and perform puja. “I’m pained…
Source PURI, INDIA, June 29, 2014 (The Telegraph): In a break from tradition, Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati did not turn up to offer prayers to the Deities on their chariots during the rath yatra today. Back channel negotiations to persuade the seer failed as he stuck to his decision of not taking part in the yatra, the first such…
Source Why does a vijnani (enlightened person) keep an attitude of love toward God? The answer is that ‘I-conciousness’ persists. It disappears in the state of samadhi, no doubt, but it comes back. In the case of ordinary people the ‘I’ never disappears. You may cut down the ashwattha tree, but the next day sprouts shoot up.— Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa…
Source NEW YORK, NEW YORK, July 2014 (Press Release): The Shri Navagraha Devasthanam of North America, are proud, yet humbled, to announce the opening of the very first Sri Saneeswara (Lord of Saturn) Temple to ever be erected outside of India. The new Temple is officially known as the Sri Saneeswara Temple and Community Center of New York which will…
Source Only when we remain equipoised in praises and persecutions shall we be able to fulfill our objectives.— His Divine Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, spiritual head of Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha
Source LONDON, ENGLAND, July 2, 2014 (Asian Lite): BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London hosted an three-day international academic conference from June 24th to 26th on the theme of “Realising Global Peace: The Role and Impact of Hindu Teachings.” The conference at the Neasden temple was aimed to elucidate the role of peace within Hinduism and how Hindu teachings can positively…
Source NEW DELHI, June 29, 2014 (Indian Television): Texas-based Global Hindu Heritage Foundation (GHHF) has called for short films on preservation of old temples in India as part of its “Save Temples Organisation.” The Board of Directors of GHHF and its brand ambassador and well-known Ghazal singer Ghazal Srinivas told a press meet in Texas earlier this week that the…
Source Those from a religious background who believe that “There is only one life and when it’s over, it’s over ” generally cry and have a very unhappy time over the departure of a loved one. This is very disturbing to the loved one from where they are in the inner world wondering, “Why the grief?” Because they are fine.…