Philosophy & Scripture
Part 1: What Is Yoga?
Rishi Patanjali Explains How the Mind Is Restrained and Awareness Revealed The following excerpt is drawn from Satguru B…
Topic
Philosophy & Scripture
389 articles
Philosophy & Scripture
I Am Brahman
A Sacred Teaching on Identity, Reality and Liberation The following is an excerpt from S. Radhakrishnan’s translation of…
Philosophy & Scripture
From the Upanishads: You Are That
A Sacred Teaching on Identity, Reality and Liberation The following is an excerpt from S. Radhakrishnan’s translation of…
Spiritual Life
Sri Ramana
India’s Unassuming Sage By Sudarshan Ramabadran and ϖ Anandhi RamachandranAll Sidebars Are by the Editors By Sudar…
Spiritual Life
Path to the Supreme
Transcending the elemental body Through austerity and grace The following is an excerpt from S. Radhakrishan’s translati…
Spiritual Life
Mahadevas & Archangels
Are the same divine beings part of more than one religion? Comparing Christian Archangel Michael and Hindu God Murugan B…
Spiritual Life
Disciplines of Yoga
A path to self-mastery through solitude and dedicated practice The following are excerpts from Dr. S. P. Sabharathnam’s …
Spiritual Life
Invoking the Divine Feminine
Interview With Maa Gyaan Suveera By Erica Bassani, Rishikesh During my research on female masters to interview for the W…
Temples & Pilgrimage
200 Deities Pilgrimage to Mandi for Mahasivaratri
Join our reporter for the little-known, week-long celebration of Mahasivaratri in the Himalayan foothills, attended by …
Spiritual Life
Visiting a Hindu Temple
A Beginner’s Guide Be they luxurious palaces, rustic warehouses, simple halls or stone sanctuaries, Hindu temples …
Spiritual Life
Concentration & Willpower
Exploring how our meditative life strengthens the outer and our external life sharpens the tools to go within By Satguru…
Youth
From Atti Chudi
Words for Youth Part Two A Continuation of Auvaiyar’s Advice for Young People Below are the last 45 of the […]
Spiritual Life
Guardians of South Indian Saivism
Four monastic centers serve Siva in South India and manage temple wealth By Kay Koppedrayer, PhD The fertile kaveri rive…
Spiritual Life
Siamese Brahmins Assist the King
For 800 years Hindu priests have guided Thailand’s royal court rituals By Hurditya Deva, Thailand Among the indian…
Philosophy & Scripture
My Journey to a Hindu Chaplaincy
The concept of a chaplain evolved in the West into a service within the military and then into an institution […]
Philosophy & Scripture
The Impact of My Dad’s Morning Prayers
Worshiping with my father as a child established my connection with Hinduism and allowed me to later pass it on [&hellip…
Environment
Vanamali Mataji: All Women Are Sacred
By Erica Bassani, Rishikesh It was my great good fortune to interview this 84-year-old saint at her Rishikesh ashram Mar…
Philosophy & Scripture
The Divine Bovine
Hinduism venerates animals as part of the Sacred, with cows holding a unique, celestial status, symbolizing virtue, pros…
Philosophy & Scripture
Let’s Respect Priests with Dharmic Bylaws
Reflections on how USA Hindu temples can have a proper professional relationship with their priests that benefits everyo…
Philosophy & Scripture
Vedanta Society’s Impact
Their teachings have quietly influenced generations of artists and intellectuals by Jeffery D. Long, Phd While the ramak…
Spiritual Life
ADI SHANKARA
India’s Great Spiritual General Written by Swami Advayananda, Brahmacharini Taarini Chaitanya & Sudarshan Rama…
Spiritual Life
Daily Spiritual Practice Is a Must
Finding and following a routine is the secret to success. Let’s talk about worship, introspection, affirmation and scrip…
Youth
From Atti Chudi
Words for Youth Part one of Saint Auvaiyar’s poignant counsel for children Below are the first 64 of 109 verses [&…
Youth
Chinmaya Mission West Invests in its Youth
Over a period of 30 weeks each year, tens of thousands of children in North America, from kindergarten through grade [&h…
Publisher's Editorials
God and Love: the Hindu View
From loving God (as separate) to the unitive experience of one’s self with God, is well-mapped in Indian theology By [&h…
Philosophy & Scripture
From the Tirumantiram–The End of Sound
The meditative experience of flowing from inner sound to perfect silence The following is a selection of verses from Ris…
Spiritual Life
World Hindu Congress Bangkok
This three-day meeting of over two thousand delegates from 61 countries in Thailand reflected a remarkable awakening of …
Philosophy & Scripture
Educational Insight — Yoga
A Youthful Primer About Hinduism’s Eight-Limbed System of Meditation and Spiritual Striving From The Teachings of Satgur…
Philosophy & Scripture
Jnana Diksha
Scriptural instructions for one of the supreme spiritual initiations The following is excerpted from Dr. S. P. Sabharath…
History
Nalanda Is Revived after 800 Years
The sprawling, redesigned campus is now open for students and faculty By Anuradha Goyal, India If Xuan Zang, the 7…
Temples & Pilgrimage
Embers of Devotion
A Rishi’s Reflections about One of History’s Oldest Forms of Worship The following is a selection of verses from Rishi […
Philosophy & Scripture
Hinduism’s Enduring Respect for Science
The clash of religious belief and science in medieval Europe simply did not occur in India, where a “scientific outlook”…
Philosophy & Scripture
Fit for Meditation
Elaborating the yogic steps leading from posture to profound unification The following are selected excerpts from Dr. S.…
Publisher's Editorials
Virtual Reality & Temple Mysticism
Comparing the Evolving Digital World and Metaverse With Experience in the Traditional Hindu Innerverse By Satguru Bodhin…
Philosophy & Scripture
From the Vedas – True Love
A transcendental perspective on the power behind all existence he following is from Raimon Panikkar’s translation of the…
Opinion
Why I Hold to Hindu Values
Our religion’s inherent tolerance and grasp of truth are keys to a peaceful world By Shreya Mahasenan Hinduism is known …
Temples & Pilgrimage
The Holy Ganga, from Varanasi to the Sea
For the millions of devout Hindus living close to Ganga, every day is full of blessings from the sacred river. [……
Philosophy & Scripture
All About Meditation
Mystical Guidelines to the Fine Art of Exploring the Wonderful Within of Yourself From the Teachings ofSatguru Sivaya Su…
Philosophy & Scripture
Ancient Yoga
Invoke the Gods to know thyself through meditation The following is from Swami Nikhilanda’s translation of Shvetashvatar…
Philosophy & Scripture
As Brahman in The Beginning
The metaphysics of creation and endorsement of non-dual meditation The following is from the translation of Brihadaranya…
Environment
Beloved Mystic Mountains
Nepal’s chief surveyor recounts the Himalayas’ spiritual importance, the modern and ancient history and his own 2019 wor…
By Young Writers
Taoism’s Hindu Parallels
My brief encounter with Taoist Deities in China left me amazed at the similarities with key Hindu concepts By Rutvij [&h…
Philosophy & Scripture
Know the Self: Lord Of the Chariot
Lord Yama compels us to identify as the That which restrains the mind The following is from the translation of [……
Philosophy & Scripture
Seven Dimensions of the Mind
A Mystical Map of Existence & Consciousness Satguru sivaya subramuniyaswami’s framework of seven dimensions of the m…
Philosophy & Scripture
From The Upanishads: Dwelling in the Heart of All
An ancient exposition illuminating our identification with infinity The following is a translation of the Shvetashvatara…
Philosophy & Scripture
Comprehending Comprehension
A father’s advice to a son eager for spiritual mastery The following is a translation of the Chandogya Upanishad’s chapt…
Temples & Pilgrimage
The Ancient Agamas Have Solutions for Modern Issues in Temple Administration
These detailed manuals cover everything from how to build temples to the worship rituals and every aspect of practical m…
Philosophy & Scripture
You Are All Things
A Vedic reflection on That which is in and through all existence The following is a translation of the Svetasvatara [&he…
Philosophy & Scripture
Divine Coalescence
A rishi’s rhapsody on the yogic path of complete union in God The following text is from Rishi Tirumular’s Tirumantiram …
Philosophy & Scripture
From the Upanishads: At Life’s End
Vedic elucidations on the natural transition from human life The following is a translation of the Brihadaranyaka Upanis…
Philosophy & Scripture
From the Sages: Song of the Sannyasin
Swami Vivekananda’s thirteen-verse poem is an ascetic’s creed and a compelling reminder of the supreme spiritual path BY…
Philosophy & Scripture
Crow Lessons on Life and Immortality
The tale of an eagle near life’s end seeking advice from a long-lived crow; and Alexander the Great’s quest for [&hellip…
Philosophy & Scripture
What Is the Primal Cause?
From the Upanishads Reflections on the subtle origins of existence, resident within us all The following is a translatio…
Philosophy & Scripture
A Palace of Tamil Devotional Poetry
Discover this unique Sri Lankan shrine with 108 Sivalingams paying homage to the 658 holy hymns of Saint Manikkavasagar’…
Health & Ayurveda
<strong>The Magical Realm of Our Sleep</strong>
A Hindu view of sleep and dreams, with insights from rishis and experts in ayurveda and modern medical science By …
Philosophy & Scripture
From the Upanishads: Lord Yama Illustrates the Absolute
The God of Death reveals the mysteries of the one true Self in all. The following is a translation of […]
Philosophy & Scripture
Insight: Seven Bhakti Saints Of North India
From uncounted spiritual poets, we examine the life, language and works of a few By Lakshmi Chandrashekar Subramanian Be…
Opinion
Minister’s Message: On the Importance of Spirituality
Understanding the self and understanding our social and spiritual obligations are the keys to success both in the tempor…
Magazine
From the Kularnava Tantra
An elucidation upon the impermanence and bondage of earthly life and the compelling need for the soul to find and [&hell…
Philosophy & Scripture
From the Vedas: Knowers of Brahman
The Shvetashvatara Upanishad Describes the One All-Pervading Being The following is an excerpt from the Yajurveda’s…
Philosophy & Scripture
The Sadhaka’s Path Is Woven from Shakti
An in-depth reveal about three forces which propel the seeker to liberation The following is a lucid translation of the …
Philosophy & Scripture
Our Daily Journey In Consciousness
Understanding four states of mind: waking, dreaming, deep sleep and samadhi By Acharya Vamadeva Shastri Many of the grea…
Philosophy & Scripture
From the Agamas: Understanding the Layers of Existence
An introduction to the 36 tattvas and how they relate to each soul The following is a lucid translation from […]
Philosophy & Scripture
Morari Bapu, Our Hindu of the Year, 2016
Shri Morari Bapu is honored for decades of Ram Katha that has inspired devotion and adherence to dharma for countless [&…
Philosophy & Scripture
From The Agamas: Lord Siva’s Body Composed of Mantras
FROM THE AGAMAS LORD SIVA’S BODY COMPOSED OF MANTRAS _______________ Part two of a discussion about Siva’s body and its …
Philosophy & Scripture
Educational Insight: Six Streams Of Hindu Philosophy
Ṣaḍdarśana, Celebrating Diversity in the Quest for Supreme Knowledge By Mahamahopadhyaya Swami Bhadreshdas(Disciple of G…
Philosophy & Scripture
From The Agamas: How Does Siva Create?
A philosophical discussion on the nature of Siva’s body and its ruling energy The following is a translation from the [&…
Philosophy & Scripture
The Battle to Thwart a New Threat: Denial of Sanskrit’s Sacred Dimension
Rajiv Malhotra’s new book is a tactical campaign to return the translation and interpretation of India’s spiritual liter…
Philosophy & Scripture
Education: Our Interreligious Future
The president of the Graduate Theological Union explains the school’s vision as a unique center for multi-faith studies …
Philosophy & Scripture
From The Agamas: Formless Siva’s Full & Perfect Body
FROM THE AGAMAS FORMLESS SIVA’S FULL & PERFECT BODY _______________ In His body, composed of five mantras, Siva reve…
Publisher's Editorials
Publisher’s Desk: The Journey to Liberation
PUBLISHER’S DESK THE JOURNEY TO LIBERATION ______________________ Though moksha may seem remote, there is wisdom in keep…
Philosophy & Scripture
From The Agamas: Where Souls Attain the Qualities of Siva
FROM THE AGAMAS Where Souls Attain the Qualities of Siva ______________________ The eternal and endless existence of the…
Philosophy & Scripture
From The Agamas: Transference of Wisdom
FROM THE AGAMAS TRANSFERENCE OF WISDOM ______________________ Sage Matanga receives Siva’s grace in the form of the Para…
Philosophy & Scripture
Philosophy: The Brilliance of Ramanuja
PHILOSOPHY THE BRILLIANCE OF RAMANUJA ______________________ India’s philosophical nuances know no equal, and among them…
Philosophy & Scripture
From The Vedas: Facing Forward in All Directions
FROM THE VEDAS FACING FORWARD IN ALL DIRECTIONS ______________________ Comprehending all things to be manifestations of …
Philosophy & Scripture
From The Agamas: Revealing Scripture
FROM THE AGAMAS REVEALING SCRIPTURE ______________________ An esoteric introduction to the Mrigendra Agama unveiled by L…
Philosophy & Scripture
From The Agamas: Marvel at Mount Meru’s Majesty
FROM THE AGAMAS MARVEL AT MOUNT MERU’S MAJESTY ______________________ A celestial abode, endowed with lustrous cities en…
Philosophy & Scripture
Scripture: Guru’s Grace Empowers Philosophical Treatise
SCRIPTURE GURU’S GRACE EMPOWERS PHILOSOPHICAL TREATISE ______________________ A modern monk completes the Swaminarayan B…
Philosophy & Scripture
From the Agamas: Interpreting Dreams
FROM THE AGAMAS INTERPRETING DREAMS ______________________ What to make of auspicious and inauspicious omens? __________…
Hindu Basics
Educational Insight: Know Thy Self
14 DAILY ENLIGHTENMENT LESSONS ___________________________FROM THE TEACHINGS OFSATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI Art by A.…
Philosophy & Scripture
From the Agamas: How to Cook for God
FROM THE AGAMAS HOW TO COOK FOR GOD ______________________ Kamika Agama offers its best recipes for preparing temple nai…
Philosophy & Scripture
From the Agamas: From Bondage to Liberation
FROM THE AGAMAS FROM BONDAGE TO LIBERATION ______________________ Explaining the ego’s initial subjugation of the soul a…
Philosophy & Scripture
From The Agamas: On Personal and Public Worship
FROM THE AGAMAS ON PERSONAL AND PUBLIC WORSHIP ______________________ Exploring the outer and inner ritual in reverence …
Philosophy & Scripture
Philosophy: Vivekananda’s Quantum Leap
P H I L O S O P H Y VIVEKANANDA’S QUANTUM LEAP ______________________ His understanding of matter and energy […]
Philosophy & Scripture
From the Agamas: Evolution Beyond Embodied Existence
ON THE CONTINUED EVOLUTION OF MATURE SOULS At the outset, siva, by his own will, bestows his grace on the […]
Philosophy & Scripture
Educational Insight: Five Powers of Siva
The Vedas decree that god created the world, and it is true, he did; but that is a simplistic rendering […]
Philosophy & Scripture
From the Agamas: How Grace Descends as the Guru
When all of the karmas of the soul, both good and bad, become equal, then Sivasakti destroys them. Thereafter, no [&hell…
Philosophy & Scripture
Scripture: Safeguarding Bali’s Sacred Palm Leaves
BY RAJIV MALIK Bali’s ancient lontar are identical in concept to the palm-leaf manuscripts of India. By some estim…
Philosophy & Scripture
From the Agamas: Placement of Deities within a Village
Now I will speak on the appropriate location for the Deities to be allocated in villages, towns and other settlements [&…
Philosophy & Scripture
Philosophy: Rejoice in Deities’ Diversity
BY RAMDAS LAMB Today, the most popular theological beliefs in the West are monotheism (the belief in a single all-powerf…
Philosophy & Scripture
From the Agamas: How to Establish a Village
Now I will tell you the sequential activities related to the establishment of the village and to the first entry [&helli…
Philosophy & Scripture
Scripture: Digitization Project Saves Saiva Agamas
Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami had a persistent interest in the Saiva Agamas. The founder of Kauai’s Hindu Monast…
Philosophy & Scripture
From the Agamas: Death: The Yogi’s Instruction Manual
A perfect sadhaka is one who has known well the science of Sivayoga. He should be systematically worshiping Lord Siva [&…
Philosophy & Scripture
Philosophy: East Meets West
BY SWAMI SHANKARANANDA Hinduism, in the course of its long history, has always adjusted itself to changing circumstances…
Philosophy & Scripture
From the Agamas: On the Importance of Sacred Sound
Siva tattva is an ever-existing principle. it is never created afresh. It is in identical existence with Ishvara. It is …
Philosophy & Scripture
From the Agamas: The Self–Meditation’s Ultimate Goal
One who is with one-pointed meditation of such non-dual unity gets himself established within his own Self, always and e…
Philosophy & Scripture
From the Agamas: A Meditation on Oneness with Siva
O Skanda! Next I will explain a specific meditative discipline in all its real characteristics. By practicing this speci…
Philosophy & Scripture
Scripture: A Mystical Masterpiece Is Unearthed
The world is awash in yoga, in laughing yoga and hot yoga, in five-star spa yoga, weight-loss yoga and birthing [&hellip…
Philosophy & Scripture
From the Agamas: The Means to Oneness with God
O Shanmukha! I will explain the disciplines of yoga. These are appropriate for a duly qualified person who lives alone, …
Philosophy & Scripture
Hindu Scriptures
The Word, verily, is greater than name. The Word, in fact, makes known the Rig Veda, the Yajur Veda, the […]
Philosophy & Scripture
Pondering Pagans
By Koenraad Elst The late Ram Swarup liked to point out that other cultures had traditions similar to Hinduism before [&…
Philosophy & Scripture
Who Speaks For Hinduism?
By the Editors What would seem to be, at first glance, a relatively simple question with a quick answer: Hindus [&hellip…
Temples & Pilgrimage
Murugan Conference
By Rajen Manick Millions of hindus around the world regularly worship Lord Murugan, also called Skanda or Karttikeya. He…
Environment
Rethinking Science
By Mark Hawthorne In the scientific community, the name Rupert Sheldrake raises eyebrows. After all, this is the biologi…
Philosophy & Scripture
Peace by Peace
By Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami Hindu wisdom, which inspires humans to live the ideals of compassion andnonviolence, …
Philosophy & Scripture
The Peace of Gandhi
Gandhi was a brilliant, complex and selfless man, understood in different ways by different people. No one will ever den…
Health & Ayurveda
We Need a Different Sexual Revolution
By Swami Brahmeshananda Etymologically, the word brahmacharya means to dwell in, to be attuned with and to realize one&#…
Publisher's Editorials
Self-Transformation Through a Daily Vigil
BY SATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI When we study and practice our religion, we are not necessarily performing deep sadha…
Philosophy & Scripture
SACRED SAMSKARAS
The best rendering of samskara in English is made by the word “sacrament,” which means “religious cere…
Philosophy & Scripture
Make Proper Use of the Internet
BY H.D.H. SRI PRAMUKH SWAMI MAHARAJ Science has advanced tremendously today. Now we have the internet. But before using …
Publisher's Editorials
See God Everywhere
BY SATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI My Satguru, Siva Yogaswami, was a great siddha, a master and a knower of God. He [&he…
Philosophy & Scripture
Nondualism is Alive and Well at Sringeri
By Choodie Shivaram Cradled amidst the mesmerizing Shringa Giri hills of the Western Ghats, on the banks of River Tunga,…
Philosophy & Scripture
Peace within First
By Bawa Jain A followup report: Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders,August, 2000 On Novembe…
Philosophy & Scripture
The Vedic Expierence
One of the best of the many translations of the Vedas into the English language comes from an unexpected source, [&helli…
Philosophy & Scripture
Pythagoras the Mystic
Pythagoras is generally accepted to be one of the most significant fountainheads of Western thought. Of particular inter…
Philosophy & Scripture
Dayananda’s Arya Samaj
Swami Dayananda Saraswati founded the Arya Samaj in 1875 as a social/political reform movement within Hinduism. He sough…
Philosophy & Scripture
Tell us Why, Swami
Mysore-based Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Swami, a devotee of Lord Dattatreya, visited several US cities from June 27 thr…
Philosophy & Scripture
Legend of Bagger Vance
By Steven Rosen Robert Redford’s latest movie, “The Legend of Bagger Vance,” hit theatres in November,…
Philosophy & Scripture
Swami Agnivesh
Swami Agnivesh became a successful professor of business and law in his early twenties, despite being born into poverty.…
Environment
India’s Natural Farm Friend
Farming is not business but a religious work,” says Ashok V. Sanghavi, master gardener at the innovative Sanghavi …
Philosophy & Scripture
School Badgering: Kid’s Play or Serious Stuff?
Somebody must have shot you in the head,” a neighbor’s son said to a young Hindu girl, pointing to the [&hel…
Philosophy & Scripture
Summing Up “Vedic Math”
There has been a recent upsurge in interest in Vedic Mathematics. It’s a controversial subject, as we’ll see…
Philosophy & Scripture
Student’s Show a Big Hit
By Madhuri Shekar In July 29, 2000, youth from all three Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan schools in Chennai, India, celebrate…
Philosophy & Scripture
Manu and the Brits
By Madhu Kishwar Madhu Kishwar, editor of Manushi magazine and a champion of the oppressed in India, offers an astute [&…
Publisher's Editorials
Swearing, Backbiting and Gossip
BY SATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI Many people, even those who consider themselves religious, go through life using prof…
Opinion
I Love Vira Saivism
By Anupama Swami In July, 2000, I was one of the Comparative Religions Panel members of the Vira Saiva Samaj […]
Philosophy & Scripture
Catholicism’s Two Faces
A followup report: Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders,August, 2000 Pope John Paul II,̶…
Philosophy & Scripture
Free at Last!
Having lived many lives, each soul eventually seeks release from mortality, experiences the Divine directly through Self…
Philosophy & Scripture
Humble, Holy, Happy
Excitement swept through the audience at the Yoga Syzygy Conference 2000 held June 11 in Flushing, New York, as correspo…
Health & Ayurveda
Freedom? Write On!
American President Abraham Lincoln was known for his wisdom. One day his Secretary of War, Edwin Santol, sought the pres…
Philosophy & Scripture
A Marriage Made in Heaven
By Vatsala and Ehud Sperling What could be missing in the life of a highly successful, Jewish American book publisher [&…
Philosophy & Scripture
Books: How to Become a Hindu
Conversion remains a vital issue and a potent topic in the press today. On one hand, Hindus continue to lament [……
Philosophy & Scripture
Are Sikhs Hindus or Not?
Rajeev and Rajeevan take opposite sides on a contentious issue now in the fore in India There is no doubt […]
Health & Ayurveda
Karma: the Unseen Source of Stress
By Serena Wadhwa Most of us, when it comes to stress, have some difficulty in being able to handle it. […]
Publisher's Editorials
The Many Joys Of Hinduism
BY SATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI Every two months here on our little island of Kauai we have the honor of sitting [&he…
Health & Ayurveda
Deepak Chopra: Vedantic Evangelist
By Lavina Melwani He’s the vedantic sage who’s a mouse click away (www.chopra. com). But is he the Wise Man …
Philosophy & Scripture
How to Ease Karma
A few years ago, a devout hindu couple pulled up to the drive-in window of their local Taco Bell fast-food […]
Philosophy & Scripture
The Power of Pose
By Neeta Dave I met Dr. Menaka Thakkar after a 20-year lapse and expected to see an East Indian lady […]
Philosophy & Scripture
Europe’s Gandhian
Mansukh Patel, born of Indian parents in Kenya in 1955, was deeply affected by the murderous Mau Mau uprising and [&hell…
Philosophy & Scripture
The Lessons of Five Millennia
By Nawal Prinja Irrespective of one’s religious faith, the start of the new millennium affects all of us, because …
Publisher's Editorials
Forcefields and Psychic Protection
BY SATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI Being on the path is a marvelous thing, but it is a path. There are jungles [……
Philosophy & Scripture
India’s Statue of Liberation
By Vrindavanam S. Gopalakrishnan At six in the evening, January 1, 2000, India unveiled her own version of the Statue [&…
Opinion
What’s In a Name?
By Mukund Venugopalan Venugopalan. Mukund Venugopalan.” It is not as dramatic as “Bond, James Bond,” b…
Temples & Pilgrimage
A Palace For the Gods
When a religious leader who is rooted in orthodox tradition inspires devotional zeal in devotees, that movement flourish…
Philosophy & Scripture
Dada Vaswani in Africa
In December, Dada Vaswani, head of the worldwide Sadhu Vaswani Mission, visited several countries in Africa, including G…
Philosophy & Scripture
What to Do After 72?
Nachiappan was born May 29, 1923, in the small village of Managiri, Tamil Nadu, South India. He was in the […]
Publisher's Editorials
Hinduism, the Greatest Religion in the World (Part 2)
BY SATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI In apparent conflict, the scriptures written thousands of years ago explain how we sh…
Philosophy & Scripture
Durga’s Delight
In the fall of every year, Nepal’s Kathmandu Valley revels in the colorful ten-day Dasain festival, celebrating th…
Philosophy & Scripture
Holy Sound Bites!
No sounds stir the soul as deeply as traditional Sanskrit chants. For years, the only way to hear these was […]
Philosophy & Scripture
In Praise of Saiva Siddhanta
BY SRI GNANASAMBANDA DESIKA In Saiva Siddhanta, the blessings and grace of Lord Siva are paramount. God’s manifest…
Philosophy & Scripture
Hinduism, the Greatest Religion in the World (Part 1)
By Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami Recently, as you will read in this issue, the Pope visited India. It is worth noting …
Philosophy & Scripture
How Harmony Reigns in Mauritius
BY BRAHMACHARI VEL MAHALINGUM In the short 31 years since independence, Mauritius has made impressive progress economica…
Philosophy & Scripture
Our Druid Cousins
The Celtic people spread from their homeland in what is now Germany across Europe in the first millennium bce. Iron [&he…
Hindu Basics
Seven Steps Toward Golden Silence
BY SATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI Silence is very important. It is food for the soul. If we can make our mind [……
Hindu Basics
Nepal’s Home Art: Literally Off the Wall
By Hari Bansh Jha In an historically and religiously rich territory spanning a portion of northeast India and southern N…
Philosophy & Scripture
Hindu Conversion
Conversion is a red hot topic in India this month, what with the Pope’s visit in November and the US […]
Philosophy & Scripture
Journey to India And to Myself
BY AMBER SUKUMARAN I do not think that my husband and I see each other as the world does. Sometimes […]
Hindu Basics
Baptists Apologize!
The Baptist pamphlet, “Divali, Festival of Light, Circle of Darkness,” is little different than most mission…
Publisher's Editorials
Be Joyous! Keep Moving From Darkness to Light
BY SATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI People speak of the “light of understanding.” Before the bright light of …
Philosophy & Scripture
In The RSS Ranks
By Rajiv Malik I reached Sewa Dham around six-thirty in the morning to be greeted by the breathtaking scene of [……
Philosophy & Scripture
India’s New Rulers
By Rajiv Malik India’s ruling party for the last year, the BJP, is the most prominent member of the Sangh [&hellip…
Philosophy & Scripture
Reviving Taoism
By Mark Hawthorne An elderly monk, dressed in the traditional blue robe and jade-studded black cap of his Taoist sect, […
Publisher's Editorials
The Donkey And the Carrot
BY SATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI All my life, since the time I was seven years old, I have made a great […]
Health & Ayurveda
Meet Yogi Hari
“The most effective way to teach children anything is to live it yourself,” says Leela Mata. She is wife of …
Philosophy & Scripture
Karma: Life’s Logical Rationale
BY SADHU VIVEKJIVANDAS The recent Glenn Hoddle controversy, that cost him his us$575,600-a-year job as England’s s…
Temples & Pilgrimage
What Miracles Are Made of
BY SATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI Aum Ganesha! We just returned from Anchorage, Alaska, where we inaugurated the openin…
Philosophy & Scripture
Better Off Dead?
By V. G. Julie Rajan Even for a Sunday night news show, this was not your normal fare. Earlier this […]
Philosophy & Scripture
Life After Death
Death is the most fateful experience of each of our lives. But no Hindu really fears death, nor does he […]
Philosophy & Scripture
Vedanta’s Western Poet
By Mark Hawthorne For many Westerners, their introduction to Hinduism came not from yoga or a respected guru, but from […
Publisher's Editorials
Ancient Wisdom for A Perfect Life Today
BY SATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI Many years ago when I was first in Sri Lanka–that was in 1949–I made a vo…
Philosophy & Scripture
Monks With a Mission
A hundred years ago, sixteen impoverished boys gathered under the guidance of Swami Vivekananda to form the Belur monast…
Philosophy & Scripture
Dharma in Delhi
By Rajiv Malik I never expected to find six acres of manicured gardens five minutes from New Delhi Railway Station, [&he…
Philosophy & Scripture
Song of the Sannyasin
There was a time, not too long ago, when children and young men in India were taught that to renounce […]
Philosophy & Scripture
The Unifying Power of “Aum”
BY SWAMI NIRLIPTANANDA Modern science has impacted mankind in a short span of time. Over-dependence on technology and sc…
Publisher's Editorials
Life, the Great Experience
BY SATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI At one time or another in life, each of us has had similar experiences of temptation.…
Philosophy & Scripture
Vedanta in Latvia?
More than 30 years ago, Latvian-born Rudite Emir, 59, received a mystical poem by Rabindrinath Tagore translated into he…
Philosophy & Scripture
Pagan Power in Modern Europe
In this special report for Hinduism Today, Belgian writer Hughes Henry profiles a leader of Europe’s Pagan renaiss…
Environment
God’s Favorite Flower
By Anil K. Goel Both in worship and in portrayals of the divine, hindus are infatuated with flowers. The very […]
Publisher's Editorials
A Mystical View of Adultery
By Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami There are three kinds of adultery: physical (the worst); emotional (very distressing)…
Philosophy & Scripture
India’s Christian Challenge
By M.P. MOHANTY India found itself in the unwelcome focus of world attention when in late December churches were attacke…
Opinion
Baneful Conversions
BY CHRISTINA SHANKAR I recently became very concerned about what I perceived as Hinduism Today’s on-going negative…
Philosophy & Scripture
Conversion’s Sordid Past
By Vamadeva Shastri The Christian activities in India are not unique. In fact, they are in lock step with more [……
Philosophy & Scripture
Defender of Vedas
“As when a fire is lit with damp fuel, different clouds of smoke come forth. In the same way from […]
Philosophy & Scripture
The Ageless Path of the Preceptor . . .
THE GURU-DISCIPLE RELATIONSHIP remains, as it has for thousands of years, the bedrock of Sanatana Dharma. Without it, sa…
Philosophy & Scripture
Hinduism: a Blessing For the World
BY SWAMI YOGANANDA GIRI The planetary situation today, above all in the West, is unencouraging: intolerance, violence, a…
Publisher's Editorials
Who Do You Think You Are?
BY SATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI Most people do not understand that they have a mind, that they have a body and [&hell…
Environment
Badrinath’s Trees
SPECIAL REPORT By EDWIN BERNBAUM High in a valley beneath the sacred snow peak of Nilkanth, the “Blue-Necked God,&…
Environment
India’s Ecological Mess
By M. P. Mohanty India has a culture and tradition of holding every form of life in esteem. Indeed, even […]
Philosophy & Scripture
Karma and Reincarnation
Just before the turn of the Twentieth Century, Swami Vivekananda, a brilliant young Hindu monk from India, preached abou…
Philosophy & Scripture
Of Karma and Football
GLENN HODDLE DIDN’T FORESEE HIS belief in karma and reincarnation dealing him a personal blow. But hints came last…
Philosophy & Scripture
Om Muruga!
With Patrick Harrigan CRIES OF SUPPLICATION TO CLEANSE misdeeds. Milk pots on the head and spears through cheeks. Shouts…
Philosophy & Scripture
Sage of Sacred Art
With Rajiv Malik SITTING FOR HOURS CROSS-LEGGED on the floor of his Udaipur home, encircled by paints and brushes, B.G. …
Philosophy & Scripture
A Fabled Makeover
By Tara Katir Move over Mickey Mouse, Karadi Bear is here! India’s ancient moral tales, precursors to Aesop’…
Philosophy & Scripture
Our Religion is Based On Veritable Truths!
BY SWAMI RANGANATHANANDA MAHARAJ The Sanatana Dharma is mainly the product of an extraordinary literature, the ten or tw…
Publisher's Editorials
The Goal of Life And the Spiritual Path
By Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami Never have there been so many people living on the planet wondering, “What is t…
Opinion
Seeing God’s Face
By Anand Saxena Hindus have been criticized and ridiculed by Jews, Christians and Muslims for worshiping statues, and fo…
Philosophy & Scripture
The Voice of India
The task before the Hindu society is immense. It consists in self-renewal and self-rejuvenation. it has to come into its…
Philosophy & Scripture
Humane Society video exposes animal horrors
It’s a terrible truth, unknown to most Hindus. One million old cattle a year are sold at auction by poor [……
Philosophy & Scripture
Animal Sacrifice
By Poornima Harish You can love her or hate her, but you can’t ignore the lady. Maneka Gandhi, widow of […]
Philosophy & Scripture
Precious Youth, Civilization’s Cradle
BY SRI SWAMI GUHABHAKTANANDA Youth are the nation’s most precious treasure, the potential leaders to guide our tom…
Philosophy & Scripture
Africa, the ‘Dark Continent’?
Swami Ghananand Saraswati of Ghana in his August, 1998, Minister’s Message advised “India and Hindu masters …
Publisher's Editorials
Understanding the World Of Sleep and Dreams
By Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami Dreams and the state of sleep have been a mystery and a puzzle to people of [……
Temples & Pilgrimage
Mountains of Mystery
Viewed through the eyes of a Buddhist or Hindu, mountains are mystical realms of Gods, heavens, spirits and spiritual ma…
Philosophy & Scripture
Yoga’s New Posture
By Lavina Melwani There are the yogis of Vrindaban and Kashi–and those of Manhattan. The past few years has spawne…
Philosophy & Scripture
That New Car Won’t Bring You Happiness
BY SUSHRI SIDDHESHVARI DEVI The desire for happiness motivates all creatures to act. Whether it is a tiny little ant [&h…
Philosophy & Scripture
Global Astrologer
By Umananda Quong R. BANGALORE VENKATA RAMAN, one of the greatest astrologers of the modern era, passed from the earthly…
Philosophy & Scripture
Movie Making’s
By Archana Dongre Breaking decades of reluctance on the part of movie investors to fund “New Age” films, the…
Philosophy & Scripture
Energy Highways
THERE ARE TWO BASIC ENERGY CURRENTS WITHIN OUR SUBTLE BODY. THESE ARE IDA AND PINGALA, WHICH SURROUND A CENTRAL MAJOR [&…
Philosophy & Scripture
Pagan, by the Grace of Gods
The Gods and Goddesses of Europe were sent into exile beginning 1,700 years ago with the advent of Christianity. Their […
Philosophy & Scripture
Foresake Frustrating Western Materialism
By Sri-la-Sri Sadhvi Meera Puri Indians have an inferiority complex about themselves. In fact, we should not feel inferi…
Philosophy & Scripture
Embrace Meditation And Live Beyond 100
BY H.H. SRI SRI SWAMI BUAJI MAHARAJ Like all entities in the universe, the human body is in constant change. Even [&hell…
Publisher's Editorials
Unleash the Power Of Affirmation
By Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami The need is now for positive attitudes. It is election time in the US, accusations ar…
Philosophy & Scripture
A Flood of Artistry
Interview by Amritha Sivanand To get away from the things of the world which take energy and bother,” Harish Johar…
Philosophy & Scripture
Swami Bua: 109 Years Strong
We intended to interview Swami Bua at length in honor of his winning the 1998 Hindu Renaissance Award as “Hindu [&…
Philosophy & Scripture
A Miracle for Jagdishwari
By Lavina Melwani The pleasant breeze was gradually turning into a howling wind. As Dr. Jagdishwari Nala sat at her [&he…
Philosophy & Scripture
The Togetherness Run
By Krishan Dutt London’s quiet eastern suburb of Newham was a beehive of activity on July 26 as over 5,000 [&helli…
Temples & Pilgrimage
Can Kauai Pilgrimage Bring Us Near God?
BY H. H. SRI SRI TIRUCHI MAHASWAMIGAL Ever since man appeared on earth, ever since he sought the welfare of […]
Temples & Pilgrimage
Worshipful Ways
Hindus go to temples to be in the presence of God. The most devout attend daily, morning and night, while […]
Temples & Pilgrimage
IRAIVAN TEMPLE
JOIN US AS HINDUISM TODAY EXPLORES THE FASCINATING PROCESSES AND THE TALENTED PEOPLE WHO ARE CONSTRUCTING AN ANCIENT TEM…
Opinion
America is Ready for Our Hindu Gods
By Ram Swarup The chiselling and hand-carving of 4,000 stone pieces weighing 3.2 million pounds in South India and shipp…
Temples & Pilgrimage
Who is Siva?
God Siva is among the most mysterious, complex, compassionate and profound conceptions of the one Supreme Being to be fo…
Publisher's Editorials
Will You Dare Live In the Eternal Now?
BY SATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI You only have a minute, only sixty seconds in it. Didn’t want it, didn’t …
Philosophy & Scripture
It’s About Time
Be it meditation, mantras, yoga, ayurvedic medicine, vastu architecture or–to go further back–the systematic…
Philosophy & Scripture
We Are All Wayfarers On the Waves of Time
By the Editor Believing nothing, the skeptic is blind; believing everything, the naif is lame. Somewhere between the two…
Philosophy & Scripture
Spiritual Growth
Chakrapani Ullal learned astrology from his father and grandfather. Early in life he came into contact with Swami Nityan…
Philosophy & Scripture
Bhangra in Barbados
By Lavina Melwani A mound of salt between them, the new bride, resplendent in her finery, shyly picks up a […]
Philosophy & Scripture
How the Vedas Divide the Heavens
The nakshatras, central to Hindu astrology, are the subject of this month’s four-page Insight section. Contributor…
Philosophy & Scripture
Symbol of Good and Evil
The unimaginable atrocities committed by Nazis during World War II still weigh heavily on the world’s psyche, and …
Philosophy & Scripture
The Unfailing Power Of Female Fidelity
BY MADHU KISHWAR I grew up thinking that Sita, heroine of the Ramayana, was a slavish wife without a mind […]
Philosophy & Scripture
Punishment leaves intelligence behind, says study
Young ashok was caned one morning before school for pushing his sister. Next door, Kugan pushed his sister, but instead …
Philosophy & Scripture
Not Taking It Out on Kids
By Tara Katir You are out shopping with your child. She sees a treat and thinks she must have it. […]
Philosophy & Scripture
Awaken Moral Force,See Unity in God
BY SRI-LA-SRI SANTOSHI MA JI I want to do something for society. Just because I am a woman, I do […]
Philosophy & Scripture
Karma Comes Full Circle
In the popular us television series, Early Edition, young Gary Hobson, co-manager of a Chicago bar, mysteriously receive…
Publisher's Editorials
Angelic Beings Are a Living Reality
BY SATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI Devotion to God and the Gods of Hinduism is alive in Bali, as our fascinating feature…
Philosophy & Scripture
Bali: Island Of the Gods
With SARA SASTRA in Denpasar, Bali, NYOMAN WENTEN in California and RIMA XOYAMAYAGYA in Texas Filmmaker Lawrence Blair, …
Philosophy & Scripture
Why Do Hindus Say, “I Am Not a Hindu”?
By the Editor There are two kind of Hindus: those who admit they are Hindu and those who will admit […]
Temples & Pilgrimage
Giving Demons and Deities Their Due
Perhaps nowhere on earth is Hinduism more energetic and culturally explicit than on the tiny island of Bali. It has [&he…
Philosophy & Scripture
Can it Be That the Hare Krishnas Are Not Hindu?
There is a misconception,” wrote His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in 1977 in Science of Self R…
Philosophy & Scripture
Who Then Are the Hindus?
To find out which organizations with prominence in the West call themselves Hindus, we tapped the massive power of the […
Environment
The Buttersweet Benefits of Ghee
BY BRAHMACHARINI MAYA TIWARI Vedic seers considered milk to be the most sattvic (peace-producing) food for humankind. Fr…
Philosophy & Scripture
Potent Pagan Powwow
For six days over the Summer solstice, 200 representatives to the World Pagan Congress met in Vilnius, capital city of […
Philosophy & Scripture
Solar-Powered Seer
By Georg Feuerstein In this Deepavali month, it is appropriate that we honor a man of light. For thousands of […]
Publisher's Editorials
A River of Devotion, A Flood of Spirituality
BY SATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI K–A BIG K–IS FOR KUMBHA MELA, the largest gathering of humans on Earth…
Opinion
Finding Peace In Mother Ganga’s Lap
BY BHAGAWATI I sit in silent joy, the cooling Ganga rushing across my toes. A young local ashram child whom […]
Philosophy & Scripture
Kumbha Mela
With Jono Lineen The tens of millions of Hindus who came to the Kumbha Mela at Haridwar this year were […]
Philosophy & Scripture
One Pilgrim’s Story
Is it possible to film the Kumbha Mela in all its complex, wild and unruly grandeur? Vancouver director Alan Morinis [&h…
Philosophy & Scripture
Marriage Arranging
Love marriage versus arranged marriage. Both work; both fail. In the West the concept of falling in love with that [&hel…
Environment
Flora’s Friend
By Lavina Melwani She’s a natural, and a more enthusiastic spokesperson for nature would be hard to find. Manju Pr…
Publisher's Editorials
Darshan, the Grace Of Seeing the Divine
BY SATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI In the Orient, whenever the cloud of despair covers the soul of a devotee, the darsha…
Philosophy & Scripture
Enrolling in Hinduism
By AJITH BRIDGRAJ The University of Durban-Westville was established in 1960 as an exclusively “Indian” univ…
Philosophy & Scripture
Telling the Future by Shells
By Vrindavanam S. Gopalakrishnan Jyotish Surendran is in the 19th generation of a family of astrologers who trace their …
Philosophy & Scripture
Sparing The Child
By V. G. Julie Rajan Though they don’t say much about it, young Hindu adults today feel deep resentment and [&hell…
Philosophy & Scripture
Corporal Punishment Is Totally Needless
CORPORAL PUNISHMENT IS TOTALLY NEEDLESSMY PARENTS AVOIDED IT, AND SO CAN YOU, BY ACKNOWLEDGING THE INHERENT DIVINITY OF …
Publisher's Editorials
The Problem with Taking It Out On the Children
By Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami The whole world is reevaluating how we treat women, children, the aged and infirm. Wa…
Philosophy & Scripture
Beating What Devil Out of Our Children?
By the Editor Beating children was never much of an issue in the old world. For most of human history, […]
Philosophy & Scripture
Growing Up Afraid
By Choodie Shivaram At times, I confess, I have hit my own son. He would take it quietly, and when […]
Philosophy & Scripture
Better Discipline
Once parents resolve to never hit their children, what are they to do? There are many specific methods, but first [&hell…
Philosophy & Scripture
Kundalini’s Rise and Fall
With its charismatic flare, kundalini exploded into Western consciousness in the early 1970s, primarily through the dram…
Philosophy & Scripture
Chakras: The Chapels Within
There are fourteen great nerve centers in the physical body, in the astral body and in the body of the […]
Philosophy & Scripture
A Star-Studded Gala
Eclipses, any astrologer will advise you, are dicey events. Important works should not be begun six days before or after…
Philosophy & Scripture
The Divine Mother Of All Languages
By Swami Prakashanand Saraswati Our holy scriptures originated from God Himself. They were first revealed to the people …
Philosophy & Scripture
Dipavali Debate
With reports from ANIL MAHABIR, DEVANT MAHARAJ and PARAS RAMOUTAR, Trinidad Each Fall the “Dipavali Village”…
Health & Ayurveda
Food and Breath: Sustaining the Body
BY BRAHMACHARINI MAYA TIWARI Food is divinely intertwined with the body. According to ancient Vedic seers, all things gr…
Health & Ayurveda
“I Can, I Will, I Am Able to Get Well”
By Devananda Tandavan Has there been anyone among us that has not injured himself, to only experience a complete and [&h…
Publisher's Editorials
To the Psychic, Nothing Is Really Ever Hidden
BY SATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI Many years ago, in the late fifties, while listening to seekers unfold from their sub…
Philosophy & Scripture
Book Barons of Delhi
INTERVIEWS AND REPORTING BY PRABHA BHARDWAJ, NEW DELHI Speaking of things transcendental and divine, an Indian sage once…
Opinion
Sureness in Faith Will Surely Lead Us to God
BY SIVANANDINI DURAISWAMY A traveller sets out early one day on a long journey with the hope that it will […]
Philosophy & Scripture
The Colors of Our Consciousness
By Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami The human aura extends out around the body from three to four feet, even from five [&…
Philosophy & Scripture
REVIEWS
BORN-AGAIN BOOKS FIVE SCHOLARS EXPLORE THE SOUL’S REPEATED ENTRIES AND EXITS INTO AND FROM THE PHYSICAL FORM By Ta…
Philosophy & Scripture
Children Are Divine, Treat Them Thus
By Swami Tejomayananda Before we start our journey of inquiry into the topic of parenting, let me tell you that [&hellip…
Philosophy & Scripture
Holy Hollywood, Tibetman!
No one wants to talk about it, except for those who have taken to activism. For these, speaking out serves […]
Philosophy & Scripture
The Karma Of Buddhism
In 1997, Don Farber traveled to India and Nepal on a Fulbright scholarship to photograph the religious life of Tibetan […
Environment
Passionate Pictures
As vast as its rolling highland plateaus are the mountains of books available on Tibet, and their topics and viewpoints …
Philosophy & Scripture
The Forgotten Faith
In a sequestered section of earth, protected and defined by the towering Himalayas, humankind’s relationship with …
Philosophy & Scripture
In Another Life…
Water terrified Bruce Kelly. Even the sight of a swimming pool caused him to tremble. He did not know why, […]
Philosophy & Scripture
India’s Sacred Stamps
(Hard copy of Hinduism Today contains over 60 full color photographs of some of India’s finest Sacred Stamps) Stam…
Philosophy & Scripture
Tribal Tribulations
By DR. MIHIR MEGHANI I first met the Khasi people of Meghalaya in 1995. A delegation of 30 were touring […]
Philosophy & Scripture
How I Survived 27 Years in Prison
BY ADHE TAPONTSANG When Adhe Tapontsang left Tibet in 1987, she did so on the condition of never telling anyone [&hellip…
Philosophy & Scripture
The Breath of God Is Our Breath of Life
By PARAMAHAMSA HARIHARANANDA God is all-pervading, omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent. Where is He not? He is present i…
Publisher's Editorials
Everyone Has a Guru, Knowingly or Not
BY SATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI Sri Sri Sri Vishvaguru Maha-Maharajji is seen in the picture to the right with me in …
Philosophy & Scripture
One Day My Religion Will Rule the World
By the Editor Harvard University’s groundbreaking project on religious pluralism in America [see “Stirring U…
Philosophy & Scripture
Stirring Up the Melting Pot
By LAVINA MELWANI, NEW YORK You are about to go on a pilgrimage. Not to India’s Kashi or Vrindavan, but […]
Philosophy & Scripture
Let’s Go Beyond Tolerance
By LAVINA MELWANI, NEW YORK Imagine being covered in colors from head to toe and having to walk several blocks [……
Philosophy & Scripture
Call for Military Ministers
Armies since ancient times have required the services of religious guides. Consider, for example, Lord Krishna on the ba…
Philosophy & Scripture
The Weaver
The Tirukural, “holy couplets,” is a treasury of Hindu ethical insight and a literary masterpiece of the Tam…
Philosophy & Scripture
Not for Women Only
By POORNIMA NARAYANAN, DELHI On a mild winter evening i walked into the home of Madhu Kishwar–social activist, int…
Philosophy & Scripture
Ethical Economics
By MEENAL PANDYA, Massachusetts At the heart of Hindu economics is this: the test of every policy is not profit, [&helli…
Philosophy & Scripture
Don’t Hide From Our Roots–the Vedas
BY SWAMI SHIVAPREMANANDA All Hindus have a moral and spiritual obligation to remind themselves of their cultural heritag…
Philosophy & Scripture
The Total Solar Eclipse
Every hotel in Guadeloupe has been booked for months by people eager to witness the coming total solar eclipse which [&h…
Publisher's Editorials
Getting Even Is Such An Odd Thing to Do
By Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami Everyone has willpower. It is inherent to the makeup of the physical-astral-mental-em…
Opinion
Buddhist and Hindu Dharmas Do Differ
BY THE HONORABLE YIHUA What are the differences and similarities between Buddhism and Hinduism? Both originated from the…
Philosophy & Scripture
Can You Have Religion Without God?
BY THE EDITOR We first met the Dalai Lama in 1972 in Northern India. On that precious December afternoon Hinduism [&hell…
Philosophy & Scripture
Dharmic Differences
Asia’s two spiritual titans, Hinduism and Buddhism, have exerted profound influence on the planet and its people s…
Philosophy & Scripture
Show Your Understanding
A fifth grade girl is very anxious about a math test she is taking the next day and approaches her […]
Health & Ayurveda
Reclaiming Sadhana: Nourisher of Health
BY BRAHMACHARINI MAYA TIWARI My early life was fostered by wholesome practices that preserved the good Earth–the p…
Temples & Pilgrimage
Towering Tales
By Sita Sharan It was Bapu’s long-held wish to recite Ramayana on the banks of Lake Manasarovar, beside Mount Kail…
Philosophy & Scripture
Transformation into God’s Loving Image
BY SWAMI OMKARANANDA SARASWATI The little drop of water can support and bear millions of ships, and sustain billions of …
Opinion
Ayurveda: Choicest Health-Care Choice
BY DR. VASANT LAD Beginning in 1979, I traveled from the East to the West coast of the United States, […]
Health & Ayurveda
Wear Your Body Like a Sandal
BY THE EDITOR Human malady is no trifling matter. suffering and death prowl daily in the village of mortality, and [&hel…
Philosophy & Scripture
Seeker’s Wordbook
For years, readers have been asking for definitions of the most common and basic Hindu terms. Here is a glossary [&helli…
Health & Ayurveda
RX: Reiki
By LAVINA MELWANI, NEW YORK Can gall-bladder stones disappear without surgery, and umbilical hernias vanish? Can cancer …
Health & Ayurveda
Reiki: Restoring Prana’s Natural Flow
By Devananda Tandavan Reiki is the Japanese name for an ancient healing method rediscovered by Usui from the Sanskrit Bu…
Philosophy & Scripture
Pious Portrayals
Rajasthan-born Sri Indra Sharma, age 74, has been depicting Gods, Goddesses, saints and epic heroes in oil and watercolo…
Philosophy & Scripture
Destroy Egocentric Desire and Anger
BY JAGADGURU SHANKARACHARYA SRI BHARATI TIRTHA Adi Shankaracharya says, “again birth, again death and again lying …
Philosophy & Scripture
Seeking What’s Real
SRI ADI SHANKARA IS IRREFUTABLY ONE OF THE MOST significant historical figures of India. His life story, writings and sa…
Philosophy & Scripture
Hindu of the Year
Upon learning he had received the 1997 Hindu Renaissance Award at his 66th birthday celebration in New York, Sri Chinmoy…
Philosophy & Scripture
To Goddess, with Love
By RADHIKA SRINIVASAN, NEW JERSEY For Ghanshyam Singh Birla, there is nothing more powerfully healing than mantra, music…
Philosophy & Scripture
Tagore in Dance
By Choodie Shivaram The songs and compositions of Rabindranath Tagore, “Rabindra Sangeet,” are very dear to …
Philosophy & Scripture
Dharma in Daily Life: Yagna, Daan, Tapas
By Goswami Indira Betiji Hindus are not only Indians. anyone who be-lieves in the culture of the rishis and the [&hellip…
Philosophy & Scripture
The Path of Grace
DURING THE 12TH TO 16TH CENTURIES’ “BHAKTI RENAISSANCE,” five great schools of Vaishnavism arose, foun…
Publisher's Editorials
Forgiving Others Is Good for Your Health
By Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami Most people today are working harder to correct the faults of others than they are th…
Philosophy & Scripture
Hear Krishna’s Flute
By Lavina Melwani When I was very small, I felt this strong attachment to Krishna–it must be from a past [……
Philosophy & Scripture
Nonviolent Child Discipline
Fitzhugh Dodson was a high school teacher turned child psychologist whose personal quest in life was to find nonviolent …
Philosophy & Scripture
Vietnamese Hybrid Faith
By Dao Thu Hien, Associated Press In the world of conformist communist Vietnam, the once banned Caodai religious sect is…
Philosophy & Scripture
Is the March over?
By MARIO CABRAL E SA, GOA In 1567 the Captain of Rachol Fort in South Goa bragged to his Portuguese […]
Philosophy & Scripture
Twenty Vedic Laws
How often do you see a professional team of people misbehave on the job? You’re on a flight from San […]
Opinion
Let Us Call Ourselves “Hindu Americans”
BY YASH PAL LAKRA According to the latest census estimates, there are about one million people of Indian origin living […
Environment
The Spoiling of the Ganges
Our consciousness has gone in-to a slumber. Our sensitivity has slipped into a strange coma,” laments activist Rak…
Philosophy & Scripture
Searching for Our Roots
When I was 12 years old, American kids would gang up at the bus stop, yelling, ‘Gandhi dot! Gandhi dot!’ [&h…
Philosophy & Scripture
Perfection Is in Your Luminous Essence
BY SWAMI SASTRANANDA Man (woman included) seeks and strives to be or have the best, the perfect, consciously or unconsci…
Publisher's Editorials
The Self God: Life’s Ultimate Goal
By Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami In the midst of busy life, it is sometimes difficult to ponder such lofty ideals as […
Philosophy & Scripture
A Saint’s Self-Willed Death
By CHQODIE SHIVARAM, BANGALORE Dear friends,” began Swami Nirmalananda’s short missive of December 23, 1996,…
Philosophy & Scripture
Dissolving Boundaries
By JULIE RAJAN, PHILADELPHIA It is not an easy task for a Hindu writer born in India to break into […]
Philosophy & Scripture
Reaching for The Golden Ring
BY SWAMI SHUDDHANANDA BRAMACHARI Blessed are they who dwell on the deepest purposes of human life, especially in a world…
Publisher's Editorials
Returning Again and Again Until You Get it Right
By Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami The twin beliefs of karma and reincarnation are among Hinduism’s many jewels of…
Philosophy & Scripture
A Cyrillic Catechism
Four years of on-again, off again effort came to fruition for Swami Sadashivacharya on April 27 at Moscow’s Moskva…
Philosophy & Scripture
The Twist of Fate
When Prakash Mody pulled his February 24th issue of Time magazine out of the mailbox, he felt his heart sink. […]
Publisher's Editorials
Meditation: the Key Is Preparation
BY SATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI Meditation is a long journey, a pilgrimage into the mind itself. Generally, we become…
Philosophy & Scripture
That Old-Time Religion
By JESSICA SAUNDERS, Associated Press Judge Roy Moore displays a plaque of the Christian Ten Commandments in his courtro…
Philosophy & Scripture
The Spaceship Suicide
On March 23, 1997, the first 15 members of Heaven’s Gate, a self-described “cult of cults,” mixed phen…
Temples & Pilgrimage
By Cosmic Design
By DEVA RAJAN From January 25 to 29 more than 300 delegates and observers participated in the World Meet on […]
Philosophy & Scripture
Eternal Partnership for a Healthy Society
By MA YOGA SHAKTI Originally, a long, long time ago, the ancestors of the Hindus settled in the lush and […]
Philosophy & Scripture
Silence is Golden . . .
Many think of silence simplistically, as just the absence of noise, or not speaking words. But silence, like life itself…
Publisher's Editorials
Two Powers: Gratitude and Appreciation
BY SATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI Much of life today is based on depreciation and denigration of public leaders, groups…
Philosophy & Scripture
Swami, Bill Clinton Has a Question
BY THE EDITOR Questions from the White House are infrequent enough, even when indirect, that the Hinduism Today staff wa…
Philosophy & Scripture
Keep Science at Peace with Nature
By Mata Amritanandamayi The idea of cloning, though implemented only recently through modern science, was in the minds o…
Philosophy & Scripture
Playing God?
In July 1996 a Blackface ewe gave birth to lamb 6LL3, an outwardly normal baby sheep, at the Roslin Institute’s [&…
Philosophy & Scripture
Love Letter From God
BY LAVINA MELWANI, NEW YORK The year was 1925 and Pandurang Shastri Athavale was all of five years old. Wrapping [&helli…
Health & Ayurveda
Boys Will Be Boys, But Not for Long
Puberty in boys proceeds about the same as in girls, except the changes are more external due to the differences [&helli…
Philosophy & Scripture
Can We Clone the Stars?
The idea of cloning poses some interesting questions regarding jyotisha. In a horoscope, the lagna (rising sign) and any…
Philosophy & Scripture
Mom, Please Come Home
Motherhood may be the most controversial career you can have these days,” opens this manual for stay-at-home moms.…
Health & Ayurveda
Vegetarianism: Roots of Righteousness
BY SWAMI PRAGYANAND Sanatana Dharma, today known as Hindu Dharma, the eternal religion, is an integration of nature and …
Philosophy & Scripture
Dolls of Devotion
Necessity is the mother of invention, they say, and according to one inventive mother, Rukmini Devi Dasi, Hindu children…
Temples & Pilgrimage
Sacred Pilgrimage
Five duties, called pancha kriya, form the traditional minimal practices expected of every Hindu: upasana (worship); uts…
Publisher's Editorials
Good Money, Bad Money
BY SATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI My satguru, the venerable Sage Yogaswami, discriminated between good money and bad mo…
Philosophy & Scripture
What’s So Funny About Hinduism
By the Editor Ah, religion, that sober, somber, somniferous science, so soulful and oh-so-solemn. Perhaps. But only one …
Opinion
Elders: Our Blessing, Not our Burden
By Prabha Prabhakar Bhardwaj Nearly two decades ago I left India to live and work in Kenya, Africa. On my […]
Philosophy & Scripture
The Caning Backlash
In 18th-century America and most other countries, the master of the house could freely beat his wife, his child, his [&h…
Philosophy & Scripture
To Be Elderly in India
By M.P. MOHANTY, NEW DELHI For untold centuries in india, it had been routinely regarded as immoral to neglect the [&hel…
Philosophy & Scripture
Math-a-Magician
By LAVINA MELWANI, NEW YORK You could have heard a pin drop. After all, the event was one of awe-inspiring […]
Philosophy & Scripture
Russia’s Taste for Tantra
STANISLAV A. GOROKHOV, Moscow Russia’s latest unrevealed revolution has nothing to do with rulers, parties or econ…
Philosophy & Scripture
Your True Companion: The Self Within
BY SWAMI CHIDVILASANANDA With great respect, with great love, I weLcome you with all my heart. In the sacred text [&hell…
Philosophy & Scripture
Lanka’s Yogaswami
He strode powerfully along the roads and fields of his island each day, and those who saw him coming would […]
Publisher's Editorials
Time In and Time Out: Two Sides of Discipline
By Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami The late, most revered Sri La Sri Sankaracharya of Kanchipuram, near Chennai, once sa…
Philosophy & Scripture
Germany’s Clash with Scientology
From Associated Press reports In December 1996 Germany’s Federal and regional governments adopted a package of mea…
Philosophy & Scripture
Put Your Ashes in Orbit
By SUSAN HERREL Timothy Leary and Gene Roddenberry were scheduled to blast into space in mid-February. Leary, the ’…
Health & Ayurveda
Yoga for India’s Army
By DIPANKAR DAS, NEW DELHI What do you think is the latest addition to the Indian armed forces’ arsenal? Early [&h…
Philosophy & Scripture
Yoga in Daily Life: Perfect Way to God
By Paramahamsa Swami Maheshwarananda Divine consciousness that is eternal, omniscient and omnipresent and resides in eac…
Temples & Pilgrimage
When not in Rome . . .
By VRINDAVANAM S. GOPALAKRISHNAN Peter Julia came to India from Spain in 1948 as a 23-year-old Jesuit priest. Today, at …
Environment
Tulsi and Rudraksha
Plants provide our food, clothes, medicine, building materials and the oxygen we breath, yet we seldom honor their impor…
Publisher's Editorials
Meditation Can Be More Than You Bargained for
By Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami Desperate states of mind are disturbing many people these days. They are caught in em…
Environment
City’s Cross Must Go
In two decisions just days apart by the United States Federal Court of Appeals in San Francisco, California, a 103-foot …
Philosophy & Scripture
Mountainous Sage
By ANANDHI RAMACHANDRAN, CHENNAI Once as a child I asked my father “Are there rishis like Agastya, Vishwamitra and…
Environment
‘Deep River’ – a Japanese Odyssey to Holy Ganga
WITH JYOTHI VENKATESH, Mumbai A bus of Japanese tourists bounces east, sightseeing from Delhi toward Banaras and the Gan…
Philosophy & Scripture
Ramana as a Family Affair
BY ANANDHI RAMACHANDRAN, CHENNAI From what I had heard about Sarada Natarajan, I had expected to see an elderly lady [&h…
Philosophy & Scripture
Satyameva Jayate – Truth Prevails
By Swami Bua Maharaj What is Hinduism and who is a Hindu? Hinduism is not a hodgepodge of different beliefs […]
Publisher's Editorials
Spare the Rod and Save the Child
By Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami There is no greater good than a child. Children are entrusted to their parents to be …
Philosophy & Scripture
Swiftly Evolving Faith
When Mark Twain visited our island in 1895 he wryly observed, “If you don’t like the weather, just wait ten …
Opinion
Media’s Madness in Sex and Violence
BY SHYAM KUMARI AGARWAL Does liberty mean the licence to debase oneself and in the process undo the social fabric? [&hel…
Philosophy & Scripture
Duty’s Tasks – Diurnal Diary
By V KALYANAM, Chennai Gandhi’s day began at 3:30am sharp. When I was with him, in 1947, the 78-year-old got [&hel…
Philosophy & Scripture
Sacred Symbols
We rarely think about it, but symbols are everywhere around us–potent, poignant images, visual markers for somethi…
Philosophy & Scripture
“Making of the Mahatma”
By Lavina Melwani While the world thinks of Gandhi as the sainted man in khadi loincloth leaning on a cane, […]
Temples & Pilgrimage
City of 10 Million Icons
BY CHOODIE SHIVARAM, BANGALORE Kammasandra was just an obscure town 100 km from Bangalore until Sri Samba Shivamurthy Sw…
Philosophy & Scripture
Personal Peace Leads to Universal Peace
By Karunamayi Sri Vijayeswari Devi My wish is universal peace, to be achieved through the cultivation of individual peac…
Philosophy & Scripture
Booted Out of Bhutan
By DR. HARI BANSH JHA, NEPAL Religious and political persecution is alleged to have forced 100,000 Hindus from Bhutan, t…
Philosophy & Scripture
Death and Dying
The Transition Called Death: Each of us must ultimately confront our mortality. For Hindus, this is not a fearsome prosp…
Philosophy & Scripture
Great Departure
By the Editor General George Patton of World War II fame, no stranger to personal reincarnational remembrances (he claim…
Philosophy & Scripture
Joint Family at Risk
By CHOODIE SHIVARAM, BANGALORE If current trends continue, the turn of the 21st century may witness the extinction of on…
Philosophy & Scripture
Books Bouy Up Hindu Women
By V. G. JULIE RAJAN, PHILADELPHIA Of a sudden, a burgeoning interest in the status of Hindu women has produced [&hellip…
Philosophy & Scripture
USA’s “Peace Pilgrim”
Renunciation in India is arduous enough, even though there it has been the most esteemed spiritual path since before rec…
Philosophy & Scripture
You Are Your Beliefs
Clashing convictions can portend problems In 1993 hinduism today received a most unusual letter from a Christian: “I fee…
Philosophy & Scripture
To Build a New India
Athavale’s amazing grassroots movement stresses God with and within man By Rajiv Malik, New Delhi I have not come here […
Philosophy & Scripture
The DNA of Dharma
Though Hindus are doggedly nondogmatic, they do hold common beliefs which, like a mental molecular structure, determine …
Philosophy & Scripture
Ganesha Graces Disneyland
Is the Elephant God getting due respect? By Archana Dongre, Los Angeles Spun out of the supremely creative imagination o…
Health & Ayurveda
The Yoga of Endurance
Sri Chinmoy beats 65 Age is in the mind and not in the heart. With determination we can con-quer the […]
Temples & Pilgrimage
Puja in Washington
Hindu art shakes off its archaic image at the Sackler Gallery of Art’s sensitive display By V.G. Julie Rajan, Philadelph…
Opinion
We Need the Vedas More Than Ever
By Dr. B.V. raman We have to recognize that all intelligible reality—space, time and matter—is an aspect of intelligent …
Philosophy & Scripture
Critical Collection
Enemies of hinduism don’t get much space in our journal, though we do report when Pat Robertson trashes our religion [&h…
Publisher's Editorials
Suicide: a Case of Parental Pressures
BY. SATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI Teenagers are suffering the pangs of sex, desire and distrust, independence and all …