The power of lighting a lamp Invoke the fire of truth… ‘Fire’ is considered to be one of the most holy elements of the universe across all religions and cultures. If you look at Hinduism, Fire aka ‘Agni Dev’ is known to be the marker of life and death. Our birth commences with fire, since… Read More »
Many of us may have heard or come across the concept of preceptor (Guru) who apparently possesses the divine power to remove all the sins of man, thereby making him immortal. It is hard if not impossible to find an authentic Guru in this day and age (Kaliyug) where many people have begun to cheat… Read More »
Death – the door to the chamber of the divine fire Death – it is one thing that is common to all of us. All of a sudden, unknown, unaware, unpredictably, we release our last breath from the nostrils and the next thing we know, we cannot eat, sleep, walk, talk or do all the… Read More »
Viraja Homam A fire ritual that is not just for monks! While eating, we destroy so many organisms, while walking, we hurt and destroy so many organisms, while breathing, we inhale so many organisms and destroy them. As human beings, we are susceptible to many flaws, such as anger, hatred, jealousy and greed. All these… Read More »
“When his devotees call him, He comes glittering… And bestows his grace upon all He is indeed the thief who has stolen my soul away.” ~~~ Tamil poet Sambandar on Lord Shiva. During a tirthayatra we worship our deities by visiting their greatest shrines. For Lord Vishnu there is the Chaar Dhaam yatra that covers… Read More »
“I saw the beautiful buildings becoming submerged… There was no trace of the city. Dwarka was just a name, just a memory.” ~~~ Arjuna in the Mahabharata In the 1980’s when marine archaeologists dived into the ocean off the coast of the Gulf of Kutch, they made an extraordinary discovery. The archaeologist Dr. S. R.… Read More »
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” ~~~ Nelson Mandela There is a saying we are all familiar with – that when we educate our children we teach them reading, writing and arithmetic. However does education end there? If you think about what education should impart to a… Read More »
“My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.” ~~~ The Dalai Lama When we say the word ‘religion’, many images, memories and experiences flash across our minds. We think of lyrical hymns echoing inside a church; the sound of bells as a priest raises an aarti lamp shimmering with golden flames to light the… Read More »
“ For the ignorant you are the island city of the sun Flowing from a bouquet of intelligence For the poor you are a rosary of wishing jewels.” ~~~ Praise for the Devi in Saundarya Lahari Devi or Ma means the Mother Goddess and within her we see every aspect of a woman. She is… Read More »
“The greatest gifts you can give your children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence.” ~~~ Denis Waitley When we sing the national anthem on the morning of15th August it echoes across our land like a paean to freedom. Seventy years ago we had won the right to build the country we… Read More »
