Sri Swami Satchidananda'sIn this age, the simplest and best practice is mantra repetition. It is very simple, but at the same time very powerful - more powerful than any other practice. Your body may not even be fit to practice all the hatha yoga postures or to do rigorous penance. You may not have a lot of money to go on pilgrimages. You may not have a big altar or go to church every Sunday, but you can always repeat a mantram. Wherever you are, whatever you do, whether you are rich or poor, it
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Ayer recibí la noticia, Pattabhi Jois- Guruji había muerto en India con 94 años, y para todos los practicantes de yoga es una gran pérdida pero sobre todo para aquellos que estudiamos y enseñamos Ashtanga vinyasa.Un gran Maestro ha muerto.In Memorian.
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Buddhism has been an essential part of my life since the mid-90s. The adventure began when I stumbled upon a feature in an encyclopedic dictionary that highlighted the Four Noble Truths. That finding immediately sparked my curiosity and a few days later I was buying a copy of The Dhammapada at a local bookstore. While slowly digesting the aphorisms in the weeks that followed, I found that its teachings were in continuity with a process of introspection
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Hanuman, the mighty ape that aided Lord Rama in his expedition against evil forces, is one of the most popular idols in the Hindu pantheon. Believed to be an avatar of Lord Shiva, Hanuman is worshiped as a symbol of physical strength, perseverance and devotion.On Tuesdays and in some cases, Saturdays, many people keep fast in honour of Hanuman and give special offerings to him. In times of trouble, it is a common faith among Hindus to chant the name of Hanuman or sing his hymn and proclaim "BajrRead more…
Sri Swami Satchidananda's NotesOften people think that spirituality only means big things, that to be a spiritual aspirant you must accomplish great feats. You should chant beautifully; you should stand on your head for half an hour; you should sit for meditation three times a day. These things are wonderful, but they are not useful if you don't take care of the little, little things. Spirituality should permeate every action of your day. By simply going into your room and seeing its condition,
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Every spiritual tradition recognizes some places as holy. Visit to such places, connected with specific behavior, is considered to be spiritually purifying and constitutes an important part of spiritual practice.TirthaHoly place, or place of pilgrimage, is called tirtha ("ford") because there one can cross the stream of samsara and reach the spiritual dimension. Even a simple stay in such place has a purifying effect which can be increased by following specific spiritual practices.The holy place
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Sri Swami Satchidananda'sHAVE CONVICTION -What you think you become. That is why it is so important to have positive thoughts. But if you merely repeat something without any feeling behind it, it's just mechanical. You have to have some conviction: "I am becoming joyful. I am becoming brave. Day by day I am becoming better and better." By the same token, if you say, "Oh, I don't think I can do it. I am growing weaker. I'm not any good," then you are dwelling on negative thoughts. So think about
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Having determined our goal, the next problem before us is to find out means for the realization of the object. Sages and teachers have elaborately dealt with the subject. They have laid down various forms of practices or 'Sadhanas', helpful for the attainment of what they put forth as the final goal. But for the realization of God, the Indeterminate Absolute or Para Brahma we have to adopt means, which lead us to the complete negation. Our goal of life, as discussed in the previous chapter is th
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Hinduism is rich in symbolism.Many acts of worship, such as puja, are symbolic, a form of visualisation in which worshippers simulate activities normally performed on higher planes of existence. Thus the scope of symbolism is broad and includes physical acts such as offering pranam (obeisances) with folded hands. Such physical gestures tend to induce the appropriate mood and awareness within the practitioner. Many symbols are considered auspicious, embodying the notion of inner purity. Sacred em
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Siddhartha Reaching LoveAuthor: pattimariWord count: 49Siddhartha, do you feel the lightleading to deliveranceother paths foolish and deadasceticism and yogado you no goodexploring selfunearths you the sparklingwealth in spiritfilled up with river’s beautynature stirring your totalityLove is the openingto your total spiritualitypattimari, 2008How we Write a Poem?Author: pattimariWord count: 55How We Write a PoemWriting a poem is all about lifeobserving the worldall around usWe write about loveev
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Music has been an essential part of my life since the end of the 80s. The adventure began during the second of my four years of studying electrical engineering at Université Laval in Québec City. Through various friends and contacts I reconnected with progressive rock, a form of music to which I had already been exposed to in my youth thanks to my older brothers and sisters. Hearing the music of bands such as Yes, Rush, Genesis, and King Crimson felt like meeting old friends, and quickly I knew I
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Sri Swami Satchidananda's NotesDon't expect the whole world to be enlightened one day. It would be like walking into a Detroit automobile factory and seeing only finished cars. If the factory were full of finished cars, it would no longer be a factory; it would become a showroom. Likewise, you wouldn't go to a university and say, "When will the only people here be degree holders?"The universe itself is a university. People come as students; they study and learn. A few people get their diplomas a
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Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Mathajis,Please accept our humble pranams. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Gurudev.In Srimad-Bhagavatam the material world is compared to a great ocean. Within this material universe there are millions and billions of planets floating in space, and we can just imagine how many Atlantic and Pacific oceans are there. In fact, the whole material universe is linked to a great ocean of misery, an ocean of birth and death. In order to cross this great ocean of nescience,
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The Upanishads are summits of thought on mankind and the universe, designed to push human ideas to their very limit and beyond. They give us both spiritual vision and philosophical argument, and it is by a strictly personal effort that one can reach the truth.The term 'Upanishad' literally means, "sitting down near" or "sitting close to", and implies listening closely to the mystic doctrines of a guru or a spiritual teacher, who has cognized the fundamental truths of the universe.Although there
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NEVER QUITOne day I decided to quit. I quit my job, my relationship, spirituality.I wanted to quit my life.I went to the woods to have one last talk with God. "God", I said. "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"His answer surprised me...."Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?" "Yes", I replied. "When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green
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WebGroup: Pravs WorldInspiring people across 120 countries everydayInstructions For Life§ Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.§ Memorize your favorite poem.§ Don’t believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.§ When you say, “I love you”, mean it.§ When you say, “I’m sorry”, look the person in the eye.§ Be engaged at least six months before you get married.§ Believe in love at first sight.§ Never laugh at anyone’s dreams.§ Love deeply and passionately. You mi
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Sri Swami Satchidananda's NotesCLEAN MONEY -Don't work thinking only of your salary. If God is satisfied with your work, He will give you plenty. You will get your salary, and more, from many other sources. Think of your job as an opportunity to serve, not just an opportunity to make money. If you work with that serviceful attitude, then whatever you make will be clean money, well-earned money that will certainly bring health and happiness to you. It's not how much money we make, but how we make
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