Guru is one who has full Self-illumination and who removes the veil of ignorance in deluded Jivas. Guru, Truth, Brahman, Ishvara, Atman, God, Om are all one. The number of realised souls may be less in this Kali Yuga when compared with the Satya Yuga, but they are always present to help the aspirants. They are always searching for the proper Adhikarins.

Read more here: » Yoga Guru: Who Is A Yoga Guru?

The four main spiritual paths for God-realisation are Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga and Jnana Yoga. Karma Yoga is suitable for a man of active temperament, Bhakti Yoga for a man of devotional temperament, Raja Yoga for a man of mystic temperament, and Jnana Yoga for a man of rational and philosophical temperament, or a man of enquiry.

Mantra Yoga, Laya Yoga or Kundalini Yoga, Lambika Yoga and Hatha Yoga, are other Yogas. Yoga, really, means union with God. The practice of Yoga leads to communion with the Lord. Whatever may be the starting point, the end reached is the same.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Hindu Yoga: The Four Paths of Hindu Yoga

Meditation Experiences by Sarasvati Buhrman PhD - Part II

Sometime after 350 B.C. a great yogi sage wrote the "Yoga Sutra". This brief translation should wet your appetite. This describes the transformation of mind that will unfold over a course of sadhana (spiritual practice), focusing on the relationship between the mind and the object of meditation.

Read more here: » Meditation Experiences: Meditation Experiences According to the Ashtanga Yoga Tradition with Commentary on Patanjali's Yoga Sutra - Part II

There are two types of knowledge, the knowledge you have and that your soul has. Similarly, there is the knowledge amnesia patients have about themselves and the knowledge they would like to remember. The knowledge you have does not assist you in knowing your true identity and what your soul has done. Likewise, the knowledge amnesia patients have about themselves does not help them to remember what they have forgotten.

Read more here: » Spiritual Growth: Raising your Consciousness

We acquire knowledge, but we lack awareness. Awareness arises when knowledge accompanies action. Mere acquisition of knowledge does not mean that such knowledge will translate into action.

For instance, most of us know that if you smoke cigarettes, you are susceptible to cancer. Cigarette smokers see the statutory warning imprinted on the cigarette packs: ''Smoking is injurious to health’’.

Nevertheless, they continue to smoke. But if one day, the smoker does begin to suffer from ill-health on account of his smoking, then, the knowledge turns into awareness - through direct experience - that smoking could indeed be injurious to health.

(See also: Awareness , God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Awareness: Be Aware of Thought, Word and Action

MOTHER SARASWATHI

Mother Saraswathi, is divine knowledge personified, the embodiment of knowledge of the Absolute. The sound of Her celestial veena awakens the notes of the sublime utterances of the Upanishads which reveal the Truth, and the sacred monosyllable, Om. She bestows the knowledge of the supreme, mystic sound and then gives full knowledge of the Self as represented by Her pure, dazzling snow-white apparel. Therefore, to propitiate Saraswathi, the giver of knowledge, is the third stage.

From " Hindu Fasts & Festivals " by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Read more here: » Saraswathi: The Hindu Godess Mother Saraswathi

I propose that all the knowledge you will ever need about nutrition is within your reach. Within you is an amazing storehouse of all the information you have ever encountered about diet. Your body knows better than any book what nutritional balance it needs. It tries constantly to communicate that information, it's just not always received and interpreted accurately.

Read more here: » Body Mind and Soul: Love What You Eat

Here is a part of Patanjalis yoga-aphorisms describing the supernatural powers of a yogi. An extract from the Patanjali Yoga Sutras.

Read more here: » Sidhis - Supernatural Powers Patanjali Yoga Sutras - Illumination (Part IV of IV)

The Brahmakumaris practise Raja Yoga, particularly the trataka form of meditation in order to achieve union with God. It involves keeping your eyes open and fixing your gaze on a tiny red spot with total attention. Raja Yoga gives knowledge of self and enables one to attain peace, purity and harmony.

Dawn is preceded by the darkest hour of the night. The Brahmakumaris consider the present time as the most critical period. This will be followed by a new age - the dawn in the great cycle of time. The agent of transition may be the person possessing knowledge of the true self, of a positive soul. One who reaches the highest stage of this knowledge becomes Brahma. The supreme divine being is Shiva, who is an embodiment of knowledge, peace, purity and harmony.

(See also: Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Peace on Earth: Darkness Before Dawn In Cycle of Yugas

Indian culture has always held the guru in high esteem. Having a master was not just considered a matter of pride, but it was mandatory to have a guru. Not having a master was looked down upon as being an orphan, being poor and a sign of misfortune.

The word anatha in Sanskrit means one without a master. An acharya (teacher) gives shiksha, which means knowledge; Guru gives diksha, which means heightened awareness.

(See also: Sri Sri Ravishankar , Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Sri Sri Ravishankar: Guru, God and Self are Synonymous  

Vasthu in The Vedas

Each Veda has a subsidiary: ayurveda (knowledge of life) for rgveda, dhanurveda (knowledge of tools and weapon) for yajurveda, gandharvaveda (knowledge of arts) for samaveda and sthapatyaveda (architecture) for atharvaveda. In addition, puranas, nyayasastras, mimamsas and dharma sastras (smrtis) are also considered as upangas. Sthapatyaveda which is the subsidiary of atharvaveda is the subject of this discussion. Because it is the subsidiary of Veda, its authority is clear and undisputed.

Read more here: » Vastu Shastra: Vasthu in The Vedas

What is the purpose of life? What do we want? Some say the purpose of life is to ensure that one doesn't come back to this planet - because it is bereft of love. When love is there, it is painful.

By taking a multilateral view of life, one can begin to see the purpose of life from all angles. Then we come to realise that we want a love that doesn't die out, a love that doesn't cause pain, a love that grows and stands forever.

(See also: Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Love and Happiness: Immortal Love is Within Reach

Apple

This simple and basic fruit is a powerful symbol in religious writings, literature and in dreams. It fundamentally represents knowledge and the freedom that is associated with it. With knowledge and freedom we are in a position to make positive or negative choices. The apple should be interpreted with the consideration of all the other details in the dream. Is the apple a symbol of positive movement and spiritual and emotional liberation, or is it a symbol of runaway passions and the resulting negativity? Are you giving into temptation and making hurtful choices or are being wise and enjoying the fullness of life?

Source: Dream Lover Incorporated, http://www.dreamloverinc.com

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Apple , Meaning of Dreams about Apple , Dream Interpretation Apple )

For more dictionary entries, see » Knowledge Dictionary

Break Your Mental Barriers

Most of us find ourselves trapped in our mortal ken because of our ingrained habit of linear and sequential thinking. We find it difficult to break this habit. The habit arises from our innate striving to discern patterns in our sensory perception of reality. Our mind interprets these perceptions by piecing together their constituent elements with other entities in our mental database of past experience. By systematically stringing these patterns together we have created the corpus of human knowledge.

Read more here: » Cosmic Consciousness: Break Your Mental Barriers

Studying Jain holy scriptures, I found I could draw a parallel between the behaviour of matter or non-living substance and the soul which is a living substance. Souls are infinite in number: Some are pure and liberated; others are unliberated and live a bodily or embodied existence.

Pure souls possess properties or characteristics comprising infinite knowledge, vision and bliss and are quite different from unliberated, mundane, souls which have limited knowledge through mind and sense organs, experiencing birth and death.

(See also: Life and Death, Life and Beyond, Death and Dying, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Life and Death: Metallurgy of The Soul: Back to Nature

The teachings of Sankara can be summed up in half a verse: Brahman (the Absolute) is alone real; this world is unreal; and the Jiva or the individual soul is non-different from Brahman.

The Advaita taught by Sri Sankara is a rigorous, absolute one. According to Sri Sankara, whatever is, is Brahman. Brahman Itself is absolutely homogeneous. All difference and plurality are illusory.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Vedanta Schools: The Advaita Philosophy Of Sri Sankara

Very few recognise the importance of seeking out a guru whom they can look to for guidance.

Guru is not God but God is guru because the guru leads the disciple from darkness to light. God encompasses both light and darkness; He is formless, omnipotent, immovable, and immortal. The guru is a glass of water from the ocean called God. An ideal guru-shishya relationship would be one of friendship and the student should feel free to question his teacher. Both are united by unconditional love, in a relationship that transcends the physical, mental, emotional and the intellectual involvement. Such a relationship has the capacity to weather any storm.

(See also: Advantage of Guru , Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Advantage of Guru: Reach for the Rays Of Truth Within - About Guru  

There is no reference to worship of idols in the Vedas. The Puranas and the Agamas give descriptions of idol-worship both in the houses and in the temples. Idol-worship is not peculiar to Hinduism. Christians worship the Cross. They have the image of the Cross in their mind. The Mohammedans keep the image of the Kaba stone when they kneel and do prayers. The people of the whole world, save a few Yogis and Vedantins, are all worshippers of idols. They keep some image or the other in the mind.

The mental image also is a form of idol. The difference is not one of kind, but only one of degree. All worshippers, however intellectual they may be, generate a form in the mind and make the mind dwell on that image.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Hindu Worship: The Philosophy And Significance Of Idol-Worship

There are different types of knowledge. For example, the knowledge you have is not the same as what your soul has. Similarly, the knowledge amnesia patients have about themselves is different from the knowledge they are unable to remember. The knowledge you have about yourself does not assist you in knowing what your soul has done, or realizing your true identity. Likewise, the knowledge amnesia patients have about themselves does not help them to remember what they have forgotten.

Read more here: » Personal Growth,: Embracing Differences To Raise Your Consciousness

Religious observances, traditional worship and Vratas have, at times, more than one significance. Apart from being the adoration of the Divine, they are commemorative of stirring bygone events, allegoric when interpreted from the occult standpoint, and are significant pointers guiding the Jiva on his path to Realisation.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Hindu Worship: Worship in Hinduism for different Hindu Gods

 In India we must be grateful that the core beliefs, theoretical rigour and application of the Vaastu Shastras are still available, though in a depleted form. From the study of texts, dialogues with practitioners and field application of the concepts I have been able to reconstruct the overview of the Vaastu Shilpa Shastras and give a guideline for present day application. There is a great deal of resistance and deep feelings of distrust from the trained designers in the 'modern institutesÕ toward the assumptions and symbolism of the traditional paradigm. It is almost as if they feel threatened that their hegemony would be displaced. Are their fears valid? Is the basis of the Vaastu Shastras questionable in its present day application? Is it a meaningless mumbo jumbo in the 'scientificÕ climate of today?

Read more here: » Vaastu Shastra: Reinterpreting Vaastu

Mind is not only daily made, but hourly made. In every minute it changes its colour and shape like a chameleon. It is very wavering and unsteady (Chanchalam and Asthiram).

From "Easy Steps to Yoga" by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Read more here: » Mind: Facts About Mind