Sacred Sites: Temples as Places Of Deep Insight

Temples and other places of worship play a significant role in cultural reformation. The innate vibrations, cultural complexion, and spiritual qualities resonate all around the devotee. So they are more than places of worship; they are cultural rendezvous centres for traditional community activities. They are also meeting places for families and friends.

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Oneness: Rise Above Dogma, Realise The Truth

When I pass by the neighbourhood mosque, I bow my head in respect just as I do when I pass by the temple. The mullah's call to the faithful turns me towards prayer and God. I go through the same upsurge of emotions when I visit a church or gurdwara. When I bow my head in humility to Christ and the Guru Granth Sahib, I see in them my beloved Lord Krishna. Similarly, when I hear the Buddhist chant: ''Buddham Sharanam Gachchhami'', it continues to reverberate within me for long after, giving me the same sense of peace I experience when I say my usual prayers.

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Hindu - Zulu Tradition - Many Similarities

There are some striking similarities between the African and Indian cultures.

In both Hindu and Zulu cultures religion and culture have become inseparable. You cannot talk of culture without implying religion; and you can't talk of religion amongst the Zulus and the Hindus without implying culture.

Read more here: » Hinduism vs Zulu: Hindu - Zulu Tradition - Many Similarities

Andal's Divine Union With Sri Narayana

The Tiruppavai, a 1,000-year-old collection of 30 Tamil songs in praise of Krishna, was composed by Goda when she was barely 15 years of age. It is sung during the month of Margazhi in Tamil Nadu, between mid-December and mid-January. The Tiruppavai is also called Godopanishad because it contains the quintessence of the scriptures.

An incarnation of Bhudevi, Goddess Earth, the consort of Mahavishnu, Goda's appearance was to show us the pathway to God through bridal mysticism - looking upon God as the bridegroom.

Read more here: » Goda: Andal's Divine Union With Sri Narayana

Shanidev is Partly Shiva's Avatar

Shani or Shanichar (Saturn) is believed to be the son of Surya the Sun-god and Chhaya. So he is also called Saura. His other names include Kruradris and Kruralochana (the cruel-eyed), Mandu (dull or slow), Pangu (physically challenged), Saptarchi (seven-eyed) and Asita (dark). Shani is believed to wield evil influence, so anyone born under his influence is at risk. Hence the day named after him, Shanivara, is considered inauspicious to begin any new venture.

Read more here: » Shani: Shanidev is Partly Shiva's Avatar

Sacred Revelations: Christ and Krishna

Both Krishna and Christ appeared on earth to help us evolve spiritually. The Supreme, though unborn and undying, reveals itself in human form to help us overcome the illusions of ignorance and self-centredness, of hatred and cruelty, through love and compassion. There are interesting similarities in the life and precepts of Krishna and Christ. Kansa and Herod - one the king of Mathura, the other, of Palestine - were forewarned that they would die at the hands of a child yet to be born. So, they went about slaughtering newborns.

Read more here: » Christ and Krishna: Sacred Revelations - Christ and Krishna

A Different View Of Islam & Sufism

For Anne-Marie Schimmel, Islam was a lifelong passion, as deep as her own roots in the Lutheran faith. Church rituals were as dear to her as bowing in prayer at Sufi shrines.

Sitting in Bonn she dreamed of Bijapur and Bidar, talked of her friend Allan Fakir in Sindh and brooded over the problem of selecting a site for her burial in Sindh. This gentle woman, renowned scholar of Sufism, passed away in Germany recently. As gently as she had lived.

Read more here: » Islam Sufism: A Different View Of Islam Sufism

Science and Spirituality: An Islamic View of Creation & Life

According to Islamic tradition, life is God's creation - regardless of whether life was specially created or resulted from evolution. Evolution itself is a process of creation as admitted by Darwin in The Origin of Species.

Creation falls into four categories - inanimate matter, plants, animals and human beings. According to Islam, all four are separate creations. Among living things, a number of species co-exist, all having been created separately. There is doubtless some similarity in physical attributes; yet, each has a permanent, separate existence. There is no concept of a missing link in Islam.

Read more here: » Science and Spirituality: An Islamic View of Creation Life

Breathing: God Is In The Gap Between Breaths

God is in the breath inside the breath, said Kabir. He showed that anyone can become illumined from within. Osho once explained a sutra from Kabir's song: "Student, tell me what is God?" he asks. He provides the answer: "He is the breath inside the breath."

God is your subjectivity; He is your innerness. Buddha made it a great technique for meditation, watching the breath, because through watching it you will come to know the breath inside the breath. 'Breath' means life. In Sanskrit it is pran or life. In Hebrew,

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Ultimate Pinnacle of The Human Quest

The stream of consciousness we experience within ourselves throughout our lives ties together all events of physical existence like the silken string that holds together a necklace. In its realisation, man and woman will meet their journey's end, the Omega point, a place of final rest and the dawn of a new existence in the divine self and the beautiful, blissful Lord within. As Lord Swaminarayan says in his Vachanamrutam sermons: "The human soul perpetually peers outward towards mundane objects of the five senses, but never looks inwards to see himself. Such a soul is the most ignorant and wretched of all.''

Read more here: » Meaning of Life: Ultimate Pinnacle of The Human Quest

Fasting and Penance Strengthen the Soul

A feature common to most religions, worldwide, is the practice of undertaking periodic fasts. Saum or fasts are an integral part of Islam. For Hindus, fasts are a form and part of prayer and worship and the word upvas means "being near God".

The concept of asan or fasting takes different forms in Jainism. Followers of Buddhism too observe fasts on certain days as do Christians, especially during Lent.

Abstaining from food during Ramadan is a part of the broader programme that Islam prescribes for man to fulfil his moral and spiritual destiny in this world and in the hereafter.

Read more here: » Spiritual Fasting: Fasting and Penance Strengthen the Soul

Persian Heritage In Hindu Traditions

Many would be surprised to learn that no ancient Hindu temple was dedicated to Rama - neither in Ayodhya nor anywhere else.

There had been many old temples and shrines devoted to Vishnu and Shiva and a few to Brahma, Ganesh, Kartikeya, Hanuman, Kubera, Nagas, Kali and Durga as well as a huge number honouring numerous local tribal deities. Only 180 years ago Raja Ram Mohan Roy coined the word 'Hindu' to describe the huge variety of faiths and sects with similar but not identical philosophies, myths and rituals.

Read more here: » Islam and Hinduism: Persian Heritage In Hindu Traditions

Islam and Hinduism: Symbiotic Mysticism In Devotional Poems

Few have heard of the mystic poems Brahma Prakash or Dasa Avatar by the mediaeval Muslim saint Pir Shams. Both are famous ginans of South Asia's Ismaili community, sometimes also known as Khojas or Aga Khanis in popular parlance.

Ginans are hymn-like poems of spiritual import. They are revered by the faithful in deep veneration as repositories of wisdom and spiritual knowledge, and as transmitting the essential teachings of the Holy Qur'an in the vernacular. Composed in Sindhi, Gujarati, Hindustani and Punjabi among other subcontinental languages, the oldest are ascribed to the pirs or saints who first preached Ismaili Islam in India nearly 1,000 years ago.

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Meaning of Dreams in Islam

Dreams are broken into three parts according to the Sunnah:

Ru'yaa - good visions (dreams)

Hulum - bad dreams

Dreams from one's self

Abu Hurayrah narrated Muhammad (S) said, "There are three types of dreams: a righteous dream which is glad tidings from Allah, the dream which causes sadness is from Shaitan, and a dream from the ramblings of the mind." (Sahih Muslim)

Read more here: » Islamic Dream Interpretation: Meaning of Dreams in Islam II

Islamic Dream Dictionary: Meaning of Dreams in Islam

Islamic dream dictionary with dream interpretation related to Islam and the Prophet: Includes the meaning of dreams about: Call to prayer, Bathing, Birds, Blowing, Clothing, Cover, Cows: Fat cows, Lean Cows, Fresh Dates, Ripe Dates, Door or Gate, Opening a Door, Egg, Elevation, Flowing Spring, Furnishing, Garden, Receiving a Gift, Gold, Hajj, Hand-hold, Keys, Laughing, Leg irons, Makkah, Marriage, Milk, Mountains, Pearls, Reconciliation, Right Side, Room, Rope, Ruler, Sexual Intercourse , Ship, Shirt, Silk Cloth, Sword.

See also: Meaning of Dreams

Read more here: » Islamic Dream Interpretation: Meaning of Dreams in Islam - I

Sacred Numbers: Maths as Tool to Attain Mukti

"I bow to that glorious Lord of the Jainas, who as the shining lamp of the know-ledge of numbers made to shine whole of the universe", said Mahaviracharya in Ganita Sara Sangraha. Few know that ancient Jain scientific thought is a rich source of Indian scientific heritage. The grand Jain spiritual tradition and its masters broadly influenced Indian thought and rationality in three key areas: Atomism, non-absolutism and mathematical concepts including the theory of numbers. As realists, a satisfactory explanation for the origin of the material world was important to Jain philosophers.

Read more here: » Jainism: Maths as Tool to Attain Mukti - Sacred Numbers

Atheism is a Truly Divine Science

In 'The Song Divine', Krishna classifies nature as material nature and supernature. He says that supernature is incomprehensible to people who are not in tune with the subtlety of infinity. We think we choose to live, but the fact is we have no independent will to be born. Beyond food, sex and territory, animals are not aware of any other reality; they also do not have any aspirations towards immortality. Since there is no fear or idea of death in their lives, they have no concept of God or codified system of philosophy. They live by instinct and die without seeking to prolong their lives.

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Sacred Places: Tree Of Knowledge Can Liberate You

Siddhartha Gautam roamed in search of the secret of sorrow and suffering. At Gaya, a village on the banks of the river Niranjana in Bihar, he sat in silent contemplation under a banyan tree.

He attained enlightenment there, and became known as the Buddha. The spot began to be referred to as the Throne of Wisdom, and the banyan tree is now known as the Eternal Wisdom Tree, the Akshaya Bodhibriksha .

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Creative Math of the Origins of Universe

For the creation of anything three causes are required to be fulfilled: Material cause, instrumental cause and supporting cause. In Creation, Brahman is all of these three causes. He evolves Himself into Mulaprakriti or primordial matter.

Read more here: » Vedic Genesis: Creative Math of the Origins of Universe

Forgive and move forward

Forgiving in the way Jesus did, brings healing to body and soul in this day and age.

Forgiveness, whether youÕre asking for it or are expressing it to someone else, promotes reconciliation. ItÕs like removing a roadblock so you can freely enjoy lifeÕs normal state: goodness.

Read more here: » Christian Science: Forgive and move forward

Bring God into Your Living Room

It is easier to visualise God in the starry heavens than in our own homes. The stars, so remote from our humdrum earthly existence, suggest to our minds infinite stillness, harmony, and wisdom. By contrast, our homes are often scenes of strife and rivalry.

To the extent that we hold God aloof from our daily realities, we alienate Him from the life we know. We need a concept of God that will bring Him into our kitchens, our bedrooms, our living rooms - yes, even when those living rooms are crowded with guests.

Read more here: » God: Bring God into Your Living Room