A Wisdom Archive on Night of Brahma

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

Sankara's views on advaita are best encapsulated in the classic line from his Brahma-Sutra Bhasya: "Brahma satyam jagat mithya, Jiva brahmaiva naparah - the Brahma alone is real, the world illusory, the individual and universal soul are one."
 
Using everyday references to illustrate advaitic concepts, the Atmabodha, set in 68 verses, seeks to put the abstruse philosophy of the Brahma-Sutras within easy reach of the average person. Sankara begins by stating that the Atmabodha will serve as a primer to those desirous of liberation, equipped with the tools of discernment and renunciation.

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

Read more here: » Peace of Mind: Atamabodha - Path of Self-Enquiry

Narasimha avatar, one of the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu, is unique in many ways. In the other avatars Vishnu was born at a particular time, grew up in this world and helped his devotees at some other time. But as Narasimha, both his appearance on earth and his coming to the aid of his devotee were simultaneous and instantaneous.
 
Maitreya, Parasara's disciple and author of Vishnu Purana asks why the Lord always seems to be partial, why he helps the Devas and kills asuras. In reply, Parasara narrates to him the story of Narasimha, who comes to the rescue of the little boy Prahlad, the son of asura king Hiranyakashipu.

 
(See also: Narasimha avatar, Indian Festivals, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul )

Read more here: » Narasimha avatar: Devotee's Dream, Brahma's Pride  

Shivaratri is a festival of fasting, worship and prayer. Fasting is undertaken to get rid of one's ego. Once the ego is destroyed, the Shiva hidden within gets revealed.
 
Sri Ramana Maharshi often said that Shiva signifies the Great Dissolution. Where things dissolve, there they must originate. Hence Shiva is the source of the entire creation, including Brahma and Vishnu.

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

Read more here: » Shivaratri: Lord of Destruction Also Protects Life - about Shivaratri  

Adi Sankaracharya's life was dedicated to a quest for spiritual truth. His views on Advaita are best summed up in his own words: Brahma satyam jagat mithya, Jiva brahmaiva naparah; the Brahman alone is real, the world is illusory, the individual and Universal Soul are one.
 
This pronouncement is in contrast to other thought-systems of the time, like Ramanujacharya's Vishishtadvaita which treads a middle ground by focusing on the relation between the world and God; and Madhva's dvaita or dualistic world-view.

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

Read more here: » Adi Sankaracharya: Sankara's Path of Self-inquiry  

Every festival in India is celebrated with a divine purpose so as to receive the grace of the Almighty. Science explores the law of gravitation while religion unfolds the law of grace. One can grow horizontally with the help of scientific knowledge. Horizontal growth involves more of everything that can provide comfort but not inner satisfaction. Religion invites us to grow vertically, exploring deeply love, devotion and contentment.

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

Read more here: » Navaratri: Another Perspective On Navaratri  

For the Ajnanis or the worldly-minded persons the sensual objects are quite real. For the sages or those who are endowed with discrimination and enquiry they are unreal.

A spiritual view on dreams and the meaning of dreams by Sri Swami Sivananda, an authority in the vedic sciences and traditions. For the Ajnanis or the worldly-minded persons the sensual objects are quite real. For the sages or those who are endowed with discrimination and enquiry they are unreal.

Read more here: » Philosophy of Dreams XV: Jagarat is as Unreal as Dream

We tend to pray to God only for our worldly needs, which are much more than our requirements. Krishna says in the Gita, "Four types of devotees worship me: the distressed ones, those seeking knowledge, those seeking wealth and others seeking wisdom. Of all such devotees, the one who seeks wisdom is dearest to me".
 
Shrishti or creation means projection and expansion coming out of One. That is the evolution of the world. Krishna also says that at the end of a Kalpa, the whole universe - all the souls, whether in the state of birth and death or in moksha, including Brahma - will dissolve within Me.
 
 

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

Read more here: » Amarnath: Amarnath Journey Prompts Reflection