Prasada is that which gives peace. Prasada is the sacred food offering of the Lord. During Kirtana, worship, Puja, Havan and Arati, the devotee offers sweet rice, fruits, jaggery, milk, coconut, plantain and such other articles to the Lord, according to his ability. After offering them to the Lord, they are shared between the members of the house or the Bhaktas in a temple.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Prasada: Hindu Symbols - Sacred food offering of the Lord - Prasada

Payasam:

Payasam: offered (sacred) food (RRV-3), (RRV-4).

(See also: Payasam, Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

akshata: (Sanskrit) "Unbroken." Unmilled, uncooked rice, often mixed with turmeric, offered as a sacred substance during puja, or in blessings for individuals at weddings and other ceremonies. This, the very best food, is the finest offering a devotee can give to God or a wife can give to her husband. See: puja.

(See also: Akshata, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Mahalaya Amavasya

The dark fortnight of Aswayuja (September-October) is known as the Mahalaya Paksha or the fortnight specially sacred for offering oblations to the departed ancestors. The last day of this period, the new moon day, is considered as the most important day in the year for performing obsequies and rites.

From Hindu Fasts & Festivals by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Read more here: » Mahalaya Amavasya: Food Offering in Hinduism - Mahalaya Amavasya

Yajnas

These are the outer forms of worship in Hinduism, reminders of its direct connection with the Vedic religion of the ancient past. During the performance of the yajnas, offerings are made to different deities in a prescribed and systematic manner by qualified priests to supplicate them, so that they would assist the worshipper in achieving certain results in life.

Read more here: » Yajnas: Hinduism Rituals - Yajnas

There are great truths behind the ancient mythology of Hinduism. You cannot ignore a thing simply because it has a garb of mythology. Do not argue. Shut up your mouth. Keep your intellect at a respectable distance when you study mythology. Intellect is a hindrance. It will delude you. Give up arrogance and vanity. Cultivate love for imagery. Sit like a child and open your heart freely. You will comprehend the great truths revealed by mythology. You will penetrate into the hearts of the Rishis and sages who wrote the mythology. You will really enjoy mythology now..

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Hindu Mythology: Hinduism Mythology and Symbols

Outward symbols are necessary and beneficial. When viewed from the right angle of vision, you will find that they play a very important part in your material as well as spiritual life. Though they may look very simple and unimportant, they are very scientific and effective.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Hindu Symbols: Symbols in Hinduism

According to the theory of transmigration, even if the individual is to take another birth immediately after his death, the performance of Sraaddha adds to his happiness in his new birth. So it is the imperative duty of everybody to perform Sraaddha ceremony for his parents and forefathers.

This is an excerpt from the book What Becomes Of The Soul After Death by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Read more here: » Sraaddha And Prayer For The Dead: Importance Of Sraaddha Ceremony

Hinduism Daily Rituals

In Hinduism, these rituals are always meant to inculcate feelings of devotion and to bring about the divine orientation of human life. As a part of his householders responsibilities, a devout Hindu is expected to perform certain rituals every day starting from morning till evening.

Read more here: » Hinduism Rituals: Hinduism and the performance of Rituals

Dharma depends upon time, circumstances, age, degree of evolution and the community to which one belongs. The Dharma of this century is different from that of the tenth century.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Hindu Ethics: Service As Worship

A friend told me about a temple she visited in Avudiyar in Tamil Nadu. Here, you will not find statues of any deity - only a daily offering of freshly cooked rice. The local people worship the steam that rises to the sky.

As she spoke, my mind flew back to my childhood, and to the cavernous kitchen, that pulsated with an energy that radiated through the house.

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

Karma yoga is the yoga of action or work; specifically, karma yoga is the path of dedicated work: renouncing the results of our actions as a spiritual offering rather than hoarding the results for ourselves.

Karma is both action and the result of action. What we experience today is the result of our karma--both good and bad--created by our previous actions. This chain of cause and effect that we ourselves have created can be snapped by karma yoga: fighting fire with fire, we use the sword of karma yoga to stop the chain reaction of cause and effect.

Read more here: » Karma Yoga: The Path of Work - Karma Yoga

There are five great daily sacrifices that are to be performed by every householder. They are: Brahma Yajna, called also Veda Yajna, sacrifice to Brahman or the Vedas or the sages; Deva Yajna, sacrifice to the celestials; (iii) Pitri Yajna, sacrifice to the manes; Bhuta Yajna, sacrifice to all the creatures; and Manushya Yajna, sacrifice to men.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Pancha Mahayajnas: The Hindu Ritual Pancha Mahayajnas

Hinduism and Worship: Yagna - the ritual worship of Hinduism

Yagna or yajna is an outer form of worship in which offerings are made to different deities in a prescribed and systematic manner by qualified priests to supplicate them, so that they would assist the worshipper in achieving certain results in life.

Read more here: » Hinduism and Worship: Yagna - the ritual worship of Hinduism

The rites that pertain to the stages of life of man are called Samskaras. The Samskaras are purificatory rites which sanctify the life of the Hindu. They give a spiritual touch to the important events in the life of the individual from conception to cremation. They mark the important stages of a mans life. Just as the outline of a picture is lighted up slowly with the filling in of many colours, so also is Brahmanya with scriptural Samskaras. There are the Samskaras of childhood, of boyhood, of manhood and of old age and death.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Hindu Rituals: The Ten Scriptural Samskaras

Ramzan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, offers an extensive programme of reform and spiritual elevation to all Muslims to help remould their entire being.

Since human beings tend to frequently lose touch with their inner world, Islam has provided for a substantial provision for an annual "workshop" in the form of siyam or Roza. This trains and equips us to reach out to the inner self, by firmly dealing with any moral laxity and indiscipline.

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

The nature of Atman is pure consciousness, and though the phenomena are perceived to be taking place, in reality they are only aspects of consciousness. Consciousness is not affected by them. The Atman is 'hidden’ inside all of us, as a bee is hidden inside a lotus flower. It will be futile to seek it in the water or air outside.

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

An initiated journey thru the mayor Hindu Spiritual rituals by Sri Swami Sivandanda.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Hindu Rituals: An overview of Hindu Rituals

Hinduism and Polytheism

According to the tenets of Hinduism, God is one as well as many. He is to be found every where and in every thing. He is there in the sky, in the rivers, in the plants and trees and even in a particle of dust. He is an enigma, because He is in many things at a time and is many things at a time. He is visible as well as invisible. He is here and He is there. He is above and He is below. He is with forms and also without form. He speaks and He speaks not. He is the self and also the not'self. To say that this is God and this is not is perhaps much more sacrilegious, if there is anything like sacrilegious in the world of God, than seeing God in images and idols and worshipping Him.

Read more here: » Hinduism and Polytheism: Why do Hindus worship so many gods and goddesses?

Vesak (from the name of the second month in the Hindu calendar) is the most holy time in the Buddhist calendar. The word Vesak itself is the Sinhalese language word for the Pali word "Visakha". Vesak is also known as Visakah Puja or Buddha Purnima in India, Visakha Bucha in Thailand, Waisak in Indonesia and Vesak (Wesak) in Sri Lanka and Malaysia. The equivalent festival in Laos is called Vixakha Bouxa.Vesak is a public holiday in many Asian countries like S ...

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