Hinduism does not support caste system. The focus of Hinduism is on the individual and his salvation not on his caste or its privileges. Scholars tend to quote the Purushasukta as the basis for the emergence of caste system. There are also references to caste system in the Bhagavad gita. But for a serious student of History, it becomes obvious that these references appear to be deliberate manipulations and later day interjection intended to justify a system that was otherwise fully unjustified. The Manusmriti, in the form that is available today did more damage to Hinduism and the self esteem of many Hindus than Islam and Christianity. 

Read more here: » Hinduism and Caste System: Does Hinduism support Caste system?

Detachment is not renunciation. It is a re-orientation of attitudes and lifestyles. It is a creative endeavour that involves a shift in consciousness. Free-flowing consciousness helps us reach a state of creative calm.

According to Sri Aurobindo , when one withdraws from the turmoil of outer life, the evolving consciousness becomes centred and observant like a detached witness or sakshi . The witness state, sakshi bhav , is a continual disassociation from worldly desires and sense-identification. It is a state of neutrality that goes beyond body and mind to communicate with the spirit.

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

Read more here: » Love and Happiness: Limitless Love Is Free Of Bondage

Infinity: The Infinite Nature Of Our Universe

Infinite translated in Sanskrit is anant which means 'without end'. Mathematically speaking, infinity is an indeterminate quantity and has two values - one positive and the other, negative. In Sanskrit these values are described as anaadi and anant , that is, without beginning and without end. Any discussion on this topic can only reveal human ignorance and so humble and inspire us to becoming better human beings.

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Gujarat is the land of Krishna and his clansmen, the Vrishnis . Krishna'skingdom was Dwaraka. The recent events in Gujarat echo the story of the end of Dwaraka and the Vrishni clan.

They were not destroyed by any invader; they killed one another in a fratricidal strife. According to the Bhagavatha Purana they were intoxicated by a drink called Maireyaka .

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

Read more here: » Peace on Earth: Self-destruction of Vrishnis - A Replay?

Sri Sathya Sai Baba is among those realised souls whose wisdom cuts across all barriers of race and religion, aimed only at restoring dharma and establishing the unity of faiths and peoples under the common banner of universal love and brotherhood.

However, to widen spirituality's reach beyond retreats and rosaries, it has to be made to touch all of life and divinise every activity. For this, the quest for atma vidya or self-knowledge is essential in a human being, for it awakens him to his inherent divinity and also promotes reverence and respect for all creation.

(See also: Atma Vidya , 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: » Atma Vidya: Touch Base with God Through Atma Vidya  

Sahaja Yoga: The Living Tradition of Sahaj Marg

The Raja Yoga system known as "Sahaj Marg" is still relatively obscure in the West, even among Yoga aficionados. This is largely due to the fact that Sahaj Marg has been a low-key, word-of-mouth practice. Works by the lineage of Sahaj Marg Masters, published under the auspices of the Shri Ram Chandra Mission (SRCM), are difficult to locate, and beyond the abhyasis or practitioners of Sahaj Marg, few are aware that SRCM centers have been established worldwide since the Mission was founded in India fifty years ago.

Read more here: » Sahaja Yoga: The Living Tradition of Sahaj Marg

This day, over 5,000 years ago, Krishna appeared on Earth as the son of Vasudeva and Devaki. Because of his human form and behaviour, not many knew He was God incarnate.

But while rendering advice to Arjuna at Kurukshetra, Krishna unabashedly reveals - in the Bhagavad Gita - that he is infinite, his vibhutis or divine manifestations and opulences being unlimited. No one, not even the gods, can know him completely. Krishna then proceeds to impart what he calls the most sovereign knowledge and profound mystery, contemplating on which alone one can attain moksha or liberation.

(See also: Gopala , 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: » Gopala: Gopala - Many Things To Many People  

Lal Ded's Vaakhs and Kashmir Shaivism

Kashmir, often described as the abode of saints, has produced a number of spiritually evolved persons. Among them Lal Ded, better known as Lalla Yogeshwari, ranks as a great mystic poetess of the 14th century.

She was an ardent practitioner of Kashmir Shaivism which is also known as Trika Shastra founded by Vasu Gupta. Lal Ded took Shaktipat Diksha from her guru, Sri Neel Kanth.

Read more here: » Kashmir Shaivism: Lal Ded's Vaakhs and Kashmir Shaivism

"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances...” wrote William Shakespeare, one of the greatest dramatists of all time. Shakespeare saw the world as a large theatre. If all the world is indeed a stage, and life is a play, and all of us are mere actors, then this view leads to some interesting corollaries.

Who is the author and the director of this play?

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

Read more here: » Life and Death: The World Is A Stage

The importance of finding a guru who can impart transcendental knowledge (vidya) is one of the tenets of Hinduism. One of the main Hindu texts, the Bhagavad Gita, is a dialogue between God in the form of Krishna and Arjuna a nobleman. Not only does their dialogue outlines many of the ideals of Hinduism, but the discussion and relationship between the two considered to be an expression of the ideal Guru/disciple relationship. In the Gita itself, Krishna speaks of the importance of finding a guru to Arjuna: Acquire the t ...

See also:

Guru, Guru - Etymology, Guru - Guru in Hinduism, Guru - Guru in Buddhism, Guru - Guru in Sikhism, Guru - Types of gurus, Guru - Succession and lineage parampara, Guru - Guru in a Western culture context, Guru - Gurus in the West, Guru - Assessment and criticism, Guru - Notable scandals and controversies, Guru - Bibliography

Read more here: » Guru: Encyclopedia II - Guru - Guru in Hinduism

"Hare Krishna" brings to mind, to many, the famous Hare Krishna devotees, who first hit the streets of Western cities in the 1960s and 1970s, dancing and chanting with drums and cymbals, wearing saffron dhotis or saris, and selling Bhagavad Gita As It Is and other books. These devotees were members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) founded by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. ISKCON was the first organised Vaishnava group to make a large impression outside of India, now a number of such Vaishnava group ...

See also:

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna - The mantra, Hare Krishna - History, Hare Krishna - Hare Krishna movement, Hare Krishna - Hippie culture, Hare Krishna - Other scriptural references, Hare Krishna - Notes

Read more here: » Hare Krishna: Encyclopedia II - Hare Krishna - Hare Krishna movement

Everything in creation is influenced by the law of magnetism (also called Law of Attraction). The law of magnetism teaches us that whatever we concentrate upon, we draw to ourselves. If we focus on goodness, our life can be a garden of happiness; if we concentrate on wealth, we will draw wealth to ourselves.

Success in life presupposes the power of concentration. Just as a magnet draws to itself iron filings and not rice grains, so too, the quality of our focused thoughts will create a dynamic but silent power within that will find us placed in situations akin to the nature of our thoughts. If we think ' good health ' and with faith and belief embed this deeply within our minds over a sustained period of time, we will gradually create for ourselves situations and an environment, which will be conducive to good health .

(See also: Law of Attraction , Meditation, Meditation for Beginners, Meditation Techniques)

Read more here: » Law of Attraction: The Power Of Concentration and the Law of Attraction

balya

Childhood.

(See also: balya , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Kumkum: Red-colored powder used for making a ritual mark between the eyebrows.

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

History is replete with Yogis that have inspired people for many generations. Yogini Meera from the Bhakti tradition, Shankaracharya from the Jnana Yoga tradition, Patanjali, who formalized the system of Raja Yoga, are just a few examples. Among modern Yogis, Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, a Bhakti Yogi, stands tall. A devotee of Mother Kali and a teacher of Advaita Vedanta, he preached that "all religions lead to the same goal." His student, Swami Vivekananda, a follower of Adva ...

See also:

Yoga, Yoga - Yoga practice and intention, Yoga - The word yoga, Yoga - Diversity of yoga, Yoga - Yoga and religion, Yoga - Common themes, Yoga - Origins, Yoga - Hindu yoga, Yoga - Bhagavad Gita, Yoga - Patanjali, Yoga - God in Yoga philosophy, Yoga - Hatha yoga, Yoga - Natya yoga, Yoga - Buddhist yoga, Yoga - Yoga and tantra, Yoga - Notable Yogis

Read more here: » Yoga: Encyclopedia II - Yoga - Notable Yogis

Dharana (Concentration)

Fix the mind on some object either within the body or outside. Keep it there steady for some time. This is Dharana. You will have to practise this daily. Laya-Yoga has its basis on Dharana.

From "Kundalini Yoga" by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Dharana: Concentration in Yoga - Dharana

We live in a world of opposites where gain and loss, good and bad, pleasure and pain, life and death are as inevitable as the two sides of a coin. Yet, there is an underlying unity between the two contrasts.

One of the principal polarities in life is the one between the male and female side of human nature. The sublime union between these two aspects is symbolised by Lord Siva's depiction as a dynamic unification of the two, as the half-male, half-female Ardhanareeshwar.

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

Read more here: » Life and Death: Pairs of Opposites and The Golden Mean

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (श्री श्री रवि शंकर) is a spiritual guru and founder of the Art of Living movement to spread the knowledge of breathing, living and spirituality worldwide. He was born on May 13, 1956 in Papanasam, Tamil Nadu, India. Stories say that at the age of 4, Ravi could recite the whole Bhagavad Gita, and showed a gift for study of the ancient Hindu scriptures, the Vedas. At an early age his father, R. S. V. Ratnam ("Pitaji"), sought out a worthy spiritual master for his son, and entrus ...

Read more here: » Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Encyclopedia - Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

All the world�s a stage, and all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances...� wrote William Shakespeare, one of the greatest dramatists of all time. Shakespeare saw the world as a large theatre. If all the world is indeed a stage, and life is a play, and all of us are mere actors, then this view leads to some interesting corollaries. Who is the author and the director of this play? Obviously, God.

Read more here: » Spiritual Inspiration: The World Is A Stage

Babaji's disciples think of him as the incarnation of Lord Shiva, and so believe that he is present everywhere. Babaji once told his disciples of the Creator: ''He is deathless. He can do whatever He wills. The whole universe is an expanded bubble ready to burst before Him.''

If Patanjali, who wrote the Yoga Sutra nearly 2,005 years ago, was instrumental in defining the principles of yoga in its different forms, Paramhansa Yogananda played a major role in popularising those principles worldwide.

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

Read more here: » Yogananda and Babaji: A Tale of Two Yogis - Yogananda and Babaji  

If one were to explore the philosophical basis of normative ethics to examine where terrorism falls on the moral spectrum, it will become evident that terrorism, sabotage and guerilla tactics are all acts of violence, essentially no different from overt war in the conventional sense.

Terrorist attacks amount to war by stealth, shadowy figures replacing uniformed combatants, attacking innocents to send a message to the real targets who are out of reach.

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

Read more here: » Peace on Earth: Conflict Resolution Begins at Home

Once upon a time, a musk deer went searching for musk. Round and round the forest she went, month after month, quite unaware that the heady fragrance, so desperately sought by her, lay beneath her own belly button. Many times, we humans, too, behave like the musk deer. We search for self-realisation outside, blissfully unaware that it lies within us, all the while untapped.

To experience this bliss, however, the seeker has to put in a different sort of effort with regularity and devotion. One way lies through the world of forms, through the path of bhakti, where the seeker concentrates on any of the manifest forms of the Ultimate.

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

Read more here: » Peace of Mind: The Ideal Way to Get Close to God - Bhakti