Those who practise Pranayama, can impart their Prana for pranic healing of morbid diseases. They can also recharge themselves with Prana in no time by practising Kumbhaka. Never think that you will be depleted of your Prana by distributing it to others. The more you will give, the more it will flow to you from the cosmic source (Hiranyagarbha). That is the law of Nature.

Excerpt from the book Kundalini Yoga by Sri Swami Sivananda.

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A prayer to mother kundalini. Excerpt from the book Kundalini Yoga by Sri Swami Sivananda

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The doctrine of reincarnation or transmigration of souls is a fundamental tenet of Hinduism. The word reincarnation literally means embodiment again, coming again into a physical body. The individual soul takes again a fleshy covering. The word transmigration means passing from one place to another - passing into a new body.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

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The mark of Dharma is Achara or good conduct. Achara is the mark of the good. From Achara is Dharma born. Dharma enhances life. Man attains prosperity and fame, here and hereafter, through the practice of Dharma.

Good conduct is the highest Dharma. It is the root of all Tapas or austerities. Righteousness, truth and good works, power and prosperity - all originate from conduct.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

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Avatara is the decent of God on earth for the ascent of man. The Lord Krishna says: - Though unborn, the Imperishable Self and also the Lord of all beings, yet brooding over nature which is Mine own, I am born through My Own Power. Whenever there is decline of righteousness, then I Myself come forth. For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the evil-doers, for the sake of firmly establishing righteousness, I am born from age to age - (Ch. IV-6, 7, 8).

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

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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

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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

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Samanya Dharma is the general Dharma or law for all men. Varnasrama Dharmas are special Dharmas which are to be practised by particular castes and by men in particular stages of life. The Samanya Dharmas must be practised by all, irrespective of distinctions of Varna and Asrama, creed or colour. Goodness is not the property of any one class, creed, sect or community. Every man should possess this virtue.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

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The principle of Varnasrama Dharma is one of the basic principles of Hinduism. The Varnasrama system is peculiar to Hindus. It is a characteristic feature of Hinduism. It is also prevalent throughout the world according to Guna-Karma (aptitude and conduct), though there is no such distinct denomination of this kind, elsewhere.

The duties of the castes are Varna Dharma. The four castes are Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaisya and Sudra.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

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Sandhyopasana literally means - worship at the junctions of time. - It is a prayer and worship offered to the Lord at the junction (Sandhi) of night and morning, forenoon and afternoon and at the junction of evening and night. The Arghyapradana to the sun and the meditation on and recitation of Gayatri, form the heart of the worship. Properly understood, the whole Sandhya is an earnest prayer addressed to the Lord to forgive all ones sins committed during ones routine, daily activities and to bestow illumination and grace.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

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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

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The soul accompanied by the chief vital air (Mukhya Prana), the sense-organs and the mind and taking with itself Avidya, good and evil actions and the impressions left by his previous existence, leaves its former body and obtains a new body.

The death and dying and the life after death has always fascinated man. This is an excerpt from the book What Becomes Of The Soul After Death by Sri Swami Sivananda.

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There are four Asramas or stages in life, viz., Brahmacharya or the period of studentship, Grihastha or the stage of the householder, Vanaprastha or the stage of the forest-dweller or hermit, and Sannyasa or the life of renunciation or asceticism. Each stage has its own duties. These stages help the evolution of man

The four Asramas or orders of life are Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vanaprastha and Sannyasa.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

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What is Dharma? Dharma is so called, because it holds; Dharma alone holds the people, etc. The word Dharma is derived from the root Dhr - to hold - and its etymological meaning is - that which holds - this world, or the people of the world, or the whole creation from the microcosm to the macrocosm.

Dharma is generally defined as - righteousness - or - duty. - Dharma is the principle of righteousness. It is the principle of holiness. It is also the principle of unity.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

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Karma means not only action, but also the result of an action. The consequence of an action is really not a separate thing. It is a part of the action, and cannot be divided from it. Breathing, thinking, talking, seeing, hearing, eating, etc., are Karmas. Thinking is mental Karma. Karma is the sum total of our acts both in the present life and in the preceding births.

Any deed, any thought that causes an effect, is called a Karma. The Law of Karma means the law of causation. Wherever there is a cause, there an effect must be produced. A seed is a cause for the tree which is the effect. The tree produces seeds and becomes the cause for the seeds.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

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Purva Mimamsa or Karma-Mimamsa is an enquiry into the earlier portion of the Vedas, an enquiry into the ritual of the Vedas or that portion of the Vedas which is concerned with the Mantras and the Brahmanas only. The Purva Mimamsa is so called, because it is earlier (Purva) than the Uttara Mimamsa, not so much in the chronological as in the logical sense.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

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The Vaiseshika system takes its name from Visesha or particularity which is the characteristic differentia of things. The aphorisms of Kanada contain the essence of the Vaiseshika philosophy. The principal subject treated therein is Visesha, one of the six Padarthas or categories enumerated by the founder.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

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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

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Lord Yama is the King of justice. His city is built of diamonds and jewels. It is effulgent and impregnable. It is full of palaces and mansions. It has four gateways. It is surrounded by high ramparts. It measures a thousand Yojanas. Chitragupta, the recorder of fate of all human beings, also dwells in this city of Justice. He records the good and evil of men. This marvellous city was created by the architect of the universe (Visvakarma) by the power of his Yoga

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

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Kine form high and excellent energy. The gift of kine is highly spoken of. Those good men, who, shorn of pride, make gift of kine, are considered as doers of righteous deeds and as givers of all articles. Such men acquire the highly sacred region of kine.

The death and dying and the life after death has always fascinated man. This is an excerpt from the book What Becomes Of The Soul After Death by Sri Swami Sivananda.

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The doctrine of reincarnation is accepted by the majority of mankind at the present day. It has been held as true by the mightiest Eastern nations. The ancient civilisation of Egypt was built upon this doctrine and it was handed over to Pythagoras, Plato, Virgil and Ovid, who scattered it through Greece and Italy. It was the keynote of Plato�s philosophy �

The death and dying and the life after death has always fascinated man. This is an excerpt from the book What Becomes Of The Soul After Death by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Read more here: » Reincarnation: Karma And Reincarnation - II