The Spiritual Atheism Of Vedantic Thought

Superficially, Gita appears to be theistic in nature. Verse 29 of Chapter 9 is one of several where Krishna tells Arjun about bhaktiyoga or the path of devotion. But the full shloka makes it clear that this is no ordinary worship. "The same am I to all beings, to me there is none hateful or dear; but those who worship me with devotion are in me and I am also in them". Moksha, in other words, is a state of oneness rather than duality.

Read more here: » Atheism: The Spiritual Atheism Of Vedantic Thought

Nine Questions About Hinduism

Prepared for the July 4th, 1990 meeting of the youth of the Hindu Temple of greater Chicago, by Gurudeva, Sivaya Subramuniyaswami

1) What is the Hindu definition of God-monotheistic or polytheistic?

2) Could you describe the process of reincarnation?

3) What is karma?

4) Why do Hindus regard the cow as sacred?

5) Are Hindus idol worshippers?

6) Is there a rule about Hindus eating meat?

7) Why do Hindu women wear the dot on the forehead?

8) Is the memorization of slokas and mantras essential to being a good Hindu?

9) How can we use scriptures and the Bhagavad Gita or religious books as a practical guide to growing up in the United States?

Read more here: » Hinduism: Nine Questions About Hinduism

Islam: The Four Phases of Islamic Thought

Islamic thought, Shariah and Fiqh as it exists today has metamorphosed through various processes and stages before reaching us. Basically all the religions have two stages. The initial phase is the foundation, the period of the founder of the religion.

Read more here: » Islam: The Four Phases of Islamic Thought

When you sit for meditation thoughts of your friends and office work, memory of conversation that took place in the previous evening with your friends and relatives will disturb your mind and cause distraction. You will have to withdraw the mind again and again, cautiously from these extraneous worldly thoughts and fix it again and again in your Lakshya or point.

From "Easy Steps to Yoga" by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Read more here: » Meditation: Meditation and Thought-culture

The term Hinduism is most elastic. It includes a number of sects and cults, allied, but different in many important points. Hinduism has, within its fold, various schools of Vedanta; Vaishnavism, Saivism, Saktism, etc. It has various cults and creeds. It is more a League of Religions than a single religion with a definite creed.

A map over the different sects and cults in Hinduism.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Hindu Sects: Hinduism - A Fellowship Of Faiths And A Federation Of Philosophies - about Hindu Sects and Cults

A person's state of mind determines his or her experience. Unless you and I have done the work, cleaned up our thoughts, words and actions, we cannot experience other than where we are now.

Read more here: » Manifestation: Laws of Manifestation (Lesson 1)

If we are what our thoughts make of us, the question arises: How is thought created? The Dhammapada states: - All that we are is the result of what we have thoughtÓ. Then what is it in our minds that controls our thoughts and thereby alters the entire course of our lives for better or worse? Recent psychological research offers an answer.

Psychologist Kenneth Craik, in The Nature of Explanation says that our minds construct small-scale models of reality. Models are representations of a new, unfamiliar object by a similar, but more familiar object. Based on those models we reason, explain things and anticipate events.

Read more here: » Power of Thoughts: Small-Scale Models Of Reality

Nothing ventured, nothing gained! No pain, no gain! When the going gets tough, the tough get going, Everything's a trade-off. These are the great truisms or affirmations. It seems our minds are extremely aware of negative consequences at every turn.

It is known that take-action people are often not greatly introspective. If you really let yourself think of the possible negative consequences of any action, you might never get out of bed in the morning. Some version of that model is how most people lead their lives. "Play it safe. Don't risk, or you can lose everything." Or at least... "It will be too painful if you lose."

Read more here: » Prosperity Consciousness: Risk, Security, and Triumph Ð Consequences of the Power of Thought

The Noble Eightfold Path

In order to fully understand the noble truths and investigate whether they were in fact true, Buddha recommended that a certain lifestyle or path be followed which consists of:

1.   Right Understanding

2.   Right Thought

3.   Right Speech

4.   Right Action

5.   Right Livelihood

6.   Right Effort

7.   Right Mindfulness

8.   Right Concentration

Read more here: » Buddhism Beliefs:: The Noble Eightfold Path

One of the first goals in Huna practice is becoming the kind of person whose prayers are answered. In the process of Huna prayer, you carefully form the thought forms you want to manifest. After you have a clear picture in your mind of what you want, you build up a surcharge of mana, do the Ha Ritual and send the seeds (thought forms) along your aka cords to the lower self. The lower self carries these on the aka cords to the high self and Aumakua.

Read more here: » Huna: Clearing the Path for prayers

Our past thoughts have created our current reality, and we are each creating our futures with the thoughts we think right now, in the present moment. Michael Curley expands upon this philosophy and tell us more about the power of our thoughts to bring about change in our own lives and on a global, even cosmic level.

Read more here: » Power of Thoughts: The Power of your Thoughts

Vedanta literally means culmination of knowledge. Veda means knowledge, anta means end. You are aware of the body, mind and intellect, but not your real Self. Vedanta helps you discover the true nature of your inherent Being.

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

Read more here: » Life and Death: Liberating Role of Vedantic Thought

 If we accept that dying is not the end of our existence but simply the end of the body that carried our consciousness, and that our soul survives and exists somewhere else, then we can accept that it might be possible to make contact with the consciousness and all the emotions and memories that continue on.

Spirit contact is thought-generated by both the medium and contacting spirit. When a medium sits with a client, the medium is in effect filled with thoughts about that client; these thoughts are then transmitted by the medium into the world of spirit.

Read more here: » Mediumship: How Psychic Mediums Contact the Spirit World and Communicate with our Loved Ones

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

Read more here: » Karma: The Law Of Karma

Although ancient Jain scientific thought is not so well known, it 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. Karma, according to the Jains, is paudgalika or of material nature. By its linkages with body and thus with the outer world, the soul is literally penetrated with material particles of a very subtle kind.

(See also: Jain Philosophy , 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: » Jain Philosophy: Scientific Heritage Of Jain Philosophy  

The last thought of a man governs his future destiny. The last thought of a man determines his future birth. Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad-Gita, “Whosoever at the end abandoneth the body, thinking upon any being, to that being only he goeth, O Kaunteya, ever to that conformed in nature”

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: » Soul After Death: Last Thought Forms

The word God combines with the five material elements or tatvas to constitute the body, which is an equipment of action without cause. The inert material elements are imbued with the faculties of feeling, thought and action through the organs of the body.

Consequently, assumption of doership, ego and duality arise in this state. This intellect tends to oscillate between sublime consciousness and materialism. This conflict, antar-dhvan , continues till the intellect settles down in a state of reintegration, which is samta in its unmodified source - utter sublime consciousness.

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

Read more here: » Samta: Reach Intellectual Bliss with Samta  

Thought moulds your character. If you entertain noble thoughts, you will develop a noble character; and if you entertain evil thoughts, you will develop a base character. This is the immutable Law of Nature. Therefore, you can deliberately shape your character by cultivating sublime thoughts. Thought materialises and becomes an action. If you allow the mind to dwell on good, elevating thoughts, you will do naturally good and laudable actions.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Karma: Action, Habit, Character and Destiny

Eaerth is a Planet of Creativity realated to the throat chakra, the higher creative energy centre of our solar system and our Solar Life. We have been fully creative in the lower sense, producing physical bodies for descending souls and for imagining and manufacturing the many forms and structures that we need to live comfortable lives. In this transformative and shifting time on Earth, Creativity is now seeking a higher form of conscious expression, reflecting our true identities as spiritual beings.

Read more here: » Spiritual Awakening: A Planet of Creativity

 Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom. It is the result of long and patient effort in self-control. Its presence is an indication of ripened experience, and of a more than ordinary knowledge of the laws and operations of thought.

Read more here: » Power of Thought: Serenity

The Tibetan Master Djwhal Kuhl has said that the Sutra's of Patanjali will be the system used to train disciples in mind control for the next 7,000 years.

What makes this translation special is that Djwhal Kuhl translated the meaning behind Patanjali's writings rather than a literal translation which is impossible from Sanskrit to English. Master Djwhal Kuhl was able to tune into the thought form behind the words and render them into English. Now you can use these Sutras to write your own commentaries as you do daily seed thought meditation on each Sutra.

The Yoga Sutras Of Patanjali translated by the Tibetan Master Djwhal Kuhl.

Read more here: » Yoga Sutras Of Patanjali - Union Achieved And Its Results (Part III of IV)

A Vedic Consecration to the Spiritual Heart

The heart (hridaya) is the seat of the Self or Atman in Vedantic thought. Realization of the Self in the heart is the main Vedantic formulation of Moksha or liberation. The Upanishads laud the Self in the heart in many verses and make it the object of many vidyas (ways of knowledge). So do many other Vedantic texts up to modern times. When we refer to ourselves we point to the heart. Compared to the heart, the mind is just our computer system where we hold our information, not our real consciousness or self-identity.

Read more here: » Vedic Consecration: A Vedic Consecration to the Spiritual Heart