Goswami Tulsidas (1532-1623; Hindi: तुलसीदास) was a medieval Hindi poet and philosopher. He was born in Rajpur, India in the district of Banda in Uttar Pradesh, during the reign of Humayun. Tulsidas wrote twelve books and is considered the greatest and most famous of Hindi poets. He is regarded as an incarnation of Valmiki, the author of Ramayana written in Sanskrit. He wrote Ramacharitamanasa (The Lake that is the Story of Rama), an epic devoted to Rama. This Ramayana is read and worshipped with great re ...

Including:

• Tulsidas - Life
• Tulsidas - Ramacharitamanasa
• Tulsidas - Other Works
• Tulsidas - His Doctrine
• Tulsidas - Sources and Manuscripts

Read more here: » Tulsidas: Encyclopedia - Tulsidas

Tulsidas:

Tulsidas (Thulsidhaas). Author of the greatest medieval devotional poetical work concerning the acts of Rama.

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

Tulsidas was a Sarayuparina Brahmin by birth. His father's name was Atma Ram Sukal Dube; that of his mother is said to have been Hulasi. A legend relates that, having been born under an unlucky conjunction of the stars, he was abandoned in infancy by his parents, and was adopted by a wandering sadhu or ascetic, with whom he visited many holy places in the length and breadth of India; and the story is in part supported by passages in his poems. He studied, apparently after having rejoined his family, at Sukar-khet, a place generally identifie ...

See also:

Tulsidas, Tulsidas - Life, Tulsidas - Ramacharitamanasa, Tulsidas - Other Works, Tulsidas - His Doctrine, Tulsidas - Sources and Manuscripts

Read more here: » Tulsidas: Encyclopedia II - Tulsidas - Life

Bhakti is founded in a spirit of universal fellowship and poetry is one more expression of this same fellowship. The verses of Mirabai, Tulsidas, Kabir, Ravidas and Tukaram are quoted frequently by people from all strata of life. Their poetry expresses concern about life: its difficulties, the loneliness, hypocrisy and pain. The bhakti poets seek God's help to sustain them on this difficult journey. So even today, through their poetry, the bhakti saints continue to influence our daily lives.

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

Sundarkand forms part of Ramcharitmanas of Goswami Tulsidas which is commonly known as Tulsi Ramayana. It is the essence of the Ramcharitmanas, and is awarded as much importance as the Bhagavad Gita in the Mahabharata.

Like the Gita, the Sundarkand can be read independently. It has a powerful theme: When you are on a good mission, God gives you strength to overcome all obstacles. Sundarkand commences with Hanuman’s departure for Lanka in search of Sita and ends with Rama and his army’s preparation to reach Lanka across the sea. This entire episode is called sundar or beautiful because every act described in it is auspicious, elevating the human mind and promoting right human values.

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

Shri Rama is an avatar of Maha Vishnu . He is the Adi Purush - the Ancient One - who, out of compassion for humankind, descends to earth in human form, taking upon himself the trials and tribulations of human existence, willingly suffering ordeals to protect the virtuous and annihilate the wicked.

Indeed, the Ramavatara is one of the most splendid of Maha Vishnu 's manifestations in order to redeem His pledge to "appear in bodily forms whenever virtue decays and evil causes misery to the good and the virtuous, and the earth itself". ( Sant Tulsidas ).

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

Swami Ranganathananda of the Ramakrishna Mission says that when a soul is uplifted, a worthwhile conversion takes place that takes the soul vertically upward - from bad to good. This conversion benefits both the individual and society. Organised religion has two sides to it: One is dogmatic, narrow, given to fanaticism, that insists on rituals, rules, regulations, disciplines. The other side, the spiritual, elevates and feeds the soul and accepts goodness in all religions. Rituals and prayers are merely means to rein in our senses to bring out our sattvic gunas.

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

Maryada Purusha , Rama Navami , Rama nama, Rama nama mantra, Rama nama contains the power of all mantras. Just uttering the syllable 'Ra' can purge us of all sin. The following syllable 'Ma' ensures that expunged sins do not return to plague us.

The Rama nama mantra stands for Supreme Reality. Chanting Rama's name produces a rhythmic sound that soothes and relaxes the mental and physical system. Mental recitations are equally, if not more, effective. 'Ra' is taken from the Astakshari Mantra Om Namo Narayanaya and 'Ma', from Panchakshari Mantra, Namah Shivaya . The word Rama stands for one who is always present in the hearts of yogis and makes them feel happy. Rama nama liberates from ego and desires. If you are depressed, the mantra will lift your spirits.

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

Bhagavan stuti: Open Your Mind With Songs of God

Stuti literally means praise and a stotram is a hymn or song dedicated to God's glory. Is it necessary to praise the Lord? Would He be affected by our praises and does He really need them? What could be the benefits that accrue from singing His glory? From our experiences of dealing with the empirical world, we understand it is natural to appreciate someone who has performed well.

Read more here: » Bhagavan stuti: Open Your Mind With Songs of God

Devotion: Rama Nama Brings Lasting Benefits

Devotion for the Lord can be likened to the monsoon season. New crops burst forth during the monsoons. So too, in the showers of divine love for the Lord, devotees are born.

The two main rainy seasons, sravana and bhadrapada (around July and August respectively) are good for crops. These two months are compared to the Rama Nama , since chanting verses in His praise inspires deep devotion in our hearts.

Read more here: » Rama Nama: Rama Nama Brings Lasting Benefits

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

Read more here: » Avatara: The Concept Of Avatara

Lanka (Sanskrit/Hindi लंका lankā, means "island") is the name given in Hinduism to the island fortress capital of the evil king Ravana in the epic Ramayana. Lanka is also mentioned frequently in other Hindu scriptures, such as the Vedas and Hindi poems written by Tulsidas. In the present day, it is now referred to as Sri Lanka. Lanka - Reference. Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend (ISBN 0500510881) by Anna L. Dallapiccola ...

Including:

• Lanka - Reference

Read more here: » Lanka: Encyclopedia - Lanka

A regular at religious discourses, I've often found followers of one guru or faith criticising other gurus, teachers and devotees, because they think that their own philosophy is far superior. They tend to assess the learnedness or otherwise of a teacher according to the number of disciples and ashrams.

If those who profess to be spiritual seekers behave in this manner, what can we expect from lesser mortals? Why is it so difficult for us to respect the right of others to follow any teaching or teacher of their choice? No one who claims loyalty to any faith that advocates compassion, tolerance and understanding can afford to ignore these tenets.

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

What Is God's Real Form?

Does God have a form or is He formless? Adi Sankara preferred a formless God while Ramanujacharya believed that He was both with and without form.

Ramana Maharshi realised the Inner Divine Self by enquiring, ''Who am I?'' Vivekananda was not for dualism, of seeing God in an image. But when Ramakrishna Paramhansa touched his chest to indicate the divinity within, Vivekananda began to 'see' God in every thing - living or non-living.

Read more here: » Formless God: What Is God's Real Form?

Raghunath ki Kahani - Epic for All Time

The Ramayana is one of the most popular epics of India. Ramayana-lovers are to be found all over the world. All are not necessarily followers of Hinduism. With its engaging storyline, it holds readers of all denominations and backgrounds spellbound. Narrated in an engaging fashion, the story of Rama entertains as well as informs, while presenting to us the model of an ideal human being.

Read more here: » Ramayana: Raghunath ki Kahani - Epic for All Time

We have gotten into the habit of blaming all our ills on the times in which we live. We often exclaim: "This is Kaliyuga, so what else do you expect?" Kaliyuga has come to personify all that is bad and undesirable. We feel accursed and we envy the blessed ones who were born in the Sat, Treta or Dwapar yugas . We attribute our misfortune to karma and resign ourselves to our fate. This attitude leads to low self-esteem which in turn can do enormous damage

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

Ralph Emerson, the 20th century American philosopher, described man as the "ever-losing winner". We tend to measure God's blessings on the basis of how many of our prayers have been answered - we compare what we sought with what we got. We do not often get what we prayed for. Then we accuse God of being unkind. Subsequently, we discover later that whatever happened was in fact for the good. The 'bad' event turns out to be a blessing in disguise.

(See also: Power of Prayer, Faith and Belief, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Eight Major Siddhis

An accomplished, Purnayogi in the path of Kundalini Yoga is in possession of eight major Siddhis, viz., Anima, Mahima, Laghima, Garima, Prapti, Prakamya, Vasitvam and Ishitvam.

From "Kundalini Yoga" by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Siddhis: Major Siddhis and Minor Siddhis

The Hindi word Gossain or Gosain (from Sanskrit Goswami, 'lord of cows') may refer to: The name of a certain class of Shaivite ascetics. The name of a sub-community of Brahmins , the descendants of Chaitanya. A title given to leaders of the Vallabhas. An honorary title prefixed to personal names (e.g. Gosain Tulsidas). Gossain - Reference. H. P. Blavatsky, 1892. The Theosophical Glossary. London: The Theosophical Publi ...

Including:

• Gossain - Reference

Read more here: » Gossain: Encyclopedia - Gossain

Hanuman Chalisa (Hindi: हनुमान चालीसा Forty chaupais on Hanuman) is Tulsidas' most famous and read piece of literature apart from the Ramacharitamanasa, a poem primarily praising Hanuman. Although it is not one of his best poems, it has gained enormous popularity among the modern-day Hindus. Many of them recite it as a prayer every week, generally on Tuesdays. Hanuman Chalisa - Text. दोहा श्र ...

Including:

• Hanuman Chalisa - Text

Read more here: » Hanuman Chalisa: Encyclopedia - Hanuman Chalisa