Part 3: Mahabharata & Karma | Some Stories Imply Karma “IS” Eye for Eye? Can You Explain? (VIDEO)
There are certain stories associated with our ancient epic the Mahabharata, which imply that the Law of Karma is an eye-for-an-eye type of petty justice. These tales although not part of the original Sanskrit Mahabharata written by Sage Vyasa, exist outside it as part of a pervasive folklore fabric. Despite being deeply incorrect in their […]
VIDEO – Why Hinduism Champions Vegetarianism as an Aid to Samadhi
“When the mind’s activities are perfectly at rest the Atman (soul) manifests itself.” – Swami Vivekananda One of the defining features of India that sets it apart from all other nations of the world, is that for thousands of years, a large majority of its people have been vegetarian. But why was this so? In […]
Does God Actually “EAT” the Food Offered? – Significance of Prasad (VIDEO)
“There is only one religion on the surface of this earth. That one religion is the religion of love.” – Swami Sivananda “Does God actually eat the food offered?” This is a most interesting question, because in every temple in India, it is customary to make a small offering of sweets or other food, as […]
Understanding the Many Gods in Hinduism
Why do Hindus worship so many Gods? Is Hinduism a polytheistic religion? Why is the cow sacred? Why is the river Ganges considered so holy? Why is the sun worshiped? These are some of the questions that naturally arise in most people’s minds when they look at Hinduism from the outside. For those of us […]
Why are Temples and Monasteries Built on Cliffs and Mountain Tops?
Growing up in India, I have vivid memories of many a train journeys that my family undertook, to visit relatives who lived in towns all across India. As the train chugged through the countryside one would spot little white temples built on remote hill tops. At other times, one would catch glimpses of conical temple […]