Hindu Scriptures Are NOT Mythology – Best Way to Know a Real Guru From a Fake (VIDEO)
In this video we go through 2 interesting stories, based upon which we shall answer 2 important questions. How do we know whether a particular guru is genuine or not? Is there a test we can apply? Are Hindu scriptures really mythology? Because word mythology means something which is false, a misguided belief in imaginary […]
Bhagavad Gita on Karma – Is Cancer ALWAYS Due To Past Bad Karma? (VIDEO)
This video uses a teaching from the Bhagavad Gita on Karma, to debunk the popularly held notion that every person suffering from cancer or from some other deadly disease, is necessarily doing so, as a result of bad karma done in some past life. Diseases, as the sages tell us have many causes, and past […]
Why is Tantric (Occult) Knowledge Kept Hidden and NOT Revealed to All?
Through the enclosed story, we visit the crucial reason why tantric or occult knowledge has traditionally been kept secret and revealed by adept gurus only to worthy disciples. This story occurs in the Mahabharata and was published in the Prabuddha Bharata Magazine in August 1896. It has been taken from there, and presented below. Durvasa’s […]
#2 TIP to Succeed in Meditation – Practice Constantly, Do Not Get Disheartened & Give Up
The following article has been excerpted from the essay: Reflections on the Bhagavad Gita by Swami Atulananda of the Ramakrishna Mission. His essay appeared in the Prabuddha Bharata Magazine in November 2003. Practice is necessary to succeed in meditation. We must try again and again. If we fail, that is nothing; we must try again. […]
#1 TIP to Meditate Successfully – Cultivate One-Pointed Devotion for God, Just as Kunti Did for Sri Krishna
Meditation means controlling our thoughts and making them flow one-pointedly towards God. But many of us find it extremely difficult to do so. Whenever we sit down to meditate we find our thoughts running helter and skelter. The reason being that all through the day we have not practiced controlling our thoughts, and now when […]
Woman Sannyasin Who Courageously Meditated at the Time of Death
The following story has been narrated by Swami Atulananda of the Ramakrishna Mission. It appeared in his essay: Reflections on the Bhagavad Gita published in the Prabuddha Bharata in November 2003. In India I once visited a hospital where sannyasins (monks who have renounced the world) alone were received as indoor patients. There had been a […]
A Dying Person’s Last Thoughts Determine the Condition of his Soul After Death
The following article has been excerpted from the essay: Reflections on the Bhagavad Gita by Swami Atulananda of the Ramakrishna Mission. His essay appeared in the Prabuddha Bharata Magazine in November 2003. A dying person’s last thoughts, determine the future state of his soul after death. There is a story in the Mahabharata which illustrates […]
Speaking Truth To Power | Honest Vashishtha Incurs the Wrath of Vishvamitra (3/6)
Speaking Truth to Power – Through the enclosed stories Mother Mirra explains, that a sincere person does not need to be threatened or frightened into speaking the truth. Instead a sincere person speaks the truth because it is his very nature to be honest and forthright in all his dealings. The Mother brings out this […]
The Courage to Speak the Truth and Expose the Crimes of the Powerful – A Lesson from the Ramayana
It is an increasingly common trend today, to put down and belittle our ancient texts such as the Ramayana. Many WhatsApp messages circulate to this effect. Since most people these days have never actually read the Ramayana, they easily succumb to these false narratives, 2 of which are: Ravana was the virtuous one instead of […]
3 Superb Translations of the Bhagavad Gita to Read (VIDEO)
Some of you have been asking me: “Which Bhagavad Gita should I read? Can you recommend a good translation?” So in this video I outline 3 translations of the Bhagavad Gita that I personally read and refer to constantly. Books Referenced In This Video The Holy Geeta by Swami Chinmayananda The Bhagavad Gita by Swami […]
Difference between Bhagavad Gita & Bhagavatam | Why is the Gita Revered?
Is there a difference between the Bhagavad Gita & the Bhagavatam? Many times people get confused between the Srimad Bhagavad Gita & the Srimad Bhagavatam so in this video let us understand the difference between the two. Book Referenced In This Video This video references Vedantism – A lecture delivered by Swami Vivekananda, and published […]
When a Sincere Person Speaks His Words Destroy Falsehood & Hypocrisy
The following moral story about cultivating the spiritual quality of sincerity (straightforwardness and lack of deceitfulness); has been taken from Mother Mirra’s book Words of Long Ago (Volume 2). In it Mother narrates an incident from the Ramayana, which acts as a wonderful metaphor for the truth that sincerity is a quality which endears us […]
Stories From Mother Mirra | Prudence – Dasaratha’s Rashness and Death of Shravankumar
The following moral story about cultivating the spiritual quality of prudence – of wisdom and foresight, of thinking about the consequences before initiating any action; has been taken from Mother Mirra’s book Words of Long Ago (Volume 2). In it Mother narrates an incident from the Ramayana, concerning King Dasaratha (father of Lord Rama) and […]
Ramayana Summary | A Concise Retelling by Swami Vivekananda
Foreword to the Summary of the Ramayana The Ramayana is the first of India’s most ancient spiritual epics. It predates even the Mahabharata, which itself is at least 3,500 years old. The Ramayana narrates the life story of Rama and Sita, the two great Incarnations of God. Rama being the incarnation of “Chit”, the infinite […]
Mahabharata Summary | A Concise Retelling by Swami Vivekananda
The following summary of the Mahabharata was presented by India’s great spiritual mind Swami Vivekananda, before an American audience in Pasadena, California in the year 1900. In this engaging narration Swami Vivekananda recounts the entire story of the Mahabharata, the second of India’s two great ancient epics (the first being the Ramayana) comprising over 100,000 […]
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 […]
Easiest & Best Spiritual Books to Read | Q&A with the Rishis of Vedanta
Some of the best spiritual books to read are those which record conversations between the great modern-day Rishis (sages) of Advaita Vedanta and their disciples. These books make for a fascinating read, because the disciples sought answers to many of the perplexing questions of life, which tend to vex all our minds. What makes these […]