Hinduism Today Magazine

Hindu History Lesson: 21st Century India (1947-2010)

Sat, 27 Nov 2010 20:40:00 -0000

Hindu History Lesson part 5 - 1947-2010

Food: Pack Your Kid an Awesome Veggie Lunch

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 17:00:00 -0000

Food Pack Your Kid an Awesome Veggie Lunch There's no need to leave your child at the mercy of the school cafeteria; with a little creativity, you can provide a wholesome Indian meal every day By Dr. Padmaja Patel, Midland, Texas

Book Reviews: Bollywood Weddings

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 17:00:00 -0000

Book Reviews Bollywood Weddings

Digital Dharma: Education

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 17:00:00 -0000

Digital Dharma Education Digital Textbooks Set to Cut Costs and Improve Education By Madhuri Shekhar, Los Angeles

Health: Healing Hypertension Naturally

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 16:50:00 -0000

Health Healing Hypertension Naturally Chances are you or someone you love has high blood pressure. Step beyond the fear and learn how ayurveda can treat this troublesome malady. by Dr. Virender Sodhi

Educational Insight: Sadhana

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 16:50:00 -0000

Educational Insight Sadhana Self-Transformation Through Spiritual Effort Spiritual life can be likened to climbing a mountain. Each experience offers opportunities to progress toward the peak, which represents illumination and union with the Divinity that lies within us. The inner climb to that spiritual summit depends, like earthy mountain climbing, on rigorously applying proven methods, called sadhana in Sanskrit. Sadhana refers to disciplines undertaken to reach a specific spiritual goal--steady and persevering practice of a method or exercise prescribed for spiritual ends. Of course, goals vary widely among the different Hindu traditions. Wikipedia's explanation of sadhana's goals highlights that diversity: "enlightenment, pure love of God, liberation from the cycle of birth and death, or a particular goal such as the blessings of a Deity, as in the bhakti traditions." The idea of employing various means of spiritual accomplishment and thereby moving closer to the goal of God realization is appealing to all devout Hindus. On the other hand, the demands of modern life--work, school and commute time--give many the sense that there is not enough time to fit spiritual practice into an already overly busy schedule. Many pilgrims to our monastery confide to me they are caught in this dilemma. My advice is to establish a daily vigil, even if it is just 15 minutes, preferably in the morning, before you are caught up in your day. Try it for two weeks and see how it works out. Make it a habit, an appointment with yourself. Those who establish a daily vigil find that it makes them more efficient, more centered, more patient, more content and more productive. So it is time well spent! Once a strong habit is established, it becomes not only easy, but the day's most important appointment. The nature of your sadhana routine is up to you and your guru. It is your island of quiet, a time to worship the Divine, perform puja, do yoga, study scripture and get in touch with your innate Divinity. And, like anything else, the more effort you put into your vigil and the more consistent you are, the greater the benefits will be. Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami

Quotes and Quips

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 16:40:00 -0000

Quotes and Quips The vast tree of Truth yields fruits when you nurture it. Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)

From the Agamas: On the Importance of Sacred Sound

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 16:40:00 -0000

From the Agamas On the Importance of Sacred Sound Mantras "should be treated with utmost diligence and sincerity" The following text is from chapter three of the knowledge section of Raurava Agama, "Transmission of Scriptures." The chapter discusses gurus, mantras, mandalas (sacred diagrams), tattvas (categories of existence) and lokas (the various worlds). Following is the section on mantra, a sound, word or phrase endowed with special power.

Special Feature: A Goddess Nutures Her Golden Temple

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 16:40:00 -0000

Special Feature A Goddess Nurtures Her Golden Empire Gold--no other metal evokes as much speculation and awe. But in Sri Mahalakshmi Narayani Temple, Vellore, founder Sakthi Amma connects gold with the divine, not the mundane. Here the Goddess of eternal abundance is worshiped with fervor, zeal--and with gold, creating successive waves of prosperity that support a vast network of social services, earth-friendly projects and pilgrimage facilities. Going against the current of today's media-crazed world, the Golden Temple had so far avoided the news' spotlight. Hinduism Today received unprecedented access to Sripuram for this rare report.
By Rajiv Malik, Sripuram

Nonviolence/Environment: How Our Food Choices Affect the Entire Planet

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 16:40:00 -0000

Nonviolence/Environment How Our Food Choices Affect the Entire Planet Professor Peter Singer, Jim Mason and Michael Pollan investigate the food chain behind three meals, challenging us to use our shopping dollars to effect global changes