By constantly repeating, "I am free, I am free," a man verily becomes free. On the other hand, by constantly repeating, "I am bound, I am bound," he certainly becomes bound. The fool who says only, "I am a sinner, I am a sinner," verily drowns himself in worldliness. One should rather say: "I praise the name of God. How can I be a sinner? How can I be bound?" Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa (1836-1886)
Choose the path and teachings of a Guru who meets your liking and interest. Don't say bad things about other Gurus. Each Guru is special. Guru is God. God is Guru. The God to whom we pray comes in the form of a Guru. If we badmouth Gurus, we are bad-mouthing God. Sri Narayani Amma, head of the Narayani Peedham of Thirumalaikodi, Tamil Nadu, India
Is there a deeper tragedy than that of a man immersed in the pursuit of the not-self who has no time to realize the Divine Self within? Sadhu Vaswani, (1879-1966) founder the Sadhu Vaswani Mission
No idea has ever been defeated by force. To defeat an idea, you have to offer a better idea, a more attractive and acceptable one. Amos Oz, Israeli writer
When you give of yourself, you always receive more than you give.
Take up one idea and make that your life– think of it, dream of it, live on it. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success. One single soul with good motives, sincerity and infinite love can destroy the dark designs of millions of hypocrites and brutes. Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902), disciple of Sri Ramakrishna
Begin the day with love, spend the day with love, fill the day with love, end the day with love. Swami Bua Ji Maharaj (ca 1890-2010), Hindu of the Year 1998, spiritual teacher and extraordinary hatha yogi. Though he never disclosed his exact birth date, devotees say he reached 120 years, the ideal human lifespan mentioned in Hindu scripture.
It is Divinity that shapes, not only your ends, but also your acts, your words and thoughts. Your duty is to treat everybody, including yourself, as a manifestation of the Lord. Swami Sivananda (1887-1963), founder of the Divine Life Society, Rishikesh
The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place. George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) Irish playwrite
The reason I sanitized [Hinduism] is there's a lot of junk in it. Deepak Chopra, writer, as quoted by Newsweek
Give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way.
I am confident that there truly is such a thing as living again, and that the living spring from the dead. Socrates, (470-399 bce) Greek philosopher
In between births we rest and learn and plan our next life. We all came here to do something. So do it and don't fool around!
Because I am finally beginning to notice some improvement. Master cello player Pablo Casals (1876-1973), when asked why he continued to practice at age 93
If numbers on the calendar were that significant, somewhere in the mid-morning of March 14, 2015, we would all become cosmically aware of pi (3.14.15, 9:26:54 am).
You attain the feeling of love and then you want to discipline yourself. You love the discipline, because it brings more love. Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (1927-2001), founder of Hinduism Today
DID YOU KNOW?
LORD VISHNU'S OLDEST TEMPLE
The grand canyon is one of the natural marvels of the world. Carved by the unrelenting flow of the Colorado River in the American state of Arizona, it extends for 446 km and reaches depths of 1,800 meters. It is an unsigned masterpiece. Some rock formations are so impressive that geologists name them after temples, castles or shrines, evoking a connection with the divine.
Names of Grand Canyon structures include: Brahma Temple, Wotan's Throne, Cheops Pyramid, Buddha Temple, Solomon Temple, Isis Temple, Jupiter Temple and Tower of Ra. Most were named in 1882 by Charles Dutton, a geologist who believed that the canyon belonged to all humankind and its nomenclature should reflect all the world's cultures.
Geological rock layers are designated after surrounding landmarks representative of the layer. The whole Grand Canyon rests on a bed of sedimentary rock called the Vishnu Schist, 1,800,000,000 years old. The Vishnu Temple (right) forms its crown. Above this schist are the Brahma and Rama Schists, harder layers shaped by volcanic activity on the surface of a young Earth.
BASICS OF HINDUISM
RESTRAINTS AND OBSERVANCES
There have been many systems and principles of ethics and morality, established by various world teachers down through the ages. Their common goal is to provide a guidepost for thought and action to help the individual fulfill life's highest goals and purposes.
Hinduism's tenets are the yamas and niyamas, considered a necessary step for fruitful yoga. They are codified in scriptures including the Shandilya and Varaha Upanishads, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Gorakshanatha, and the Tirumantiram of Tirumular. Patanjali included a shorter list of yamas and niyamas in his Yoga Sutras.
The ten yamas are restraints, providing a basic system of discipline for the instinctive mind: nonhurtfulness, truthfulness, non-stealing, celibacy until married, patience, steadfastness, compassion, honesty, moderation of appetite and purity.The ten niyamas are positive observances, life-giving actions and disciplines. They are remorse, contentment, giving generously, faith, worship, listening to scripture, cognition, sacred vows, recitation of mantras and purifying austerities.
The sages did not teach that a fiery hell would await those who do not follow these principles, nor did they assure that heaven's doors would open for those compliant. These are not laws. But if you follow them, don't be surprised if you find yourself living a better life.