Showing posts with label Spirituality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spirituality. Show all posts

The Marriage of Lord Ganesh


Shiva and Parvati had two sons, Ganesh and Kartikeya. Both sons wanted to get married. Shiva and Parvati were finding it difficult to decide whom to marry first. They decided to take a test. They called Ganesh and Kartikeya to them and said, "We have made a competition. Both of you have to travel around the world and, come back here. The one who returns first, will get married first."

 As soon as these words came out, Kartikeya set out on his journey. But Ganesh realized that this was a task that was impossible for him to complete. Ganesh found a solution. First, he took a bath. Then, he made Shiva and Parvati sit on two pedestals. He worshipped them, and circled around them seven times. When he had completed their circumambulation, Ganesh said,"Now please arrange for my marriage."

" What do you mean", said Shiva and Parvati," Didn't you hear what we said? We told you both to travel around the world and come back." 

Ganesh replied, "But I have already gone around the world seven times. Haven't I gone around you both seven times? The Vedas say that going around one's parents is the same as going around the world. If you don't want to argue that the Vedas are wrong, you have to admit that I have gone around the world seven times."

 Shiva and Parvati couldn't argue that the Vedas are wrong. So they had to accept Ganesh's argument. Riddhi and Siddhi were two sisters who were married to Ganesh with much pomp and show. Ganesh got two sons named Shubh and Labh. Kartikeya returned to Kailash after travelling around the world, and found that Ganesh was already married, and was also the proud father of two children. He felt he had been deceived. He decided that he would no longer live with his parents and that he would never marry. This is why Kartikeya is called Kumar, i.e. one who is not married. Kartikeya started living on the Krouncha mountain. Shiva visits him on the Amavasya day while Parvati visits him on the Poornima day.

This article is available in video format as below:



The Story of Brahmin Kaushik


Once upon a time, there lived a Brahmin, Kaushik, who studied the Vedas and performed many austerities. One day, when he was sitting under a tree, a female crane on one of the branches pooped. Unfortunately, this excrement fell on Kaushik. He lost his temper and glared at the crane. The poor bird dropped dead. The Brahmin felt sad and guilty for his act. He went into the nearby village to beg for alms. He wandered and reached the last house. The woman at the house asked him to wait as she was cleaning the vessel used to give alms. 
However, her husband arrived for lunch. So she stopped doing the dishes and went to take care of him. She gave him water to clean himself and served him food. Midway through, she noticed Kaushik still waiting and rushed outside to give him alms. But Kaushik was angry since she had made him wait too long and she had insulted a Brahmin. 
The woman replied that she did not insult him as she was following her dharma of taking care of her family. She also added that she knew about the crane’s death due to Kaushik’s anger and it was Kaushik who didn’t know much about dharma. She asked him to go and meet a butcher (meat seller) in Mithila who knew all about it. 
Kaushik was stunned at the woman’s knowledge and power. He went to the city of  Mithila. He inquired about the butcher and was pointed in the direction of a slaughterhouse. 
The butcher was selling the meat of buffalo and deer. The butcher noticed him and said that he knew about the pious woman and the reason for the Brahmin’s arrival in Mithila. The butcher invited him to his house where he treated Kaushik with respect. He offered him water and a comfortable seat. Kaushik said that being a butcher didn’t seem like an appropriate livelihood for such a good man. 
The butcher said it was his family occupation and he was simply following it. He said he didn’t feel it was wrong or incorrect for him. He lived within his means, was respectful to everyone, sold meat only to satisfy the needs of his customers, and didn’t indulge in anything inappropriate. Moreover, he didn’t kill the animals but sourced the dead ones from hunters who went into the forests. He purchased what was necessary, cleaned it, and chopped it up for his customers. He was doing his duty and following his dharma without causing harm to anyone. 
Kaushik was so impressed that he asked the butcher many questions about following the right conduct, living a pious life despite the clash with his profession, and so on. The butcher introduced Kaushik to his old parents. Kaushik was surprised and delighted to see how much the butcher cared for his parents and ensured they were comfortable at all times. After all, it was the dharma of a householder to keep his family fed, happy, and healthy. 

Pleased with everything, Kaushik said that the butcher was the greatest rishi. The butcher thanked him and said that Kaushik had made a few mistakes in his past, which he needed to correct. Kaushik had slighted his aging mother and father and left home to study Vedas. His parents were suffering from old age. The butcher advised Kaushik to go and take care of them. This would strengthen the power of his austerities. Kaushik said he would do so. He then wondered why he was born in the butcher community when he had such immense knowledge obtained only through intense tapasya and years of training. 

The butcher shared the story of his past life. In his previous life, he was a Brahmin, learned in Vedas and Vedangas. He had a friend who was a king and skilled in weaponry. This made the Brahmin also skilled at using arms. One day, the king went on a hunt and killed many deer. The Brahmin also aimed and shot a deer. However, since they were close to an ashram, the arrow mistakenly hit a rishi. The Brahmin pleaded ignorance and asked for forgiveness. But the dying rishi was angry and cursed him to be born as a butcher. The Brahmin requested the rishi once again. This time, he relented and said that though he would be born a butcher, he would retain his knowledge from his birth and live a dharmic life, thus allowing him to attain a place a heaven. 

The Brahmin then removed the arrow from the rishi’s body and carried him to his ashram. He even saved the rishi’s life. The rishi assured the Brahmin that he would lead a worthy and noble life and shouldn’t feel bad about his butcher birth. 

Hence, the butcher had no worries or doubts and continued to follow his dharma dutifully. He was confident that by fulfilling his family occupation and taking care of his dear ones, he would achieve the desired status and be reborn as a Brahmin in his next life. He said there was no reason for him to wallow in misery. He was content and happy. 

Kaushik was impressed by the butcher and bowed to him. He then took leave to go back to the parents he had abandoned and began to care for them.

This article is in video format as follows:

The Meeting of Bhima and Hanuman


This story is from the Mahabharat. It so happened, that the Pandavas were in exile and lived in a forest. One day, Draupadi came across a flower lying near their hut. It had flown by the breeze and had reached there. Draupadi was enchanted by the flower’s beauty ,and asked if anyone could bring more of these flowers for her. Bhima immediately set out in search of those beautiful flowers. He walked deep into the forest and reached mountain ranges filled with large trees, medicinal plants and herbs. The region was visited by Kinnars and Yakshas who are the celestial Divine beings and looked mesmerizing.

As he explored the area, he found an old monkey with his tail blocking the path. Bhima asked the old monkey to move and yield the path so that he could go and find the flowers. The old monkey said he was too weak to move his tail and that Bhima should do it himself or step over it. Bhima replied he would not step over as it was disrespectful. Bhima was proud of his strength. He broadened his chest and decided to get the tail out of his way. 

Bhima used all his super strength equal to that of a thousand elephants. But he could not move the tail. No matter how much he tried, Bhima couldn’t move the tail even an inch. He realized that the old man was no ordinary being but someone very powerful. Bhima immediately apologized for his attitude, and the old man turned into his true form and stood before Bhima as Hanuman. Hanuman embraced Bhima and told Bhima that they were brothers. 

Both were sons of Vayu Deva, the god of wind and he would like to bless him. Hanuman also told Bhima the story of Ramayana to assure him, that Dharma would always win. He explained the cyclic process of four yugas and promised to fight the upcoming Kurukshetra War on the Pandavas’ side. 

That was why Arjuna’s chariot had a flag with Hanuman on it, always protecting the brothers from harm. Bhima happily returned to his brothers along with the flowers for Draupadi.

The video version of this article is follows:




The Story of Savitri

King Ashvapti of Madra was a generous ruler who followed his dharma and gained a good name for his actions. But he didn’t have any children. So, the king worshipped Savitri (Gayatri mantra or the feminine form of the sun god). Pleased with his dedication, Savitri herself rose from the yagna fire and blessed Ashvapati that he would soon have a daughter. Soon, his wife gave birth to a beautiful baby girl with eyes like a lotus. Because she was born after praying to Savitri, the king gave his daughter the same name.

Years passed, and the baby grew into a lovely maiden of marriageable age. She looked like a celestial maiden . The king was unhappy as he couldn’t find a worthy husband for his daughter. One day, he told her she should search for a husband since no one was coming forward to make an offer. Assigning ministers to accompany her, the king watched his young daughter get into a chariot to find a man who wanted to marry.

When Narada asked where she went, the king explained that he sent her to search for her husband. When Savitri returned home, Ashvapati asked to share the details of her travels and if she had found a man worthy of being her spouse.

Savitri recounted everything and mentioned the king of Salva, named Dyumatsena. The king lost his eyesight when he was still young, and the neighboring king used this opportunity to attack Salva and conquer it. Dyumatsena, his wife, and his son were forced to relocate to a forest and have been living there ever since. His son, Satyavan, now a grown-up man, captured her attention. Savitri said she wanted to marry him. Narada told the king that Savitri committed a grave mistake by choosing Satyavan. There was no denying that the young man followed dharma and spoke only the truth. His parents were also pious. Narada said Satyavan had only one fault which was he had a short life span. He would die in a year. Ashvapati told Savitri to go and find another husband, as this was too much of a flaw to ignore. 

However, Savitri was adamant. Narada told the king that there was no use convincing Savitri, and he should contact Satyavan’s parents to finalize the wedding. The king had no choice, so he ordered the arrangements to be made. On an auspicious day, Savitri and Satyavan were married quickly. Savitri left her riches in her father’s home and dressed like an ascetic to join her husband and in-laws in her new home. Very soon, her pleasant nature and devotion won their hearts. She took care of the blind king and his wife as if they were her parents, and they loved her just as much. Savitri and Satyavan also had a loving and warm marriage. 

The year passed too soon. The day of Satyavan’s death was approaching. A worried Savitri planned in advance. Four days before the marked date, she fasted for three whole days and stood still in the same spot throughout. On the day Satyavan was to die, Savitri woke up early and finished her prayers. Then, she accompanied Satyavan into the forest as he went to chop firewood. Satyavan showed her many delightful sights on the way. They heard the birds and peacocks cry, saw the stream gushing nearby, and the trees in full blossom. When they reached a spot, Satyavan said he suddenly felt ill as if his head was spinning. Savitri sat down and urged him to rest with his head in her lap. Remembering Narada’s words, Savitri calculated the time of her husband’s demise and sat still.

 Soon, she saw a celestial man , Yama Dharmaraja, who personally came to collect Satyavan’s soul. Yama said he had come to collect Satyavan’s soul, and then, he pulled the life force out of Satyavan’s body . Satyavan’s lifeless body lay on the forest ground. His job done, Yama proceeded to walk towards the other world. A distressed Savitri followed Yama as he left the forest. Yama realized this and turned back to stop her. He told her to go back and perform the last rites for her husband and that hell wasn’t a place for the living. 

Savitri replied that it was her dharma to follow her husband even if he was being taken somewhere by others, and as his wife, she must abide by the rules of dharma no matter what.Yama said he would give her a boon, anything except her husband’s life, and after that, she should go back. Savitri asked for her father-in-law’s eyesight to be returned and for him to become strong again. Yama granted her the boon. But Savitri kept following Yama. Yama told her to ask for another boon, insisting that she should ask for anything except her husband’s life. This time, Savitri asked her father-in-law should recover his lost kingdom and continue to follow the path of dharma. Yama granted her the boon and told her to go back once again.

He walked ahead, with Savitri still following behind. Yama told her to ask for another boon and repeated the same exception. Savitri said her father didn’t have any sons and requested that he have a hundred sons who would be her brothers and continue their lineage. Yama granted her the third boon as well. He asked her to return since she had already travelled too far. She said Yama was the king of dharma and making friends with such people is always a blessing. Yama yet again said he was pleased by her words and granted her a fourth boon with the same exception. This time, Savitri asked for a hundred sons for herself to be born through Satyavan, and that the sons be dutiful to their parents and extend their lineage. Yama didn’t think much about her request and granted the boon right away. 

Yama said her selflessness delighted him much and that his respect for her had increased. He told her to ask for an unmatched boon. Now, Savitri took her chance and asked for Satyavan’s life. She reminded Yama that he had already granted her a hundred sons, and this would be possible only when Satyavan was alive. She asked him to make his words come true by releasing her husband’s soul back into his body. Yama was impressed by her determination and wit. He happily freed Satyavan’s soul and showed it to her, saying he was returning it to her husband’s body. He blessed her to have a hundred sons like her mother would, and that all the boons he gave her would happen one after another. 

He finally made her return to the forest and went back to his abode. She rushed to where Satyavan’s body lay and raised his head to place it back in her lap. Satyavan slowly stirred and opened his eyes. He said he felt a lot better and had no pain in any part of his body. They slowly made their way back home. Meanwhile, old Dyumatsena regained his eyesight. Soon, Satyavan and Savitri returned to their home . Satyavan told his parents that he had slept a long time due to severe pain in the head which caused the delay. All were happy his father, Dyumatsena, had suddenly regained his eyesight.

A few men from the kingdom arrived to inform Dyumatsena that the current king had been killed by his own advisors and that he should once again be their ruler. An auspicious day was chosen to crown Dyumatsena as the king of Shalva with Satyavan as the heir apparent. Over the years, Savitri and her mother gave birth to a hundred sons each. With her determination, dedication, and love, Savitri not only saved her husband but also brought much happiness to her family.

This article in video format is as below:

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The Story of Kanyakumari – The Virgin Goddess



This is the story of the Goddess Kanyakumari who is still waiting for her fiancé, Shiva. But according to the Divine Plan, they are never going to be together. She resides at a place called Kanyakumari also called as Cape Comorin. It is situated in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. This is where the three seas namely Arabian sea, Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal meet. 

Her temple here is called as the 'Bhagavathi Kumari Amman' temple.  Here, the Goddess is in the form of an adolescent girl child. Her story starts like this. Long ago, there was a demon or Asura called Bana. Banasura wanted to become immortal. He undertook penance to appease Lord Brahma. Pleased with his penance, Lord Brahma appeared before him and offered to give a boon. He asked Brahma that he should only be killed by an adolescent virgin girl. Brahma gave him the boon.

Once he got the boon, he became arrogant. He started killing innocent people and holy men thereby causing a lot of terror. Seeing all the terrible things being done by him, all the Gods along with Brahma went to the Mother Goddess Parvati. They prayed to her and asked for her help.

The kind Divine Mother blessed them saying, she will soon be born on earth and take the form of a young girl, so as to kill the demon Banasura. The Goddess took birth as a young girl in a place at the Southern tip of India. She was called Kumari. When she reached adolescent age, she met Lord Shiva. She became totally enchanted with him and wanted to marry him. Shiva agreed to marry her and put one condition. He will come to marry her with his wedding procession in the night. If he reaches her in morning, then he won’t marry her. Kumari agreed to his condition.

The date was set for the marriage and the wedding preparations started in a grand way. Meanwhile, the Devas, Gods, and sages became worried at what was happening. If the young goddess in the human form married Shiva, then Banasura can never be killed, as he had his boon that only an adolescent virgin girl could kill him. They all thought of a plan to stop the marriage.

Soon enough, the grand wedding day came. Shiva got ready to go to the bride's place with his followers with all fanfare, decorations, and chariots. The wedding procession to the bride's place started. As planned, the Divine Sage Narad, took the form of a male rooster. He went and stood on the way of the wedding procession. The procession was moving forward with trumpets, noise, and joy.  At this time Narada disguised as the rooster cried out loud near the procession. Thinking it is already early morning and the auspicious hour is over, Shiva went back to his abode. The marriage didn’t happen.

The goddess waited for Shiva. He never came. She waited for long. Once she realized that her marriage to Shiva is not happening, she became upset. She decided to go and do penance on the rocks at Kanyakumari. She stood on one leg and did the penance. Banasura heard the news about the marriage that didn’t happen. He came to the rock where she was doing penance and he got enchanted with the Goddess. He started bothering the Goddess, asking her to marry him. She became furious with his advances. She took her ferocious young, adolescent Goddess form and she sliced Banasura with her discus (chakra) and killed him. Thus, the peace and happiness of the world were restored.

Before dying Banasura asked the Goddess to forgive him ,” O Divine Mother! Forgive my sins. Please grant me a boon that whoever comes to Kanyakumari, takes bath in the sea, where all the three seas meet, they should be absolved of their sins.” The Goddess agreed to it. So now also people go to the 'Triveni Sangam' (meeting of three seas) and take bath.

The tragedy of this story is that the Goddess is still waiting for her marriage to happen and she is fated to wait for eternity. Even today in her temple, she is doing her penance to be united with her Shiva.
Till this day the Goddess listens to the prayers of her devotees and grants all their wishes. Her temple is visited by millions of devotees every year. The sincere and pure seekers get peace, joy and happiness with the blessings of the Mother Goddess.

Swami Vivekananda, the great Hindu monk, had performed penance for a few days on a rock island just off the coast of the mainland of Kanyakumari. Legend says, it is the same spot where the Mother Goddess also performed her penance. This rock is now known as 'Vivekananda Rock'. There is a specially preserved portion in the rock which is believed to be the imprint of the goddess’s feet.  It is due to the blessings of the Goddess that, Swami Vivekananda took India’s spiritual fame to the world at the Parliament of World’s Religions held in Chicago in 1893. It was in honour of the great monk that the Vivekananda Rock Memorial was erected in 1970 at Kanyakumari.

This article is in video form as below:

 

Rishi Agastya and Lopamudra


Long ago, there was a demon king called Ilvala. He had a brother called Vatapi. Once he prayed to a holy Brahmin and asked to bless him with a son. But the Brahmin refused. Ilvala got angry and decided to destroy all brahmins. His brother Vatapi, had the power to assume any form while Ilvala could revive a dead person. 

The two evil brothers conspired a trick. Vatapi turned into a goat while Ilvala invited Brahmins for a feast. The meat of the goat was cooked and offered to the Brahmins. When the Brahmins had finished their meals, Ilvala would use his powers to revive Vatapi who was never in the form of goat’s meat in the stomachs of the Brahmins. He would call out to his bother “ Come out oh my brother Vatapi”. The goat would come out of the stomach of the  Brahmin and thus kill him. Vatapi would regain his original form. In this way Vatapi and Ilvala killed many brahmins and Rishis. 

Sage Agastya, who was a very powerful Rishi, one day saw his deceased ancestors (Pitris) hanging upside down on a tree and asked them the reason for it. The Pitris responded that they were in the risk of falling in hell on account of Agastya having no descendant. Therefore, Agastya should marry and bear a child who could save the ancestors from the hell. Agastya agreed and created his own future wife using his spiritual powers. She was named Lopamudra and was adopted by a king of Vidarbha. Lopamudra lived amidst splendour with many damsels surrounding her all the time. When she grew up, the king was very concerned about who to give her daughter in marriage. She was very beautiful but no other king dared approach her because of the fear of the king of Vidarbha.

One day sage Agastya approached the king and requested him to give Lopamudra to him in marriage. By seeing the dishevelled and old sage, the king was not at all willing to have him as his son in law. But Lopamudra agreed to marry Agastya. Agastya was happily married to Lopamudra. He however asked her to renounce all her costly dresses and ornaments and dress up like a poor brahmin’s wife. Lopamudra did the same and she served her husband wholeheartedly while the latter was engaged in ascetic penances.

After some time, Agastya wanted to have a child with Lopamudra remembering his vows to his ancestors. However, Lopamudra set some conditions. She wanted the sage to have a gentler appearance, adorned with garlands and ornaments, and to have some wealth. The sage agreed, but he did not have any wealth. He did not want to use his spiritual power to acquire wealth, nor did he wish to go and beg for money from his rich father-in-law.  He therefore went out in search of wealth and met three kings one by one. None of them had extra wealth to help Agastya. The kings then told Agastya that there was a demon king named Ilvala who possessed great wealth. They should go to him and beg some wealth for Agastya.

Accordingly, they all went to Ilvala who, hearing the news of their arrival, came out to greet them and pay them his respect. He then told his brother Vatapi to take the form of a goat. The goat was cooked and served to Agastya and the kings to kill them. However Agastya told the kings not to worry and, he ate up the entire meat. After the dinner was over, Ilvala began to summon his brother, “Oh, Vatapi, where are you? Please come here.” Agastya belched loudly and told the demon king that his brother had been digested by him and now he could never come back. 

At this Ilvala became very sad and also afraid and he asked the sage as to what he wanted. Agastya asked him to give enough gold to him and the three kings who had come with him. Ilvala, with a lot of heartburn, had to comply with the request out of fear. The kings then happily went back to their respective kingdoms and Agastya returned to Lopamudra with all the wealth that he got.  Soon, Agastya and Lopamudra were blessed with a very illustrious son called Drdhasyu.

YouTube version of this article is as below:





Narad Bhakti Sutra (Book)



The Narad Bhakti Sutra is a Hindu scripture on the Path of Devotion to attain Self-Realization. It was written by the highly venerated, Divine Sage Narad. Narad is an immortal Divine Being who is a highly accomplished and pure devotee of Lord Vishnu. He has the power to travel across the entire Universe and all realms of Existence. His sole occupation is spreading devotion ( called as Bhakti in Sanskrit) towards Lord Narayan or Vishnu. He carries a musical instrument called as veena and plays it while singing the glory of Lord Narayan. He is very dear to Lord Narayan and out of supreme compassion and through the will of Lord Vishnu, He has written a book called as the Narad Bhakti Sutra which literally translates to " The Key to Devotion as by Narad".

Please don't get puzzled as to how this religious book will be helpful to you. Actually it is a very simple guide for people in all age brackets, profession, gender, religion, nationality caste or creed. It is the universal guide to connect with God while living in the world and facing all challenges of life. Sri Ramkrishna Paramhansa, a great Indian mystic has categorically stated that for current times, the Path of Devotion (Bhakti Yoga) is apt for attaining Self-Realization. This is so because, nowadays the human body and mind are riddled with weakness, disease and restlessness. It is quite a challenge to do meditation, yoga, knowledge studies etc. However, Bhakti Yoga is the most suitable as it is feasible for everyone irrespective of his capability. But then the question comes, how to do Bhakti Yoga ? Sri Ramkrishna Paramhansa recommends Narad Bhakti Sutra as very good guide for the same.

So what do we gain by reading Narad Bhakti Sutra ?  Firstly, you will be glad to know that even in your existing present condition, you can start practicing Bhakti Yoga right away ! Secondly, you will be able to apply the right principles and methods for following this path. Thirdly, you will feel immensely relieved to know that you can practice Bhakti Yoga throughout your life without disturbing anything whatsoever in your life. Aren't you excited and eager already to read this wonderful book ?

So let us briefly understand this book. Sage Narad has written this book in just 84 verses. These 84 verses can be grouped in 9 chapters as follows
  1. Definition of  Bhakti.
  2. Importance of renunciation and self-surrender.
  3. Exemplars of Divine Love.
  4. Bhakti as the highest goal of human life.
  5. Suggestions on how to practice Divine Love.
  6. Importance of seeking holy company.
  7. Difference between preparatory and Supreme Devotion.
  8. Forms of Divine Love.
  9. Practice of ethical virtues and worship of God.
An essence of the book can be briefed as below: 
Bhakti is intense love for God. Giving up all other refuge, the Bhakta or Devotee takes refuge in God. Bhakti is greater than Karma, greater than Gyana (Knowledge), greater than meditation, because Bhakti itself is its result, because Bhakti is both the means and the end (fruit). The principal cause of Bhakti is the mercy of a great (or free) soul.  Bhakti is the easiest way of worship. It is its own proof and does not require any other. Its nature is peace and perfect bliss.  Bhakti never seeks to injure anyone or anything not even the popular modes of worship. Merging the trinity of Love, Lover, and Beloved, worship God as His eternal servant, His eternal bride — thus love is to be made unto God. That love is highest which is concentrated upon God. When a man loves God so much, his forefathers rejoice, the gods dance, and the earth gets a Master! To such lovers there is no difference of caste, sex, knowledge, form, birth, or wealth. Giving up all other thoughts, the whole mind should day and night worship God. Thus being worshipped day and night, He reveals Himself and makes His worshippers feel Him.

There are many books that explain Narad Bhakti Sutra in details. But the highly recommended is " Narad Bhakti Sutras" by Swami Bhuteshananda, published by Adwaita Ashram, Kolkata, India. (ISBN:9788175051997).

Buy your copy and start your joyful journey to Divine Bliss and Love !  May the Lord Bless you with pure Devotion !

Below is the video version of this article.



Ho-o-ponopono


Ho-o-ponopono is an ancient Hawaiian practice of forgiveness and reconciliation. Ho-o-ponopono is a Hawaiian word that means 
  • Correction
  • Mental cleansing 
  • To put things in order or place 
Traditional Hawaiian healers have been practicing traditional Ho-o-ponopono  for members of the community.  However modern versions are performed within the family by a family elder, or by the individual alone. Hawaiians believe that the sins of the father will fall upon the children. If a child is sick, the parents are suspected of quarreling or misconduct. In addition to sickness, social disorder could cause sterility of land or other disasters. Harmony could be restored only by confession and apology.

In 1976 Morrnah Simeona, regarded as a healing priest adapted the traditional Ho-o-ponopono of family mutual forgiveness to the social realities of the modern day. So this practice can be followed to solve a general problem  outside the family and can also be done individually as a psycho-spiritual self-help rather than group process. 

Ho-o-ponopono is about looking within ourselves for debts, errors or blocks in our subconscious mind that replay as problems, judgments, putdowns and all kinds of other problems. It is believed that when we say sorry it is taking 100% responsibility for whatever is going on in our lives. Chanting mantras and asking for forgiveness is the way where we are accepting that the problem is within us. We pray to the Almighty to convert our  unpleasant memory, debt, block, problem to nothing. When the Divine converts the block or memory to nothing, we return back to our original state, which is Zero or clarity. Only in the clarity state we can get inspiration and whatever is perfect for us. When we will look inside of ourselves, only then we be able to solve the world's problem.

When we do  Ho-o-ponopono, we ask the Divine to remove the faults from our subconscious mind and soul. When we bring peace to us, only then we will be able to bring peace in the world. We need to work on the way we perceive people all around us on a daily basis.  Ho-o-ponopono corrects, restores and maintains good relationships among family members and with their gods or God by getting to the causes and sources of trouble. Usually the most senior member of the family conducts it. He or she gathers the family together. If the family is unable to work through a problem, they turn to a respected outsider.

The process begins with prayer. A statement of the problem is made, and the transgression discussed. Family members are expected to work problems through and cooperate, not "hold fast to the fault". One or more periods of silence may be taken for reflection on the entanglement of emotions and injuries. Everyone's feelings are acknowledged. Then confession, repentance and forgiveness take place. Everyone releases each other, letting go. They cut off the past , and together they close the event with a ceremonial feast which is  symbolic of the release.

Learn Ho-o-ponopono from a reliable source in your locality. You can also learn it online through courses offered by Ho-o-ponopono practitioners. It is simple and easy to learn. Do try Ho-o-ponopono and see positive changes in your and your family's life.

Benefits of Chanting The Gayatri Mantra





The Gayatri Mantra is an ancient mantra from the Vedas of India. Hindus consider this mantra as the essence of the Vedas. This mantra is a blessing to mankind. Though, you may have already known or heard about it, you may not be aware of the tremendous benefits of chanting the Gayatri Mantra. Even if you are not a Hindu, you can still chant the Gayatri Mantra and receive the benefits of the same. Such is the greatness of Hinduism or the Sanatan Dharma !  There is no restriction on anyone for chanting this mantra. So let us see what is Gayatri Mantra is all about.

The Gayatri Mantra is an invocation to the Divine Light of the Sun. Yes, the Sun or the Solar Deity is the one that is responsible for life on Earth. All life forms of Earth derive energy from the Sun. Plants are the primary point in the food cycle whereby they convert solar energy through photosynthesis and nourish themselves. Humans and animals eat these plants and thus derive energy which is primarily obtained by plants from the Sun. So what if humans directly take energy from Sun and sustain themselves ! It is indeed the case with highly accomplished Yogis who live directly on sunlight and air.

But can we ordinary people do likewise ? Absolutely not ! However, ancient Rishis and Seers in Hinduism have revealed mantras that can help mankind in various ways. The Gayatri mantra has 24 letters corresponding to the 24 vertebrae of the spine. The backbone is what provides support and stability to our body. Similarly, the Gayatri mantra brings stability in our intellect. The chanting of Gayatri mantra sharpens the intellect and brightens the memory. A new mirror reflects clearly, but over time, dust gathers and it needs cleaning. Similarly, our mind becomes tainted with time, the company that we keep, the knowledge we receive and our latent tendencies. When we chant the Gayatri mantra, it is like deep cleansing, so that the mirror (the mind) reflects in a better way. Through the mantra, the inner glow is kindled, the inner plane is kept alive. One gains brilliance in both the inner and outer worlds.

The Gayatri mantra in Devanagari:

ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यं भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात् ॥

In IAST:

Oṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ tat savitur vareṇyaṃ bhargo devasya dhīmahi dhiyo yo naḥ prachodayāt

– Rigveda 3.62.10

Meaning of Gayatri Mantra:

"We meditate on the glory of that Being who has produced this universe; may She enlighten our minds"

The ideal time to chant is the transitory hours of dawn and dusk. The times when the sun has set but it is neither dark nor light and when the night has passed and the day is yet to begin. In these moments, the mind also enters an altered state of consciousness.  However, you can chant it anytime as per your wish. One must sit down in a peaceful place and keep his spine straight and chant at least 108 times daily to get benefits. This much amount of practice is minimum to notice the benefits. Always chant with faith, devotion and sincerity. 

Pictorially, the Gayatri Mantra is represented as a female Deity i.e. Goddess Gayatri. She is portrayed as the female form of the Light of the Sun. The Light itself denotes the wisdom that enlightens the soul.

Some well known benefits of Gayatri Mantra
  • Improves concentration and learning
  • Removes toxins from the body
  • Improves breathing and functioning of the nervous system
  • Keeps your heart healthy and removes the negativity
  • Calms the mind
  • Reduces stress and anxiety
If you are student, your intellect will get sharpened and also will your memory improve. Businessmen and professionals will make better and clearer decisions. If you are in the field of art, creativity, beauty, aesthetics, you will see that Gayatri Mantra chanting will give you new inspirations, novel insights and unique ideas in your field. Sportsmen will develop greater stamina and endurance capability. Researchers and scientists will see a marked difference in their accomplishments.

Here is a video to listen the Gayatri Mantra.


Click here to listen Gayatri Mantra

Watch this article in video format as below:




So what are you waiting for ! Start chanting the Gayatri Mantra right away and evolve yourself in your field of action and achieve success!

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Ma Jivdani - The Divine Mother



On the northern side of Mumbai city, lies a distant suburb called Virar. This little suburb is blessed with the presence of Ma Jivdani-The Divine Mother. Jivdani Mata is a Hindu Goddess. The main temple of the goddess is situated atop a hill, almost 1500 feet from the sea-level. The Goddess rests in a temple situated about 1465 steps above the ground on a hill  which offers a very picturesque view of Virar and its vicinity. During the nine days of the Navratri festival many followers visit the shrine.

The temple has an ancient history. The legendary heroes of the epic Mahabharata, the Pandavas had visited this place and worshipped Ma Jivdani in the cave housed by the present times temple. Slowly, with the passage of time and advent of Buddhism in that area, people soon forgot about the cave and eventually stopped going there. The Mother was totally ignored there. After many years, due to the blessings of the mighty and great Adi Shankaracharya, Hinduism again took roots in India. One day, a villager was miraculously guided to the lost and forgotten cave of Ma Jivdani. He was blessed with the vision of the Goddess who granted him many boons. The villager brought the good news to the whole village and soon the temple regained its prominence. Till this day, Ma Jivdani is visited by thousands of devotees everyday.

The Mother fulfils the wishes and prayers of Her devotees. Many childless couples have become parents with Her blessings, the sick have been healed and the poor have become wealthy. Restless souls have gained peace of mind while unhappy ones have been blessed with joy and prosperity. People from all faiths and religions visit Ma Jivdani and get Her blessings. The visit to the temple itself is a blessed experience. Anyone can easily feel the presence of Divine Power within the temple. The Mother's idol is made of white marble and devotees praying to Her feel She is actually present there and listening to them as their real life mother.

The temple is open on all days of the week. There is a cable car facility to go to the temple on the hill. So people who cannot climb the steps, can easily reach the Mother through the cable car. 

We strongly recommend you to visit the temple of Ma Jivdani and experience yourself the Divine atmosphere in the temple. You simply cannot miss the presence of the compassionate and powerful Mother over there.

Watch the article in video format below:







Dr. Hansa Yogendra - Director of The Yoga Institute in Mumbai



Dr. Hansa Yogendra (born 1947) is an Indian yoga guru, author and researcher and TV personality. She is director of The Yoga Institute in Mumbai, founded by her father-in-law Shri Yogendra. She holds a degree in Law from the Government Law College, Mumbai. She received a PhD. from The Open International University for Complementary Medicines in February 2018.
She hosts a YouTube Channel called The Yoga Institute. The link is given below.



There are many wonderful videos on wellness and general life which are short and simple. Dr. Hansa herself presents the contents. One can watch these videos in leisure time and gain valuable information and tips to lead a happy and healthy life.

Below are certain topics covered in her channel.
  1. How to detox your intestine (colon) through natural home remedies? 
  2. Simple home remedies to prevent hair loss 
  3. Yoga to Cure Sinusitis Problems
  4. Yoga & You: How to stop negative thinking
  5. Mistakes to avoid while drinking water 
  6. Pranayamas to relieve acidity
  7. Simple home remedies to prevent hair loss
  8. 5 Best Mudra's for Total Wellness
  9. The Right Position to Sleep Peacefully at Night
  10. Best Tips to Get Rid of Piles Permanently 
There are many other topics on various problems that are covered beautifully by Dr.Hansa. Do visit the channel and enrich your life with right knowledge and its application.

Green Tara Mantra


Mantra Chanting brings immense spiritual and physical benefits. Mantra is basically a series of words which helps release certain powers within you on chanting the same as per the prescribed process. It can help you attain your spiritual goal and also can be used for physical, mental and emotional health purposes. Mantras originated in the Vedic tradition of India, becoming an essential part of the Hindu tradition and a customary practice within Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism. Its literal translation would be "instrument of thought". 

Here I specifically recommend chanting of Green Tara Mantra as practiced by Buddhists. During the Corona pandemic, His Holiness the Dalai Lama — when asked for spiritual advice on the pandemic — suggested that chanting the Green Tara mantra could be helpful.

Tara is a female Buddha. She is the Goddess of compassion and the Mother of liberation. She manifests Her various energies as per Her colors. Green is the universal color of healing, regeneration, and growth. It is also the color of vibrant energy and activity. Green Tara therefore manifests healing energy, vibrancy, playfulness and activity.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama mentioned this about Tara:

"There's a true feminist movement in Buddhism that relates to the Goddess Tara…She vowed, 'I've developed bodhicitta as a woman. For all my lifetimes along the path I vow to be born as a woman, and in my final lifetime when I attain Buddhahood, then, too, I will be a woman."

Heal and rejuvenate yourself by chanting the Green Tara Mantra. 

The Mantra is " Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha".  

It means “I prostrate to the Liberator, Mother of all the Victorious Ones.” 



By chanting the Green Tara Mantra, we invoke Tara's power and grace to  protect us from danger, fear and bring within us compassion and selflessness. 

Guidelines for chanting Green Tara Mantra:
  1. Have a bath and wear clean washed clothes
  2. Make an altar with a picture or statue of Green Tara
  3. Light an oil lamp and incense to the Mother. Offer Her some fresh flowers.
  4. Sit in front of the altar on a mat. Don't wear shoes.
  5. Silently say a small prayer to Green Tara for blessing you
  6. Start chanting the Green Tara Mantra. You can do soft chanting or do it mentally.
  7. Chant at least 108 times. You can choose to chant more if you wish. But do it in multiples of 108.
  8. Do the above process at least once a day. You can do it 3 times a day too ( morning, afternoon and evening).
  9. Ideally do the mantra chanting everyday at fixed time
  10. Chant with devotion in your heart. Mechanical chanting should be avoided
  11. Surrender yourself to Green Tara and seek refuge in Her
Eventually, after some days you will start seeing the benefits. You will become calmer, happier and stronger than before. Do not stop the practice after you get benefits. Keep following it to sustain the benefits and blessings of Green Tara.

Indigo Children



There is a lot of talk on the "Indigo Children".  We often see, hear and read in media about Indigo or Star children who are special and are doing something for the betterment of the world. To the rationalists, this is pure hoax. But there is big number of believers in the truth of Indigo Children. It is up to your choice and belief to accept or reject the concept of Indigo Children.

An indigo child is especially born in the world for awakening humans spiritually and aid the evolution of world. Indigo children are freethinkers and they can easily see the truth of human conditions. They find it very difficult to live as per norms of mainstream society. This causes them to be often misunderstood, rejected, or misdiagnosed and medicated. They are highly intuitive and have special gifts like ability to see and communicate with spiritual beings. They are primarily responsible for exposing truth and deception. It is easy for indigo children  to see through the illusions, half-truths, and falsehood rife in society.  Unfortunately their parents and teachers find them overly inquisitive, headstrong, and even obnoxious children. It is in the DNA of an indigo child to expose truth.

The world fails to understand them and they are often  misdiagnosed with behavioral issues  and other mood disorders. Their questioning mind and free thinking abilities become bothersome for their schools and society. Some are given medication by doctors which sadly numbs their active minds. This is entirely wrong. The indigo child is simply not understood by the mundane world. 

Parents who feel their child is different should consider assessing him to know if he is an indigo child. Parents of indigo children should help their child through below tips:
  • Help them stay grounded and encourage them to practice mindful breathing
  • Enroll them for yoga and meditation class
  • Teach them to practice emotional acceptance
  • Gradually help them understand the spiritual awakening process 
  • Encourage their creative talent and let them express their visionary ideas.
  • Make the child regularly spend time in nature to unwind and regain balance.
Remember that Indigo Children are special people who are highly developed souls. They will do their work and accomplish the mission they are born for. All you can do is give unconditional support to them and thus collaborate towards betterment of world.

Here is the video version of this article:



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VYASA - The Magnificient Yoga Institution in India


There are many Yoga institutions all over the world. Often people get confused in selecting a good one to learn and practice Yoga. We bring to you information on VYASA which is a very credible and wonderful Yoga institution based at Bangalore, India. If you are interested in learning Yoga or want treatment of diseases or health problems through Yoga, then you must read the below details.

Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana or VYASA is a registered charitable institution (1986) working for making Yoga as a socially relevant Science. Based on the teachings of Swami Vivekananda the four streams of Yoga with unity in their diversity, the key essence of Indian culture, applications of Yoga to bring health, harmony, peace the world over are now spread across the globe in nearly 30 countries.

The mission of VYASA is to combine the best of the East (Yoga and Spiritual lore) with that of the West (modern scientific research). 

Taking into the performance of this Institution in conducting Short Term and Long Term Courses on Yoga S-VYASA is named as a Deemed to be University in India. S-VYASA, the acronym of Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana is a unique Yoga University translating the vision and teachings of Swami Vivekananda to action through academic higher education programs. It is also the First ISO 2001:2008 Certified Yoga University.

S-VYASA is dedicated towards Yoga Research and Yoga Therapy. It has successfully published 284 research papers which have all been indexed in PubMed/Medline. S-VYASA has carried itself as a Centre of Advanced Research (CAR) in Yoga and Neurophysiology accredited by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

S-VYASA is also supported by one-of-its-kind Yoga Therapy Research health Home with a 250-bed inpatient treatment facility called Arogyadhama run by VYASA. This is essentially envisioned to prevent and treat modern non curable diseases, long-term rehabilitation and to promote Positive Health.

S-VYASA now has 114 PhDs, 51 MScs and over 410 students in various branches. It has so far produced 25 PhDs and 21 MDs from our University. S-VYASA and VYASA have their campus 30 Kms away from the center of Bangalore. The campus is called Prashanti Kutiram, the Abode of Peace. Lying in the lap of nature amidst greenery, the campus lies sprawling over 100 acres. The campus is about 14 Kms from the bountiful Bannerughatta National Park.

S-VYASA has an exhaustive Yoga Library with a good collection of 15000 books, videos and books. the digital library has a few thousand on-line journals. S-VYASA has, over the years, standardized such Advanced Yoga techniques as CM (Cyclic Meditation), PET (Pranic Energisation Technique), MSRT (Mind Sound Resonance Technique), MEMT (Mastering the Emotions Technique), MIRT (Mind Imagery Technique), VISAK (Vijnana Sadhana Kausala) and ANAMS (Anandamrita Sincana).

VYASA is efficiently run by two Yoga luminaries namely Dr. H Nagendra who was a scientist at NASA, USA and Dr.(Mrs) Nagratna who has done M.D in Allopathy.  They are siblings and are totally devoted to the cause of serving humanity. 

All your Yoga related requirements will be fulfilled at VYASA.



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Are You a Fringe Dweller ?



Don't get startled with the term "Fringe Dweller" !!! It is not about people living like discarded lot from the main society.  The term Fringe Dweller was first coined by Stuart Wilde.

Stuart Wilde (24 September 1946 – 1 May 2013) was a British writer, lecturer, teacher, humorist, essayist, scriptwriter, lyricist, and music producer. He was well known for his works on New Age, self-empowerment, and spirituality. He wrote many books such as The Taos Quintet: Miracles, The Force, Affirmations, The Quickening, and The Trick to Money is Having Some. He has aptly described as to who are Fringe Dwellers. 

"Fringe Dwellers are people who don't fit the norm. I say they are not hippy revolutionaries living rough, or social weirdoes; the ones I speak of are ordinary people, you can't tell them apart from others. It's their minds that are different. They don't relate to the rules and regulations of the status quo, the rhythms of a tick-tock life leaves them uninspired and listless. "  ~Stuart Wilde

Fringe Dwellers are aligned to the energy of the universe, and their pulses beat in time with Mother Earth.  A Fringe Dweller feels that he is on the wrong planet ! He doesn't lead his life from his head. He leads his life from his heart.  He feels separate himself from the main society. Yet he feels strongly connected with all the entities in the world. For Fringe Dweller, possessing money or wealth is insignificant. For him,  only that much money is important that is required to live. It is very difficult for a Fringe Dweller to fit into any system. He will always challenge the norms of the system and strive to make sense out of it. In this endeavor, he helps upgrading the system.  For a Fringe Dweller, the entire Universe is a concoction of various types of energies.

If you wonder whether you are a Fringe Dweller or not then check for these signs. If you are having these characteristics, then in all likelihood, you are indeed a Fringe Dweller !
  1. Since childhood stage itself, you started feeling that you are different from others. 
  2. You strongly empathize with the pain of others.
  3. You always know within that there is something more to this world and life.
  4. You find the normal routine of life boring and questionable.
  5. You always think creatively and out of the box.
  6. You love spending time alone with your own self.
  7. You repeatedly find lot of coincidences happening in your life.
  8. You have a strong appetite towards learning and knowing various spiritual teachings.
  9. You find it extremely difficult to fit into a normal job routine.

Tarot


Tarot cards are highly popular in making readings for future situations or events. In fact Tarot cards are used to assess current and past situations too. It is a very simple and inexpensive way to know the future. Tarot card reading is the practice of using tarot cards to gain insight into the past, present or future by formulating a question, then drawing and interpreting cards. There are many kinds of Tarot decks available. The best one is Rider-Waite tarot deck. It was originally published in 1909. While the images displayed in the cards  are simple, the details and backgrounds feature abundant symbolism.  There are total 78 cards out of which 22 are major arcana cards and remaining 56 are called minor arcana cards. The major arcana cards depict a principle whereas the minor arcana cards throw light on outcome or event. The minor arcana cards are of 4 types namely wands, swords, pentacles and cups. Each group represents an element. The power stands for fire, swords for air, cups for water and pentacles for earth. A querent has to shuffle the cards and then pull out cards with the intent to know the answer from cards. The cards pulled out from the deck give a fairly good indication of the answer. There are various types of card spreads depending upon the need. For short term predictions, there is a 3 card spread. For long term predictions there is Celtic Cross spread. One can also pull out just one card for knowing the day's prediction or for  a new project being undertaken. One interprets the cards as per generally understood meaning of the card as well as through his subjective intuitive ability.

There are various books and online courses to learn Tarot readings. Choose the same as per your inner voice. It takes at least 2 years of practicing Tarot to truly start understanding its power. It is like attuning yourself with the cards and then the cards will start talking with you. Always remember that the Tarot cards are not any magic. They are simply like words of a language. You just need to learn the language. Don't overtly depend on Tarot. These cards are meant to serve you and not vice-versa. Be practical in your approach to use. You cannot ask Tarot to tell you if you pass in your exams without studying or without appearing it for the same ! There has to be something being done by you and only then you should use Tarot to guide you. You should not do Tarot readings for another person without his permission. It is unethical and harmful for you. Tarot is a gift and should be used wisely and for right purpose only. You should not  gamble or buy lottery ticket and use Tarot readings to tell you the outcome. This is simply not right. Be industrious, moral and ethical in your life.

Buy your own Tarot cards deck and use it respectfully. Don't make Tarot readings a fun activity. It has to be used in the right spirit. Once you learn and start practicing Tarot readings, a whole new world will open to you.

A Beautiful Mind (2001 film)


How many of you have heard about Game theory ? I am sure very few know about it. Game theory has a wide range of applications, including psychology, evolutionary biology, war, politics, economics, and business. Despite its many advances, game theory is still a young and developing science. John Forbes Nash Jr. (June 13, 1928 – May 23, 2015) was an American mathematician who made fundamental contributions to game theory. John Nash is the only person to be awarded both the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences and the Abel Prize.


So most of you will wonder how is this relevant to you ? Well, you may not realize this but your life is influenced heavily by the concepts of Game Theory. John Nash, has therefore made a significant contribution to your daily life. If you want to know about John Nash, then simply watch the movie made in the year 2001, A Beautiful Mind. This movie grossed over $313 million worldwide and won four Academy Awards.

In 1947, John Nash arrives at Princeton University for studying mathematics. He meets fellow math and science graduate students. Determined to publish his own original idea, Nash is inspired when he and his classmates discuss how to approach a group of women at a bar. Nash argues that a cooperative approach would lead to better chances of success, and develops a new concept of governing dynamics. He publishes an article on his theory, earning him an appointment at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). 

In 1953, Nash is invited to the Pentagon to crack encrypted enemy telecommunications, which he manages to decipher mentally. Bored with his regular duties at MIT, including teaching, he is recruited by the mysterious William Parcher of the United States Department of Defense with a classified assignment: to look for hidden patterns in magazines and newspapers to thwart a Soviet plot. Nash becomes increasingly obsessive in his search for these patterns, delivering his results to a secret mailbox, and comes to believe he is being followed.

One of his students, Alicia Larde, asks him to dinner, and they fall in love. On a return visit to Princeton, Nash runs into Charles and his niece, Marcee. With Charles' encouragement, he proposes to Alicia and they marry. Nash fears for his life after surviving a shootout between Parcher and Soviet agents, and learns Alicia is pregnant, but Parcher forces him to continue his assignment. While delivering a guest lecture at Harvard University, Nash tries to flee from people he thinks are Soviet agents, led by psychiatrist Dr. Rosen, but is forcibly sedated and committed to a psychiatric facility.

Dr. Rosen tells Alicia that Nash has schizophrenia and that Charles, Marcee, and Parcher exist only in his imagination. Alicia backs up the doctor, telling Nash that no "William Parcher" is in the Defense Department and takes out the unopened documents he delivered to the secret mailbox. Nash is given a course of insulin shock therapy and eventually released. Frustrated with the side effects of his antipsychotic medication, he secretly stops taking it and starts seeing Parcher and Charles again.

In 1956, Alicia discovers Nash has resumed his "assignment" in a shed near their home. Realizing he has relapsed, Alicia rushes to the house to find Nash had left their infant son in the running bathtub, believing "Charles" was watching the baby. Alicia calls Dr. Rosen, but Nash accidentally knocks her and the baby to the ground, believing he's fighting Parcher. As Alicia flees with the baby, Nash stops her car and tells her he realizes that "Marcee" isn't real because she doesn't age, finally accepting that Parcher and other figures are hallucinations. Against Dr. Rosen's advice, Nash chooses not to restart his medication, believing he can deal with his symptoms himself, and Alicia decides to stay and support him.

Nash returns to Princeton, approaching his old rival Hansen, now head of the mathematics department, who allows him to work out of the library and audit classes. Over the next two decades, Nash learns to ignore his hallucinations and, by the late 1970s, is allowed to teach again. In 1994, Nash wins the Nobel Prize for his revolutionary work on game theory, and is honored by his fellow professors. At the ceremony, he dedicates the prize to his wife.

The movie is a marvel to watch as it depicts the life of a great mathematician struggling with his mental health and still managing to sustain his genius talent. There are moments where you feel that John Nash must simply wind up and retire permanently to live a peaceful life with his family. His problems due to schizophrenia are so immense that you feel sorry for him and his family. His wife stands by him determinedly and ultimately John Nash comes out of his mental illness. With some support from his colleague, he slowly crawls back to normal life and sees super success. He is awarded the Nobel Prize in the end. It is almost unbelievable to see him come out as winner in spite of the severe mental illness. The movie gives us hope and reassurance that nothing is impossible to achieve if one is determined for it.  The other dimension of the movie is that it shows you the world of research, academics in big universities and how professionals work in such areas. Focus and dedication is required to succeed in the field of research.

This movie is meant for family view and I encourage it to show it to your school and college going children.

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Who are the Theosophists ?


Theosophy is a spiritual concept that was formed in 1875 in New York, USA. It was founded by Helena Blavatsky who was a Russian and two Americans, Henry Olcott and William Quan Judge. It draws its teachings from Blavatsky's writings and incorporates concepts of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism and Christianity. The term "theosophy" comes from the Greek  word "theosophia", which  which means Divine Wisdom. In Theosophy, there is a belief that there exists an ancient and secretive brotherhood of saints known as the Masters. These Masters have supernatural powers and they are behind the formation of the modern Theosophical movement. They are attempting to revive knowledge of an ancient religion once found across the world and which will again come to eclipse the existing world religions. The most prominent Masters to appear in Theosophical literature are Kuthumi and Morya, with whom Blavatsky claimed to be in contact. Theosophy preaches the existence of a single, divine Absolute. Theosophy teaches that the purpose of human life is spiritual emancipation. It claims that the human soul undergoes reincarnation after death as per Law of Karma. It promotes values of universal brotherhood and social improvement. Theosophy played a significant role in bringing knowledge of South Asian religions to Western countries, as well as in encouraging cultural pride in various South Asian nations.


The Theosophical Society was formed by Blavatsky and Olcott to give an organisational impetus to Theosophy. According to Blavatsky's teachings, many of the world's religions have their origins in a universal ancient religion, a "secret doctrine" that was known to Plato and early Hindu sages and which continues to underpin the center of every religion. Theosophy tended to emphasize the importance of ancient texts over the popular ritual and custom found within various religious traditions. Blavatsky taught that Lord Maitreya would come to Earth as a messianic figure. Her ideas on this were expanded upon by two famous Theosophists, Annie Besant and Leadbeater. They claimed that Maitreya had previously incarnated onto the Earth as Krishna, a figure from Hindu mythology. Besant and Leadbeater claimed that Maitreya would again come to Earth by manifesting through an Indian boy named Jiddu Krishnamurti. They did find this boy and trained him as per principles of Theosophy. But eventually, Jiddu Krishnamurti separated himself from The Theosophical Society and went on to become a famous spiritual philosopher.  

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the Theosophical Society appealed above all to an elite, educated, middle and upper-middle-class people. In India, it played an important role in the Indian independence movement and in the Buddhist revival. The Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi developed much of his interest in Hindu culture after being given a copy of the Bhagavad Gita by two Theosophists. Annie Besant gave full  support for Indian home rule. She also supported home rule for Scotland, Wales, and Ireland.

Prominent scientists who had belonged to the Theosophical Society included the inventor Thomas Edison, the biologist Alfred Russel Wallace, and the chemist William Crookes. Also many writers, artists, painters were drawn towards Theosophy. A considerable amount of literature has been produced on the subject of Theosophy and the Theosophical Society. While many people look upon Theosophy and its works with doubt and credibility, we cannot deny the immense contribution Theosophy has given in influencing great people towards developing a better and humane world. Those interested in knowing more about Theosophy should read following books:

  1.  The Secret Doctrine by Helena Blavatsky

  2. The Key to Theosophy by Helena Blavatsky

  3. The Ocean of Theosophy by William Quan Judge

  4. To Light a Thousand Lamps by Grace F. Knoche

  5. Exploring Theosophy, Published by The Theosophical Society


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