My Hindu Page Comment Blog

The Spiritual Perspective of Fact – It Is As It Is

2010-02-17T22:57:00.000-08:00

How do you see a cup half filled with liquid - is it half empty or half full? I guess this question has been around for such a long time, that it is a cliche. Our trained response will be half-full of course. What if you don't like what is in the cup. Is it okay then to say that the cup is half empty? Or is it heaven forbid!

The crux of the matter is that perspective is a very powerful faculty of our mind. How we understand the world or view it in our mind determines how we act. If we like what is in the cup and decide that it is half full, well then at least we can enjoy that much, though we may be craving for more. If we despise what is in the cup, well at least we can console ourself that it is not a full cup of torture! Click Here To Read The Rest of This Insight @ MyHinduPage.org

Yoga Seminar 5: Love, The Essence of Spiritual Power - Part One

2009-08-22T10:52:00.000-07:00

Love is one of the most abundant, easiest felt and easiest stimulated emotion. If you doubt this then observe young children and infants. Unencumbered by subconscious conditioning and limits infants and young children are full of love. They glow in it, and as much as we love children, in most cases, they have more love to give us than we have to give them. Children are so full of love that they can barely contain themselves as it flows out of them as their enthusiasm, exuberance and their ability to forgive. As they grow older children limit the spontaneity of their love based on their observation of life around them and what they are thought.

Click Here To Read the Contents of This Yoga Seminar on Love.

The Hindu View of Organ Donation

2009-07-16T09:53:00.000-07:00

On July 14 2009, I was invited as a panelist in forum organized by the Nilai University College during its Ribbon Week. The Ribbon Week is an event initiative by the college to increase awareness in Malaysia on important health causes. There are four colour coded ribbons that represent:

White Ribbon: Maternal and Child Health

Pink Ribbon: Breast Cancer

Green Ribbon: Organ Donation

Red Ribbon: HIV and AIDS

The forum was to enlighten the public on the various religious points of veiw on the practice of organ donation. There was four of us, a Buddhist monk, a Christian Pastor, A Muslim lecturer and I of course represented Hinduism. Below is the introductory text of my opening for the Hindu Point of View on Organ Donation.

In my years of Hindu missionary work in Malaysia and abroad I have not encountered a situation where a Hindu leader or guru has forbidden organ donation or organ transplanting. However, no authority in Hinduism has come up with guidelines for this relatively new innovation in medical care. (Relative from the the point of view of human history). In general organ donation is considered the personal choice of an individual.

Click Here to continue Reading This Article.

Part Three: Disicpline - Willpower's Pace Setter

2009-07-09T10:25:00.000-07:00

Amongst the 3D's (Desire, Determination and Discipline), discipline is the most simple element. Essentially it is following through on a plan. In fact, discipline does not play any role in either the cause (the role of desire) or stimulation (the role of determination) of willpower. Discipline, interestingly enough, is used to reign in willpower. However for any project to be successful, discipline is as important as the other 'Ds'. Disciplines main role is managing the powerful force of willpower. Before we get into the important subject of managing willpower, it is important that I share the spiritual understanding of discipline.

Click Here To Continue Reading the Contents of this Seminar

Q & A: Why did God make us intelligent?

2009-06-10T11:58:00.000-07:00

Well the questions above is not exactly what my young friend Arulmoli asked. I paraphrased it for the title of this QnA. Here is Arul's original question:

The basic needs of men is food, and shelter. So, why are men given such a powerful mind to create so many great things like machines. Do men actually need all these things to live ..... no. Then why are we such an advance creation by god ? We should have just been monkeys.

This question came to Arul out of his enthrallment after viewing the trailer for the upcoming Transformer movie. I saw the trailer with Arul, it was impressive to say the least, especially how computer graphics have evolved over the recent years. Arul's question seemed appropriate. Click Here to continue with this QnA.

The Laws That Govern Life

2009-06-04T10:11:00.000-07:00

The Laws That Govern Life

God created all the worlds and endowed them with laws to govern them. These laws govern everything from nature to the consequences of our actions and our perspective. Among the spiritual laws that govern life, three play the most prominent part in our life. They are maya, karma and anava.

Click Here to Continue Reading this Hindu Philosophy Lesson

Yogic Personal Development Seminar 2: Willpower Pt.1

2009-06-04T10:08:00.000-07:00

Part One: Desire, Willpower's Energy Generator

Seminars Two, Three and Four of the Yogic Personal Development Seminars are dedicated to the study of willpower. Willpower is a most crucial element in making all things happen in life whether they be for material or spiritual purposes. Willpower is comprised of three faculties and states of mind. They are desire, determination and discipline. In this first part, Desire is subject of exploration.

Click Here to Continue Reading Part One: Seminar on Willpower

The Recession from a Spiritual Perspective

2009-06-04T10:03:00.000-07:00

I thought I would meditate on the current economic downturn to gain an inner perspective on this global situation. An inner perspective is looking at something from the 'inside out' as my guru used to say. The 'inside out' perspective is a meditative perspective. It can reveal surprising information and insight into a subject or situation that would otherwise escape us, as this perspective draws directly for the Omniscience of God.

Click Here to Continue Reading this Article.

The Gayatri Mantra

2009-05-19T09:49:00.000-07:00

The Gayatri Mantra

The Gayatri mantra is a popular Vedic mantra. Gayatri is the mythical goddess of dawn. She represents the Sun as it rises. This mantra is a supplication to God to help us in our life. The Gayatri mantra is described in the Vedas to be used in a ceremony called the sandhya vandanam. Sandhya vandanam is performed in the morning as the first prayer after one bathes. In the old days people went to the rivers or the large temple water tanks for their bath. After their bath and before leaving the river (or any body of water) devotees will perform sandhya vandanam. The Vedas give these instructions on how to perform sandhya vandanam:

Standing knee deep in water while facing the rising sun, water is collected with both palms together. Then the while chanting the Gayatri mantra the water is slowly poured back into the river. This is repeated three times.

Click here to learn more about the Gayatri mantra and how to chant it.

Can women chant the Gayatri mantra?

2009-05-19T09:47:00.000-07:00

Can women chant the Gayatri mantra?

A friend asked:

Why is there controversy over whether females can recite the Gayatri? Also, why do some people believe that you must have a "pure" body to recite the Gayatri i.e you must not eat meat, etc?

I am asking because I had discussed with a Hindu priest at the temple here that I like the Gayatri mantra (this was sometime last year) and he seemed to be shocked, and he said that it was not advisable for women to chant this mantra, and that it has adverse effects if they do. I then Googled it, and there were alot of conflicting information on the Web.

Read my response to this question here.

Flying A Kite

2009-05-06T08:48:00.000-07:00

Kite Flying Isn't As Easy As It Seems

One of my 20009 new year resolutions was to fly a kite. The last time I had flown a kite was maybe 20 years ago. It didn't fare to well at it then. I ran with the kite, it flew and gained altitude quickly but fell to the ground just as quickly when I stopped running. Not enough wind perhaps.

This time around, I was at a beach. With my more mature understanding of the science of upwind and downwind, this time I was sure to succeed at getting the kite up. I was with my friends and their family in the island of Pangkor off the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It was a holiday get together but I took the opportunity to have fun with teaching yoga to my enthusiastic young students, children of my friends. I wasn't planning on the fulfilling my kite flying commitment but Kala had bought a kite for her kids to try it out.

Click Here To Continue Reading this Article

The Hidden Worlds

2009-04-29T04:43:00.000-07:00

All religions teach about places we go to after death. Scriptures describe the two main places we may enter as heaven and hell. Heaven is a beautiful and divine place and a place where only righteous people live together with angelic beings and God. All things good and enjoyable are experienced in Heaven. It is a blissful place free from suffering. Hell on the other hand is a dark place. A place of torment, pain and suffering. The company in hell consists of those who lived sinful lives on Earth. It is obviously a place to avoid. This is generally used as a motivation by many religions to persuade its followers to live by the tenants of their religion and to do good to earn their place in heaven. According to Hinduism sum of the quality of our actions on Earth determine whether we go to heaven or hell.

Continue Reading This Hindu Philosophy Lesson Here

Guided Meditation: Internal Worship

2009-04-28T01:08:00.000-07:00

This guided meditation is based on Pusalar’s story. When parents or teachers teach children this meditation, the parent or the teacher should instruct the children on what to do mentally as they sit in meditation. This meditation can be done in the temple or in the home shrine after ceremonial prayers. If you are doing this meditation in a children’s class, then it would be good to start with devotional hymns or songs to get everyone into a sublime mood.

Click Here to Learn the Steps of this Guided Meditation

Questions on Hindu Philosophy

2009-04-28T01:02:00.000-07:00

• 9 Common Questions on Hinduism
• 5 Unique Questions on Hinduism
• Apostasy in Hinduism?
• Questions About God
• Questions About The Vedas
• Questions About Hindu History

Click here to read the MyHinduPage, Hindu Lessons, Questions and Answers Section.

Welcome to Hindu New Year 5111 Virodhin

2009-04-11T07:32:00.000-07:00

Between Mid March and Mid April, different ethnic communities celebrate their New Years. For instance on March 29th the ethnics of Karnataka, Andhra Pradhesh, Sindhi and Maharashtra celebrate their New Years. The Telugu and Kannada people call it Ugadhi, whille Marathis call it Gudi Padwa. On April 13th or April 14th, the Tamils celebrate Puthandu, Malayalees, Vishu, Punjabis Vaishaki and Bengalis Bohaag Bihu. These vary new year days however share a common origin, which is Astrological.

In the Hindu Astrological system, Jyothisha, April 13/14 in the Gregorian (Western) calendar is the day when the Sun will have come full circle around the 12 zodiacs and restart the cycle in the traditional zodiac number one, that is Mesha, or Aries.

The differing dates among the different Indian Hindu communities reflect legends or important historical events of the community, such as the day God began His cycle of creation or the coronation day of an influential King of the community.

As with all new years, the Hindu New Year is a time of review and renewal. Traditionally households will spring clean their homes, wear new clothes and attend the temple at the crack of dawn for special prayers.

Continue reading this article on the Hindu New Year here.

Starving for Peace

2009-03-27T10:57:00.000-07:00

Fasting for Peace

Fasting, as a spiritual practice is common among Hindus. Many Hindus fast weekly or as an observance during certain festivals. It is also a common practice to forsake meals as non-confrontational or non-violent protest against injustice or cruelty. Mahatma Gandhi for instance fasted numerous times during his campaign for an independent India, though not to protest the British government, but instead as atonement whenever his followers became violent in their campaigns. A couple of times he fasted almost to the brink of death, and only ended his fasts when his followers renounced violence.

Early this year a group of eight Tamil youth in America, touched by the tragedy befalling innocent civilians in Sri Lanka, decided that they had to do something. They called themselves, People for Equality and Relief in Lanka (PEARL) and came up with a campaign to fast 10,000 meals collectively as act of solidarity for all those suffering in the Sri Lankan conflict.

Click here to continue reading this article.

Q & A: What is Deja Vu, and Why Does it Occur

2009-03-26T09:15:00.000-07:00

Shyamini Questions:

Situation: You go trough life each day as it is.. somehow, sometimes during conversations had, you feel like you've already heard about a certain piece of news or information or story before this that's just been revealed when in truth, nobody has breathed a single word about it to you before this... not even the media! When you tell the others around you that you've heard about it before this or that the particular info is on the stale side, they give you a weird look and try to overlook this matter. This situation has occurred numerous times in my life. Sometimes i feel weird all around. Sometimes... just plain freaked out. In other words, its like we are having a conversation about a certain topic (that isn't necessarily covered by the media of course!) when suddenly, i feel like i've heard this particular conversation before. Word by word you feel like you're replaying the conversation for real...

Question: What does the above situation signify?
: How does 1 know if he/she is a reborn soul?
: How do you interpret dreams?

After my initial response, Shyamini replied asking for clarification on some of my answers. Her further questions are below. My posted response below will cover all the questions.

Shyamini Queries further:

Moving on to the questions I asked earlier. For the 1st one, u said it was dejavu and that 'we are able to see our near future based on karmas currently sprouting and prepare mentally for them'.
My question(s) this time is:
- How are we able to do so?
- What role does the karma play in this?

As for the third question i posted earlier, you wrote that 'Spiritual advice is that you don't linger on dreams and instead concern yourself with normal life'.
My next question is this:
-How can you just concern yourself with normal life, when you know some of these dreams replays itself from time to time?
- What if these 'dreams' involve real life people you know?

Click here to read the response

My Hindu Colouring Book

2009-03-22T09:12:00.000-07:00

Hindu Children's Corner Content

My Hindu Colouring Book

My Hindu Colouring Book contains 47 panes of pictures for colouring covering Hindu subjects:

• Hindu God's, Mahadevas and Symbols

• Saint Auvaiyar's Aathi Soodhi Advice

• Puja Items

• Worship At Home

• Hindu Culture

• Musical Instruments

• Hindu Temple and

• Hindu Saints

The 47 panes are presented in 10 printable A4 sized pdf documents. Click here or on the title to go to My Hindu Colouring Book's download page.

Apostasy in Hinduism?

2009-03-12T10:13:00.000-07:00

Apostasy in Hinduism?

Recently a student from a college approached MyHinduPage to present the Hindu view of apostasy. It will be part of a research paper which deals with the interpretation of apostasy in different religions. Below are the questions and my reply to them.

1) Who/ What do you consider an apostate?

The concept of apostasy is not existent in Hinduism. I must note that Hinduism is not a religion. It is actually a family of different persuasions or sects that share similarities in belief and origin that have been grouped under the umbrella called Hinduism.

However, even among the sects of Hinduism there is no such thing as apostasy. A Hindu may change his or her sectarian views as one wishes, and formally enter one sect or another without need for excommunication or a declaration of apostasy.

The reason there is no such thing as apostasy in Hinduism is because of the belief that there is One Supreme God who is the God of all religions. Despite what people of other religions think, Hindus belief that we are all praying to the same God, Who appears in different forms. Therefore, even if one gives up Hindu practices and enters another religion, say Christianity, it does not mean that that person is 'leaving' God. He is still considered faithful to God, but simply worshipping and believing in God in a way more intune with his or her nature.

If there is anything remotely close to apostasy in Hinduism, it would be the recognition of atheism. Hinduism acknowledges atheistic beliefs as part of the spiritual evolution of the soul. Because of this, Hinduism recognizes atheism as a path of life. Yet a person may still continue following all the practices of Hinduism, even temple worship from a strictly cultural point of view, but maintain an atheistic point of view. However even in such a grey scenario of apostasy, excommunication is not necessary.

Click Here to Continue Reading this Article

Questions on The Colour Meditation

2009-03-10T11:48:00.000-07:00

The colour meditation is a meditation technique that is explained in the Meditation Video Tutorial playlist No. 9. Recently I received an email from a MyHinduPage reader, Mr. Mandar, who has been practicing the colour meditation, with some questions and description of his experiences. I am including excerpts of his email, with his permission, and my response to him as I believe it will be helpful, especially the description of his experiences, for others who are practicing this meditation technique.

Click Here to Read the Q & A on the Colour Meditation.

Moksha – An Arcade Style Hindu Based Game

2009-03-10T11:41:00.000-07:00

Last month, I received an email with a request to review a game called Moksha. Initially when I saw the email I thought the game was probably one that was (as is mostly the case) some kind of game that was named moksha simply for the sake of novelty. There are many games out there that have Hindu philosophical words such as avatar, karma or maya, but have really nothing to do with the actual concept of these words except perhaps for some really far fetched connection to the concept. However, with Moksha - The Game I was pleasantly surprised, because the game actually teaches the concept of moksha.

The game is not sophisticated graphically, compared to what you can find out there in this multi billion dollar industry. The controls are rudimentary, the basic move right and left, move up and down and shoot to destroy obstacles. It is after all an arcade style game. The main character of the game is you, the player. Your main goal is to become free of the cycle of reincarnation on earth (the meaning of moksha) and reunite with God, which occurs after you have gone through all of the game levels and successfully answered the quizzes on Hindu teachings at the end of each level. Before you attempt the quizzes the teachings are presented after end of each level.

Click here to read the rest of this review and for more information on Moksha - The Game.

Question on Widowhood in Hinduism

2009-03-10T01:08:00.000-07:00

The Position of Widows in Hinduism

Recently, I received a question from a concerned Mr. Bala regarding the position of widows in Hinduism. Unfortunately, there are a lot of negative misconceptions on this issue which leads to needless pain and misplaced disdain in the society. Below are excerpts from his email and my response.

Bala wrote:

"Radhe Krishna,

Namaskaram Swami,

I would like to know why widows are not allowed to do any pujas or activities in the temple. For example: Doing aarathi, they say only sumangali (explained in my response) only can do it…"

"Recently I went to the temple for some special puja, after all the puja finished the gurukkal (priest) asked for three sumangalis to perform aarati, then came three ladies to perform the aarati, of which one of them is a widow. Immediately one of the ladies told her that she cannot do the aarati because she is a widow, later arguements broke out.

I was very upset about the incident, more over it happened in a temple. The worst thing is that the widow cursed the other lady saying that she will also be a widow one day."

Click Here Read my Response

Atma - Our Soul

2009-03-07T10:42:00.000-08:00

Atma - Our Soul

Religion seems to have all the answers doesn't it. All the mysteries of life can be answered by religion. For instance to the question 'Who am I?' The answer is the most unobvious. It's not our body nor who we think we are or whom we call ourselves. Instead it is this indestructible, intangible part of ourselves that is the soul. This soul was created by God, religion's doctrines state, and it is unaffected by death, disease or destruction. It is ever pure.

If not for the fact that all these qualities of the soul can be experienced, one could conclude that this is an escapist theory, trying to distract us from the realities (especially the harsh realities) of life.

Yes! We can experience our soul. From personal experience I can tell you that when I experienced my soul for the first time, it created a paradigm shift in the way I perceived my life. I felt complete and an unfading feeling of fulfillment started to take hold within me. I felt an affinity with the my guru and all those sages and rishis who spoke so loftily about the realities of life. Finally, I understood, and I could share the same sense of profoundness about life. It is an amazing experience to touch into the atma.

The atma is that part of us that is immortal, the Life of our lives as my guru used to say. The atma has a discernable form like our other bodies though it is made of spiritual elements. It is the deepest of five bodies or sheaths of existence within us. Click here to continue reading the Hindu Philosophy Lesson on Atma - Our Soul.

Thaipusam

2009-01-29T10:56:00.000-08:00

Thaipusam

Thaipusam is a festival to celebrate two important events in Hindu mythology. The first is the anniversary when Lord Murugan received the Vel from His Mother, . The second event is the day that danced the and revealed His form of to the , sages and priests gathered at the hallowed Shiva temple of Chidambaram in . Thus Thaipusam is celebrated in both Sivan and Murugan temples, though Thaipusam is more popular as a Murugan festival. Thaipusam is a one day festival which usually falls on the last week of January or beginning of February.

Hindu Prayers

2009-01-29T10:51:00.000-08:00

Hindu Prayers are a collection of mantra and devotional songs that you can learn and teach others, especially children. The meanings of these prayers and how and when best to say them are explained. You will find prayers in Sanskrit, Tamil and English.

Click Here to learn Hindu Prayers.

The Hindu Names Database

2009-01-13T10:18:00.000-08:00

Share your comments on The Hindu Names Database, Hindu Naming Traditions and Namakarana Samskara - Hindu Naming Ceremony here.

"This is an expanding and comprehensive database of Hindu names. One of the public services of My Hindu Page is to collect contemporary and ancient Hindu names and provide their meanings. Apart from the names, systems of naming in Hinduism, the namakarana samskara (the Hindu name giving ceremony) and other articles related to Hindu names and naming will be included to provide a comprehensive understanding of Hindu naming."

To access The Hindu Names Database and read the articles connected to it Click Here.

ITS WAR! WAR! WAR! FOR THE SAKE OF peace?

2009-01-11T08:45:00.000-08:00

Alright, I have kept silent long enough about this war between Israel and Hamas. Now I've got to say my piece. Though what triggered me to ponder on this issue is not this war, but the Mumbai terrorism incident.

A few days ago I stumbled upon a very disturbing piece of transcript. It is a transcript of a few phone conversations between the Mumbai terrorists and their 'handlers' (as in dog 'handlers') in Pakistan. Here is an excerpt of the most benign part of this conversation.

"*Mumbai terrorist: *Greetings! What did the major-general say?
*Pakistan caller:* Greetings. The major-general directed us to do what we
like. We should not worry. The operation has to be concluded tomorrow
morning. Pray to God. Keep two magazines and three grenades aside, and
expend the rest of your ammunition."

Click Here to continue Reading this article.

Thaiponggal / Makar Sankaranti

2009-01-10T10:43:00.000-08:00

Thaiponggal is a three to five day thanks giving festival celebrated in the second week of January, usually January 14th or 15th. The period marks the northward progression of the sun (uttarayana) after the winter solstice. It is a day of thanks giving to Mother Earth and the Sun, on which crops that provide food and commerce depend. This festival is celebrated throughout India. In the northern Indian states it is Makar Sankaranti, in Andhra Pradesh, Pedda Panduga. In the states where the holy Ganga river flows it is called Gangasagar Mela. It is considered very auspicious to dip in the purifying waters of the Ganga during this festival. In Tamilnadu it is Thaiponggal.

Click Here to continue reading this article about Thaiponggal / Makar Sankaranti.

Five Unique Questions on Hinduism

2009-01-07T01:22:00.000-08:00

Continuation of Q & A Presentation. 2008 Scott Road Kandaswami Temple, Kuala Lumpur, Hindu Youth Camp.

1. What is Bhakti Yoga?
2. Who created Hinduism and the Vedas?
3. Is it a must to follow the rules of the religion to the letter?
4. Talking to God, does it help?
5. If we adopt a few religions in doing various activities, is it wrong?

Click here to read the answers to these questions.

Nine Common Questions on Hinduism

2009-01-07T01:19:00.000-08:00

Last month (December 08) I presented and answered nine common questions about Hinduism to a group of youth attending a Hindu camp in the Scott Road (Brickfields) Kandaswami Temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malalysia. This lecture weaves in a number of common questions asked in Hinduism. After I had finished this presentation, I the youth the opportunity to ask their questions.

Quick Links to the Questions: Are there many Gods in Hinduism? Are Hindu Gods married? Are we idol worshippers? Is there a Hindu Bible? Why do we worhsip cows? Must we be vegetarian? What is karma? Do we believe in reincarnation? Why do we wear the 'pottu'?

Click Here to Read the Questions and Answers

Pondering: My 2009 New Year Resolution

2009-01-02T08:23:00.000-08:00

My 2009, New Year Resolutions

New Years' are great aren't they? From one point of view it is just another day. I mean, January 1, 2009 would be nothing if we decided the new year fell on February 1, 2009.

For me the greatest significance of a new year day (or the eve) is that I review and tie-off the loose ends of the previous period of time we call a year and look to new beginnings. The best part of this is that despite whatever the foercast for next year may be, the eve of a new year and new year day are times of renewed inspiration and celebration. It is a positive time and we reinforce this positivity collectively by wishing all our loved ones and acquaintances a very Happy New Year. Even for those in the midst of tragedy, trials and tribulations, there is, even if it may be only a slightest sliver of a glimmer of hope, it is some hope and positivity nonetheless. Thus it becomes a duty for all of us to wish each other a Happy 2009. This is our collective commitment for this year and let us all join together in prayer and action to see this positivity and inspiration through in our lives.

As usual on New Year's eve and the day, my mobile beeped away with text greetings. Usually after sending the reply, the messages gets trashed. I always thought it a pity, trashing these messages, as many of the them took a lot of thought to compose. So this time around, as I list out my resolutions for this coming 2009 in this the first of the Pondering article, I am going to insert these greetings here and there in an effort to save these greetings for posterity.

"Before the sun sets in this year, before the memories fade, before the networks get jammed. Wish you Happy Sparkling New Year '09."

Click Here to Read the Rest of this article.

Photo Documentary: Varanasi

2008-12-13T09:03:00.000-08:00

The Ganga in Varanasi

The Ganga has become a very special river to me, now that I have been on the it's banks and bathe it in its holy waters. Until this experience I knew the Ganga for its symbolic significance. However, after experiencing the tangible spiritual vibration that this river emanates, it is like no river I have ever experienced in my life.

Since the first time I set my eyes on Mother Ganga, spiritual bliss overwhelmed me. It is the same bliss that I feel when I meditate. However, here, just standing by the river, I can feel this warm spiritual energy emanating from it and resonating within myself. This is a special river, unlike other rivers. It is not merely a grand symbol of Hinduism steeped in mythical lore. The Ganga is a spiritual powerhouse of a way of life that are the Eternal Truths of Life, Sanatana Dharma.

These are my recollections of my journey to Varanasi, one of the most ancient living cities in the world.

Continue Reading this Article

Is Yoga Hindu?

2008-12-08T16:28:00.000-08:00

On Nov. 22 2208, an authoritative national Islamic body in Malaysia issued a decree, or as they call it a 'fatwa,' banning muslims in Malaysia from practicing yoga. A week later a higher council revoked this decree. The rightness or the wrongness of this decree does not concern me. To me, this is a purely islamic affair. As long as it effects only muslims, and does not impinge on the freedoms of non-muslims, particularly in Malaysia, the council can come up with whatever fatwas they see fit.

What interests me more on this issue was the international coverage that this piece of news got and the responses to them. This news even made the CNN World News Headlines. The subsequent rebuttals this news received from some yoga experts in Malaysia and from other parts of the world, claiming that yoga was 'just an exercise,' that it has nothing to do with spirituality, is a misconception that I would like to address in this presentation.

Every exercise system has a goal. If I want to build muscles, I will pump iron. If I want to build stamina, I can jog or get on a tread mill. If I want to stimulate spiritual awareness through exercise, then, I will do hatha yoga.

One may take yoga out of religion but not its inherent spirituality.Yoga is part of Hindu religious tradition and teachings, however yoga itself is a universal practice that is not the monopoly of Hinduism or any other religion.

This is why Hindu gurus have never restricted the teaching or practice of yoga exclusively to Hindus. You will never hear a Hindu guru claim that a student has to be Hindu to learn and practice yoga, or that yoga will only work if the yogi is a Hindu. This universality of yoga comes from the spiritual philosophies behind it.

The word yoga means union. This union refers to the oneness of consciousness that is achieved when a yogi's awareness merges with God. Yoga is a method through which this oneness is achieved.

Click Here to continue reading this article.

On Offering God Meat

2008-10-29T07:52:00.000-07:00

Question: How is it that God accepted Kanappan’s meat offerings? Isn’t it an impure offering?
Answer: Yes, meat is an impure offering to give God. However you must understand that in Kanappan Nayanar’s case, first of all, God responded to his devotion, not the quality of his offerings. The story showcases the greatness of unbridled selfless devotion. It is not meant to give a devotee an excuse to offer meat or animal sacrifice to God. Secondly, Kanappan did not know better. Being born in a community of hunters and forest dwellers, meat was a central part of their diet. Meat was considered the best among foods to them since they lived in conditions where a balanced vegetarian diet may have been difficult to maintain. Thus it is natural for Kanappan, having grown up not knowing the concept of vegetarianism and not schooled in the protocols of temple worship, to offer God meat. To Kanappan this was the best quality food that he knew for offering God at the time.

Click Here to continue with the rest of this Insight.

Forms of Paramatma

2008-10-24T01:20:00.000-07:00

The Many Faces of Paramatma

One God, Many Forms

Dakshinamurthi

Krishna

Lakshmi

Mariamman

Nataraja and Sivakami Sundari

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My Hindu Page Custom Search Engines

2008-10-24T01:07:00.000-07:00

My Hindu Page Custom Search Engines

Taking advantage of Google's Search Capabilities one of the unique services of My Hindu Page is to provide customized search engines. There are three such customized search engines as detailed below.

My Hindu Page Site Search

This Search Engine Searches for results only from MyHinduPage.org . This search engine can be found at the bottom of every page of MyHinduPage.org

The Hindu Search Engine

The Hindu Search Engine is customized to search through only selected Hindu websites. A growing list of websites that are included in this search engine are listed in this Search Engine's dedicated page, that can be accessed by clicking here. If you have a Hindu information or educational website that you would like to include in The Hindu Search Engine please send me an email with the site's URL for review.

My Hindu Page Web Search

My Hindu Page's entire World Wide Web Search is customized with Googles safe search filter and optimized for Hindu Search Keywords. This Search Engine is ideal for safe surfing on the Internet. It can be selected to be your browser's default search page by entering this URL: http://www.safesearch.myhindupage.org in your Browser's Home Page in its Preferences or Properties, or this Search Engine can be Bookmarked at its dedicated page (Click Here).

Meditaion Video Tutorial

2008-10-24T00:28:00.000-07:00

Meditation Video Tutorial:

1. Introduction - The Desire to Meditate

Synopsis: Video opening collage, Dualities - The Nature of Life, The Desire to Meditate.

2. Introduction - The Five Bodies (1)

Synopsis: The five bodies: The Physical Body, The Pranic Body, The Astral Body and the Mental Body. The Soul Body the fifth body is in the next segment.

3. Introduction - The Five Bodies (2)

Synopsis: The five bodies: The Soul Body.

Click Here to view the entire Meditation Video Tutorial @ MyHinduPage.

Meditation - Dhyana - Directory

2008-10-24T00:22:00.000-07:00

Meditation / Dhyana Lessons Content

The true state of Meditation is not achieved, rather, it is attained. Meaning the state of meditation comes to us instead of we getting there or getting it. This is Dhyana. It is beyond the basic state of a stress free or a calm mind. It is the state a meditator attains prior to achieving God Realization (Enlightenment). In the yogic system of Ashtanga Yoga that comprises eight progressive steps to God Realization, Meditation or Dhyana is the eight step. It is achievable after much preparation of the body, intellect and emotions. A process where the physical and spiritual energies of these three faculties within ourselves are concentrated and then directed into the core of our being, that is into our immortal soul. In the soul, meditation or dhyana is its natural state of consciousness.

The first entry of Meditation Lessons is a Meditation Video Tutorial that is introduces the Ashtanga Yoga System and gives basic instructions for meditation.

Click Here to go to the Meditation Directory Listing @ MyHinduPage.

Hatha Yoga Video Tutorial

2008-10-23T23:59:00.000-07:00

Hatha Yoga Video Tutorial:

Surya Namaskaram & The Chakra Asana Series

1. Introduction To Hatha Yoga

Synopsis: Benefits of Hatha Yoga, History and Spiritual Science behind It.

2. Hatha Yoga Practice Guidelines

Synopsis: Practice Guidelines and Diaphragmatic Breathing

3. Surya Namaskaram

Synopsis: Steps of doing Surya Namaskaram, the Hatha Yoga warmup exercise.

Click here to view the entire Hatha Yoga Video Tutorial

Hatha Yoga Lessons Directory

2008-10-23T23:54:00.000-07:00

Hatha Yoga Lessons Content

Hatha Yoga is commonly know as yoga exercises. This ancient form of exercise is part of a Hindu yogic system – Ashtanga Yoga – that ultimately leads an aspirant to God Realization (Enlightenment). In the eight step practices of Ashtanga Yoga, Hatha Yoga is the third step. It is practiced to keep the body healthy and also prepare the body and mind for meditation. Hatha Yoga was therefore designed to keep the body fit as well as to harmonize it with deeper spiritual energies that are inherent within it. In this section of Hindu Lessons, the Hatha Yoga Lessons will start with an entire yoga video tutorial. Later more specialized lessons will be created including, Hatha Yoga for beginners, for the elderly, stress busting and so forth.

Click here to go to the Hatha Yoga Lessons Directory @ MyHinduPage.

Yogic Personal Development Seminar One

2008-10-23T23:36:00.000-07:00

Concentration:

The Key to Success in Life's Endeavours

Introduction

What is Yoga? Yoga is Hinduim's personal development program. Literally yoga means to unite, or to become one. In Yoga's context, this union refers to the yogi achieving oneness or uniting his or her consciousness with God. This in fact is the goal of Hindu practice, that is God Realization and the achievement of enlightenment.

According to Hindu philosophy, the soul reincarnates on earth many times for it to gain spiritual evolution, or spiritual growth with each life. The ultimate goal of the soul on Earth is to complete its spiritual evolution and gain liberation from the process of reincarnation. This liberation from rebirth is known as moksha. After moksha our soul lives in the Heavens until we unite with God in Vishvagrasa (total union with God).

Coming back to Yoga, Yoga practices are the practical application of Hinduism that lead to the devotee's achievement of the goals of Hinduism which are God Realization (Samadhi) and Liberation from the cycle of reincarnation (Moksha). In the pursuit of these goals developing concentration is cardinal.

When Yoga is mentioned, most people will generally think of meditation and yoga exercises. Actually, Yoga contains all the practices of Hinduism, including worship, virtous living and scriptural study. Yoga is in fact the science behind Hinduism, while Hindu living is the art of practicing Yoga.

The entirety of the practices of yoga is contained in the system codified by Sage Patanjali in the Patanjali Yoga Sutras more than 2,000 years ago called Ashtanga Yoga. Ashtanga means eight limbs or eight parts. The eight parts of Ashtanga Yoga are 1. Yama; 2. Niyama; 3. Asana; 4.Pranayama; 5.Pratyahara; 6. Dharana; 7. Dhyana; 8. Samadhi.

In this seminar, we are going to focus on 3 parts of Ashtanga Yoga that are most pertinent to developing concentration. They are Asana, Pranayama and Pratyahara.

Asanas are yoga exercises contained in Hatha Yoga. Hatha Yoga is an exercise system that harmonizes the physical body with the spiritual energies within it. When done properly Hatha Yoga is able to remove stress, lethargy and depression from the mind. It is also a form of physical exercise for the body to keep it fit and healthy. When done in sync with breathing techniques and colour visualization related to a particular asana, Hatha Yoga can bring about amazing results in both our body and mind, including enhancement of concentration.

Pranayamas are breathing techniques that effect the state of our mind. It is mainly done to focus the mind into deep states of concentration. There are hundreds of Pranayama techniques that create all sorts of effects from increasing body heat to stimulating the kundalini force. In, and of itself, Pranayama is a very potent practice. Its potentness increases when done after preparing the mind for concentration by doing Hatha Yoga or doing pranayama after prayers.

Pratyaharas are techniques that focus the subconscious mind into a singular purpose. There are many varied techniques in pratyahara to achieve concentration of the subconscious (which is a much more powerful state compared to the concentration of the conscious mind). These techniques include japa yoga, colour meditation and affirmations. Pratyahara techniques aim to clear the mind from cumbersome or negative tendencies that obstruct the ability to concentrate the subconscious. It also works on the causal potential of our life, through auto suggestive techniques such as affirmations to develop a positive future for ourselves.

Click here to continue with this seminar on Concentration.

Yogic Personal Development Seminars Intro

2008-10-23T23:29:00.000-07:00

Yogic Personal Development Seminar Subjects

The Yogic Personal Development Seminars focuses on self-motivation, self-inspiration and self-help subjects, such as Concentration, Time Management, Willpower, The Power of Acceptance and Forgiveness, God Within and God Realized. These seminars are based on teachings and practices contained within Ashtanga Yoga. It pieces together different combinations of Hatha Yoga, meditation and other esoteric yoga practices with the ultimate goal of empowering the participant with the knowledge and practices to help him or her gain mastery over the powerful forces of the body, mind and emotions. It is based on the yogic view that the microcosm within ourselves is ultimately reflected in the macrocosm outside us. Thus using this principle, if we are able to gain control over our body and mind; and manage these effectively we can ultimately mould the life around us to reflect likewise. It is gaining control over the forces of life by working within ourselves and empowering ourselves from inside out.

Click here for the Seminar Subject Listing

The Experience of Parashakti

2008-10-23T20:28:00.000-07:00

Experiencing Parashakti

The experince of Parashakti through savikalpa samadhi requires meditative mastery. However Parashakti being the Life of our life, can also be experiened through non-meditative activities. These experiences are similar to the experience of savikalpa samadhi, though less intense. When we identify these samadhis in our life, we can appreciate just how close and immediate God’s presence is to us. These are blissful and inspiring experiences of Parashakti. Learning to identify these experiences can help us achieve savikalpa samadhi through meditation. Following are four such activities that can lead to savikalpa samadhi.

1. Acts of Devotion, Bhakti: When we perform puja, sing devotional hymns such as bhajans or thevarams, chant mantras, perform japa, our mind becomes naturally concentrated on God. As we lose ourselves in devotion, worldly tensions and worries dissolve from the mind. When this happens we can attain savikalpa samadhi. When we do, we will experience a blissful peace come upon us. It will be inspiring and exhilerating, infusing us with positive feeelings. This is experiencing Parashakti through devotion.

2. Acts of Selfless Service, Daana: When we perform a good deed for someone out of kindness without expectation of reward in return, we are sharing in God’s benevolent nature. Our mind and God’s mind merge at that moment of kindness and we feel a serene sense of joyful fulfilment and upliftment. This is experiencing Parashakti by serving others. This feeling is not to be mistaken for the good feelings we feel as a result of the gratitude from the recepient of our deed; instead the experience of Parashakti is a feeling of satisfaction that comes as we touch into God within us. This is the result of the fulfillment of the compassion that drives us to do acts of kindness. When we perform such selfless acts to family, friends, strangers and even animals we open ourselves to Parashakti.

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The Shivalingam and Its Worship

2008-10-23T20:25:00.000-07:00

The Shivalingam and Its Worship

The Shivalingam (lingam for short) is an ubiquitous representation of God in Hinduism. It is as prevalent a form of worship as is Lord Ganesha. The worship of the lingam can be found in all the sects of Hinduism. Even in the Vaishnava sect, lingam worship is present as Ishwara instead of Shivalingam. In all the other sects of Hinduism the lingam is called Shivalingam.

Shivalingam means the mark of Shiva; lingam means mark or symbol. The Shivalingam or Ishwara represents God in His/Her third Aspect of Parabrahman. In this Aspect God is absolutely transcendent. So transcendent that this Aspect of God is aloof from existence, yet mysteriously connected. The transcendence of Parabrahman limits the experience of Parabrahman to the depths of meditation–in the state of nirvikalpa samadhi. Thus one cannot experience Parabrahman through worship or in ordinary consciousness as one can the other two aspects of God. Yet the Shivalingam is an object of worship. The place for the Shivalingam in worship is more a symbolic reminder to the devotee about his or her ultimate goal of life–that is to Realize God; one gains full realization of God only after realizing God as Parabrahman through nirvikalpa samadhi.

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The Morphogenetic Field Theory

2008-10-23T20:22:00.000-07:00

The Morphogentic Field (M-Field),

Satchitananda Connection

Satchitananda is another name for God's second Aspect of Parashakti. Satchitananda can be described as a field of God's Divine Intelligence, Divine Consciousness and Love that is All-Pervasive. All-Pervasive refers to an attribute of something or substance that exists as a continuous field everywhere and through everything. When one is in touch or in tune with this field of God's energy, he or she will be able to make optimum decisions and leads life with a positive attitude. Most modern 'self-help' techniques that are taught by motivation gurus are the same as spiritual techniques of living life intune with Satchitananda.

In scientific circles too there is beginning to be wider acceptance amongst the community of the existence of an universal and interconnecting field of consciousness or intelligence. This universal field is proposed in the theory of The Morphogenetic Field or the M-field. It was first proposed by scientist-philosopher, Dr. Rupert Sheldrake, in the 1980’s. Essentially it explains that all life forms are connected by some sort of 'intelligent' field through which information can pass from one life form to another, usually of the same species, instantaneously regardless of the distance between them.

This field is used to explain some obvious experiences we encounter that are yet to be explained in mainstream science. For instance we can easily vouch that children of each successive generation pickup faster on new technologies than the generations before them. We can easily surmise that children are more savvy with computers than their parents or grand parents. Research has shown that children instinctively know advances of their previous generations without even being taught. This is obvious in the creation of new languages. It is found in Creole communities, where children who are born to the first and second generation of parents who created Creole languages know how the grammar of the language worked instinctively–that is through some invisible natural process without being taught by another person. (Creole languages are new languages that are created when different communities who speak different languages blend to form a new community.)

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How God Appears

2008-10-23T20:17:00.000-07:00

Appearance of God in the Life of Saints

Hindu Scriptures and biographies of its saints and sages are replete with experiences of God in many ways. Devotees have testified to relating to God on Earth, having God appear in dreams or in visions, experiencing miraculous events that are attributed to God's Grace and so forth.

One of the best ways to learn about how God appears to devotees is to read the biographies of saints and sages. It is better than the study of myths because the story of saints and sages are derived from recorded history that are evidenced from records written by them or eye-witnesses or from monuments such as temples that are dedicated to the history of the saint or sage. These evidences lend credibility to the stories of the saints and raise them from the status of myths to occurences that are historical. Thus these stories are not make-believe but recorded true events.

In the 'Stories' section that can be found in the 'Hindu Lessons Homepage,' you will find find biographies of saints from the various Hindu traditions. In this insight we will look at some of these stories for evidences of how God can appear to devotees.

We start with Pusalar's story. Pusalar's story is testimony to one of the most common experience of devotees have of God. This is through meditation and dreams. In the story God first appears to the King Raja Simha Pallava in his dream. Such dreams can appear to anyone as God chooses. These dreams are very special and should not be considered imagination. They are blessings from God. If God gives any instructions through these dreams they should be heeded.

The other appearance of God in Pusalar's story is the sight of the Holy Face that was a psychic or meditative experience, experienced by all the attendees at Pusalar's temple of the heart, kumbha abhishegam. Such experiences occur when one is in deep meditation or in deep state of prayer. These are visions of God that a devotee sees in his or her mind as a psychic vision. It is a vision that God grants the devotee. Many a times devotees question whether the visions they have of God is real or just their imagination. The telling factor is the powerful or overwhelming emotions that the vision stimulates. One may feel profoundly peaceful, or heartily happy or intensely inspired. Intense or overwhelming emotions are usually not stimulated when one is imagining God.

In Kanappan's Story, God appears in the dream of the sage Sivakochariya and later as an apparition above the Shivalingam. Needless to say if one experiences God as an apparition it is an awesome experience as God chooses to reveal his form that can be seen by one's physical eyes. Testimonies of such sightings of God though rare are reported now and then.

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The Mysteries of Parabrahman

2008-10-23T20:12:00.000-07:00

The Mysterious Parabrahman

Unmanifest Reality, Ultimate Reality, The Self, The Self-God, The Truth, The Mystery, The Secret. These are some words that gurus who give their sermons in English use to refer to Parabrahman.

In the Nataraja temple of Chidambaram, there is a shrine that is called the 'Chidambaram Rahasiyam.' Chidambara Rahasiyam translates to the secret of Chidambaram. This shrine is to the left of the main Lord Nataraja Shrine. If you were to stand infront of the Chidambara Rahasiyam shrine a carved stone lattice with little openings will obstruct your view of the shrine. After the priests shows the main aarati flame to Lord Natarja, he will bring the flame to the Chidambara Rahasiyam shrine and direct your attention to it. He will then say, "Look closely, see The Secret of Chidambaram. Look closely." He will show the flame for a few more seconds in the shrine to light it to allow devotees to catch sight of The Secret.

After the worship the priest will often ask devotees what they saw in the shrine. Devotess have testified to seeing the form of Lord Shiva or a sight like a clear star lit night sky or flashes of light among other things. What is actually in the shrine of Chidambara Rahasiyam is a curtain of bilva leaves made of gold.

Chidambaram Rahasiyam – The Secret of Chidambaram is the Golden Bilva Curtain to the Right

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The Forms of Parashakti

2008-10-23T20:08:00.000-07:00

The Forms of Parashakti

Parashakti is God's Consciousness that pervades all existence. As the orginal consciousness of all that exists Parashakti is Pure Consciousness; from which all energy, intelligence and awareness arises. Thus Parashakti is experienced and depicted in amorphous forms such as Divine Light, Pure Love, Pure Consciousness, Pure Space and Pure Intelligence. Amorphous forms are not equal to formlessness. Some Hindu scholars equate Parashakti or Satchitananda to formlessness. This is not theologically accurate. Formlessness is the realm of Parabrahman, the third Aspect of God. Infact part of the mystery of God is how form and formlessness co-exist, (It is actually a mistake for me to use the word co-exist to describe the relationship between Parashakti and Parabrahman, but this is for the lack of a better word) but then again God is All-Mighty.

Knowledgeable Hindu pundits describe the Aspects of God tersely as: rupa – easily tangible form; rupa-arupa, form-formlessness – less tangible form, and arupa, formlessness absolutely intangible. Parashakti is rupa-arupa, less tangible form. To be clear, tangible form (rupa) is anything that is constrainted by the three dimentions of height, lenght and width, within the fourth dimension of space. In other words just about anything we can see and touch in the physical or spiritual worlds. From the spiritual perspective, rupa also includes spiritual forms, even forms we visualize in our mind are considered rupa. Whereas rupa-arupa are forms that are less tangible and not constrsint by height, lenght and width, but do take up space. Light, sound, space, even mental or spiritual space, feelings such a love and hate; all this are examples of rupa-arupa. The distinctions between the three Aspects of God, become especially important to understand properly in the quest for God Realization. Generally a guru will help the sishya with this understanding when the sishya begins to experience God mystically.

A Meditator Experiencing Parashakti as The Divine Light

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God's Five Shaktis and Symbolism

2008-10-23T20:03:00.000-07:00

The 5 Shaktis of God and

Their Symbolism in Deities

The five of God in His/Her first are srishti–creation, stithi–perservation, samhara–dissolution, anugraha–revealing grace and tirobhava–concealing grace.

The five shaktis or powers of God govern the universe, including our life. These powers animate nature and life. Just observe the world around, at any place and every point in time the processes of generation, preservation and destruction are in play. There is not one static moment where God's power is not active.

When a meditator contemplates God's activity in deep meditation. He will experience how seamless, intricate and vibrant the five shaktis animate everything in his body and environment. When he comes out of meditation after this mystical experience he will explain this experience as a divine dance. This is an allegory that describes the workings of God's five shaktis. This is why in Hinduism we term God's activity as the or the ; and God is also the Divine Dancer or the King of Dance as in the form of .

God's five shaktis operarte in all scales, from the grand cosmic scales of planetary orbits to the minutea in the workings of every cell of our body. Thus God operates in our lives in keeping the world we live in, in balance and body and mind we inhabit in equilibrium.

In this insight section we will study each of the five shaktis in their function and see how they effect the animation of life around us and within us. The five shaktis can be divided into two category. The first is the are spiritual-physical shaktis. These are shaktis that effect spiritual as well as physical matter. The shaktis in this category are the srishti, stithi and samhara shaktis; or the powers of creation, preservation and dissolution. The other two shaktis, tirobhava and anugraha are spiritual forces, they do not effect physical matter directly. These two purely spiritual shaktis effect mainly the perceptive functions of the soul and the intellect within us.

Srishti, Stithi and Samhara

Srishti, stithi and samhara are energies of nature. Nature in the context of God's powers operates in both the spiritual and the physical realms. Spiritual nature refers to the realm of perception, thoughts and feelings; physical nature refers to the realm of physical elements and the five senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell).

Srishti–Creation: The Universe orginated from God's power of Creation. According to the Scriptures and the impulse for Creation came out of God's Being as the vibration of the sound . From the vibration Aum, energy expanded into space and continued to evolve until the creation of physical matter. The description of God's Creative impulse into the evolutes that make and govern Creation is described in the list of the . The tattvas is an evolution list of all the spiritual and physical elements that make up Creation.

From a more practical perspective, the manifestations of God's creative energy are easily evident in life. The birth of a child, building of a new building, innovations in technology and social systems (including creation of new laws and philosophy) are all God's shakti of srishti in motion. When our body creates new cells in the process of growth or replacement, it is also srishti at work. Even the process of developing new ideas in our minds is srishti shakti; this is how intimate God is with us, that is even within the processes of our body and mind. It is said by wise gurus, that not even an atom moves but by God's will.

In forms of , the power of Creation is represented mainly by implements of sound such as musical instruments or the conch. This is to depict that Creation began as an impulse of vibration, specifically the mystical sound Aum. The drum that holds, or the conch that holds or the that holds are all representative of the srishti shakti. Apart from from sound symbols, the lotus bud, writing stylus and Scriptures also represent Creation.

Among the as described in the , is the manifestation of Paramatma whose duty is Creation. In the mythical stories of the , and sects of Hinduism Lord Brahma is often portrayed as the Creator. Whereas in the sect, the creator is , or Goddess Saraswathi.

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Experiencing Paramatma in the Temple

2008-10-23T19:53:00.001-07:00

Sadhana: Learning to Feel

Paramatma's Presence in the Temple

The temple is the best place to learn to feel Paramatma's Presence. This Presence is actually the shakti that Paramatma sends as blessings to us. In a temple Paramatma's shakti, continuously emanates from the . It is this shakti that creates the calm and serene atmosphere of a temple. It is also known as the vibration of the temple.

The shakti that emanates from the deity is the strongest during the ceremony. Even if a devotee is not able to feel the shakti, he or she is still receiving this shakti blessing. The feelings this shakti evokes in us are similar to the feeling of security, care and peace that we experience when living under the care of our parents.

God showers us with His shakti blessings when we are in prayer. To be able to feel God’s shakti enriches our life with spiritual joy. It lifts our spirits and inspires love and inspiration in our life. If you have yet to experience Paramatma's wonderful Presence, the following practice which involves temple worship can help you.This practice that I learnt from will help you sensitize your physical and spiritual senses so you can start to identify and enjoy God’s ever flowing benevolent shakti. You may not feel any different when you begin this practice. However the more you practice, the more sensitive your spiritual and physical senses will become. Then, one day you will start to feel the shakti coming directly from the temple’s , overwhelming you with a warm and loving feeling welling up within your heart.

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Visions and Dreams

2008-10-23T19:49:00.000-07:00

Visions: Experiencing God Through Dreams

One way we can experience is through our dreams. Many wonder if their dreams of God is just their imagination like other dreams. Basically, there are two types of dreams. The first type are the normal dreams we usually have that is arises from the memory of our daily waking experiences from our past and current situations. These are, in spiritual term, called subconscious dreams. Subconscious dreams are part of our mind’s cleansing process. When we wake up these dreams fade from our memory quickly. You will find that even if it has only been a minute after waking, you will be hard pressed to recollect the details of these dreams.

The second kind of dreams are the spiritual ones. These are dreams where we meet with God or our ancestors. We often receive instructions or blessings during these dreams. Dreams that are premonitions are also in this category. had explained that such spiritual dreams are visions. These spiritual meetings are events that actually took place in the while our physical body slept. One of the characteristics of visions that distinguish them from normal subconscious dreams is the way they impress our memory. We remember spiritual dreams vividly. They never fade from our memory with time. In fact each time you remember the dream, you will feel as if it had just happened.

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The Forms of Paramatma

2008-10-23T19:42:00.000-07:00

Paramatma's Multitude of Forms

is the First . The reason that Paramatma is categorized as the First Aspect is because when the dawn of faith rises in a devotee he first learns to relate to God in form; or if form is forbidden in a religion, then a symbol. The other two Aspects of God are more abstract to understand, therefore generally more difficult for a devotee to relate to in the early stages of .

This is true for all religions, even if the religion strongly prohibits its devotees from worshipping any depiction of God. For instance in Islam, where assosciating God with form is blasphemy, symbolic form is nevertheless used to help with devotion. For instance the Ka'abah and the Arabic font rendition of the word Allah. Even in Buddhism, where Buddha's teachings which are purely monistic does not even acknowledge God with personality, cannot escape from the worship of form. Buddhist devotees use the figure of Buddha to represent divinity.

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The Three Aspects of God and The Hindu Sects

2008-10-23T18:35:00.000-07:00

The Three Aspects of God as

Represented in the Hindu Sects

There are four main sects in Hinduism. They are , , and Smartism. All the sects of Hinduism believe in the existence of One Supreme Godhead and that God can appear in any form He or She wishes. They also believe in . The Aspects of God are represented differently in the different sects of Hinduism according to the forms within the sect. Below are diagrams of the representation of Three Aspects of God according to the Hindu sects.

Saivism

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The Vedic Trinity and the Three Aspects of God

2008-10-23T18:27:00.000-07:00

The Three Aspects and The Trinity

The Three Aspects of God are Paramatma, Parashakti and . The or the Three Divinities in Hinduism are , and . What are the similarites and diferences between these two ways of organizing our understanding of Godhead? What are the connections between the two?

First of all the main similarity between the Three Aspects and the Trinity is the number three. The main difference between the two orgainzings is that one is more complete than the other. The connection between the two is that the Trinity is contained within the first Aspect of God, that is Paramatma.

Before we go further in detail on this subject, it is important to know that I learnt about the Aspects of God from . My guru created this organizing to help his disciples grasp a deeper understanding of God. The Three Aspects (my guru actually used the word –the Three Perfections of God) is however, not a new concept. It is supported by the Scriptures and the experiences of Hindu mystics–The Three Aspects as Paramatma, Parashakti and Parabrahman are all described in the and –it is just a less known concept compared to the Trinity.

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Varying Descriptions of God in the Vedas

2008-10-23T18:19:00.000-07:00

How the Vedas describe God

Here are some examples of the different descriptions of God that can be found in the followed by explanations of how these verses related to the . (To learn more about the Three Aspects of God, click here to go to Chapter 2 of Hindu Philosophy on God).

He is the Supreme Brahman, the Self of all. The chief foundation of this world, subtler than the subtle, eternal. That thou art, thou art That.

Atharva Veda, Kaivalya Upanishad

In this verse that God is called Supreme . He is described as being within all beings and the source of all existence. Then the bold statement that 'you are Supreme Brahman!'

Of course the rishi who proclaimed this verse was not saying that our normal personality is God. He is referring to the source of our existence that is deep within our soul, which he refers to as the . So God is seen as essence of all beings and the underlying bedrock of Creation. There is no reference to the form of God, though the word Supreme Brahman refers to the first Aspect of God who is all-transcendent.

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Insights into Hinduism

2008-10-23T18:12:00.000-07:00

Insights into Hinduism Content

nsights into Hinduism are articles that elaborate important information or concepts that are contained within the main articles of My Hindu Page's site. They offer a deeper understanding on a certain subject or concept within an article. This page is a collection of all the insights contained within My Hindu Page's articles. Apart from this section, you can access these insights from the articles at relevant places by clicking on the links that look like this: This section which is a collection of all the insights that support information in the articles of My Hindu Page. There is no particular organization to this list. The insights within an article will be tagged in bold red font such as– Insight: Read about varying descriptions of God in the Vedas.

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Hindu Resources Homepage

2008-10-23T18:04:00.000-07:00

Welcome to My Hindu Page's

Hindu Resources Homepage

Hindu Resources is the 'this and that' miscellaneous section of My Hindu Page's website. Among the items planned for this section of My Hindu Page is a comprehensive and expanding Hindu names database, photo galleries on Hindu subjects, art galleries, video and audio clips, games, mobile downloads. This part of the site is meant to enrich the visitor's experience of My Hindu Page with visual and multimedia presentations; to provide more leisurely surfing of the site and to provide tools such as the Hindu Names database. Items available on the site are listed on the following list. If you would like to participate in providing material for My Hindu Page's Hindu Resources, please send an email to submissions@myhindupage.org. To send your name to be included in the Hindu Names database, please send it to names@myhindupage.org. Please read the copyright paragraph at the end of each page for instructions on downloading and usage of the material cotained in this section of the site.

Click Here to go to the Hindu Resources Homepage @ MyHinduPage for the content listing.

Hindu Glossary

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My Hindu Page Glossary

This glossary provides broader and deeper definition of selected words and terms from the entire My Hindu Page website. The words are arranged alphabetically. You can browse through the entire glossary to learn about the words or terms you are interested in. You can also access the glossary by clicking on the highlighted text (italicized and red coloured text) in the articles of the site.

Click Here to go to the Glossary Index.

Community Homepage

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Welcome to My Hindu Page's Community Homepage

The Community Pages of My Hindu Page is a web portal for individuals to air their views and for Hindu organizations to publish or announce their activities. It is hoped this site will also be a place for Hindus to network and work together across borders. This is My Hindu Page's community service project. If you have views on Hinduism that you are passionate about and would like to share with others; if you lead an Hindu organization or are part of one and would like to publish the organization's activities online; if you would like to highlight a temple within your community; if you would like to share testimonies of divine miracles that have happened in your life, you can do it here in My Hindu Page's Community Pages. Below is a list of categories that is currently open for postings (Page is still under construction, the links are not active yet). Each category will be organized differently. Some for instance, will be organized according to countries, such as temples, others according to content topics. The simple rules for postings are described within each of the categories below. This is however, not an open posting site. All postings are vetted by the webmaster and then posted in the site. If you would like to send articles or items for posting in the Community Pages you may send it to submissions@myhindupage.org. Please read the copyright paragraph at the end of each page for instructions on downloading and usage of the material cotained in this section of the site. (Note: If you are sending attachments with your email please use your email client and send it to submissions@myhindupage.org, the online email form on this site does not support attachements).

Click Here for the the Community Pages Lisitings.

Kanappan's Story

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Kanappan’s Story

Kanappan literally means, “father of the eye.” This is not Kanappan’s original name. The name his parents gave him was Thinnan. He got the name Kanappan in referance to his saintly act of devotion for which he is recognized as a nayanar.

Kanappan’s story starts with his parents. His parents were Nagan his father and Thaththai his mother. They were forest dwellers, adivasis who made their living collecting meat and plant products from the forest. Their community lived in the forest surrounding the famed Thirupathi Venkatesvara temple. This community was feared by the villagers surrounding the forests. The tribesmen occasionally stole livestock from the villagers, and any villager caught wandering in the forests would be robbed. They were also famed archers. Occasionally kings would send messengers to the tribe to recruit young men as archers for their army. Nagan was the leader of this community and he was their most accomplished archer. Nagan though famous for his archery and courage was hardly known as a pious man. However after years of being childless, he and his wife began to pray fervently to Lord Murugan for an heir. Their prayers was answered and Thathai gave birth to a son whom they named Thinnan.

When Thinnan was born, it was said, his father could not carry him because he was too heavy by virtue of some spiritual force. Thinnan grew up to be a strong young man admired by his community. He had mastered the art of archery even at a young age and became the fastest runner in his village. As Nagan was getting older, he decided that it was time for Thinnan to be the leader of the community. As a leader, one of the duties of Thinnan was to lead the annual hunting party. According to the custom of the adivasis, once a year the hunters of the adivasi communities from different parts of the forest will gather at Nagan’s village and go on a massive hunt to fill their stores with animal products. Before they go for the hunt they will pray together the night before to the nature deities for permission for the hunt and their safety. It was on such an occasion that Nagan announced to all the hunters that Thinnan is their new leader and he would lead the hunt.

Click Here to continue reading Kanappan's Story.

The Swami and His Samadhi

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The Swami and His Samadhi

Swami Sivananda Sarasvati was a guru who lived near the famed city of Jaipur around the 1600s. He was widely known in Jaipur as he was acknowledged to be enlightened and was well known for his simplicity in teaching religion. Swami Sivananda Sarasvati was an ardent devotee of Lord Sri Krishna. Even during his quiet moments he could be heard whispering, "Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare ; Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare.”

Swami Sivananda Sarasvati kept a strict daily schedule of meeting his congregation. He would usually give a sermon first and then lead his congreagation in devotional singing in praise of Lord Sri Krishna. After that each devotee would come up to him and he would whisper in their ears, “Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare ; Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare” and then apply tilak on their forehead. He would also answer any personal questions the devotee might have then.

After giving time to his devotees for nine days Swami Sivananda Sarasvati will take a two day break. During his break he meets no devotees. Most of the devotees think that Swami Sivananda is resting on these days. However Swami’s closest devotees know that on these days the Swami intensifies his spiritual disciplines and enters samadhi.

Click here to continue reading The Swami and His Samadhi stroy.

The Divine Play

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The Divine Play

The following story comes from the Saivite collection of stories called the Tiruvilaiyadal. Tiruvilaiyadal means divine play or divine games. The Tiruvilaiyadal consists of 64 stories of Lord Shiva’s appearance in the sacred and ancient city of Madurai in Tamilnadu, South India. This particular story is part of the life history of Saint Manickavasagar, who is a nayanar. Like Pusalar’s story this story also involves a saint, a king and God Shiva.

Madurai in its ancient days was the capital of the Pandiyan Kingdom. It was a famed city for its richness in religious culture, Tamil academia, agriculture and commerce. Madurai is also home to one of the biggest temple complexes in India, the Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple, which is dedicated to God Shiva and His consort Meenakshi.

Before Manickavasagar nayanar turned his life’s quest to religion and became a saint, he was the Prime Minister (his name was Thiruvadhaoorar then) to the Pandiyan King of Madurai. The King was very fond of Thiruvadhaoorar and was secure in the trust he had for Thiruvadhaoorar.

Click Here to Continue with The Divine Play Story.

Pusalar's Story

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Pusalar's Story

Pusalar lived about a thousand years ago in Tamilnadu, South India. He was one of 63 Tamil Saivite saints. These 63 saints are affectionately called nayanars. Each of the nayanars earned their sainthood by leading an examplary life of devotion to God. The story of Pusalar nayanar’s life is an inspiring one that teaches some of the essential truths and practices of Hinduism.

Pusalar was a simple and humble man. He was a priest who attended to a small shrine in his village–Thirunindraoor. He also worked in paddy fields for a simple wage of food and lodging, that was a simple hut by the paddy fields. He lived alone. He spent the day working in the fields until the sun became too hot to work under. After that he would spend his time singing devotional hyms to God and in meditation under his favourite illupai tree by the padi fields. People rarely visited him. He would usually be in his hut by himself except for the occasional trip to the village township to buy some supplies.

Click Here to Continue with Pusalar's Story.

Hindu Stories Content

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Hindu Stories Content

In Hinduism we have a huge treasure chest when it comes to myths, legends, biographies and parables. Take for instance the Mahabharata, which is recognized as the world's longest epic. Within the Mahabharata alone you can find hundred's of stories that relate to everything from moral conduct, warrior ethics to examples of true devotion, sacrifice and life's important values. In the middle of this mighty epic there is the Hindu Scripture the Bhagavad Gita. Then there are the legends of God that are enshrined in the Puranas of each sect, like the Shiva Puranas or the Vishnu Puranas. The biographies of Hindu saints and gurus, ancient and contemporary, are also sources of inspiring stories that amplifiy truths enshrined in Hindu beliefs and provide life examples of Hindu virtuous conduct. Hindu parables that come from the Pancha Tantra is among the favourite litearature of Hindu children, was written over 2,000 years ago. The stories in this section will come from these sources and more.

Stories are great vehicle for teaching Hinduism without preaching. But for the teaching to be effective we must learn to draw whatever lessons we can from the stories. Thus each story in the growing list below is proceeded with an article on the lessons that can be drawn from each story. These stories are written so that parents or teachers can tell or read them to children. Some of these stories are also referenced in some of the lessons in the other topics. So you will find links to the stories appearing in different lessons because they provide amplification of the beliefs or examples of conduct disscussed in those lessons.

There is no particular organization for this list of stories at the moment. But as the list of stories grows, they will be organized in some form. For now you can go through the short summary below the title of the stories to choose stories you would like to read.

Click Here to go to the Stories Content Page @ MyHinduPage

God (Part 3 of 3)

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2.8 God: Part Three

The Final Conclusions: Introduction

God’s presence is tangible. As a person to relate to, or as the divine powers of love and pure energy that sustains our existence, God is an experiential reality for some and one that can be for everyone. It is the goal of the Hindu religion to take its devotees beyond intellectual faith in God to a faith in God based on personal experience.

To this end, Hinduism is replete with practices, such as different styles of personal worship and meditations that a devotee can learn and practice. However Hinduism does not force upon its followers that they must realize God or even have the desire to know God in this very lifetime. Hindu teachings reveal that the occurs over many lifetimes, and that the desire for the experience of God is a desire that develops from the very core of our soul as part of a natural process. So if you are Hindu and have no desire whatsoever to know God, don't worry, it doesn’t mean that you are not a good Hindu or anything like that. If, for now, all Hinduism is to you is a means of providing you with a structure for an ethical or cultured life then so be it; because one day, perhaps in another lifetime, you will suddenly begin to yearn to see God or want to feel His or Her presence as if your life depended on it. In the meantime we can at least prepare ourselves by gaining more knowledge about the path leading to God and nurture faith in God.

The path to ‘knowing God,’ begins with clearing misconceptions we may have about God. The previous two lessons of this series examined how it is that in Hinduism, though there are many forms of God, we believe in one Supreme . The lessons explored . These three Aspects explain the variety of experiences we may have of God and how having these experiences relate to the salvation of our soul. Part three, contains the concluding part of our exploration of God’s nature.

Click here to Read the rest of this Chapter on God.

God (Part 2 of 3)

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2.4 God: Part Two–Introduction

We will continue our exploration of God’s nature in Part Two of this chapter. In Part One, it was explained that in Hinduism our wise gurus have thought us that there are three unique Aspects of God. The Aspects of God are Paramatma, Parashakti and Parabrahman. We learnt that Paramatma is the Personal God who creates, loves and cares for His creation. We also learnt that Paramatma can take on various human-like or animal-like forms to communicate or relate to His or Her devotees. In Part Two we will explore God’s nature as Parashakti and Parabrahman. The experience of these two Aspects of God, are crucial achievements in our spiritual evolution toward moksha.

In this part about God you will find the sanskrit word samadhi appearing quite often. Samadhi is the term for two meditative states that are related to Parashakti and Parabrahman that are the goals of yoga practice. The states of samadhi occur when the awareness of the meditator, becomes so attuned to God consciousness that the meditator's awareness merges in undifferentiated union with God. When a meditator achieves the state of samadhi, he realizes his unity or oneness with God and the process of begins to take hold in his life.

Click here to Read the rest of this Chapter on God.

God (Part 1 of 3)

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2.1 God: Part One–Introduction

Have you ever experienced or realized God?

Perhaps you are thinking that this is a question that is above you. Perhaps you believe in God and have faith in God's existence. Whether you have had a personal direct experience of God–well, isn't that the realm of prophets or a select few lucky people on Earth? If this is what you think, than I have good news for you.

The goal of Hinduism is to guide its followers to have personal experiences of God. Such experiences of God Realization, which is also known as enlightenment or samadhi in yogic circles are the precursor to achiveing salvation, which in Hinduism is moksha. Moksha is freedom for our soul from having to undergo the continuous cycle of reincarnation on Earth, thus enjoying eternal life in the heavens. This is the destiny of all souls on earth, yours and mine included.

Click here to Read the rest of this Chapter on God.

Hindu Philosophy Chapters

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Hindu Philosophy Chapters Content

To understand Hinduism one must start with its philosophy. Hindu philosophy is the source of all its practices. Even basic knowledge of Hindu philosophy will shed a deeper light in the understanding Hindu practices such as meditation, hatha yoga, puja and Hindu culture.

For instance, hatha yoga, the Hindu system of exercise is very mainstream. People all over the world are learning it mainly for its benefits of reducing stress and other health benefits that have been researched and promoted by the medical profession. However these benefits are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. When you learn Hindu philosophy you will find out that Hatha Yoga was devised essentially as a preparation for deep and profound meditation. It is an important practice in the path of God-Realization and enlightenment. The health benefits are by-products of the practice and not the ultimate goal.Armed with this knowledge, if you are interested in pursuing deeper aspects of meditative practices such as achieving God-Realization, you might look for a yoga master who is also a spiritual guru. Then you will be able to learn a richer, deeper and more subtle level of the pracitce that you would otherwise have missed if you learned Yoga from a master thought to think of it only as physical exercise. This applies to all aspects of Hindu culture. The study of its philosophy makes the practice of Hinduism to a deeper and more profound level of experience.

This presentation of Hindu philosophy is divided into 12 chapters listed below. These chapters will provide a general overview of Hinduism. Keeping in mind that Hinduism is actually a collection of sectarian cultures, these chapters draw on the common beliefs and practices of the 4 main Hindu Sects. The subtle differences in Hindu philosophy among the main Hindu sects are addressed in the final chapter.

Go to the Philosophy Lessons Chapter Listings @ MyHinduPage

Hindu Lessons Homepage

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Welcome to the Hindu Lessons Homepage

This is the master directory for all of My Hindu Page’s knowledgebank. The lessons in these pages are grouped into a list of topics. Each topic contains lesson chapters or articles. Currently the the topic in construction are Hindu Philosophy, Stories, Insights into Hinduism and the Glossary. More topics will be published in time. Please check this page for updates. Below you will find a short description of what you can find in each topic.

Go to the Hindu Lessons Home Page

Participate in My Hindu Page

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About Sannyasin Guhanathaswami

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That is me, the webmaster of this site, Guhanathaswami, sitting in the middle, with students around. This picture was taken in May of 2007 when I was on a 5 day religious mission at a rural oil palm estate Tamil School in Lenggeng, Malaysia. I am a lifelong renunciate Hindu monk and missionary (a swami), an initiate of Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (1927-2001).

Gurudeva, (as Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami was affectionately known by his disciples) was an American born enlightened spiritual master of Hinduism. He was initiated into the Nandinatha Sampradaya, as a Guru of the lineage, by Satguru Yogaswami of Jaffna, Sri Lanka, in 1949 when he was only 22 years old. Satguru Yogaswami sent Gurudeva back to the USA after his initiation and gave Gurudeva the mission to teach Hinduism, especially Saivism globally, and to guide yearning souls to God Realization. Gurudeva setup the ashram, Kauai Aadheenam in 1969, in the ‘Garden Island of Kauai, Hawaii,’ where he lived with and personally trained young men who came to him with the desire to Realize God.

I joined and began studying and training under Gurudeva in February of 1991. After 8 years of challenging training Gurudeva initiated me as a renunciate Hindu monk on May 28, 1999 and gave me the name Guhanathaswami. Following Gurudeva’s Mahasamadhi–his passing to the Feet of God on November 12, 2001, I returned to Malaysia (the country of my origin) with the well wishes of Gurudeva’s current successor, Bodhinathaswami.

On my return to Malaysia I founded the Center for Hindu Studies on January 5th 2003 and began giving personal yoga, meditation and Hindu philosophy classes. This website is an outgrowth of five years of Hindu missionary work that I have been doing in Malaysia.

My Hindu Page Mission Statement

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Dear friends,

Namaste, Vanakkam, Hello, my name is Guhanathaswami. I am the webmaster of MyHinduPage.org. Thank you for taking the time to go through the purpose behind the publication of this Hindu website. I pray that your experience here at My Hindu Page will be an inspiring and enriching Hindu experience.

Click here to read My Hindu Page's Mission

A Brief Introduction to Hinduism

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A venerable swami, the late Sellathuraiswami, of Jaffna, Sri Lanka once asked me, “Who is the Supreme God of Hinduism?” I had trouble giving him an answer. Nobody had ever asked me that question before, nor had I ever thought about it. So Sellathuraiswami seeing me in a quandry elaborated his question further, “in Islam you have Allah, in Christianity you have Jehovah, but can you name the Supreme God of Hinduism?” I gave up and told swami that I did not know how to answer that question. The swami then answered, “There is no Supreme God in Hinduism, because Hinduism is a label given to us by foreigners." Just then it dawned upon me on how true swami's answer was. Hinduism is actually a collection of different religions (that are classed as Hindu sects in modern understanding of Hinduism) that share a common belief structure and originated from the ancient Indian subcontinent. Therefore no one can actually name the Supreme God of Hinduism.
As I was absorbing the wisdom of his answer, Sellathuraiswami furthered his explanation saying, "If I asked you who is the Supreme God of Saivism, the answer is obvious, God Shiva. The supreme God of Vaishnavism is God Vishnu.” Saivism and Vaishnavism are two of the four main sects of Hinduism. The other two are Shakta and Smarta. Shakta followers worship any form of Divine Mother, such as Durga, Amman or Lakhsmi as Supreme. Smarta followers worship the Sun as an embodiment of Supreme Godhead and may choose any other form of God that they feel close to. Each sect of Hinduism is a separate religion. Each has its own traditions, saints, temples and scriptures. The sects of Hinduism share a harmonious coexistance. Followers of any sect of Hinduism may visit temples and saints of other sects and may participate in any of each other’s religious activities.

Hinduism is a comparatively recent name given to a group of religious sects that share certain core beliefs and practices. There is actually a more ancient name for the religion that we know of as Hinduism today. Before Hinduism there was Sanatana Dharma. Sanatana Dharma means the Eternal Truths. However Sanatana Dharma was never used as a lable for a religion as Hinduism is used today. Instead it was used to address the commonality among the sects within Hinduism. Ancient Hindus acknowledged that their individual sects share a common origin that is Sanatana Dharma or the Eternal Truths.

Sanatana Dharma can be condensed into twelve articles of belief. These beliefs hold the sects of Hinduism together. We may take these 12 beliefs as our Hindu creed. You may belong to a sect of Hinduism or you may not belong to any sect in particular and consider yourself a general Hindu. No matter what the situation, these twelve beliefs can apply to you. In the following chapters of these lessons, each of these beliefs will be explained in further detail.

I will provide two editions of these beliefs. The first edition (The Twelve Beliefs of Hinduism) is the complete version for youths and adults. The second edition (My Hindu Beliefs), which are declarations of faith, is a simplified version that has nine beliefs that young children can learn. Children ages five and up can learn to memorize and understand these beliefs to strengthen their faith. A third list that you will find in this chapter is the Pancha Nitya Karmas.

The Pancha Nitya Karmas are the condensation of the Hindu Beliefs to Hinduism in practice. The practice of Hinduism is aimed at bringing devotees to the goal of the religion, that is spiritual liberation or moksha. The main practices of Hinduism are listed in Panch Nitya Karmas. The Pancha Nitya Karmas, or the Five Pure Actions are the practices a Hindu must strive to fulfill to develop an ever more intimate relationship with God. Just like the Hindu beliefs they apply across all Hindu sects and are part of traditional Hindu culture. You will find the Panch Nitya Karmas after "My Hindu Beliefs." Read the rest of the article on Hindu Beliefs here.

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