By Mantradevi Locicero O Krishna, Lord of Hindustan, I sorrowed by the lonely Jumna river bank, where Thy flute-notes thrilled the air and led the lost calves to their homes. O Lotus of Love, musing on the sad absence of Thy delusion-dispelling eyes, I saw Thine invisible Spirit take form, frozen by my devotion’s frost. — Paramhansa Yogananda (from Whispers … Read More
What Are the Yugas? In the West people often view time as linear, with the future being more evolved than the past. In India, however, time is viewed a cyclical, that people slowly evolve, then slowly devolve, only to slowly evolve again. This is called the “yuga cycle,” and it is divided into four different “yugas” or ages. The highest … Read More
There are four main paths to self-realization: karma yoga, bhakti yoga, gyana yoga, and raja yoga. “Yoga” means union with God or our higher self, and you will find these yogas emphasized in many religions. Each of the yogas or paths is designed for people of different temperaments. Karma yoga is for people who like to serve, bhakti for people … Read More
What is Karma? Karma can be thought of as similar to Isaac Newton’s 3rd law of motion: every action must be followed by an equal and opposite reaction. When Newton discovered that law, however, he didn’t realize, or at least didn’t mention, that the same principle applies to emotions and behavior. If we get really excited, we will inevitably feel … Read More
“The guru’s role is to open the door of the cage. If a disciple, finding himself still attached to limitation, cries, “Leave me alone; I like my nice little nest of pleasures and desires!” the guru won’t insist. He will say, simply, “I came because you called me; otherwise I would not have troubled. It wasn’t my need that brought … Read More
Rob sighed as he tossed another frog across the river. It was nearly noon and he’d been at it since dawn. These weren’t just tiny tree frogs, either. In the town of Littleby where Rob lived, the frogs were a foot long and weighed ten to twenty pounds, which was a big job considering that Rob was, like most of … Read More
Vedic (Indian) astrology is the study of humanity’s response to the cosmos. In this post I will talk specifically about the planets and the energies that they emanate. Whether or not you believe in astrology, the people who study it can still give us some very helpful advice about bringing balance to our lives. The ancient Indian astrologers taught that … Read More
Based on an interview with Nayaswami Savitri and Revelations of Christ by Paramhansa Yogananda (as remembered by Swami Kriyananda) Growing up in the West, I was familiar with the traditional story of Jesus: Humanity has been sinful ever since Eve took that apple from the serpent, so God sent his only son Jesus to die, thereby cleansing us of our … Read More
A proper diet free from fanaticism is an important part of any yogic practice. So often we see advertisements promising quick and easy results that tempt even those who value mental stability over a six-pack. There are so many ways to eat: vegetarian, vegan, raw, paleo, and fruitarian, just to name a few, that it’s overwhelming. We don’t even know … Read More
To attain enlightenment, or even just be happy, we must raise our consciousness. Here are some ways that will help you do that: 1. Practice Meditation Meditating is probably the best thing you can do to raise your consciousness, even if it is only for 10 minutes a day. It’s important to have regularity, though, with your practice, or you … Read More
