In part 4 of this series, we talked about Dhritarāśhtra, the blind king. We can consider him to be manas, the lower mind. And we also talked about Sanjaya, his minister, who we said could be considered our conscience. The king is blind, but he is not deaf. He does...
Joseph Campbell was an American author and editor whose works on comparative mythology examined the universal functions of myth in various human cultures. During the final years of his life, Campbell embarked on a speaking tour in which he drew together all that he...
In Part 3 of this series, we read the first verse of the first chapter, and we were introduced to the blind King Dhritarāśhtra. This week I’d like to introduce us to Sanjaya. Let me share the first verse again: “Dhritarāśhtra asked, What did the Pāndavās and my sons...
This short video gives an overview of the science behind temple construction and how it is precisely based on the vastu and shilpa sastras. Powerful vibrations emanate from temples constructed in this way. The location and design of the Light Of Truth Universal Shrine...
In this 3rd installment of this series on "Raja Yoga Now," Swami Karunananda encourages our readers to explore what they are truly searching for in life. And, to consider how the teachings of Raja Yoga can support one's inner exploration and spiritual journey. What do...
In this essay, Br. David Steindl-Rast, OSB, reflects on how we make ourselves whole by making each other whole. He explores the classic teaching story “Ten Oxherding Pictures” from the Zen Buddhist tradition. Wholeness has intrigued me ever since we boys built...
In this episode, Avi Gordon speaks with Robert Sankara Moses, who has taught Yoga and Advaita Vedanta for 50 years. Born in South Africa, in 1972 he discovered Yoga in the tradition of Sri Swami Sivananda (Swami Satchidananda's Guru). He served in the International...
In 2002, Sri Swami Satchidananda was invited to be a keynote speaker at the World Congress on Peace, Nonviolence and Harmony in South India. He left the body and entered Mahasamadhi a few days after the conclusion of the World Congress—his participation a fitting...
This series continues with part 3, in which we’re going to start at the very beginning. I remember, growing up, Julie Andrews singing in the film The Sound of Music, “A very good place to start . . .” So we’ll start with chapter 1, verse 1 of the Bhagavad Gita. Take a...
It was in September 1970 that I first met my spiritual master. It was a time when many great Gurus were being drawn to the West, attracted by the awakening aspiration of the youth. Several hundred of us had gathered at a rustic site in the mountains of California for...
I would like to continue this series with a little more background and history to set the stage and context for our study of the Bhagavad Gita. Throughout the ages people, probably throughout the planet, maybe possibly other planets, went deep into the mind,...
In this video, Deepak Chopra, MD talks with Yoga scholar/practitioner Christopher Hareesh Wallis about the 1,000 year-old tradition of Nondual Saiva Tantra. Dr. Wallis is asked to explain the essence of mantra and yantra, considered "pre-modern technologies," which...
Happiness is not something that can come from the outside. One of the things we seem to depend upon for our happiness is physical beauty. We don’t want to accept the fact that we will get old and our bodies will change. When we see others getting old we may think to...
In this series of short articles, Swami Asokananda shares his insights from years of study of and contemplation on the great Indian scripture the Bhagavad Gita. I would like to start with a little background. The Bhagavad Gita is 700 verses of the longest poem ever...
We come into this world with nothing and we leave with nothing, so why do we spend so much of our time holding onto things? That’s what we’ll get into in this deep dive into the final yama from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: aparigraha. As George Strait, the famous...
Dr. Deepak Chopra and Dr. Hareesh Wallis discuss the nature of Consciousness as explained in the ancient text The Recognition Sutras. As Dr. Wallis explains, "Consciousness engages in this divine act of creation, preservation, dissolution, concealment, revelation....