by Satyanarayana Dasa: This world is the interplay of two types of energies—spiritual and material. Everything we see around us or experience is a combination of these two energies. These energies are manifest at various levels. Life is a manifestation of spiritual energy through matter. In immobile objects, such as a piece of stone, it is material energy which is prominent and spiritual energy is in a dormant state.
by Satyanarayana Dasa: Two thousand years ago, there was a great king in India named Bhartrihari. Besides being a ruler, he was a grammarian, poet, and philosopher. He wrote many wonderful books on various topics. He used to say, “Sahitya-sangita-kala-vihinah saksat pashuh puccha-vishana-hinah.” It means, a person devoid of knowledge of aesthetics, music and arts is indeed an animal, albeit without a tail and horns.
by Satyanarayana Dasa: Mantra chanting is advised as the easiest, simplest and most joyful process to attain God Realization. The technique of mantra chanting is prescribed by all major religions. Christian hymns are sung all over the world, and Muslims chant namaz five times a day. In the Bhagavad Gita it is said that among all types of sacrifices, the sacrifice of chanting the name of the Lord is the best (BG 10.25). Bhagavata Purana lays special emphasis on nama-sankirtana, or chanting the names of the Lord
by Satyanarayana Dasa: The material creation is a manifestation from a very highly concentrated point of energy. So do the scientists believe? They are experimenting to simulate the beginning of creation in a special 27 km long tunnel in Switzerland built for this purpose. In Vedic literature the highly dense energy point is called prakriti. The word prakriti means great product or great action. It can also be translated as the great flow. Prakriti is a great source from which the universe flows and towards which everything seems to be flowing.
by Satya Narayana Dasa: Man has the basic instinct to exist. This translates into two forms—the need to maintain his physical body and the need to procreate so that he continues to exist beyond the survival of his body. These two basic requirements lead to further needs of food to eat and a house to sleep and protect himself from
by Satyanarayana Dasa: Below is an extract taken from the first chapter of Hitopadesha. I have selected the forty-first couplet from this chapter. This is the third write-up of a series of total three articles that have been published in series. “One’s intelligence is degraded by associating with uneducated people, remains the same by associating with equals, and is improved by associating with superiors.”
by Satyanarayana Dasa: About 1,500 years ago the King of Iran got hold of a book that contained the secret of how to raise the dead by means of rasayana, an elixir of life. The book explained the procedure to extract the elixir from herbs and trees growing on the high mountains of India. Eager to sample this elixir, the King sent his chief minister on a quest for the prescribed herbs and trees
