By Bruce Martin: The Vedic seers investigated and delineated the methods by which attention is shifted from the ephemeral and temporal to the real and eternal. Although different methods were devised for people of different temperament, the common thread running through them is higher order integration of self into an ever more encompassing Reality.
By Satyanarayana Dasa: It is ironic that even while life is full of uncertainties, we continually try to plan for it and figure out how to lead “successful” lives. Death, on the other hand, is absolutely certain, but we tend to avoid thinking about it, let alone planning for it. We even avoid the word “death” using phrases such as “kicked the bucket,” “passed away,” “departed,” or “ascended to heaven,” instead of simply saying someone has died.
By Satyanarayana Dasa: Everybody in this world has certain qualifications to perform specific duties or activities and, in so doing, gains satisfaction, happiness and success. If a person tries to perform duties or activities that he is not qualified to perform, then, in all probability, dissatisfaction, frustration and misery for himself, and possibly others, will result. Therefore, one of the very basic principles taught in Bhagavad Gita, is to work according to one’s qualifications. Krishna Himself says para dharmo bhayavaha--- to perform the duty for which one is not qualified is dangerous.
Question: It is said in shastra – ataeva kama prema bahut antara – kama andhatama prema nirmala bhaskara. Prema and kama are totally different... Read More
Question: I came across the following verses from Bhavisyottara Purana, quoted in Haribhakti Vilasa: Text 284 putra-santanam arogyam saubhagyam atulam labhet satya dharma rato... Read More
Question: How is jnana dependent on bhakti? Does it mean a jnani has to practice bhakti with his practice of jnana to be successful?... Read More
By Bruce Martin: A friend of mine of rationalistic temperament, and one who considers himself agnostic, recently questioned me about scripture, raising doubt as to how a person could place trust in scripture as the revealed word of God and, as such, a source of infallible knowledge, when much of what has been proclaimed in scripture simply doesn’t hold up to critical examination. To do justice to this question we must first take into account the modern, scientific, rationalistic view itself, that the questioner is expressing, and that is largely taken for granted as
