Playground of God
Are you coming? It’s a magical and mystical land…Traditionally the place of saints and sages…Even today you’ll meet yogis and ascetics there…Every year, thousands go there to inspire their hearts…It’s a ‘tirtha’ – a bridge which connects you to the transcendent
Spiritual Melting Pot
It wasn’t planned, but it was a great opportunity. I threw together a few essentials, jumped on a rickety Indian bus, scrambled for one of the last remaining seats, and sat through a violently bumpy twelve-hour overnight journey. It was
Down to Earth
They say a little knowledge is dangerous. We can learn a philosophy, but if we haven’t understood it in a mature, balanced and well-rounded way, we can actually cause more harm to ourselves and others. Recently I was speaking to
Phone a Friend
Life is full of complexity, and making decisions can be incredibly tough. To spice it up there are emotional attachments, the stress factor, expectations of others and our general indecision and dithering. We can easily get stuck. Thankfully, we always
Failed Success
They say failures are stepping stones to success. Lately, however, I’ve been thinking how success can be a slipping stone to failure! Swami Prabhupada once commented how he faced two great tests in his life. At one point he was
Divine Intervention
On recent travels around the country I met a lady who expressed frustration in her attempts to find God. She told me her story: two years of spiritual travels, countless nights of prayer, careful scriptural exploration and persistent introspection, but
Don’t Look Back
Yesterday I went on Parikrama, which literally means to “walk around.” Circumambulation of holy places has a symbolic meaning – to always keep our spiritual aspirations central and close, regardless of where we are in life (whatever point on the circle,
Motherly Love
It’s easy to take mothers for granted. Some researchers recently followed around one such mother for a week in an attempt to estimate the monetary value of her ‘motherly love’. She took the kids to school, so they calculated how
Digging a Little Deeper
The internet is full of different conspiracy theories. It’s hard to know whether we are living in illusion or reality due to the dubious integrity of our sources of information. Joseph Goebbels, known for his work with Adolf Hitler, undoubtedly
Window Shopping?
Stephen Covey, Dale Carnegie, Eckhart Tolle, Depak Chopra, Anthony Robbins… the list of self development gurus of the age is endless. These insightful thinkers have shaped today’s world of organizations and relationships, offering a wholesome alternative to the mechanistic trends
Character or Capability?
Scriptures are often replete with long lists of names, exalted personalities who most have never heard of, but who are nevertheless immortalised in the pages of history. In the material world people are remembered for what they do – their ground-breaking achievements,
Mr Motivator
In his paper “A theory of motivation”, Abraham Maslow outlined the famous “Hierarchy of Needs” model. He explained that individuals are driven to pursue various things in life. However, only when basic needs are met can one begin to focus
In the race… but not a rat…
The competitive spirit pervades the world we live in. Students fiercely compete to clinch university placements and graduate positions. Colleagues deviously compete to intercept each other in the ascent up the corporate ladder. Neighbors become engrossed in ‘keeping up with
People Problems
Conflict, friction and human disagreement is, unfortunately, a major part of daily life. Whether it’s the erratic driver who cuts in front of you on the high street, crafty and cunning work colleagues pulling a fast one, or ungrateful and
Me to We
A Rabbi was once asked to describe the difference between heaven and hell. By a wave of the hand he manifested a vision of hell; a group of hungry, emaciated men sitting at the dining table eagerly awaiting their lunch.
Friendly Fire – Why Can’t We Be Friends With Everyone?
With genuine spiritual advancement comes the capacity and capability to have friendly relationships with one and all. Equipped with spiritual vision that penetrates beyond externals, one remains undisturbed by annoying idiosyncrasies, ideological differences, unpredictable personalities, and sticky character traits. We’re
4 Tools for Reflection
Reflect on these tools as a daily meditation and make the choice to shift your consciousness: Treat everyone you encounter as if the success of your spiritual life depends upon the quality of your interactions with them. Reflect upon the
Worshipping God…sounds old-fashioned?
Unless we ask this essential ‘why’, we will never have the conviction and faith to do it with the proper spirit. Everyone is looking for happiness. For example, when a mosquito bites you, he doesn’t do it to give you malaria;
What is the Purpose of Temples?
A temple is a place where people are in a selfless spirit of compassion and love, and are truly worshipping God and surrendering their hearts to him. A temple is a place that transforms your life, by illuminating you and
The Power of choices
Eleanor Roosevelt famously said, “I am who I am today, because of the choices I made yesterday.” You may choose to get on an airplane to London, but once the plane takes off, you can no longer choose a different destination;