Jesus and the Resurrection

The Frame and The Picture

Lecture by Swami Yogatmananda

Hail glorious day so long foretold,

With joy we greet thy light;

Our hearts are all attuned to praise

For earth seems glad and bright,

Today among the choirs of heaven

Break forth the sweet refrain;

Praise to the Lord of Paradise,

Who died, but rose again.

Hail glorious Easter day!

That saw our Saviour burst the tomb,

And death despotic sway.

Our Saviour slept, while Mary wept

But rose this blessed day.

Dear Jesus, source of life and love,

To Thee our songs ascend;

Thou art to us a guiding star,

Our elder brother, Friend,

This earth would be a dreary waste,

A wilderness of pain;

But for the peace and love of Him,

Who died, but rose again.

Hail glorious Easter day!

That saw our Saviour burst the tomb,

And death despotic sway.

Our Saviour slept, while Mary wept

But rose this blessed day.

And when at last Thy welcome voice,

Shall softly bid us “Come;”

Then shall our trusting hearts rejoice,

To hear Thy “welcome home,”

And in that blessed home above,

We’ll join the sweet refrain;

And all our praise to Thee be given,

Who died, and rose again. 

- This beautiful Easter hymn was written by Laura E. Newell

Jesus in the Light of Vedanta 

Lecture by Swami Bhaskarananda

Reflections on the Teachings of Christ 

Article by Swami Prabhavananda

Shine On

I am awestruck by the wisdom of fortune cookies these days. Is the Dalai Lama secretly writing these messages? Really, these are profound words from the mouths of cookies. Given at the end of a Chinese meal, their heady wisdom a conversation starter to be sure. Today, a clever note in a fortune cookie gave me much to reflect upon. This simple message of truth sounded like something my Swami would have said, reminding me of a fundamental Vedantic principle. That is, consciousness is the SHINE. It is the source of illumination, the very light by which the material world is reflected to our eyes. Apart from objects we see in the waking world, consciousness never, ever, changes. Irregardless of whether we are in the waking world or in dream sleep, the eternal conscious witness is always present in all three states: waking, dreaming and sleeping. Cosmic consciousness watches for eons and eons apart from the body mind complex. Blazing forth like a thousands suns, shining forever as pure, perfect, God consciousness. The God who shines love within, is the same God who reflects love without. And that's the way this fortune cookie crumbled today!

Melting into the Light, I am the unattached Light that shines.

The Light shines, the Light which is Brahman.

That which I am is nothing but Brahman.

I exist and I exist as the Light of Brahman.

I myself, offer myself, into the infinite Light which is myself.

OM peace, peace, peace be unto us all.

God the Eternal Witness 

Lecture by Swami Sarvapriyananda

Panchadasi 
by Sri Vidyaranya Swami

Translated by Swami Swahananda

Sri Ramakrishna the Peacemaker

Read the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna Online

Under the Gentle Breeze of Mercy

by Swami Premeshananda

Under the gen­tle breeze of mercy,

Waves have risen in the Ocean of Form­less­ness;

Merged in the undi­vided, with­out begin­ning or end,

Thou, through Thine inscrutable power,

Hast assumed a human form.

On the side of the mind there is a realm unknown

Where nei­ther the sun nor the moon can enter,

But even there Thine infi­nite smile

Sheds its rays and lumines with charm­ing light.

Thy body is made of love

And puts to shame the God of Beauty;

And what sweet light Thine eyes bestrew!

Who­ever sees Thee longs to offer at Thy feet

His body, life and mind.

Many ages, come and gone, have awaited Thee,

But today all doubts have van­ished;

Oh, receive the gift of all I have—

I ded­i­cate my life to serve Thee!

This hymn was writ­ten about Sri Rama­kri­shna by Swami Pre­me­shananda. 

The Eng­lish trans­la­tion is by Swami Ashokananda.

Sri Ramakrishna 

An Inspiration for this Age

Lecture by Swami Sarvadevananda

Great Thinkers on Ramakrishna Paramahansa

Swami Sarvadevananda

I bow down to the Sadguru

The spiritual teacher who dispels the darkness of ignorance.

Who is the embodiment of Brahmananda

The inexpressible absolute bliss of Brahman.

Who bestows that supreme joy on others.

Who stands alone entirely unattached.

The very personification of spiritual wisdom who has gone 

Beyond the pairs of opposites like pleasure and pain, 

Heat and cold, that characterize relative existence.

Who is vast as the sky.

Who is indicated by the great Vedic phrase of the Mahabharata, "That thou art."

Who is one without a second, eternal, stainless, and immovable.

The witness to all that arises who has gone beyond all states of mind 

And is free of the three gunas: tamas, rajas, and even sattva.

To him the true Guru do we bow down in adoration.

Om, shanti, shanti, shanti

The Gurus Role in Our Lives

Lecture by Swami Sarvadevananda

Do You Need a Guru?

Lecture by Swami Shantarupananda

Guided Meditation 
Swami Sarvadevananda

Fear Not!

Narendra (Swami Vivekananda) & Rakhal (Swami Brahmananda)

Arise! Awake! and stop not until the goal is reached.

- Swami Vivekananda

A Reflection on Swami Brahmananda 

Lecture by Charles Miller

Banish all fear and weakness. Never weaken your mind by thinking of past mistakes. Sin? Sin exists only in man's eye. In God's eye there is no sin. One glance of the divine and the sins of many, many births are wiped away.

The greatest strength of character is to live in harmony with all. Never utter one word that would hurt another. Tell the truth, but never a harsh truth.

Life is like a stream, fast ebbing away. The day that is once gone can never be recalled. Make the best use of your time. If you leave it till the last moment, it will be too late to cry, "Alas, alas!"
- Swami Brahmananda

- - - - - -  

Swami Vivekananda's letter to Swami Brahmananda

(Translated from Bengali)

U.S.A., 20th November, 1899

MY DEAR RAKHAL,

Got some news from Sharat's letter. . . . Get experience while still there is a chance; I am not concerned whether you win or lose. . . . I have no disease now. Again. . . . I am going to tour from place to place. There is no reason for anxiety, be fearless. Everything will fly away before you; only don't be disobedient, and all success will be yours. . . . Victory to Kali! Victory to the Mother! Victory to Kali! Wah Guru, Wah Guru ki Fateh (Victory unto the Guru)!

. . . Really, there is no greater sin than cowardice; cowards are never saved — that is sure. I can stand everything else but not that. Can I have any dealings with one who will not give that up? . . . If one gets one blow, one must return ten with redoubled fury. . . . Then only one is a man. . . . The coward is an object to be pitied.

I bless you all; today, on this day sacred to the Divine Mother, on this night, may the Mother dance in your hearts, and bring infinite strength to your arms. Victory to Kali! Victory to Kali! Mother will certainly come down — and with great strength will bring all victory, world victory. Mother is coming, what dear? Whom to fear? Victory to Kali! At the tread of each one of you the earth will tremble. . . . Victory to Kali! Again onward, forward! Wah Guru! Victory to the Mother! Kali! Kali! Kali! Disease, sorrow, danger, weakness — all these have departed from you all. All victory, all good fortune, all prosperity yours. Fear not! Fear not! The threat of calamity is vanishing, fear not! Victory to Kali! Victory to Kali!

VIVEKANANDA

PS: I am the servant of the Mother, you are all servants of the Mother — what destruction, what fear is there for us? Don't allow egoism to enter your minds, and let love never depart from your hearts. What destruction can touch you? Fear not. Victory to Kali! Victory to Kali!

- - - - - - 

Read all Swami Vivekananda's Letters Online

Swami Brahmananda His Life and Teachings YouTube

Pravrajika Anandaprana

62 Years of Service

Pravrajika Anandaprana Obituary

“My mind fell like a hailstone 
into that vast expanse of Brahman’s ocean. 
Touching one drop of it, I melted away 
and became one with Brahman.”

Listen to Teachings from Shankara’s Crest Jewel of Discrimination by Swami Prabhavananda

A Mother's Love

Refuge of Divine Love

Lecture by Swami Chidbrahmananda

Mary did you know that your baby boy will some day walk on water?

Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?

Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?

This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you.

Mary did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?

Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?

Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?

And when you kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God.

Oh Mary did you know

The blind will see, the deaf will hear, the dead will live again.

The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the lamb.

Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?

Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day rule the nations?

Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?

This sleeping child you're holding is the great I am.

- Mark Alan Lowry, "Mary Did You Know" Song lyrics

Jesus Christ : Historical and Universal

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda

Vivekananda's Influence on Modern India

The Darling of Modi's Spiritual Heart

Swami Vivekananda Influences India's Prime Minister - Read Article

India's new Prime Minister Narendra Modi has let it be know through social media his great reverence for the words and teachings of Swami Vivekananda. Publicly proclaiming Vivekananda's message of religious harmony, Modi encourages the young Hindu movers and shakers to emulate the forward inner change they want to see in their world. Swami Vivekananda is credited with bringing Hinduism to the status of a major world religion following his grand appearance at the 1893 Chicago Parliament of Religions where he planted the first seeds of the modern day Yoga movement. For years Swami Vivekananda lectured successfully throughout America bringing Eastern philosophy to the Western World introducing such Vedic ideas as Karma, Bhakti, Raja, and Jnana Yoga. “Every nation has a message to deliver, a mission to fulfill, a destiny to reach. The mission of India has been to guide humanity.” At Kanyakumari Swamiji realized India’s purpose- its message of spirituality, its mission to teach human beings the science of life- a destiny of wearing the crown of a world leader. He spent his entire life in spreading this message. And so it is fitting that Vivekananda's teachings have recently become societal main stream speaking points between contemporary world leaders. The latest exchange on the subject of "Yoga" being recently discussed between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Barack Obama, with hopes of leading today's youth to an ever expanded global oneness of body and mind. This could truly be the realization of Swami Vivekananda's dreams and India's pre-ordained destiny for the betterment of humankind. As an American and a Vedanta Society devotee, I pray this will be the case.  :)
My faith is in the younger generation, the modern generation, out of them will come my workers. They will work out the whole problem, like lions. - Swami Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda His Life and Work

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda

Swami Vivekananda and the Unity of Mankind

Lecture by Swami Atmajnanananda

Read Narendra Modi's views on Swami Vivekananda

Obama Commends Modi in WTO Deal

Swami Swahanandaji

June 29, 1921  -  October 19, 2012 

Obituary

Guru, Mantra, and Initiation 
Article by Swami Swahananda

Swami Swahananda 90th Birthday Remembered by Devotees
Thank you Kasey


Guru: Principle, Power, and Person
Lecture by Swami Mahayogananda



You have to grow from the inside out.
None can teach you, 
None can make you spiritual.
There is no other teacher but your own soul.
Swami Vivekananda

Temple Shoes

Temple Shoes 

Vedanta Society Puja, Santa Barbara, CA

Purification Prayer

May my speech be purified.
May my sense of smell be purified.
May my sight be purified.
May my hearing be purified.
May what I consume be purified.
May my heart be purified.
May my thoughts be purified.
May my actions be purified.
Whether pure or impure
In whatever state one may be
If one remembers the Lord
One becomes pure both inside and out.
As with eyes wide open, one sees the sky
So the seers see always the Supreme Truth, 
God, the all pervading existence.
May we know that Truth.
May that glorious Truth manifest in the hearts of people
everywhere. May mutual love, harmony
and peace pervade the entire world.
May this worship bestow health, 
happiness and fulfillment.
to one and all.

The Why and How of Puja 
Lecture by Swami Tyagananda

Daily Puja Worship

1. Puja Instructions

Sit facing east or north, and do japa 108 times. If you do pūjā immediately after your morning meditation, the japa can be skipped. Ācamana: pour a drop of water on the palm of your right hand and sip it gently, chanting Oṁ viṣṇu. Do this three times. Wash your hands, and chant with folded hands: Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ, divīva cakṣur-ātatam. Whenever I remember God with faith and devotion, I at once become pure internally and externally.
Prārthanā: With folded hands, chant: “May all beings be happy. May all be healthy. May all experience what is good. May there be no pain and suffering in the world. May everyone benefit from this worship.” Pray for your family and friends, especially for those who are passing through a difficult period.
Prayer for Calmness: “God, you are Purity; fill me with purity. You are Energy; fill me with energy. You are Strength; fill me with strength. You are Spiritual Power; fill me with spiritual power.” Wash the cup, uttering phaṭ, and fill it with water. Touching the cup, chant: May the holy waters of the Gaṅgā and other rivers fill this cup with power and sanctity.

2. Protection and Purification

Guarding of the Door: Sprinkle water toward the door, saying Oṁ dvāra-devatābhyo namaḥ. Pour a spoonful of water in the pūjā plate, saying Oṁ brahmaṇe namaḥ. Another spoonful with: Oṁ vāstu-puruṣaya namaḥ.
Purification of the Ground: Take a little water in the right palm and empty it on the ground in front of you, chanting: Oṁ rakṣa rakṣa hūṁ phaṭ svāhā.
Purification of the Seat: Draw a triangle with the right ring finger dipped in water near your seat and then say with folded hands: O Mother Earth, you support all life and, in turn, are supported by the Supreme Being. Please purify this seat and support me always.
Salutation to the Spiritual Lineage: Mentally prostrate before your guru. With folded palms near the left ear, say: Aiṁ gurubhyo namaḥ. Raising the palm to a higher level, Aiṁ parama-gurubhyo namaḥ. Still higher, Aiṁ parātpara-gurubhyo namaḥ. Still higher, Aiṁ parameṣṭhi-gurubhyo namaḥ. With folded palms near your right ear, Oṁ gaṇeśāya namaḥ. With folded palms, near the heart: Oṁ aiṁ sarva-deva-devī-svarūpāya śrī rāmakṛṣṇāya namaḥ.
Purification of the Flowers: Sprinkle water on the flowers, saying: Oṁ śatābhiṣeka hūṁ phaṭ svāhā. Touching the flowers with your right hand, say Oṁ. May these flowers be purified for worship. Hūṁ phaṭ svāhā.
Removal of Obstacles:
Look above, uttering the pūjā mantra: Oṁ aiṁ sarva-deva-devī-svarūpāya śrī rāmakṛṣṇāya namaḥ. With the index finger and middle finger of the right hand joined together, clap on the left palm three times at different levels, one higher than the other, uttering phaṭ. Snap the tip of the right index finger against the thumb eight times overhead, along the eight directions, starting from the east. End with doing the same in the downward and upward directions as well. With each snapping, say phaṭ.
Uttering phaṭ strike the ground three times gently with the left heel.
Take a small quantity of water in the right hand, throw it upward, saying: astrāya phaṭ.
Purification of the Pūjā Articles: Sprinkle water three times on all the pūjā articles, sayingOṁ aiṁ phaṭ.
Purification of the Mantra: Repeat, aṁ aiṁ aṁ, kaṁ aiṁ kaṁ, caṁ aiṁ caṁ, ṭaṁ aiṁ ṭaṁ, taṁ aiṁ taṁ, paṁ aiṁ paṁ, yaṁ aiṁ yaṁ, śaṁ aiṁ śaṁ.
Raising a Wall of Light: Uttering raṁ springle water around you in a circle, and visualize yourself as surrounded by a wall of Light, protecting you from all obstacles.
Protecting the Body: Chanting Oṁ aiṁ sarva-deva-devī-svarūpāya śrī rāmakṛṣṇāya namaḥ, pass both of your hands over your body, from head to foot. Then, placing the right palm over the heart, say: Oṁ durge durge rakṣiṇi svāhā. Oṁ āṁ hūm phaṭ svāhā.
Praṇāyāma: Do a brief practice (4-16-8), once (or thrice) through each nostril. Repeat Oṁ to keep count.

3. Divinization

Purification of the Elements: Close your eyes and repeat, as you visualize: Through the path of the suṣumnā, I join my Self with the Supreme Self in the crown of my head. Oṁ yaṁ,may my subtle body be freed from worldly tendencies. Oṁ raṁ, may my subtle body be burnt of all impurities. With the pure elements bathed in the light of consciousness, may a new subtle body be created for me. Oṁ. So’haṁ haṁsaḥ svāhā.
Total Consecration: Gently pass both hands over the body, from head to foot, and back again from foot to head, uttering āṁ hūṁ phaṭ svāhā, visualizing that through this your body, speech and mind are being purified.
Consecration of the Self: In order to install the Deity in your newly created divine body, touch the heart and say: May I be filled with the prāṇa of Sri Ramakrishna. May I be filled with the life of Sri Ramakrishna. May I be filled with the senses of Sri Ramakrishna. May the entire being of Sri Ramakrishna fill my own being. Visualize yourself as being filled with the presence of Sri Ramakrishna.

4. Preliminary Worship

Offering a flower (dipped in sandal paste, if possible), or water, in the pūjā plate in front of you, worship:
Guru: Oṁ aiṁ, I offer this flower (or water) to my Guru
Ganeśa: Oṁ gaṁ, I offer this flower (or water) to Ganeśa
Śiva: Oṁ namaḥ Ṡivāya, I offer this flower (or water) to Śiva
Sūrya: Oṁ, I offer this flower (or water) to Sūrya
Nārāyaṇa: Oṁ namo Nārāyaṇāya, I offer this flower (or water) to Nārāyaṇa
Durgā: Oṁ hrīm, I offer this flower (or water) to the divine mother Durgā
Oṁ, I offer this flower (or water) to all other forms of the divine
Oṁ, I offer this flower (or water) to all the prophets and incarnations

5. Main Worship

Meditation: Holding a flower between the palms of your hands, meditate on Sri Ramakrishna:
Nirañjanaṁ nityaṁ anantarūpaṁ, bhaktānukampā dhṛta-vigrahaṁ vai;
Īśāvatāraṁ parameśamīḍyam, taṁ rāmakṛṣṇam śirasā namāmi.
“I bow down at the feet of Sri Ramakrishna who is pure and eternal, who has infinite aspects, who has taken a form out of compassion for devotees, who is supremely divine, and who is God Incarnate.”
Transfer the divine presence of Sri Ramakrishna from your heart into the flower and place the flower in the pūjā plate in front of you.
Mental Worship: Worship Sri Ramakrishna mentally. Chant: “You are my own Self. My mind is the Divine Mother. My prāṇa are your companions and my body is your temple. My enjoyments I regard as offerings to you. My sleep is a form of absorption in you. My walking is like walking around you. My words are prayers offered to you. Whatever I think, say, or do, may be a form of worship to you.”

Offerings:
Sandal paste: I offer this sandal paste to Sri Ramakrishna. Oṁ aiṁ sarva-deva-devī svarūpāya śrī rāmakṛṣṇāya namaḥ.
Flower: I offer this flower to Sri Ramakrishna. Oṁ aiṁ sarva-deva-devī-svarūpāya śrī rāmakṛṣṇāya namaḥ
Incense: I offer this incense to Sri Ramakrishna. Oṁ aiṁ sarva-deva-devī-svarūpāya śrī rāmakṛṣṇāya namaḥ
Light: I offer this light to Sri Ramakrishna. Oṁ aiṁ sarva-deva-devī-svarūpāya śrī rāmakṛṣṇāya namaḥ
Food: I offer this naivedya to Sri Ramakrishna. Oṁ aiṁ sarva-deva-devī-svarūpāya śrī rāmakṛṣṇāya namaḥ 

Worship of Holy Mother: I offer this flower to Sri Sarada Devi. Oṁ aiṁ hrīm, sarva-deva-devī-svarūpiṇyai śrī sāradā-devyai namaḥ
Worship of Swami Vivekananda: I offer this flower to Swami Vivekananda. Oṁ aiṁ, svāmi vivekānandāya namaḥ

6. Conclusion

Flower Offering: Offer a few flowers in the pūjā plate, saying I offer these flowers at the feet of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother, and his disciples. Oṁ aiṁ sarva-deva-devī-svarūpāya śrī rāmakṛṣṇāya namaḥ
Visualize that the divine presence of Sri Ramakrishna is now withdrawn back into your heart, and remember that it will remain with you throughout the day. With that awareness, prostrate before the altar and chant: “Under the influence of my impulses of vital energy, the mind and the body, whatever I have done in the states of waking, dream and deep sleep, in thought, word and deed, may all these be offered to Brahman. Oṁ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ. Śrī rāmakṛṣṇārpaṇam astu.”
If possible, read a few lines from a sacred text before cleaning your worship space and beginning your chores for the day.

Jai Sri Durga : Glory to Goddess Durga

To her who presides over the elements 

and the senses and is ever present in all beings, 

to the all-pervading Devi, salutations again and again.

To her who pervades this entire world 

and abides in the form of consciousness, 

salutation to her, salutation to her, 

salutation to her, again and again.

(DM 5.77-80)

Lecture: Worship of Divine Mother

by Swami Gautamananda

Listen to a Chandi Recital

By Swami Tyagananda 

at Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, India

Article: Message of The Chandi

By Devadatta Kali

Read: The Devi Mahatmya 

Buddha and Vedanta

All that we are is the result of what we have thought;

It is founded on our thoughts,

It is made up of our thoughts.

If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought,

Happiness follows him,

Like a shadow that never leaves him.

- Buddha : The Dhammapada

The Buddha and Vedanta 

An Example of Religious Harmony

Lecture by Dr. Jeffrey Long

What the Buddha Taught
Lecture by Swami Tyagananda

The Arts of Yoga 

L.A. Review of Books by A. L. Bardach

Inner Light

"You are the light of the world."
Matthew 5:14 

Illumination cannot be described in words, it must be experienced. There are many glimpses of smaller awakenings on the way towards spiritual enlightenment. The awakening of the self depends on the ripening of the perfect conditions. The seed will not sprout until the ground is prepared. Repeat your given mantra and fertilize the ground of your mind and heart. Go on repeating until you take your last breath. It may take many, many, lifetimes of being reincarnated before we experience freedom. The Vedanta Society Swami's tell us everyone will awaken one day at their own destined time into a greater consciousness. Wake up... drop all desires and experience a moment when the veil of ignorance is dissolved and suddenly the love of infinite oneness presents itself... as the breath of the Eternal.

Inner Light 
Article by Swami Shraddhananda

Waking Up

Lecture by Swami Mahayogananda

The Light Within
Lecture by Swami Tyagananda

Bring all light into the world; light, bring light! 

Let light come unto everyone; the tasks will not be finished 

Till everyone has reached the Lord. 

Bring light to the poor, and bring more light to the rich, 

For they require it more than the poor; 

Bring light to the ignorant and more light to the educated 

For the vanities of the education of our time are tremendous! 

Thus bring light to all and leave the rest unto the Lord.

– Swami Vivekananda

Outside is Inside

As clouds are blown away by the wind, 

the thirst for material pleasures will be driven away 

by the utterance of the Lord's name.

- Sarada Devi

Life Above the Clouds

Lecture by Swami Tyagananda

High above the clouds things aren't always what they seem. The sufferings of life appear non existent here... if only for a few moments. Up here... it is absolutely quiet and peaceful. A state of brightness, stillness and light temporarily transcends time and space. We seem to be softly floating, weightless and without worries. Suddenly a moment of clarity and the audible hum of OM tranquility, or maybe that's the planes engines. Our ears seem to be plugged and we swallow to equalize them. Much too soon our time above the clouds is over and the airplane begins to descend. Looking out the window we say goodbye to the peaceful heavenly cloud display. Back to earth, back to our daily responsibilities and material pleasures. The three levels of our personality: gross (material body), subtle (mind, intellect, ego) and the causal body are essentially cloud coverings that separate us from the divine. The seat of pure consciousness is present in all the waking, sleeping and dreaming states we experience in this life. Learning to open up our awareness to the divine and lift the clouds of life requires a daily practice of centering ourselves in God's love and wisdom. The highest creed is Oneness. I am so-and-so is a limited idea, not true of the real ‘I’. I am the universal; stand upon that and ever worship the Highest through the highest form, for God is Spirit and should be worshipped in spirit and in truth.

The sky can accommodate anything

Birds cut through the sky

Or a plane

The sky comes back

It is as it is

Effortless, whole

Volcanoes erupt

Forests burn

The sky is not burned

Nothing added

Taken away

Boundless and vast

Tornados, hurricanes, typhoons

Planets collide

The sky accommodates

Sun and moon

The countless stars

Bodhisattva of the great earth!

Bodhisattva of sky!

Widen our reach

To embrace and put our arms around.

- Chan Master Guo Jun

Strength Verses Self-Realization 

Lecture by Bramachari Satchaitanya

Is God's Book Finished?

Swami Vivekananda

(January 12, 1863  -  July 4, 1902)

Read How Swami Vivekananda Brought Yoga to the West 

BBC News Article & Video

Swami Vivekananda had this to say about the harmony of the worlds religions...

"I accept all religions that were in the past, and worship with them all; I worship God with every one of them, in whatever form they worship Him…. Is God’s book finished? Or is it still a continuous revelation going on? It is a marvelous book–these spiritual revelations of the world. The Bible, the Vedas, the Koran, and all other sacred books are but so many pages and an infinite number of pages remain yet to be unfolded. I would leave it open for all of them. We stand in the present, but open ourselves to the infinite future. We take in all that has been in the past, enjoy the light of the present, and open every window of the heart for all that will come in the future. Salutations to all the prophets of the past, to all the great ones of the present, and to all that are to come in the future!"

Swami Vivekananda the Bodhisattva Ideal 
Lecture by Swami Shantatmananda

Mother, In Vivekananda's Eyes
Lecture by Swami Kripamayananda

Keepers of the Earth

Native American Spirituality a Vedantic View 

Article by Devadatta Kali

"What is life? 

It is the flash of a firefly in the night. 

It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. 

It is the little shadow which runs across the grass 

And loses itself in the sunset."

- by Chief Crowfoot, Blackfoot Tribe

Katsina dolls are religious icons made of cottonwood root and represent the spiritual essence of everything in the world. In the Hopi language the word "Kachina," or "Katsina," means "Life Bringer". The katsina religion dates from the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries, when people from the Four Corners region of the Colorado Plateau moved into the upper Colorado Valley and formed large aggregate settlements with the indigenous Mogollon or western Pueblo people. From its inception, the katsina religion helped create cultural equilibrium and cooperative behavior as immigrant and resident populations adapted to each other. To the Hopi, the katsina spirit was viewed as being responsible for the tribes survival. Without the katsinas help it was believed that water in the rivers would not flow and crops would not be abundant. The hand carved dolls were given to young girls to help them learn about their role as women in the Hopi community.  Read More

Katsina Dolls

Healing Vibration

Between the Santa Barbara Vedanta Society Temple and their bookstore 

is a massive twelfth-century bell, cast in Japan, which had 

once been rigged to a Chinese military ship.

Santa Barbara's Sacred Vedanta Temple Space 
LA YOGA MAGAZINE

As is well known, sound has great power over matter. By using sound it is possible to cause geometric patterns to form on sand and also cause objects to be shattered. How much more powerful, then, must be the impact of this force on the vibrating living substance of our sensitive human bodies. Scientists know that sound vibration is processed in the same area of the brain that deals with feelings and emotions, thus proving music's therapeutic potential. Used by clinicians to alleviate pain, boost immunity and lower pulse rates in hospitals, harmonic sounds can revitalize and strengthen the body and soul. Today modern society has become increasingly convinced of the therapeutic benefits of food prepared with love and positive thought vibrations. Let us make use of mantras, prasad, holy sites, relics of saints and soothing musical tones to calibrate and heal, through resonate power, the remotest reaches of the human psyche.  

The Mystery of Human Vibrations

Lecture by Swami Vedarupananda

Follow Your Beliefs

Need Some New Beliefs? 

Read the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda Online

Not another one of these philosophy cookies. I just wanted it for the crunch factor. Now this sounds like something my Swami would say. Today, even my food was preaching Vedanta philosophy. "Well"... I answer to no one but the crumbled cookie, "Who am I? Why am I here? What is the meaning of this life? Why do I have to suffer? What are my beliefs?" At certain moments in our lives these questions trouble us and we want meaningful answers. These momentary and intimately personal critiques often result in inner convictions that have a lasting profoundness. With this comes the understanding that I am completely in charge of my free will as I navigate my way towards my own brand of spirituality. Beliefs it seems are formed after much self inquiry. Upbringing, environment and the media play a major role in shaping our early beliefs. Our particular approach to political, social, and economic affairs affects beliefs also. Learning from sages, artists, and writers, our daily experiences revel a true sacredness of life. We need to believe in things, to structure and orient our lives in ways that make sense to us. All beliefs are subject to change as we mature and experience life. Learning about other cultures and testing their ideas for ourselves helps us to formulate new beliefs. We test these personal experiences and biases by choosing to react in accordance with our moral obligations to self, loved ones, and community. These experiences can be the starting point for the flame of spiritual life or that yearning for God.

Stardate 2014 

Lecture by Swami Chidbrahmananda

The Real Inner Temple

Devotees at Vedanta Society Temple Steps - Santa Barbara, CA

The Message of Sri Ramakrishna

Lecture by Swami Veetamohananda 

It is good and very grand to conquer external nature, but grander still to conquer the internal nature of man. It is grand and good to know the laws that govern the stars and planets; it is infinitely grander and better to know the laws that govern the passions, the feelings, the will, of mankind. This conquering of the inner man, understanding the secrets of the subtle workings that are within the human mind, and knowing its wonderful secrets, belong entirely to religion.  

-- Swami Vivekananda   (The Necessity of Religion - Jnana Yoga 1902 edition)

We should never for­get that our real objective is to enshrine the Lord in the heart of every man in the world, for the real tem­ple of the Lord is the human heart. There within the heart of every man the ground has to be con­se­crated, for it has been defiled by the pro­fan­ity of worldly desires and plea­sures. There on that con­se­crated ground let the tem­ple of Divine Com­mu­nion be raised and the over­flow­ing bliss of the Supreme Good reign. Infi­nite Bliss from within, that is the idea. Let the devo­tee be flooded over by this Bliss from within. Preach­ing is real only when this Bliss pro­vides for its own preach­ing. One devo­tee over­flow­ing from within with this Divine Bliss is worth a mil­lion dol­lars of pro­pa­gan­dist devices. One real tem­ple raised in the human heart is worth dozens of tem­ples built out­side. Remem­ber that our objective is really to raise the tem­ple from within. I pray that our Lord may shower His bless­ings upon you more and more, as He is doing, till your life becomes per­vaded through and through by a blessed­ness which is His love, which is He Him­self. May you be sub­merged in the real­ity of His Pres­ence. With lov­ing bless­ings to all,

Yours in the Lord,
Swami Pre­m­ananda

1861-1918

Living Inwardly 

Article by Swami Shraddhananda

Read the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna Online