Readers follow Richard Slavin from the suburbs of Chicago to the caves of the Himalayas as he transforms from young seeker to renowned spiritual guide. The Journey Home is an intimate account of the steps to self-awareness and also a penetrating glimpse into the heart of mystic traditions and the challenges that all souls must face on the road to inner harmony and a union with the Divine. It is a tale told with rare candor, immersing the reader in a journey that is at once engaging, humorous, and heartwarming. Radhanath Swami was born in Chicago in 1950. In his teens he set out to wander the world on a spiritual quest, eventually discovering the yoga path of devotion. He presently travels in Asia, Europe, and America teaching devotional wisdom but can often be found at his community in Mumbai, India. People who know Radhanath Swami speak of his dedication to bringing others closer to God and their own spirituality. Almost in the same breath they speak of his lightness, simplicity, and sense of humor. Visitors and friends are inspired by his unassuming nature and natural unwillingness to take credit for the works he inspires-community development, massive food distribution to indigent children, missionary hospitals, eco-friendly farms, schools, ashrams, and emergency relief programs.

    This second edition expands upon the first with 100 pages of previously unpublished dialogues, fresh quotes, brush drawings and photographs. While Mooji's presence carries a devotional fragrance, the words and drawings that spring from his Being are of the nature of non-duality. At times humorous, at times tender, occasionally sharp and always loving, Mooji responds to questioners as they speak of fear, suffering, confusion, relationships, spiritual practice and how to live their lives in peace. Yet it is Mooji's unsparing pointing to Truth, through the method of self-inquiry, which forms the essence of this book. His words represent unwavering invitations to investigate the nature of the Self and to rest effortlessly as the fullness and emptiness of Beingness. His answers encourage, challenge and never fail to illuminate. Enriched with Mooji's exquisite brush drawings - which add depth and a power of their own - this book is even more potent than the first. This edition acts like an unsparing sword that chops the mind and leaves you fully naked as your Self.

    This is a book to treasure.It offers an unpreecendented glimpse into the world of a contemporary mystic,a prestigious living archive of knowledge.In the course of his discussions,Sadhguru probes the farthest realms of illogic,and yet his unfailingly rational and matter of fact tone lends credibility to the more fanatic aspects of the content.The result is a unique perspective on a world you knew or thought you knew.Refracted through the mystic eye a lens of exceptional insight and piercing clarity it is a world transformed.A world that reminds you that there are indeed many more things on heaven and earth...that are dreamt of in your philosophy.

    Tulsidas Rendered It Into Hindi In The Sixteenth Century. But His 'Ramcharit-Manas' Differs From The Original In Many Ways. It Was Written At A Time When A Very Vast Area Of India Was Under Mughal Rule. Amongst The Hindus, There Were Frequent Controversies Between The Worshippers Of Shiva, Vishnu And The Mother Goddess, And Again Between The Worshippers Of Rama And Krishna. There Were Also Cults Which Were Almost Cut Off From The Mainstream Of Indian Life. It Is To The Credit Of Tulsidas That He Tried To Weave All These Cults Into An Integrated Whole. He Made His Rama Say That He Would Not Tolerate Anyone Who Showed Disrespect To Shiva. He Worshipped Not Only At The Temples Dedicated To Rama But Also At Those Dedicated To Krishna. His Works And Teachings Stressed The Importance Of The Life Of A Householder And Weaned People Away From The Tantric Cults. Tulsidas Hailed From A Poor Family Of Rajapur In Uttar Pradesh. He Was Orphaned Soon After His Birth And Even His Foster-Mother Died When He Was Barely Seven Years Old. When He Was Married, He Became Deeply Attached To His Wife, Ratna. She Was The First Person In His Life Whom He Could Call His Own. One Day Not Finding Her At Home On His Return, He Became Extremely Restless And Rushed To His Father-In-Law'S House In The Dead Of The Night, Braving Heavy Rains And A Storm. But Ratna Rebuked Him And Said, "Had You Loved Rama As Intensely As You Do This Bundle Of Flesh And Bones, You Would Have Overcome All Mortal Fears." This Was The Turning Point In His Life. The Story As Narrated In This Book Is Mostly Based On Legends. A Contemporary Of Shakespeare, Tulsidas (1532-1623) Was Known For Singing The Glory Of Rama, The Prince Of Ayodhya. The Ramcharitmanas, Tulsidas Version Of The Ramayana In Awadhi, A Dialect Of Hindi, Consists Of Over 1,0000 Stanzas Of About 12 To 18 Lines Each. Tulsi'S Words Are Musical And Hypnotic. Every Village And Town In The Hindi Heartland Has A Troupe That Enacts The Story Of Rama Based On Tulsida'S Work.

    If it is awakened it will take you to a much higher plane of consciousness - beyond the limitations of the human body-mind. Experience this superconsciousness, actualize your ultimate potential. This is the only aim of human life to enjoy the ultimate luxury of living enlightenment.

    The talks in this book were recorded and edited by Nisargadatta Maharaj and were originally published by him in two volumes in the Marathi language under the name of "Adhyatma Jnanacha Yogeshwar" in the years 1960 and 1961. The text was reprinted in the year 2000 at the insistence of Shri Ranjit Maharaj. Afterwards it was translated into English for this book, truly a modern day spiritual classic in its own right. Also included within the covers of this book is the text "Master Key to Self-Realization" which was authored by Shri Siddharameshwar Maharaj in the form of a methodical explanation of many fundamental principles of Advaita Vedanta and Self-Realization. The teaching found here helps the aspirant to form a solid foundation for understanding the fundamental principles of non-duality and in realizing one's True Nature.

    He is the founder of Isha Foundation which administers yoga centres around the world, including India and the United States. Jagadish Vasudev was born in Mysore, Karnataka. At the age of twenty-five on September 23rd 1982, he had a deep spiritual experience, and subsequently established Isha Foundation, a non-religious, not-for-profit, public service organization, which addresses all aspects of human wellbeing. The Isha Yoga Centre and Ashram near Coimbatore was founded in 1992, and hosts a series of programs intended to heighten self-awareness through the ancient practice of yoga. These programs are offered to people ranging from the highly educated to the illiterate, from corporate leaders to prisoners. Sadhguru spoke in four panels at the 2007 World Economic Forum, addressing issues ranging from diplomacy to economic development, education and the environment. In 2006, he addressed the World Economic Forum, the Tällberg Forum in Sweden, and the Australian Leadership Retreat. He has also served as a delegate to the United Nations Millennium Peace Summit and the World Peace Congress. He is the only speaker to have been invited to the World Economic Forum three years in a row. Sadhguru has had interviews with the BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, CNNfn, and Newsweek International. He was a delegate to the United Nations Millennium World Peace Summit - [1], [2] and a participant at the World Economic Forum in 2006, 2007 and 2008. [3] Sadhguru is a practitioner of yogic temple building and consecration, creating the Dhyanalinga yogic temple in 1999. The consecration process employed Prana prathista which is different from the Mantra prathista process prevalent in Kumbabishekam rituals in practiced through the modern times.[4][5] Ancient Indian alchemical processes were allegedly used extensively in the temple building and consecration. Contrary to science, it is claimed that the presence of solid mercury at room temperature can be observed in the building[6]. Project Green Hands and initiative to increase the green cover of Tamil Nadu State by 33% in the next 15-25 years is spearheaded by Jaggi Vasudev[7]. The project entered the Guinness Book of world records for planting maximum number of tree saplings on a single day[8]. Vasudev was a key participant in the 2006 documentary film ONE: The Movie.

    She is the womb of all creatures, and it is through her that the One becomes the many. Our first and primary relationship to the world is through the mother, the source of love, security, and nourishment. Extending this relationship to worship of a cosmic being as mother was a natural step found not only in the Shakti cult of Hinduism but also in ancient Greek, Egyptian, and Babylonian cultures. Shakti presents more than 30 goddess incarnations of the Divine Mother that represent both the beneficial and malefic aspects of the Shakti force. From Lakshmi, Parvati, and Saraswati to Durga, Chandika, and Kali--each of the different functions of the female goddesses in the Hindu pantheon is revealed, accompanied by traditional Sanskrit hymns, classic verses by Sri Auribindo, and discussions of tantric philosophy. The author draws from the Devi Bhagavatham, which describes all the stories of Shakti, and the Devi Mahatmyam, the most powerful scriptural text that glorifies Shakti in her form as Durga. Using these texts she shows that through the power and grace of the Divine Mother we may be released from the darkness of ignorance and taken to the abode of knowledge, immortality, and bliss--the source from which we have come.

    Ability without commitment and awareness is like a vehicle without the engine. The Shiva Sutra enhances one's awareness in a way one sees an opportunity in a difficulty and not a difficulty in an opportunity. There is an 'outside reality' and an 'inside reality' of one's mind. There is also another dimension called 'spiritual reality'. To harmonize all of them is a great awakening. Ordinary being loves one's own 'psycho dramas' of justification, proving one's point of view, blaming, being helpless... and this leads one to a state of inner poverty. To free oneself from these lower states of poverty and see them as 'errors in one's thinking' is part of being effective and experiencing inner prosperity. The profound teaching of Lord Shiva introduces us to A Bigger Container where one learns to be charitable to one's own self. This practice of making A Bigger Container is essentially spiritual. Dive deep into these mystic teachings. -Swami Sukhabodhananda

    

    Much of the misunderstanding of Shankara’s position may be due to the absence of a lucid presentation of his life and works in a comprehensive and readable form. This short monograph is an attempt to meet that need for the benefit of those who have no previous acquaintance with philosophy.Shankara was one of the most subtle of Indian philosophers, and though for him intellectual dexterity was not an end in itself, the reader will find some reasoning worthy of his steel in the following pages.

    It contains the dialogues of the Bengali saint Ramakrishna wrtten in almost stenographic accuracy.

    This book is an interpretation of the history of Indic religions up to around 1200 CE, with particular focus on the development of yogic and tantric traditions. It assesses how much we really know about this period, and asks what sense we can make of the evolution of yogic and tantric practices, which were to become such central and important features of the Indic religious scene. Its originality lies in seeking to understand these traditions in terms of the total social and religious context of South Asian society during this period, including the religious practices of the general population with their close engagement with family, gender, economic life and other pragmatic concerns.

    Sri Shankaracharya's spiritual classic,Vivekachudamani,has been one of the most favoured works among the spiritual aspirants treading the path as delineated in Vedanta.The commentaries of Sri Shankaracharya,though astounding in their spiritual depth and vastness,are to a great extent abstruse for the lay aspirant.But in his Vivekachudamani,Shankara has presented the essentials of vedanta in a language at one simple as well as poetic.Over and above this Swami Ranganathananda's commentary on it sets it in the modern backdrop with his distinctive emphasis on human welfare.It is an illuminating as well as inspiring piece of work for spiritual asppirants all over the world.

    It is often taken for granted that independence from the british rule also ushered an era of cultural and social freedom in india the author wishes to examine if that is true or if a cultural decline set in soon after based on a verse in the pancatantra, the book has been divided into six parts: eka (person), kula (family), grama (habitat), janapada (land), prithvi (earth) and atma issues of education, conflicts between the classes, regions, jatis, languages and religions, expansion of proselytizers, lack of governance, tensions between the legislators and judiciary, rise of unbridled consumerism, falling standards of democracy, dilemmas created by notions of dharma challenged by westernized modernity, and the problems of attaining universal harmony, are all put into a perspective under these six categories while examining the state of affairs the author also suggests a way for the pursuit of happiness through unselfish transcendence

    "If non-fulfilment of desires does not bother you,you are on top of them.If non-fulfilment bothers you then the desires have got you!They are no longer a privelege.They become pressure generators.Bringing the required change to make desiring a privelege is personal reorganisation."

    The topics dealt in greater detail are: religion philosophy mythology rituals scriptural works festivalsand pilgrim centres. Other topics include astrology biographies of religious personalities iconography Sanskritlanguage of literature temples and religious institutions. A must for all students of Hinduism.See more at: http://www.chennaimath.org/istore/pro...

    One of these hymns is the famous “Bhaja Govindam”. ‘Bhaja’ literally means ‘seek’, ‘Govindam’ means ‘the Lord’ – ‘the Truth’. The learned masters, out of deep compassion try to wake up humanity. They invite us to open our eyes to a higher dimension of living. The whole text of Bhaja Govindam in essence means ‘Wake up, seek the Lord, and stop seeking the primitive and superficial things in life.’The compilation of thoughts presented in this book is applicable to one and all. Swami Sukhabodhananda in his unique style explains the verses with deep clarity and understanding.

    The second volume of Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana, consisting of the verses from Section 9 to Section 12 of the original Sanskrit text, along with its English translation.