Tattva

Like others, I once believed that all religions were basically manipulative, corrupt, and money hungry political institutions. One day, over a family dinner, I slipped in the Karl Marx quote, that religion is the “opiate of the masses.” In response, my dad asked a simple question that changed my perspective in ways that still affect me: “What about Hinduism makes it an opiate?” It was then that I realized that although I had studied the history of many other religions in school, I knew very little about the religion my family practiced. Eager to prove my point, I then set out to understand the religion, ironically enough, in order to demonstrate its faults. What I found has been invaluable to me, and I hope that by reading about my experience, you will find some answers to questions you might have as well.  Read the rest of this entry »

Deepavali, also known as Diwali, falls on November 9^th this year. The word Deepavali literally means “row of lighted lamps.” During this festival, lamps are lit as a symbol of hope and celebration for mankind. Popularly known as the “Festival of Lights,” Deepavali signifies the victory of light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance. Read the rest of this entry »

The Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh Speaker On Campus (SOC) series is steadily becoming a well-recognized event on college and university campuses across the United States of America. The Speaker On Campus series is a unique project which exposes the university students and faculty to different aspects of Hinduism through acclaimed experts on the subjects. While the universities in the United States provide the encouraging environment for awareness and practice of various cultures and traditions, rarely do we see events held specifically about Hindu Culture on the campuses. Speaker On Campus series is one step taken in this direction. The SOC 2007 covered more than 30 university campuses in 15 states with the help of 6 speakers.
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Interesting facts about Hinduism and Bharat:

Did Vasco da Gama discover the sea-route to India?

Plastic Surgery: A Gift from India

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The West has made great material progress in the past couple of centuries. However, this progress has been accompanied with destruction of natural resources, less emphasis on family values, increased stress, loneliness, crime, and hatred. In its search for solutions to these problems, the West has found many answers in the ancient Hindu philosophy. This quest for answers from the Hindu thought can be seen in the recent rise of many Hindu organizations, yoga studios, meditation centers, etc. Many Hindus are themselves rediscovering their ancient past and the timeless teachings of their rishis. Read the rest of this entry »

In the last issue of Tattva, we had an introduction of the Bhagavad Gita. In this issue, we are continuing the Bhagavad Gita series with an article on conquering desire and gaining knowledge of the Self.

The Hindu theory of jnana (knowledge), bhakti (devotion) and karma (action) forms the basis of Hindu philosophy. The Gita is the guide to “the science of being and the art of living. It is a complete guide to mastering the problems of day-to-day life—for any person of any age. The teachings of the Gita inspire all to realize the reality within them. The fulfillment lies in the simultaneous development of the heart and the mind.” Read the rest of this entry »

Courage: The Joy of Living Dangerously, by Osho

Osho is one of the best known and most provocative spiritual teachers of the twentieth century. More than a decade after his death in 1990, the influence of his teachings continues to expand. We will take a look at his second best selling book, Courage: The Joy of Living Dangerously, the best selling being The Book of Secrets. Osho’s style is undoubtedly unique. He can be direct, shocking, rational, beautiful and mesmerizing at the same time. His style is in stark contrast to Yogananda’s sublime, beautiful speech in Autobiography of a Yogi. Here is an extract from the foreword: “I would like to make you more insecure, more uncertain– because that’s how life is, that’s how God is. When there is more insecurity and more danger, the only way to respond to it is by awareness. There are two possibilities. Either you close your eyes and become dogmatic, become a Christian, or a Hindu or a Mohammedan. Then you become like an ostrich. It doesn’t change life; it simply closes your eyes. It simply makes you stupid, it simply makes you unintelligent. In your unintelligence you feel secure - all idiots feel secure. In fact, only idiots feel secure. A real man will always feel insecure.” Read the rest of this entry »

1.  Located in Uttar Pradesh, it is here that the Ganga river leaves the Himalaya mountains to flow out upon the plains. The great sage Kapil once lived and meditated here. Today, this place is the home of many ashrams (hermitages and places for meditation) and dharamshalas (rest houses for pilgrims). Throughout the year, people come here to bathe in the Ganga, especially at the Hari-ka-charan ghat, where a footprint of Vishnu is worshipped.

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