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Karma, convenient excuse or a beacon of light?
Dashboard Karma, convenient excuse or a beacon of light? Self-transformation is arduous work, especially at first; but each tiny change brings with it the joyful awareness that your life is gradually becoming a force for peaceful change.” Karma is an expression used to rationalize everything from why one’s life…
Culture Mythology – Historical Facts or Metaphorical Truths?
According to Hindu mythology, Anjaneya flew over a sea; Ravana had ten heads and Vamana, the dwarf-avatar of Vishnu, measured the entire universe with his feet. How believable are these mythological stories and how relevant are they in today’s world of logical thinking and scientific advancements? If the stories…
Is religion necessary?
Scientists believe that the universe is a physical phenomenon - with a natural order that could be understood through observation and reasoning. A few scientists also assert that God had nothing to do with the creation or the order of the universe (The Grand Design - Stephen Hawking, University of…
Karma Yogis Among Us
The following is a story of two individuals with whom I had the honor to interact with. Mrs. Janaki is a respectable grandmother. When I visit the Hindu Temple on week-ends, she usually joins me for the ride. During one of these visits, I noticed Mrs. Janaki consoling a…
HONORING A KARMA YOGI – BHARATA RATNA M. S. SUBBULAKSHMI
Speech By Dr. Ram Sriram at the Chinmaya Mission, Atlanta Recently, two reputed Atlanta organizations - the Chinmaya Mission Atlanta and the Sankara Nethralaya-OM Trust (USA) celebrated the birth centenary of the renowned musician, Bharat Ratna Smt. M. S. Subbalakshmi. The two events, however, differed in their…
The Changing Conception of God – from Fear to Philosophy
Since the early days, man believed in the existence of god. However, the concept of God – why one needs a god or how god appears - had changed over time. The ancient man, living the nomadic life of a hunter-gatherer, sought the help of powerful forces (god) to…
Rituals, Contemplation, and Service
Every religion requires its followers to observe a set of rituals which it signifies through sacred symbols, descriptions, narratives, and practices. A Hindu applying ashes on his forehead and reciting mantras at a temple, a Christian wearing a cross and attending a church, a Muslim wearing a cap and praying…
The Kural – Changing the Axis of Life
Ram Sriram Recently, The Hindu newspaper published an article about the renowned Tamil scholar, Thiruvachagamani Balasuramaniam and his conversation with the former President of India, Saravepalli Dr. S. Radhakrishan, during an event at the Chennai Kapali temple in 1961. Impressed by Thiru Balasubramaniam’s speech on Periyapuranam at the event, Dr.…
Is Gita a story of War?
The Diplomat magazine recently wrote an article on Steve Bannon, advisor to Donald Trump. Bannon, it appears, is an ardent believer in the teachings of the Bhagawad Gita because it supports an apocalyptic world view where, when there is an existential clash among races and religions, one must engage in…
Sankeerthana for Salvation
Expressing devotion through bhakthi is a well-known Hindu tradition. Bhakthi is love, attachment, and dedication to a personal god. However, bhakthi also implies that a bhaktha (a devotee) will strive for pure thought and proper conduct at all times and will love god without expectation of benefits in return. The…