Unique way to control mind............

Reviving an ancient language

Samskrita Bharathi is continually making efforts to reintroduce Sanskrit in Indian communities over which its hold is fast loosening, writes S RADHA PRATHI.

The moment one hears the word Sanskrit, one associates the word with the intellectual elite. It speaks of a rich cultural past, the incomprehensible treasure troves of knowledge and an innate sense of well-being. Nothing about Sanskrit appears to be contemporary or happening. Yet everything about India is associated with Sanskrit. In fact, the synonym of Sanskrit, called Geervana Bharathi, suggests that it is the language of Bharatha (India). The Indian term for culture - Samskruthi - has been derived from the word Samskriti. In short, Sanskrit is the decoction of the very essence of India.

Deccanherald.com

The Size of Soul

"According to Vedanta Sutra, the idea that God resides in the physical heart the size of the thumb is for the sake of conceptualization during meditation, and is thus a metaphorical description. The size of the thumb refers to the size of the human heart. God is in reality all pervading and atomic at the same time" said Dr KK Aggarwal

Dr KK Aggarwal is a senior Physician, Head Department of Cardiology and Deputy Dean Board of Medical Education-Moolchand Hospital, President-Heart Care Foundation of India, President Delhi Medical Association and Member-Delhi Medical Council

Hindustantimes.com

Sacred Practice

Commercialized yoga is departure from spiritual origins, experts say

The word yoga is most often defined as a yoking, or union. Its practice strives to unite the individual soul with the "greater soul" of the universe, traditionally through four main paths: karma (action), bhakti (devotion), jnana (wisdom) and raja or ashtanga (mental and physical control). Hatha yoga, which most Americans call simply "yoga," is in fact just one aspect of ashtanga.

"A yoga master in India is a highly evolved spiritual being, not a gymnast," said David Frawley, the director of the American Institute of Vedic Studies in Santa Fe, N.M., who writes and lectures on the controversy.

But Americans tend to focus on fitness alone, perhaps because "as a culture we are extremely physically oriented," as Hindu University's Tiwari put it. "We are enamored by the physical aspect of who we are. Some of us even worship our bodies."

Journalnow.com

The music of science and religion

Even apart from its religious relevance, music gives us not just sensuous pleasure but something much deeper that is hard to define. Our encounters with the great composers of both past and present sharpen our sensibilities and enable us to transcend our own limitations, living our lives with greater meaning.

Devotional songs, hymns and repetitive musical chants are a common denominator in many religious practices. Whether through instrument or song, through chant or the beating of the drums, musical sounds have been used since time immemorial to facilitate the individual's efforts to transcend his or her finite existence and achieve a sense of mystical union with the Great Spirit, the Universal or the Divine. The Bible describes Jericho's walls falling at the sound of military horns. Moses instituted an annual musical event involving the blowing of trumpets as a prelude to the worship of his God. The Chinese speak of their ancestral singers changing the seasons and creating fire or water through music. Hindus speak of specific ancient mantras to manipulate specific natural phenomena. In Europe, the music of numerous Western composers like Bach is known to have been largely spiritually inspired. Vedic chanting and Gregorian chanting are classic examples of the role of music in religion. The most striking repetitive chanting rituals include the Holy Mary chant, the Buddhist chants and the Hindu Mantras such as the Hare Krishna Mantra and the Gayatri Mantra.

Science and Theology News

Holy Power of Tulsi

The 'tulsi' plant or Indian basil is an important symbol in the Hindu religious tradition. The name 'tulsi' connotes "the incomparable one". Tulsi is a venerated plant and Hindus worship it in the morning and evening. Tulsi grows wild in the tropics and warm regions. Dark or Shyama tulsi and light or Rama tulsi are the two main varieties of basil, the former possessing greater medicinal value. Of the many varieties, the Krishna or Shyama tulsi is commonly used for worship.

The presence of tulsi plant symbolizes the religious bent of a Hindu family. A Hindu household is considered incomplete if it doesn't have a tulsi plant in the courtyard. Many families have the tulsi planted in a specially built structure, which has images of deities installed on all four sides, and an alcove for a small earthen oil lamp. Some households can even have up to a dozen tulsi plants on the verandah or in the garden forming a "tulsi-van" or "tulsivrindavan" - a miniature basil forest.

Personal Development