Philosophy, Goal, Path and Lifestyle
On the spiritual path, the first step is to become clear of the philosophy to which one subscribes. This philosophy then defines the goal, which then defines the path, which in turn defines the…
The Blog — 1043 posts since 2008
Timeless wisdom for a focused life.
Teachings on awareness, energy, and purpose — alongside the retreats, talks, and travels that fill the rest of the journey. Drawn from ten years as a Hindu monk and decades of teaching, written to be applied to your life today.
Happy Diwali 2017
Diwali or Deepavali is the Hindu Festival of Lights and it celebrates the victory of light over darkness. It is a day of Hindu solidarity. Hindus all over the world celebrate this festival and it is…
Awareness, Energy & Mental Patterns
If your awareness is constantly going to one particular area of the mind, then that is where your energy is flowing, and that area of the mind will become stronger and stronger. It is almost like you…
Challenges in Meditation
"It’s only when we have a methodical step-by-step approach to meditation with a goal clearly defined that we will not get distracted and discouraged by the challenges that arise. We can view them as…
South India's Mouth Watering Treasure
Tamil Nadu, the land of the Tamils, was dominated by the Dravidian culture for 2500 years. The cuisine is distinctly different from that of the north, and is based primarily on rice rather than wheat…
Awareness as a Traveler
One of the analogies that my guru often used to describe awareness and the mind is viewing awareness as a traveler and the mind as the world. When you go to San Francisco to visit you have…
Cultivating Willpower
"Change does not take a lot of time. It just takes a lot of will. That will has to be cultivated, just as we would cultivate a garden." ~ Gurudeva Subramuniyaswami
Too busy or misguided priorities?
At an event in Portland, Oregon, I was asked, "What if we don't have time to spend in reflection in the morning?"
How well do you listen?
These days listening is a rare trait. It is rare because most people have great difficulty in concentrating. Another area in life where concentration plays a big part to me is in building…
Living in the Moment
To understand how to live in the moment, we need to have an understanding of time. Let’s look at time in a very simple but practical way: If you could divide time into three parts, you could say…
Awareness, the Dog
Treat your awareness like a dog. I remember a few years ago I went on holidays to the Caribbean, and while I was there, I stayed with a friend of mine. He works for the FBI and is in the Canine Unit,…
Taking Responsibility for One's Actions
"Taking responsibility for one's own actions is the first step in understanding the law of karma." ~ Dandapani
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