Philosophy

THE TANTRAS

By editor - 20.9 2019 The Tantras are a genre of religious literature that shows how to achieve salvation through various esoteric practices, making these texts distinct from other religious literature of India, such as the Vedas or Puranas (Barthakuria 1). Still, ordinary Tantras share some...Read more...

Tantra and Pancaratra

Jagannath Worship in Manipur

SAIVA SIDDHANTA

By editor - 19.9 2019 Saiva Siddhanta is a bhakti (loving devotion) tradition. This system is a dualist (this is somewhat problematic but will be discussed in the section on philosophy) form of Saivism that has ancient roots in north India, though is most popular now in southern...Read more...

Shiva, Parvati, Lingam

Sri Ganesha

Meditation in Yoga and Ayurveda

By Dr. David Frawley - 19.9 2019 Meditation is the key practice of traditional Yoga and the prime factor behind an authentic Ayurvedic lifestyle. Meditation goes to the root of our consciousness and prana, connecting us to our higher Self and aligning us with the healing and...Read more...

Mystical Experiences in Meditation

Mantra, Concentration and Meditation

Why do we hate?

By Syamananda Dasa - 18.9 2019 “No one is born hating another because of the color of his skin/ his background/ or his religion. People must learn to hate/ and if they can learn to hate/ they can be taught to love/ for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its...Read more...

How Free Are We?

By Navin Jani - 17.9 2019 Prescience and the Vedic Literature One aspect of the Vedic culture—knowledge of the future—may seem at first glance to contradict free will, but this is not so. In fact, St. Augustine’s explanation of this phenomenon in relation to the...Read more...

Staying Free Of Kali-yuga’s Dark Influence

Who’s Pulling the Strings

The Vedic Conception of Sound

By Jahnava Nitai Das - 17.9 2019 Welcome to the seventh issue of Tattva Prakasha. This week our main topic of discussion will be the Vedantic conception of sound. If you are a new subscriber to Tattva Prakasha, I would like to mention that though most of our articles deal with general...Read more...

Transcendental sound and material sound

Kirtan in the World Religions

Women and Lust

By Satyanarayana Dasa - 11.9 2019 There are popular statements found in smṛtis and nīti sāśtra that women have eight times more kāma than men. For example: strīṇāṁ aṣṭa-guṇā-kāmaḥ (Bṛhat-pārāśara-smṛti) kāmaśca aṣṭā-guṇaḥ smṛtaḥ (Garuḍa-purāṇa 1.109.33, Hitopadeśa 2.71) The word kāma...Read more...

From Lust to Love - With Krsna’s Mercy

Lust blinds love liberates

HINDUISM AND FEMINISM

By editor - 31.8 2019 Discussions of gender within Hinduism are particularly interesting because “Hinduism is marked by a heritage of patriarchal hierarchy” with “a strong matriarchal mythology” (Joshee 73). Although the trinity in Hinduism [Brahma, Visnu and...Read more...

SEXUALITY IN HINDUISM

By editor - 30.8 2019 Sexuality in Hinduism is most notable through the observance of kama, one of Hinduism’s catur-purusartha’s (four human aims). Within the Dharma Sastras contain prescriptions for how one should live one’s life, as well as...Read more...

KAMASUTRA BOOK : VIRGINS

Sacred Sexuality

Aspects of the Absolute Truth

Though conceived of in various ways, ultimately the Absolute Truth is the Supreme Person who shares intimate loving exchanges with the best of His devotees. By Srila Jiva Goswami Here we present an excerpt from the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust edition of Srila Jiva Goswami’s Sri...Read more...

Relativity and the Path to the Absolute

Absolute Truth and Relative Topics

Misconceptions about Advaita

By Dr. Frawley - 28.8 2019 The Allure of the Direct Path Advaita, which refers to the state of non-duality of the Self and God, can easily lend itself to all sorts of misconceptions. Indeed one can argue that since the Advaitic state transcends all thought and dualities, all...Read more...

What Is Mind?

What Is Mind? A Bhagavatam Conception of Mind By Bhanu Swami - 27.8 2019 Story of Puranjana King Puranjana had unlimited desires for sense enjoyment. Consequently he traveled all over the world to find a place where all his desires could be fulfilled. Unfortunately he found a feeling...Read more...

How Many Species of Lives in Creation?

BY: PRAPHULLA SHYAMA DASA It was a spiritual inspiration that made me write this short article after recently hearing, with my limited understanding, the lecture of HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on Srimad Bhagavatam dated March 3, 1967 in San Francisco. While...Read more...

Rebirth According to the Bhagavad-gita

Rebirth According to the Bhagavad-gita; Epistemology, Ontology and Ethics By Ishvara Krishna Das (Dr Ithamar Theodor) - 22.8 2019 Department of Religion and Spirituality, Zefat Academic College, Safed 1320610, Israel Abstract: This paper is engaged with the topic of reincarnation in...Read more...

Bhagavad-gita in Bookstore Chain

Hatha Yoga and the Bhagavad-gita

Vraja-prema only increased by knowledge of Krsna’s position

By Bhurijan Das - 16.8 2019 How is it possible to understand the mood of separation of the Brijbasis without the equivalent amount of love for Krsna. Of course, it is not possible. … … Here are some mundane poems about love in separation. Rupa Gosvami heard one such mundane...Read more...

Vraja-prema

We’re All in Maya

By Nagaraja Dasa - 13.8 2019 In the Bhagavad-gita (7.14) Lord Krishna refers to maya, the deluding material energy, as mama maya: “My maya.” We Vaishnavas accept His word on this, with profound philosophical implications. The chief philosophical opponents of Vaishnavas...Read more...

Maya’s Friend Norm

The Meaning of Maya: the Illusion of the World

Spirituality – Why and What???

By Dwaipayan De - 6.8 2019 The English Dictionary defines the word “spiritual” as “Relating to or affecting the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things”. Now before we attempt to delve deeper into this topic, it is essential for us to...Read more...

The spirituality of money

THREE LEVELS OF PRACTICAL SPIRITUALITY

Concentration on brahmacarya? Is it for you?

By Vivasvan das - 1.8 2019 The whole world is absorbed in sense gratification of which the ultimate expression is gross sex life. Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu has summed it up nicely: “The idea that we can achieve happiness though the enjoyment of our senses, especially through that...Read more...

Celibacy, sex and brahmacarya

Is Sex An Addiction

GARUDA

By editor - 25.7 2019 Garuda, is the name for the large bird-like vehicle, or vahana, of the great Vedic god Visnu. The name Garuda is often said to come from the word garutmat, the winged one, from the root garut, which is the word for a wing (Fausboll 79). Garuda...Read more...

Garuda

VAHANAS (VEHICLES OF DEITIES)

THE VAISNAVA SAMHITAS

By editor - 24.7 2019 The Vaisnava Samhitas are a genre of scriptures that revolve around the god Visnu. Historians are unable to determine the exact age of the Samhitas because not all of the texts have been published (Matsubara 16). It is said that these texts emerged after the...Read more...

Samhitas, Sutras

Balarama Rasayatra and Sri Krsna Vasanta Rasa

Death and Dying in the Vedic Tradition

By Giriraj Swami - 23.7 2019 A talk presented to the doctors and nurses of San Diego Hospice and The Institute for Palliative Medicine in San Diego, California. It is a great pleasure for me to address you all here, especially because this hospice is recognized as one of the best and...Read more...

Segments of life: Looking at death under another perspective

Death – The Life Stalker

Showing Radharani’s Lotus Feet

Showing Radharani’s Lotus Feet Position Paper – ISKCON Deity Worship Ministry The ISKCON Deity Worship Ministry (IDWM) acts on behalf of the GBC to ensure that the worship in our temples and centres is done according to the standards as given by Srila Prabhupada. It also provides...Read more...

The Gopis

The Vanaprastha-asrama and its practical application

Jaya Gaurasundara dasa Gauravanacari - 22.7 2019 A. Introduction 1. What is vanaprastha? The word vanaprastha is composed of the words vana, meaning “forest” and prastha, meaning “to go,” so a vanaprastha is “One has gone to the forest.” Vanaprastha is...Read more...

Serving Krsna as a Husband

THE LAWS OF MANU

Bhakti Comes from Bhakti

By Giriraj Swami - 15.7 2019 When Srila Prabhupada was coming to America on the Jaladuta steamship, as he was nearing Commonwealth Pier in Boston, he prayed to Krishna, “All living entities have come under the control of the illusory energy by Your will, and therefore, if You like, by...Read more...

Mystic Understanding

Offerings with Love

The Gopis

By Venu Gopal Das - 11.7 2019 The Gopis: An Ambrosial Dance Crew or Something More? A day in the life of Shri Krishna is filled with numerous activities: tending cows, playing pranks on the women of the village, feasting on sumptuous food with the cowherd boys and vanquishing an ill-fated...Read more...

Sri Krsna Saradiya Rasayatra

Philosophy

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