Spirituality

At some point in our lives, most of us have been or will be parents. This is the most important job we will have and often we spend the least time preparing for it.  Being a parent is not always easy. Raising a child, and guiding them on their life path to empower them to fulfill their own potential is a subtle art, there can be many trials along the way. However, the rewards of successful parenting are immeasurable, both to you and society. Over the years, many have approached Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayananda for advice on parenting. Here are some of his tips: Set an example If we want our children to be nice, intelligent, well behaved, cultured and obedient, we will have to start by developing the same qualities in ourselves. Often parents who want their children to be cultured send them to our Bal Vihar cultural classes for children. The parents say, “You go to BV - we will watch TV!” So they want culture only for their children, and not for themselves. The...

In temples or at homes, the Conch is blown once or several times before ritualistic worship (Pooja). It is sometimes blown while doing aarti or to mark an auspicious occasion. It is blown before a battle starts or to announce the victory of an army. It is also placed in the altar and worshipped. What Happens When the Conch Is Blown? When the conch is blown, the primordial sound of Om emanates. Om is an auspicious sound that was chanted by the lord before creating the world. It represents the world and the truth behind it. To watch the Significance of Blowing a Conch click here. The Story As the story goes, the demon Shankha Asura defeated the Devas, stole the Vedas and send to the bottom of the ocean. The Devas appealed Lord Vishnu for help. He incarnated as Matsya Avatara - the “fish incarnation” and killed Shankha Asura. The Lord blew conch-shaped bone of his ear and head. The Om sound emanated, from which emerged the Vedas. All knowledge and enshrined in ...

Shaanti, meaning “peace,” is a natural state of being. Disturbances are created either by us or others. For example, Peace already exists in a place and then someone makes a noise. Therefore, peace underlies all our agitations. When agitation ends, peace is naturally experienced since it's already there. Where there is peace, there is happiness. Therefore, everyone without exception desires peace in life. However, peace within or without seems very hard to attain because our own agitations cover it. A rare few manage to remain peaceful within even in the midst of external agitation and troubles. To invoke peace, we chant prayers. By chanting prayers, troubles end and peace is experienced internally, irrespective of the external disturbances. All such prayers end by chanting Shaanti thrice. Read about Prayer - An Invocation . Image Source: www.peanutbutterrunner.com Why do we say Shaanti thrice? It is believed that Trivaram Satyam- that which is said thr...

In western tradition, food is partaken after a thanksgiving prayer- grace. Indians make an offering of it to the Lord and later partake of it as a prasaada – a holy gift from the Lord. In temples and in many homes, the cooked food is first offered to the Lord each day. The offered food is mixed with the rest of the food and then served as prasaada. In our daily ritualistic worship ( Pooja ) too we offer naivedyam (food) to the Lord. Why do we do so? Why Do We Offer Naivedyam ? The Lord is omnipotent and omniscient. Man is a part, while the Lord is the totality. All that we do is by His strength and knowledge alone. Hence, what we receive in life as a result of our actions is really His alone. We acknowledge this through the act of offering food to him. This is exemplified by the Hindi words tera tujko arpan from the arati “Jai Jagadisha Hare”- I offer what is Yours to You. Thereafter it is akin to His gift to us, graced by His divine touch. Knowing this, our entire ...

This title may kindle your curiosity, and some of you may wonder how there can be a single solution to the variety of problems in the world. Let me warn you at the outset that I do not possess any magic potion or instant cure. I can only give you something to work on, the seeds of a solution. Once a hungry person went to a shop to buy apples. Instead of apples, he was given the seeds that he could plant, that would grow into trees yielding apples in abundance. In the same way, I shall give you the seeds of thought that can remove all your problems if only you will work on it. The Nature of Problems: Let us first focus on problems. If we analyze and observe, we will find that the situations in life are what become problems. If you are comfortably sitting in your own house and begin to feel hungry, the hunger does not pose a problem. There is food in the kitchen; if not, you just go to a restaurant. But if you are in a remote place and food is not available, o...

Every room in our home has some purpose. The living room to socialise and for family time, the bedroom to rest, the garden to be close to nature, the office to get our work done in peace and meditation or puja room to connect with ourselves and the divine power. But purpose goes even deeper than this. The reasons why things are the way they are that is the reason for the presence of harmony and tranquillity at home. Or even a lack of it. So, it’s important to understand that even though we may have a prayer room that is well-maintained, clean and houses all our most powerful deities, it still needs to be in the right place and face the right direction. This might not seem like the most important thing, but because of Vastu, you can rest assured that it will make a big difference to your living space. So, how should you place the temple in your house and where and in which way should you put the pictures of the gods? Read on and find out! So, first ...