No matter what we call our religions, most Americans are philosophically hedonists. One of the truths our founding fathers considered self-evident was that the pursuit of happiness is an unalienable right endowed on us by our Creator, so it's no surprise that we're a nation of pleasure-seekers. Read more
It's easy to feel spiritual when things go our way. When we're calm and content, we can imagine we've attained some grand mystical state. As soon as we lose our temper, the entire facade shatters. Read more
Our eating habits have everything to do with karma. Read more
Threatened by the asuras (demons) Shumbha and Nishumbha, the gods compose the Devi Stuti hymn to Durga, praising her as "the Goddess, who resides in all beings." Read more
A Hindu cat/monkey metaphor and a Christian cat/dog metaphor gave me a deeper understanding of the differences in how Hindus and Christians understand and approach God. Read more
Though the words sound similar when spoken, pacifism is not passivism. Pacifist comes from the same root as peace, and peacemaking is not passive. Read more
Translation is tricky. The translation you prefer will depend on how you plan to use the text. Devotional reading? Chanting? Verse-by-verse study? Read more
Billed as a hard-hitting course for Seekers, in which you can ask any question and explore the deeper issues together, Alpha is actually a dinner club for lifelong Christians who don't even have any questions. Read more
There is probably no one in your life who has unlimited time to sit close, maintain eye contact, and listen to all of your thoughts, fears, insecurities, dreams, and goals for hours on end while asking nothing in return. Read more
Just as the tradition of worshiping Kali, Lakshmi and Sarasvati over the course of the Nine Nights demonstrates how the Goddess leads us from darkness to light, the tradition of worshiping the Navadurga demonstrates the path our soul takes from the earliest steps of spirituality all the way to enlightenment. Read more
Gathering Nectar
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