So yeah, Valentine’s Day in the west is not all about rape and semi-nude dancing as some seem to believe. For me it has always been about committed partners acknowledging the love they have for one another. That aesthetic was perfectly matched last night when my boyfriend proposed over dinner. I knew it was going to happen because we went together to pick out the ring a couple of weeks earlier. I’m so touched that he still wanted to do a public... Read more
I think as spiritual people, we aspire to be saints. We sometimes think that we should be able to be calm and peaceful at all times and do everything right. Or at least, we really want to be able to. I get frustrated with myself sometimes when I am not able to always be sattvic and serene. I have this image of myself that I aspire to. But sometimes that means when I’m upset about something or feeling some other... Read more
I have always wanted to be bilingual, to experience the world through more than one language. But language learning never came naturally to me. I struggled with it every time. A few years ago I decided to learn Hindi and I’ve been so happy with that decision! My parents study Sanskrit quite intensively and I can understand the purpose of that because they can read the scriptures in the original. But I wanted to learn a language I could speak... Read more
The last goddess of the trinity is Saraswati, the wife of Brahma. She is a gentle goddess of art, music, and knowledge. One meditates on her and prays to her for help with study, wisdom, understanding, and all things creative. This website (selling a statue of Saraswati) had really beautiful language to describe her: She is the river of consciousness that enlivens creation; she is the dawn-goddess whose rays dispel the darkness of ignorance. Without her there is only chaos... Read more
I thought it would be nice to read along through some scriptures and discuss the passages. I have a translation of the Upanishads done by Eknath Easwaran, a teacher whom I deeply trust and love. In this book there is an introduction before each translation with some insight from Easwaran. Here is a link to the Amazon page for the book I have: I want to thank Seeker for pointing out that it is good to look at different translations.... Read more
Sorry I’m late posting today! I got caught up with some things at my office and lost track of time. I wanted to share something that I found on YouTube. This woman sings beautiful kirtans and mantras. She seems to be another white Hindu! Happy Friday! Read more
Prayer is something that I have a very hard time understanding. The idea of petitioning the Gods for a particular outcome feels very “off” to me. After all, my understanding of the universe is that it runs in perfect harmony with absolute justice. Actions have natural consequences and everything that we experience was a part of our fate to help our souls grow. Where does changing that narrative fit in? Why would begging change what happens in the world? I... Read more
I’ve spoken about this before, but for the new people: My namesake is a very interesting and rather tragic character from the massive Indian epic The Mahabharata (I first realized that actors aren’t big readers when I saw a tabloid magazine do a “what’s your favorite book” blurb with different celebrities. One person said his favorite book was The Mahabharata. I was impressed. Until he gave his reason: because it’s about the love that went into building the Taj Mahal.... Read more
Parvati is the wife of Shiva. She represents love and devotion. She is also called Shakti, the energy (particularly female energy) of the universe. She is also associated with Durga and sometimes Kali as well. The name Parvati means “she of the mountains.” Since she and Shiva are both associated with austerity and living away from the world, they are connected with mountain living. It is through Parvati/Shakti that all life energy comes. (In Shakta texts, she is said to... Read more
I am so proud to be a Hindu that it can sometimes feel frustrating that no one would ever guess that I am one! When you aren’t the default religion of those who look like you, it’s an interesting experience. Not that people are often thinking and wondering what religion I am, but mostly because it doesn’t occur to them that I wouldn’t be Christian of one type or another. So then if I want people to know that I’m Hindu, I... Read more
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