The word "avatar" conjures up images of blue human-like beings with tails from James Cameron's popular science fiction movie. However, "avatar" is a Sanskrit word that describes the Supreme being or God when He descends to Earth. "Ava" means "down" and "tr" refers to "cross over." Thus it refers to...

Growing up in a Hindu family in Los Angeles while attending a Christian high school for four years, I was never able to make any connection between the two traditions. In fact, they seemed worlds apart. My Christian friends were monotheists, worshippers of one God, with no images other than...

"Something is wrong with this world, you've known it all your life, you don't know what it is. It's like a splinter in your mind ... driving you mad." -- Morpheus, the Matrix

I didn't hear about "The Matrix" until five years after it had come out in theatres. I...

Why Hindus worship so many gods and goddesses is a real mystery for most people. In the West, where the mass majority of people are part of the Abrahamic faith tradition with one God, the concept of polytheism is nothing more than fantasy or mythology worthy of comic book material....

Americans don't like to waste time. We've got so much going on all the time. Even children have incredibly busy lives. We live in a culture where we like to get things done fast! We don't like waiting around for anything.

On the freeways, we have "fast lanes" and...

For many, the immediate response would be a resounding "no!" Within the theistic traditions of India and within the theistic traditions of the world, there are varying opinions on the subject. For some, it's not too difficult to understand the energy and presence of God in nature and even in...

When I first came across this concept, in the Bhagavad Gita, about 20 years ago, I was immediately fascinated by it. Not being subjected to birth, old age, disease and death got my attention. It's safe to say that no one is looking forward to these aspects of life.

It's true that simply by cooking and eating, in the right consciousness, one can make spiritual advancement. How does one go about cooking and eating in the right consciousness? First of all, we need to analyze the purpose behind our cooking. Are we cooking simply to fill our bellies or are we cooking to nourish our soul and the souls of others? This analysis will determine what our consciousness is and how the food we prepare will impact us and those who partake of our preparations.

Within many branches of the Hindu tradition, it is recommended that we remain mindful or consciousness of the physical and emotional suffering caused to others as a result of our food choices. A meat diet, which includes fish and eggs, is prohibited because the understanding is that any food that caused others to suffer will create a certain callousness in our minds toward the suffering of others. This callousness can restrict one's spiritual advancement.

In addition to being conscious of food types, the Vaisnava tradition suggests that we shift our consciousness in terms of who the food is being cooked for. Vaisnavism suggests that while one is cooking, they meditate on cooking for the pleasure of Krishna or Vishnu. Cooking for the pleasure of God is one way to purge our consciousness of selfishness. The food can then be offered to Krishna or Vishnu, in a mood of devotion and prayer.

Food that has been cooked in this consciousness and which has become sanctified by the simple offering process purifies the mind of anger, greed, pride and envy and helps us to connect our existence with the Divine. This connecting with the Divine through the process of cooking and eating is called Bhakti Yoga.

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I don't know about you, but I'm definitely tired of encountering this attitude. Most people who make such statements don't have deep knowledge or set of experiences within their own tradition, what to speak of other people's traditions. I am confident that if we made even a little bit of...

It's quite natural for those of faith to turn towards God during difficult times. Even if one has a regular spiritual practice, their practice can increase and improve during times of difficulty. After the events of September 11 for example, churches in New York City had some of their largest...

"What goes around comes around" or "as you sow, so shall you reap" is the basic understanding of how karma, the law of cause and effect, works. The word karma literally means "activity." Karma can be divided up into a few simple categories -- good, bad, individual and collective. Depending...

No matter how much I try and explain the benefits of a vegetarian diet, there are always people who, while nodding their heads in agreement with everything I say -- will conclude our dialogue by saying, "but...I love my meat."

I know how difficult it is to give up...

A couple of years ago, I was invited to a panel discussion at Columbia University on science and religion. Not having a background in science, I was a bit uncomfortable with participating, but the group organizing the event really wanted an Eastern/Hindu perspective on how science fits into the Hindu...

Millions will gather today, in India and around the world, to offer prayers, worship, and devotional songs glorifying the appearance of the Divine mother, Radha (Radharani). Radha descended from the spiritual realm shortly after Krishna, approximately 5,000 years ago. She took birth in the small village...

Krishna means "all-attractive" and avatar means "descent of the divine." Today is Krishna Janmastami, the birth or descent of Krishna, the god worshipped by millions of Hindus around the world. Krishna appeared on this earth, at midnight, approximately 5,000 years ago in Mathura, located in Northern India, 91 miles south...

I had never even heard of the term "quarter-life crisis" until my fifth year as the Hindu Chaplain at Columbia University. During a conversation over lunch, a student told me about it, and then towards the end of the school year another student gave me a book called "

Most people I encounter are quite fascinated by the idea of monks living in Manhattan. I suppose the fascination is quite natural. Most people engaged in monastic life are expected to live away from a busy city. A place that allows for focused meditation and reflection on spiritual life. Wouldn't...

Since I'm an only child, and since my parents and I migrated from India away from our immediate family in 1980, I haven't directly experienced the loss of someone close to me. I was very close to my grandmother, but by the time she passed away from the world, I...

Have you ever wondered about why your mind works the way it does, and how it comes up with all of its scattered, random and half-organized thoughts? Where are all of these thoughts coming from, and what's the reason they are there? Many of our thoughts originate from experiences we've...

For the first 27 years of my life, I didn't step into the kitchen until the food was on the dining table. Mom took care of all the cooking. The kitchen was a complete and total mystery for me. The only thing I felt comfortable doing in the kitchen was...