I appreciated the dirtiness of our Ash Wednesday retreat, and by dirtiness I mean the reminder that the soil, the ground, and the earth that is the very foundation of our bodily existence is something that we must not lose touch with.

Why do such unspeakable tragedies take place to begin with? Hinduism, like other spiritual traditions, offers us a great deal of philosophical insight to grapple with the question.

The Gita is not a playbook that offers easy, formulaic answers to relieve us the burden of decision-making. Rather, it is a moral and spiritual compass that offers us an amazing perspective with which to wrestle with the difficult questions. I suspect that Tulsi feels the same way.

It is our call to create a sense of urgency infused with compassion and wisdom that can take us beyond the obvious fear we face when encountering this truth.

Seeking the shelter of the Divine, and then striving to share that shelter with others, is the essence of this time of year -- and perhaps of all holy days. Sometimes it just takes a hurricane to remind us.

As far as I know, I am the only practicing Hindu at Union Theological Seminary right now, and this leaves me in a tough spot. This is because I am not sure how I, as a Hindu, as a "Hare Krishna," fit into the fabric of social justice that defines Union.

Being a father has been a blessing in my life, yes, but it has also been a catalyst for my spiritual development in a way that I've never experienced before.

We need not look far to find the Ravanas of our time... They are us -- at our weakest, basest, and grossest; people of faith, in our darkest moments of hypocrisy.

...

I realized that a father's love and concern is timeless. All spiritual paths teach us the importance of honoring one's parents.

Behind the veil of superficiality and hypocrisy, I always believed in the inherent beauty of God that lies at the essence of all true spiritual paths.

I'm not referring to the yoga practice where you try to turn yourself into a pretzel. I am sticking to the original meaning of the term, to harness or bind back. Yoga means you are trying to reconnect with the divine.

The true treasure lies within. It is the underlying theme of the songs we sing, the shows we watch and the books we read. What is that treasure? Love.