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Conflict Resolution

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Spiritualizing Temple Leadership HMEC 2012

Presentation on "Spiritualizing Temple Leadership," given to the Hindu Mandir Executives' Conference on August 18, 2012, by Hinduism Today assistant editor Sannyasin Senthilnathaswami. In this presentation, Sannyasin emphasises the importance of maintaining ...
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Noninjury: the Foremost Virtue - Publisher's Desk

Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami reads his editorial from the Jul/Aug/Sep 2014 edition of Hinduism Today magazine. Nonviolence or ahimsa is the first and foremost ethical principle of Hinduism and the highest ...
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Noninjury, the Foremost Virtue

Noninjury is the foremost virtue, the highest dharma or truth from which all dharma proceeds and the first ethical principle of Hinduism.Every indivdual must aim to avoid causing injury to ...
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Growing Up Without Prejudice - Publisher Desk

Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami reads his editorial from the April/May/June 2016 edition of Hinduism Today magazine. "Conflict and violence have their roots in hatred learned during youth. By teaching children tolerance, we create a more peaceful future." In order to build a peaceful world and society, we must refine our character ...
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The Roots of Martin Luther King

Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami honors Dr. Martin Luther King's accomplishments and offers insights into his experience and adoption of Gandhi's non-violent civil disobedience and the Hindu roots from which the world-changing ...
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Parents are the First Guru

Parents are the first gurus. This will be my message to parents in Mauritius, Malaysia and Singapore when I visit them this September. Everything starts in the home. To change ...
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Local Martin Luther King Day Speech

Bodhinatha give his final speech that he has prepared for the coming Martin Lurther King Day. Since the September 11 events, people are distrusting others. That leads to hatred and ...
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Martin Luther King Day and Hinduism on Tolerance

Parents need to teach tolerance. There are many practical ways to systematically do this from the pamphlet from the Southern Poverty Law Center http://www.splcenter.org/ such as avoiding stereotypes and valuing ...
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Karma Management Part 1

I get many questions about karma that are way off the mark. We need to understand karma and apply it to our life. Here are 4 of the principles Principle ...
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Karma Management Part 2

Review of part 1 plus... Fifth principle: create no negative karmas. Refrain from actions that will create negative karmas. Promise to. Sixth principle: Mitigate past karma. As long as we're ...
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Ahimsa in Speech (Part 1)

Ahimsa is a central principle in Hinduism. Let us take a look at the words we use in joking and teasing. These words are hurting. How do we know? Gurudeva ...
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Ahimsa in Speech (Part 2)

Ahimsa is a central principle in Hinduism. Let us take a look at the words we use in joking and teasing. These words are hurting. How do we know? Gurudeva ...
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Need for Religion Part 1

Gurudeva said there is a need for religion. Gurudeva at first just taught meditation, but then later he started teaching devotion and had everyone building temples. Gurudeva realized his devotees ...
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Arun Gandhi on Season of Nonviolence

Arun Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi's grandson, recently visited the Aadheenam and also held an event on Kauai honoring the "Season of Nonviolence." What struck Bodhinatha as most interesting was when his wife spoke ...
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Antar Mandir, The Inner Temple

I am working on an article countering the intention of some in North India to build a Sri Ram temple at Ayodhya whether it causes violence or not. We should ...
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Gurudeva's Spiritual Toolbox

Gurudeva said you can either use these tools, or hang them on the wall. The Yamas and Niyamas are two of these tools. When you get to these chapters in ...
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Yamas and Niyamas part 4 Reference List

Here is a reference list as to how to self reflect on the yamas and niyamas. For most of the adults we are in contact with, the nonadhereance is going ...
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Relation of noninjury to contentment

Bodhinatha continues his talk on the yamas and niyamas, relating the yama noninjury to the niyama of contentment. If we are content within ourselves, the tendency to disturb or hurt ...
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Satya, or Truthfulness

Bodhinatha talks about the second yama, truthfulness, satya, with regard to lying and betraying promises. Lying builds a layer of darkness in the subconscious that covers up the soul nature. ...
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Noninjury and Brahmacharya

Cybertalk: Bodhinatha speaks on vasudhaiva kutumbakam, "The whole world is one family," in reference to the current problem in India. He discusses the problem of the "my people" concept, that of exclusion, and the division it ...
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Controlling Anger part 1

In part one of a talk on anger, Bodhinatha speaks of the various levels of difficulty people have with this instinctive state of consciousness. Gurudeva gave some very useful suggestions ...
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Controlling Anger part 3

In part three of his talk on anger, Bodhinatha begins by referring to the Tirukural and its chapter called "Avoidance of Anger," which is right before the chapter on ahimsa, the cardinal ...
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The Meat-Free Life

Today vegetarianism is a worldwide movement with adherents among all religions, daily gaining converts through one or more of the five basic reasons to adhere to a meatless diet: dharma, ...
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Stoppt-den-Krieg-zu-Hause

German translation of Stop the War in the Home. ...
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Our Sacred Earth

The above three words in Sanskrit and eleven in English express the essential Hindu outlook on the world. It is a reverential attitude towards all of life, from the smallest ...
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Anger Management

Anger is everywhere. It is the most powerful and hurtful emotion we possess. Yet, the average person succumbs to it helplessly, even willingly, lapsing into insane episodes now and again ...
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Karma Management Day 1 Part 3

2002 Kauai Innersearch/Guru Purnima Day 1, Part 3Karma Management Principle No. 1 is "forego retaliation." Karma often comes through other people, but the first step to managing our karma effectively is ...
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Ahimsa: To Do No Harm

Hindu wisdom, which inspires humans to live the ideals of compassion and nonviolence, is captured in one word, ahimsa. In Sanskrit, himsa is doing harm or causing injury. The a ...
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Parenting with Love

In the mid-1990s, my gurudeva, satguru sivaya subra muniyaswami (1927-2001), founder of Hinduism Today, had a startling and discouraging revelation. He learned from several youth among his international Hindu congregation ...
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Non-stealing or Non-coveting Part 3

Bodhinatha discusses how to harness desire and conquering the tendency to steal or covet by doing its opposite, giving, which is the niyama of dana. Giving brings true happiness, as ...
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Karma Management Day 1 Part 2

2002 Kauai Innersearch/Guru Purnima Day 1, Part 2Bodhinatha discusses some common misconceptions about the law of karma and balances them out with a few very clarifying correct concepts. ...
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Ahimsa, a talk by Bodhinatha for his Mauritius visit

Bodhinatha gives an overview of his talk that will be given in Mauritius about the importance of Ahimsa-non violence in thought, word or deed. He shares with us Gurudeva's useful ...
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Prejudice Free Consciousness

We are not born with prejudice but prejudice is learned, there's a need to teach tolerance, joyous reverence for diversity. Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King, Swami Chinmayananda each spoke ...
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Ahimsa

In his series of talks on Hindu beliefs and practices Bodhinatha presents the third practice, ahimsa. Ahimsa is discussed from the point of view of karma and then from the ...
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Good Conduct Means to Assist

Bodhinatha elucidates from Gurudeva's Master Course lesson of the day on good conduct and reminds us that our conduct should always be aimed to assist, never hinder. He tells a ...
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The Importance of Controlling Anger

Part 2 of 4 - In Bodhinatha's moksha ritau address for 2002, he continues with a practical explanation of the affects of anger and how important it is to get ...
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Pancha Ganapati's Five Shaktis

Part 4 of 4 - Bodhinatha finishes his moksha ritau address for 2002 by talking about the nature of the Pancha Ganapati festival and how each of Ganesha's five shakti's ...
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Yama 7 - Daya, Compassion

Yama number 7 - daya, compassion. Compassion is conquering cruelty. It is the outgrowth of love. Bodhinatha explains he difference beween ahimsa and daya. Part of compassion is the desire ...
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Yama 1 - Ahimsa

Bodhinatha speaks on the first yama, ahimsa, which is noninjury in thought, word and deed. The law of karma decrees that it is wise not to harm or hurt others, ...
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Yama 2 - Satya, Truthfulness

Bodhinatha speaks on satya, the second yama. Truthfulness relates to what we say and honesty to what we do. People lie when they are fearful. People also lie to make ...
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Putting Gurudeva's Teachings to the Best Use, Part 5

Bodhinatha continues his Gurudeva mahasamadhi observances class with this part on how to explain the purpose of Hinduism to non-HindusHinduism teaches us how to become a better person, improve our ...
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Living in Harmony with Intuition

Living in harmony is a challenge for everyone at one time or another. Present opinions in ways that maintain harmony. Abstain from excessive talking as it stimulates unnecessary internal thinking. ...
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Why Do We Practice Ahimsa?

"Ahimsa is called the mahavrata, the great vow." Not harming others, is three-fold: thought, word and deed. Because you see God in everyone you would not want to hurt anyone. And there is the law of karma: ...
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Why Are We Vegetarian?

Vegetarianism: Man's natural and noble diet with a minimum of hurt to other beings. The object of nutrition for meditation and for help on the spiritual path is to practice ...
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Stabilize Consciousness in the Muladhara Chakra and Above

The challenge of not falling below the muladhara chakra. "Achieve freedom with responsibility," living in the box of dharma. Ahimsa and himsa: Patanjali advises: to overcome the propensity to do harm, cultivate the ...
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Focus on Sadhana and Ahimsa

Sadhana is regular serious practice with a goal of changing oneself and also our daily vigil. The deepest part of ourselves has always been God. What are we trying to ...
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Ethical Treatment of Animals and Children

Gurudeva talks about the ethical treatment of animals. Gurudeva tells a beautiful story about how just born little cow got lost but was found by a monk lead by a ...
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Exchange Love in Cyberspace

Swamiji Maharaj is 54 today. His beautiful talk from this morning can be heard here. Gurudeva has given him a mission to perform, to stop corporal punishment and to lift ...
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Parents Make a House a Home

Gurudeva discusses the 20 years of publishing of Hinduism today. Church families arrived on Kauai. European countries and courts have outlawed child beating in homes and schools. All countries must ...
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Karma Management Review

Moksha includes resolving karma. Even if you realize God, if you have karma you haven't resolved, you're going to be here. Ten Principles of Karma Management in three parts: Handle ...
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Ahimsa, All is One, See Others As Yourself

The desire to harm comes from discontent. A profound basis for ahimsa is that everything is One and everything is Divine. See the Divine shine forth in all beings, all ...
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Reporting Domestic Violence; Power of Guru; Accept a Better Life

Gurudeva relates an incident of a young man from Malaysia who was severely beaten by his father. A bookmark for Merging with Siva which shows the colors of the Human ...
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The Second Day of Pancha Ganapati

A question about ahimsa is answered by Gurudeva who tells us we can go about harming others with thought, even long distance. Thought is the first thing that you do ...
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Gurudeva Jayanthi

Gurudeva talks about his birthday parties worldwide, and his campaign to stop corporal punishment of children. He explains how the orphanage he sponsors in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka, is supported only ...
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Karmas Made by Surfing the Internet

Today Gurudeva explains why we need to be careful about violence, that while Hindu scripture allows us to defend ourselves and our homes, and serve our country in an army, ...
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Karma and Violent Video Games

Today Gurudeva explains that the monastery has begun Sadhu Paksha, a two-week retreat for the monastery during which Kauai Aadheenam is closed to guests. He then talks about violent video ...
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Col. David Grossman on Violent Video Games

Today Gurudeva introduces Col. David Grossman, an expert in violence and the psychology of killing, to talk about violent video games and their effect on children. His chilling explanation in ...
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Hindus and Vegetarianism

Today Gurudeva answers a question about vegetarianism and whether we can avoid harming plants or not. The cyberspace listener asked, "Is it necessary for us to kill living beings (plants) in order to survive?" Gurudeva describes the different classifcations of foods, as well ...
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Chanting Aum Namasivaya; Charity; Violent Video Games

Today Gurudeva answers questions about mantras and initiations, including Aum Namasivaya, about giving money to homeless people and about violence in America, especially as seen in yesterday's school shootings. He ...
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Making the Home an Ashram

Today Gurudeva answers two questions, the first about what to do about violent movies and television. He recommends speaking out against them, explaining the karmic chain which connects those who ...
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Stop War in the Home, Muruga Watches, Skanda Shasti

Gurudeva tells us that Lord Muruga has vowed to stop war in the world, war at home, child and spousal abuse and to bring peace. The story of how Lord ...
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Stop War in the Home, Muruga Watches, Skanda Shasti

Lord Muruga is watching closely worldwide. He sees children beaten down so they have no self will, no identity. Inspired by Lord Muruga, Gurudeva tells us how husbands should be ...
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Stop War in the Home, Muruga Watches, Skanda Shasti

Lord Muruga and millions of devas see us, they hear our conversations, they know what goes on behind closed doors. Gurudeva tells us to invoke Lord Muruga today to make ...
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Sin and Guilt, Part 1

Do you need to hear this? Does the mere mention of the word "guilt" make you cringe just a little? Then you better listen....Gurudeva begins his new talk on this ...
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Save the Children and the Animals

An e-question put to Gurudeva asking how to save the animals which are being abused inspires a broader answer by Gurudeva on stopping the war within the home. For, as ...
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Dare to Take Action

Someone asked, "If we see someone physically disciplining a child in public, should we step in and do something?" Gurudeva answers with a story of a real occurence in a US supermarket. ...
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Mantrams and initiations

Today Gurudeva answers questions about mantras and initiations, including Aum Namasivaya, about giving money to homeless people and about violence in America, especially as seen in yesterday's school shootings. He ...
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Making the Home an Ashram

Today Gurudeva answers two questions, the first about what to do about violent movies and television. He recommends speaking out against them, explaining the karmic chain which connects those who ...
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Vedic Lifestyle

Today Gurudeva talks about the four sacrifices of Vedic life, to the Gods, to the ancestors, to the animals and to the community. He says many people are saying they ...
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Qualities of a Guru; Heaven and Hell

A cyber devotee asks how does one tell the qualities of a guru. Gurudeva says that those who surround the guru are a reflection of his inner qualitites. The duty ...
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Fire Ceremony, The Blind

A cyberspace cadet in North Carolina asks about having a priest in India perform a fire ceremony on his behalf. Gurdeva says it is important that he be there for ...
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Loving Nature, How to enrich the lives of children?

An e-devotee who is practising Hindu philosophy and the love of nature wonders why her friends don't feel the same way. Gurudeva explains how before the First World War everyone ...
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What Religious People Do

Following yesterday's two questions and answers on backbiting and good money/bad money, Gurudeva continues with a spontaneous discourse which fits both of these topics into the broader context of the ...
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Gurudeva Interviewed by Loni Petranek Part III

This is a radio interview conducted by Loni Petranek with Gurudeva. The interview gives an overview of Gurudeva's worldwide mission. In the third part today Gurudeva shares with Loni and ...
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Rudraksha and Ahimsa

Today we include two short answers to questions relating to ahimsa, nonhurtfulness. The first is from an admitted meat eater who wonders if it is alright for him to wear ...
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How To Help Counter Abuse

A young girl, just back in the US from having lived several years in India, as what she can do to make a difference. She says she saw lots of ...
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Gurudeva Interview by Loni Petranek Part XII

This is part 12 of a radio interview conducted by Loni Petranek with Gurudeva. The interview gives an overview of Gurudeva's worldwide mission.Today Gurudeva shares with Loni how before the ...
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Karma and laws of the land

Cyberspace devotee in Singapore wonders about karma and the laws of the land. He asks if jail terms serve as a penance. Gurudeva says it does serve as a penance ...
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Hindu New Year Part 2

In the second and last part of Gurudeva's New Year talk he urges temple trustees around the world to help eradicate backbiting and other low minded things from the community ...
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Natural Disaster; Gangs in School

A cyberspace devotee asks how we should view a group of people dying in a natural disaster. Gurudeva says this is a group karma and all the people involved were ...
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Understanding the Gods

A cyberspace devotee wants to know if he has a preference for Lord Siva will the other Gods get jealous. Gurudeva says that such concepts of Gods getting jealous are ...
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Diplomacy, Discriminating Speech

Gurudeva talks about diplomacy, keeping the pranas flowing in a positive way by being careful about what to share with others, also knowing what areas are best not to be ...
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Teaching Tolerance to Children

Terrorism has brought forth hatred on TV. We need to teach children tolerance, teach them to love and trust. The qualities we create in our children create the future we ...
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Ahimsa, All Life is God.

In Hinduism all life is seen as the Divine. Become aware of life energy in all that lives. God is the Soul of the soul. Bask contentedly in Siva consciousness ...