Devotion

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      Bodhinatha's 2003 Mahasivaratri Talk Part 2

      An inspired talk by Bodhinatha on the night of Siva. Bodhinatha explains how to live Saiva Siddhanta: cultivation of devotion and practising profound meditation. Bodhinatha reminds us of the four ...

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      To the Father, to the Mother, Mangalam

      This is a lyrical English version of the popular Tamil Natchintanai titled "Appanukkum Ammaikkum Mangalam" thanks to Sheela Venkatakrishanan and Rishi Thondan for helping with the translation. ...

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      May 2016 Pubdesk Video

      Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami reads his editorial from the July/August/September 2016 edition of Hinduism Today magazine. "It is easy to talk high philosophy in Hinduism, 'man is God,' 'we are divine,' it is easy to say profound things...however to put these principles into practice to the extent that we really are a more spiritual person, that is the challenge. And that, is what we will explore here." Bodhinatha considers 5 ways the attitude of a dancer is similar to an individual ...

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      What is Bhakti?

      Gurudeva teaches that in our tradition there is always pure devotion/bhakti for God but it deepens as we progress as a calm, intelligent expression of love. Theism leads to monism. ...

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      Hinduism / Christianity Counterpoint

      An Upadesha by Bodhinatha describing the differences between Hinduism and Christianity. Good words and deeds are not enough; the experience of God breaks the cycle of samsara. A key difference ...

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      Behold the Sacred Lotus Flower - Publisher's Desk

      Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami reads his editorial from the Apr/May/Jun 2012 edition of Hinduism Today magazine. Bodhinatha uses the analogy of a bud blossoming into a beautiful lotus flower in order ...

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      God of Fear/God of Love - Publisher's Desk

      Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami reads his editorial from the Jul/Aug/Sep 2013 edition of Hinduism Today magazine. "Love is the basis of worship in all Hindu denominations, expressed through bhakti yoga toward one's chosen Deity." Bodhinatha clarifies that Hinduism is a joyous religion characterised by an outpouring of love ...

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      A Ten Minute Spiritual Workout

      An abbreviated daily regimen designed for those who find that today's busy life allows little or no time for introspection. The ten minute spiritual workout devised by Satguru Bodhinatha consists ...

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      Surrender is Central to All Yogas

      Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami reads his editorial from the Jul/Aug/Sep 2017 edition of Hinduism Today magazine. "Individuals who are not religious make progress toward achieving their goals in life by self-effort. Whatever they accomplish is, from their perspective, solely the result of what they do to achieve it." In order to unfold spiritually, one must relinquish his free instinctive nature and surrender ...

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      Finding Affectionate Detachment

      Bodhinatha describes the various kinds of negative attachment and methods by which to free ourselves from attachments to negative experiences in the past. Moving from negative attachment to "unaffectionate detachment" to ...

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      Valentine's Day to Lord Siva

      We received an invitation to give a blessing at the County Council meeting tomorrow. It'll be Valentine's Day. But what is Valentine's Day to a Hindu monk? We can turn ...

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      Cultivating Bhakti, or Devotion

      The beginning of Bhakti is our understanding of the temple and Deities and the three worlds. The goal is to become good friends with the Gods. You open up to ...

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      Mirabai's Soulful Love of God

      In the pages to follow, Mirabai's dramatic life story is unraveled and the path she took in life is documented, along with temples and museums that honor her life. Her ...

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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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      Need for Religion Part 2

      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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      Parental Closeness

      Parents are your first guru. Parental closeness, meaning children's closeness with their parents, needs to be developed through hugging and verbalizing "I love you." Distance develops from a threatening atmosphere where the ...

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      Guru Purnima (Portuguese)

      Guru Purnima in Portuguese ...

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      Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami Ashtottara

      Click here to listen to a recording (and download the MP3 file) of these names here: ...

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      Talk for Mauritius on God Siva p2

      Bodhinatha continues with highlights from a talk he is preparing for Mauritius on God Siva, talking about the nature of God Siva. He is the supreme parent, and each of ...

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      Gurudeva Mahasamadhi Observance Sneak Peak

      We're beginning to think about the upcoming first anniversary observance of Gurudeva's mahasamadhi. Bodhinatha tells us of the phase full of activities we'll be having for the many pilgrims who ...

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      Experiential Faith

      Bodhinatha compares faith based on belief with the faith that comes from one's personal experience of God. Three stages in the development of faith are presented and Bodhinatha then gives ...

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      Prapatti and Bhakti Yoga

      Devotion is a calm, intelligent expression of love for the Deity. Emotion means excitement. Create a closeness to the Deity and an effective mechanism is developed. Meditation requires a proper ...

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      Results of Self Realization

      If the Self is nothing, how do you know you have realized it? One way you know is the sense that you have stepped out of time, form and space. ...

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      Mahasivaratri, 2003, Part 1, Meditation

      Mahasivaratri, Part 1 of 3Meditation and Mahasivaratri. Bodhinatha remarks how special Gurudeva's talk was which we played tonight, then goes on to give a wonderful upadesha about how the inner ...

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      Saiva Siddhanta, a Path of Knowing Thyself

      Bodhinatha is getting ready for his trip to Toronto, Canada. His talk is titled "Saiva Siddhanta A Path of Knowing Thyself". In summarySaiva Siddhanta focuses on both devotion to God and meditation. Siva Yogaswami was ...

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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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      Niyama 5 - Ishvarapujana, Worship

      Bodhinatha speaks on the niyama of Ishvarapujana, worship of the Gods. Cultivate devotion by having a home shrine so that God and the Gods live with you all day long. ...

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      Control of Thought, Includes Purifying the Subconscious

      Mechanism for major change in the subconscious mind from an ordinary to a spiritual state. Vasana Daha Tantra to clear suppressed memories. Be observant of what's going on inside. Devotion ...

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      Activating Kundalini; Patanjali's Kriya Yoga

      Unless kundalini is active, the deepest meditative states are not available to us. But to activate kundalini, Gurudeva tells us we must invoke the grace of Lord Ganesha and Lord ...

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      How Do We Use Our Home Shrine?

      We need to perfect Ishvarapujana, personal worship, before we can expect to do really well in meditation. "The idea of Ishvarapujana, worship, is to always be living with God, living in Siva in God's house..." Learn the spirit of the puja, learn the spirit of devotion, get ...

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      Patanjali: Practice to Achieve Samadhi

      Bodhinatha continues with his commentary on Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. We learn to control the mind through practice, detachment, the achievement of steadiness. Progress toward samadhi depends upon interest, priority and ...

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      God Ishvara, In Patanjali's Yoga Sutras

      The ideal of pure awareness, pure devotion. With devotion become open, sensitive to the grace of Siva. "Parameshvara as the original, uncreated soul, the creator of all other souls." Theism. The benefit of Saivism: Ishvara has the ability to communicate, provide ...

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      Sadasivanathaswami Innersearch - guru bhakti

      A class given by Paramacharya Sadasivanathaswami during the 2014 Mauritius Innersearch. He discusses the power of the Guru and guru bhakti, and invites a guest swami, Swami Parameshananda, to give ...

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      How to Realize God: A Path Of Love

      Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami reads this chapter from his book Merging with Siva ...

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      Devotion Is a Prerequisite for Realization

      Acquire, cultivate and perfect devotion to God before sitting to meditate. Meditation is intense, dynamic when approached in its depth. Theism leads us into Monism, realizing our inner Oneness with ...

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      The River of Life: Affectionate Detachment

      Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami reads this chapter from his book Merging with Siva ...

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      What Is the Purpose of the Temple?

      "As you approach God's home, you can feel the spiritual energy, and as you go inside you are engulfed in peace." Trust in and open up to the deity. God is a very subtle presence. The temple and the murti within it are set up so that anyone can feel ...

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      Why Should We Learn a Cultural Art?

      Become an accomplished human being; soar into the fourth dimension. Artists experience mountaintop consciousness. Having their source in humble devotion to the Lord, Saiva cultural arts: singing, drama, dance, playing ...

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      How Do We Celebrate Festivals?

      Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami reads from Lesson 64 of the Himalayan Academy publication Path To Siva, discussing Hindu festivals. ...

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      2019 Innersearch Sri Lanka

      A compilation video of our Innersearch 2019 Sri Lanka travel-study program. Fifty participants traveled with Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami and four of his monks to Negombo, Jaffna and Trincomalee. They had ...

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      Treatment of Priests, Part 2 (with Tamil)

      Gurudeva continues to stress the importance of Hindu Priests: Servants of the Gods. He points out the disparity in how Hindu priests are regarded by the Indian community as compared ...

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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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      Hindu versus Christian Practice

      Doing good works is not enough. Practicing Hinduism, believing that we are all divine beings, we to come closer to God, have experiences of God . Good conduct, selfless service, ...

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      Importance of Associations; Hinduism In the Technological Era

      Part 1 of Bodhinatha's Karma Management Course preliminary to a presentation to be given in Singapore including questions and answers from pilgrims/devotees during the 10th Annual Gurudeva Mahasamadhi Celebration. ...

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      Classical Definition of Yoga

      The Yoga Pada of Gurudeva related to Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. The goal is to restrain the vrittis. Awareness, I am, the essential nature. Svarupa and vritti sarupa. Restraint through consistent, ...

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      Preparations for True Yoga

      Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami reads from lesson five of Sivaya Subramuniyaswami's book, Merging with Siva, discussing the value of theism practiced in tandem with our advaitist, meditative practices. ...