The year 2020 will forever be remembered as a year of isolation, distancing, and change. Along with longing to get back to “normal,” we hoped for peace and normalcy around the world. Unfortunately, peace continues to evade many parts of the world. Daily headlines are peppered with numerous instances of…

MAHARAJ AND SWAMI AT THE FOREFRONT On August 18, 1995, a grand, joyous and vibrant nagar yatra was held to honor the murtis to be consecrated in the newly built shikharbaddha BAPS Mandir in Neasden, London. It was the auspicious day of Janmashtami — Shravan vad 8 — the birthday of Bhagwan Krishna. The procession began…

What is a bridge and what does it do? It may be old or may be new. It may be short or can be long, But it’s always built to be sturdy and strong. Sometimes it’s wide, sometimes narrow, Sometimes high and sometimes low. …

The Sanskrit word ‘guru’ has been in use throughout India for many millennia, since the Vedic era. Translated, it means ‘teacher’, but actually represents a meaning beyond the general translation. ‘Gu’ means ‘ignorance’ and ‘ru’ means ‘dispeller’. The guru, thus, is one who dispels ignorance — of all types —…

LEADING WITH LOVE We may not realize it, but we are all leaders in some form in our own circle of influence: professionally, socially or personally. How one handles even the simplest of tasks reveals the leadership skills of a person. Visiting the supermarket, organizing a house-warming gathering, arranging a birthday party, raising…

Our pandemic-induced reflections on time, distance, and health have been interrupted in the past few months by questions of another orientation. Rather than ask ourselves how best to return to normalcy, and what that normalcy should look like, we are asking ourselves now how best to stand in solidarity with…

When it comes to managing our day-to-day interactions with one another, most of us can often be described as complicated. We all have within us an enormous capacity for humility, kindness, goodness, courage, generosity, kinship, and friendship. And at the very same time, in the very same mind, body, and…

CONTRADICTORY VIRTUES Kalidas, the classical Sanskrit author, in his epic poem, Raghuvansha, describes unique qualities of King Dilip in Sarg 1, verse 22: “Gnãne maunam kshmã shaktao, tyãge shlãghãviparyayaha.” [“Knowledgeable, silent, able to forgive, strong, charitable, above self-praise.”] Instead of just a simple list of virtues, Kalidas informs the reader that King…

After Swamishri returned from his 1977 overseas vicharan, there was an assembly in Atladra. Swamishri himself was reading the Swamini Vato and discoursing. Many eminent persons were seated in front of Swamishri. At that time an ordinary looking devotee, who was probably uneducated and seemed confused, came and stood directly…