The Reflecting Pond

Connected

Ben Bolnick (C ’16) and Prakhar Bhandari (E ‘17)

In the modern era, hardly an hour goes by where we aren’t interacting with technology in some way. The widespread use of the Internet has ushered the world into an unprecedented era of information and communication. For many of us…

Summer

Anonymous

I love the summer, which is what we call a time in Earth’s orbit when it’s tilted a certain way.

Imagine if the planet froze in its orbit during a season that wasn’t summer. The planet slowed down without anybody noticing and then stopped in its tracks…

A Contemplation on Meditation

Megha Keshav (E ‘17)

Quiet the mind and the soul will speak — Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati

“Now close your eyes, take a deep breath, and begin.” I still remember the first time I was ever instructed to meditate. I did what any seven…

Value in Virtues

Shivali Govani (C ‘18)

Serving as Paryushan Chair this semester on Penn’s Hindu and Jain Association was a very spiritual and rewarding experience for me. Paryushan is an 8–10 day Jain holiday to renew faith where people take the time to think about their year, contemplate…

Rediscovering the Sound, Purpose, and Power of Prayer

Manasvi Ramanujam (W’ 18)

Temples, like vegetables, come in all shapes and sizes. However, temples, especially here in the U.S., don’t get built unless there is a thriving Hindu community in the surrounding area…

On Love as Acceptance

Esha Khurana (Perelman ‘17)

With Valentine’s Day here, I doubt I’m the only one who starts guffawing at the heavy commercialism around buying chocolate or diamonds, the traditional symbols of romantic love. But I won’t disparage the holiday itself, because it does…

A Practical Solution for Attachment

Sohum Daftary (E ’19, W ‘19)

Today I hosted a Spiritual Discussion on impermanence and attachment. Through the discussion and conversation, I think we found a potential way of limiting attachment in our day to day lives- something that’s…

In Plain Sight: The Innocent Minds of Children

Chintav Shah (E ’16, W ‘16)

When children look at something, their interpretation is often based off of the pure reality of things “as they are”. During their younger years, most kids have not yet been conditioned to act in…

The Plight of Religions

Chintav Shah (E’ 16, W’ 16)

Every religion has two objectives:

1. How do I provide the truest path that will lead my followers to enlightenment and liberation?
2. How do I maintain the faith and commitment to the…