E-Vichara

E-Vichara are messages to create meaning, to create magic.

He did it

Week 12

Question:
Why do bad things happen to good people?

Reflection:
Vision of Jnana — from this perspective there is no creation, there is no Creator, there is only Existence-Awareness-Joy hence labels like suffering, good…

Vedanta: His Words, His Legacy

Week 1

Question:
How would you describe sadhana to a friend who knows nothing about sadhana?

Reflection:
“Vedanta treatment, as sadhana, amounts to a therapy, a practice, a training for life…

He did it

Week 1

Question:
What is the most significant cause you have ‘fought’ for in your lifetime?

Reflection:
Just as all of us can identify with Prince Arjuna’s fear, all of us can identify with Poothampalli Balakrishnan Menon’s…

He did it

Week 3

Question:
Why does Sanatana Dharma / Swami Chinmayananda have such reverence for our sashtra-s (scriptures)?

Reflection:
Atman with a form/name is Bhagavan.
Bhagavan with a form/name is Shastra.
Shastra with a form/name is…

Our Specific Privileges

Raw for week of Feb 6th

In Chapter 1 of Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavan Krishna is trying to de-emphasize Arjuna’s context.

We all have very specific contexts — living in certain countries or time zones, different exposures in…

Vedanta: His Words, His Legacy

Week 2

Question:
Based on your present understanding and appreciation of Vedanta, what advice would you give to yourself 25 years ago?

He did it

Week 8

Question:
What is the most practical way for you to purify your mind?

Reflection:
Yajna is best defined as dedication rather than sacrifice. Dedication is the cause, sacrifice the effect. A dedicated personality is like a…

He did it

Week 11

Question:
How does one practice being inward-looking?

Reflection:
One of the sadhana-s (disciplines) encouraged in Sanatana Dharma (the vision of perpetual betterment) to reach the sadhya (Perfection) is mauna (silence) —…

He did it

Week 5

Question:
How will you create kham (space) in your lifestyle to allow yourself to follow sukham (Serenity)?

Reflection:
Our Shastra (Scriptures) connects to our ears. Our Sadguru (Guides) connects to our eyes. To…

He did it

Week 2

Question:
What is disturbing you the most right now?

Reflection:
No combination/permutation of pleasure, possession, position will create Peace. When we are sufficiently bothered by this truth we will intensify our…

He did it

Week 9

Question:
Reflect on all the service you have ever offered and identify whether these offerings have been at the effect level or the cause level.

He did it

Week 7

Question:
How do you know if you are growing in vairagya (independence)?

Reflection:
A vairagi is one who has surrendered the illusion of free-will to the truth of God-will. Such a Master is aware that all is guided by…

No Butter, Sugar, Yogurt !

RAW for week of Feb 2

One of the early samskaras for a baby is when the parents feed the baby butter (may your experiences be strong) , sugar (may your experiences be sweet) and yogurt(may your experiences be serene).

Our RAW — Do NOT add butter, sugar or yogurt to your food for a week !

He did it

Week 6

Question:
What is independence?

Reflection:
Vairagya is often translated as dispassion. If one were to advise an artist to be dispassionate about their art, if one were to advise a parent to be dispassionate about their…

He did it

Week 4

Question:
What was Pujya Gurudev’s deepest frustration with the people who attended his discourses?

Reflection:
Only you can live your life. No one can cause you joy. No one can cause you sorrow. The moment we take…

He did it

Week 10

Question:
Advaita Vedanta teaches, our present experiences are a relative reality and the foundation for this relativity is an Absolute Reality. How can we be confident this is the truth?