Om Sweet Om

Growing up, I always experienced Halloween as a clashing of cultures. More than any other American holiday, Halloween seemed to draw a line in the sand between the world that my Hindu immigrant parents resided in and the American suburban world around me. Since Halloween usually tends to coincide with a number of Hindu holidays…

Recently, a reader included this concern in his or her following comment to one of my earlier posts: Lastly, I do want to mention that I am not sure that the title of the blog refers to the sacred mantra Om in a respectful manner. When I lived in a (Bhakti Yoga) ashram, we were…

Bhagavad-gita chapter 7, sloka 7 mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya mayi sarvam idam protam sutre mani-gana iva O Arjuna, great conqueror of wealth, there is no truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread. This verse is one of my all-time favorites. I love the imagery and…

My inbox was flooded today with emails from friends, co-workers, and family members, full of smiley face emoticons and an overuse of exclamation marks, excitedly directing me to YouTube to see President Obama deliver his Diwali Message. The two minute video has Mr. Obama summarizing the significance of Diwali for Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs, and…

How’s this for an early Diwali gift for Hindu-Americans (and, perhaps, Hindus around the world): President Barack Obama lit a ceremonial diya (traditional candle) and delivered a characteristically smooth speech in which he declared that he was happy to join “some of the world’s greatest faiths” in celebrating a holiday that heralds “the triumph of…

Jai Sri Ganesh Sri Ganesh (also spelled Ganesa) is considered the lord of new beginnings. From the homemaker beginning her day, to the business owner commencing his account ledger, to the Bollywood director beginning the first scene of a movie shoot–they all turn to Ganesh. Hindus of all denominations and lineages invoke his name, and…

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