"In the beginning, human beings created a God who was the First Cause of all things and Ruler of heaven and earth” is the opening line of Karen Armstrong’s A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. I first picked up the book several years ago, just as a crisis of faith began brewing. I wanted religion, specifically, the nuances of my faith, picked apart by a scholar so I could make an informed, educated decision about the future direction of my life. I grabbed the book, paying little attention to the Judaism, Christianity, and Islam part of the subtitle. After all, the title said the book will be about the … [Read more...]
Notice What’s On Julia Roberts’ Neck
They're Tulasi kanthi mala. Okay. I'll translate. Tulasi neck beads. Understand? All right, then, I'll explain. There are different kinds of beads in India. Various sects use different kinds of wood, which are sacred to them. Those little darlings on Julia's neck are tulasi -- I'm as sure as I can be by only seeing a picture. Tulasi is the Sanskrit name for holy basil. Its wood and leaves are sacred for devotees of Krishna (Vaishnavas). Krishna says tulasi is most dear to him. In the spiritual realm, Tulasi is a maiden and she arranges rendezvous between the supreme goddess, Radha, and her beloved, Krishna (God). Well, that's getting really … [Read more...]
What’s Behind the “Take Yoga Back” Campaign?
I love the play with "yoga's soul" in the New York Times' headline "Hindu Group Stirs a Debate Over Yoga’s Soul" (11-27-10). Paul Vitello briefly outlined a growing debate that Deepak Chopra, yoga practitioners, scholars, and historians are weighing in on. The Hindu American Foundation claims yoga philosophy has been ripped out of context from its ancient roots and commercialized. Yoga thrives in a multibillion-dollar industry and Hinduism doesn’t get credit for its transformational wisdom. What kind of acknowledgement would the Foundation like? Deepak Chopra claims the “Take Back Yoga” campaign is a jumble of faulty history and Hindu … [Read more...]
Reflections
Reflect -- verb. 1. To be cast back as light. 2. to cast back light, heat, etc. 3. to be reflected or mirrored. 4. to give back or show an image. Can reflective thought cast back illumination unto itself? I believe so. I reflect a lot. I've had time to ruminate during numerous health challenges that landed me in convalescing beds for long stretches. Those times only meditative thought, kirtan, and japa kept life in my body. Recently a muse joined me to explore reflection even more. Actually I invited her. Well, honestly I pleaded and begged. For two years I couldn't write what needed to be put down in black and white. Then at the end … [Read more...]
Krishna’s Pajamas: A 40-Year Spiritual Quest
There's a bestseller under that cloth. No, really. I'm not kidding. I used a NY Times bestseller as the prop. Anyway, I can't unveil the cover yet because the book's not published. In fact, I've just begun querying agents. Authors need agents and vice versa. But first-time authors have extra difficulty getting noticed. I'm certain there's an agent who will relate to the narrative and want to work with me. Until then, the book cover is a secret. Truth be told, represented or not, authors don't get to design their covers. That's not a secret. And authors don't get to choose books titles, either. So Krishna's Pajamas, A 40-Year Spiritual Quest … [Read more...]
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