Peace and Happiness Through Meditation
Please welcome Modesto Briseno with a guest post on achieving peace and happiness through meditation. Greetings. My name is Modesto Briseno. I look forward to each article that Svāmi Chityānanda gives us. We are longtime students of our beloved Guru, Svāmi Gurupremānanda. I thank Svāmi Chityānanda for allowing me to share some of my thoughts…Read More
Ādi Shaṇkarāchārya
Saint, poet, philosopher—and reformer. These words all describe a young man born in 686 A.D. Few others have made the far-reaching influence of Shankara. Without knowing, you might also be following his teachings.
Mini Meditations: Enhancing Your Practice
Convinced of its benefits, meditators are always on the lookout for ways to improve and increase their meditation practice. It’s okay to be a glutton for goodness. When we’re happy and peaceful within, those qualities rub off on others. Our personal meditation practice is a subtle—but powerful—way to make the world a better place. Most…Read More
How to Conserve Spiritual Energy
Energy—any kind of energy—is like money. It has value, and it’s generally considered a good thing if you have a lot of it. Energy may diminish, like money does, when care is not taken. Like an abandoned savings account, energy stagnates when ignored. Similarly, just as you can invest in your savings and make it…Read More
The Song of the Guru
Indian literature is alive with legends illustrating spiritual principles. One of my favorites is the story and teachings that comprise the Song of the Guru, Śri Guru Gita. The setting of the Guru Gita is the sacred Mount Kailasa of the Tibetan Himalayas. This is the legendary home of Lord Shiva, the supreme deity of…Read More
The Middle Path
Why the current fascination with extremes—extreme sports, extreme makeovers, extreme minimalism? Is it really necessary for us to prize things only in the extreme? Yogis and those on other spiritual paths know that extremes can be dangerous. They upset the valuable stillness of the mind. For example, it’s easy to understand this if you consider…Read More
What is a Guru?
Each year, at the time of the full moon of the Indian calendar month Ashadha, yogis celebrate Gurupurnima. This day is set aside to honor the Guru. On the Western calendar, Gurupurnima usually happens in the month of July. It’s an especially important day for yogis because the Guru holds the highest place in our…Read More
The Mind and Mental Housekeeping
It’s common knowledge in today’s world that meditation is beneficial. Everyone is doing it, from Oprah to elite athletes, from preschool children to doctorate candidates. The benefits of meditation have been studied by scientists for decades. Spiritual aspirants have been meditating for millennia. Yet despite knowing the value of meditation, many people fail to practice…Read More
Śri Sarada Devi, Holy Mother
Śri Sarada Devi, known to her devotees as Holy Mother, was born in a tiny village in West Bengal, India, in 1853. She was the eldest daughter of a poor family. As was the custom in those days, young Sarada was betrothed when she was a child to the man who later became known as…Read More
Freedom is the End of Suffering
Freedom is a cherished privilege in much of the world today. We’re free to make choices about where we live and how we spend our time. We can choose our careers, our mates, and our friends. For centuries, many people have enjoyed religious freedom. Citizens of free countries can travel with little restriction. We can…Read More
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