“Why should you blame somebody? A true devotee sees God’s hand in everything. If things come, they will say, ‘God has given it to me, let me have it. If it goes, God has taken it back.’ Without God’s sanction, nobody can take anything. Without God’s approval, nothing happens. So, why should you worry or blame anyone? A true devotee knows no enemy and no enmity.”
Someone asked me the question: “I feel selfish and troubled. Why is it so hard to feel peaceful all the time if it’s my true nature?” Well, that question cannot be answered with words but can be realized. How? By knowing the Knower, being the Be-er. Now, you know you are troubled. See? Who is asking this question? The one who is troubled or the one who is aware that they know they are troubled? If it is the one who is troubled, that means you have become identified with your troubled mind. MORE
On January 13th, the Vedanta Society celebrated the birth anniversary of the great sage Swami Vivekananda. In this video, Swami Sarvapriyananda, spiritual director of the New York branch, pays homage to Swami Vivekananda for his contributions to Indian society and the world-at-large. The video focuses on the powerful and timeless teachings of Swami Vivekananda, as well as his relationship with his Guru, Sri Ramakrishna.
Appreciation, in a spiritual sense, is often talked about as a practice of cultivating happiness and joy in the good qualities of something, or of someone, or of taking joy in the happiness of others, of cherishing the wholesome. Appreciation is a lovely quality on its own, and it’s part of a path that leads to a collectedness of mind. In daily life, appreciation of the very small things—a pleasant interaction, a beautiful sky or a breath of fresh air—can bring a sense of satisfaction, of connection. MORE
My dog Zoë raced out of the dark woods. Her body split the night like an arrow until she rammed into a maple tree. She fell silent. Then her cries began. I ran to her crumpled body, her eyes were open yet vacant. She wailed as if her soul had been flung away, leaving only confusion. She seemed to be meeting the terrible question we all must face: When everything I rely on fails, who am I? Zoë had always been confident... MORE
It's the "love month," with Valentine's Day on February 14th. This beautiful short film takes a look at love through the example of nature, an example often used by Swami Satchidananda in speaking of the selflessness demonstrated by nature. Falling in love with nature enables us to fall in love with ourselves, Brett Bard (the film's narrator) tells us. He further suggests: "If people could love each other the way dogs love us, the world would be a different place."
In 2016, Babita Shrestha (chef, photographer, graphic designer) decided to live a vegan lifestyle as much as possible. After cooking delicious and healthy plant-based meals for herself and her friends, she decided to let her creativity blossom, curating her own unique vegan recipes for dinner parties. Her journey began in a small village in the Terai region of Nepal to the Ancient Metropolitan Temple City of Kathmandu, where she was born. She's now sharing Nepali dishes with the world.MORE
We're happy to announce the creation of a new Integral Yoga Live Calendar! It's an easy way to have the option of seeing upcoming Integral Yoga events/programs on your personal calendar: Google Calendar, Outlook, or another platform. When you click on this link, you'll see the calendar listings through January 2023, and will be taken through the steps to follow the IY calendar from your personal calendar. We hope this helps you keep aware of events you may be interested in!
