Ravi S. Iyer: Spiritual

Last updated on 1st May 2015 I came across this very touching article with lots of details including many photos on the Mahasamadhi (April 24th 2011), by Prof. G. Venkataraman of Radio Sai, http://media.radiosai.org/journals/vol_13/01APR15/musings-by-g.venkataraman.htm . Here's a youtube video having part-I of the interview of Shri K. Chakravarthi in April 2015 by Radio Sai: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GPWM-Jl2SQ . And here is a comment I made on it: Very touching, quite frank, and inspiring words about how he pulled himself him up from the void after Mahasamadhi and re-engaged fully in Swami's mission (in particular, along with other leaders, stabilizing it after the trauma of Mahasamadhi), from the veteran administrator of Bhagavan's Puttaparthi based mission, Shri K. Chakravarthi. A part of the video which I felt was very touching as well as important:@11:36 Shri Chakravarthi says about what gave him strength to overcome the trauma of Mahasamadhi and re-...

Last updated on 3rd August 2015 Here is Ms. Terry Reis Kennedy's Facebook post, dated today (25th April 2015), which raises some questions about the Muddenahalli communicator who claims to communicate with subtle body of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Given below is the text of a comment I made on the above Facebook page: I felt it necessary to weigh in on this sensitive matter as I am concerned about the degree of confusion among Sai devotees on this, including some friends and acquaintances of mine. My view is that Bhagavan would first and foremost be concerned about His devotees, whether they believe in the Muddenahalli light body/subtle body communicator (referred to as M from now on) or not. In the quest for knowing the truth about M's claims one should bear in mind that devotees' sensitive feelings do not get hurt much as that, I think, would hurt Swami too. Narasimha Murthy sir, from what I have read and viewed about his dream-instructions from Swami, comes...

This facebook post (and photo) of Ms. Terry Reis Kennedy  is a wonderful expression of thanks to our beloved Lord, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Thanks for sharing. A small humble addition from me: We thank Him for being a Jagadguru (a world spiritual teacher) who has re-energized and clarified the various spiritual paths to experience the spiritual truth of each of us and all of us, and, very importantly, to have FAITH not only that God is there but that God is now here, in the depths of our own (spiritual) hearts, and ever ready to come to the aid of the sincere and earnest devotee of God, no matter what the religious/religious sect tradition he/she follows.

Last updated on 23rd April 2015 A correspondent who is a low income community venture capital fund co-founder wrote in a mail response which she agreed to share publicly, as follows (slightly edited): "Whether it is (some well known activists), when you are very passionate about something and give it all, you see only one way of doing things to the exclusion of every other perspective. It then becomes my way or the highway. I am not sure if this is an issue of ego or just passion for their perspective. When I meet activists in my career, while I admire their devotion, I find it very difficult to have a two way conversation. They immediately put you on my side or my enemy. It is very difficult to build a large functioning organization with just activists. I have nothing against activists. I think they are the pillars of free society. But you cannot expect them to create functioning democratic organizations." I responded as follows (slightly edited): Super response. B...

Today's Hindu has this article by Michel Danino, "Misinterpretations in ‘Searching for Saraswati’", http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/misinterpretations-in-searching-for-saraswati/article7123050.ece , which rebuts Prof. Irfan Habib's scathing article on the search for Saraswati river. [From  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irfan_Habib : "Irfan Habib (born 1931) is an Indian historian of ancient and medieval India, following the approach of Marxist historiography. He is well known for his strong stance against Hindu and Islamic fundamentalism."] I submitted the following comment to the article web page: Thanks to Michel Danino for this rebuttal of Prof. Habib's scathing article. I do not know much about the topic to comment on the details. However, I do believe that there are kernels of truth in Hindu scripture like the Vedas, itihasas and puranas, and efforts to find scientific evidence in such matters should be encouraged, within reasonable financ...

I came across the paragraphs mentioned below yesterday as I was reading the referenced book. BTW I have great respect for both Jainism and Buddhism. And I am a Hindu and a Brahmin though I do not perform Brahmin rituals anymore. As most, if not all, readers would agree, we need to have a religious environment of peaceful & tolerant co-existence where we can appreciate and promote the good parts of every faith and also those who are of no faith but follow humanist values. Studying the past of religions including some unfortunate parts where religious leaders have misused and abused their power, people of one religion/sect have battled violently with people of another religion/sect etc. helps us get a better understanding of the dangers and threats to peaceful and tolerant co-existence posed by some historical aspects of various religions (including Hinduism) and no-faith groups. From pre-eminent historian of early north India, Romila Thapar's ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ro...

Meet The Muslim Girl Who Won The Bhagavad Gita Competition, http://www.huffingtonpost.in/ 2015/04/10/bhagavad-gita_n_ 7022500.html , posted 10th April 2015 Small extracts from the article are given below: Asif Naseem Siddiqui, her 34-year-old father, told HuffPost India that he encouraged his daughter to enter the competition on one condition. "I told her that she should take part to learn about Hinduism, not to cram for a competition," he said. ... ... Asif (the girl's father) said he was trying to make a difference in the one place where seeds of intolerance are first sown: Home. "I can't control what is happening in Mumbai, Maharashtra, or India, but I can make all the difference in my own home. If everyone does the same then there is real chance for peace," he said. "Mariyam's education is very important because she has to set an example for her younger siblings." When this reporter asked Siddiqui (the girl) whether ...

Gospel of Mark Chapter 6, Verses 4 to 6, from: http://biblehub.com/mark/6-5.htm Verse 4: Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household." [Note hometown is Nazareth in Galilee] Verse 5: And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. Verse 6: And He wondered at their unbelief. And He was going around the villages teaching. --- end Gospel verses extract --- Many, especially, devout Christians, would interpret verse 5 as Jesus chose not to do miracles at Nazareth (except the few healings) because of their unbelief. [The people of Nazareth probably found it very difficult to accept that the person who they had known for many years prior to him becoming a prophet who could do miracles, had indeed acquired such miraculous powers.] However, I humbly prefer to interpret it literally that Jesus could not do miracles at Nazareth (except the...