Everyday Geeta

October 15, 2013 Ram Dass is an American teacher of Hinduism and is the author of " Be Here Now ." His recent blog post has a very neat explanation for the famous Geeta verse that is traditionally chanted before a meal. ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् | ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना ||४-२४|| brahmaarpaNaM brahma havirbrahmaagnau brahmaNaa hutam.h . brahmaiva tena gantavyaM brahmakarmasamaadhinaa .. 4-24.. BRAHMAN is the oblation; BRAHMAN is the clarified butter, etc. , constituting the offerings; by BRAHMAN is the oblation poured into the fire of BRAHMAN; BRAHMAN verily shall be reached by him who always sees BRAHMAN in all actions. This translation above is by Param Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananadaji and can often puzzle those unfamiliar with the cryptic manner of the Hindu texts. Here is how Ram Dass puts it: Now, when I bless food, the statement I say, when I say grace, is an old Sanskrit one. It means "This offering of this little r

October 2, 2013 Today is Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti. It is wonderful that earlier this year, that the Navajivan Trust released a beautiful coffee table book containing 100 Tributes to Gandhiji . According to www.mkgandhi.org , a website that is an incomparable resource for all things related to the Father of the Nation, on June 15th, 2007, the United Nations adopted a resolution that declared October 2 as the International Day of Non-Violence, aka अंतरराष्ट्रीय अहिंसा दिवस . The book itself is illustrated by wonderful pencil portraits of Gandhiji drawn by Ramesh Thaakar and the story of how this book came about is a treat in itself. I intend to get this the next time I am in India. I also came across a beautiful book, Epigrams from Gandhiji compiled by Shri SR Tikekar. One beautiful one in that relevant to us is: Let the Gita be to you a mine of diamonds, as it has been to me: let it be your constant guide and friend on life's way. Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post

October 1, 2013 I find it interesting that an eminently accomplished actor such as Tom Hanks , cannot bring himself to say that it was all free-will. See question at the Tom Hanks AMA and the response by the Oscar winner who played roles such as Forrest Gump.     Click here for more Karma Chronicles posts. Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post