When he fell terminally ill, Kabir decided to shift from Benares to Maghiyar, against the wishes of his followers. It was believed in those days (and even now) that if one dies in Benares, one goes straight to heaven, whereas death in Maghiyar leads straight to hell! Kabir’s disdain for religious hypocrisy and religious beliefs…
A Progressive 12th Century Religion In India
By Shivanand Kanavi A prolific efflorescence of Bhakti literature emerged in the form of vachana – short poetic prose or free verse poetry – in simple Kannada in the 12th century, in North Karnataka. To this day about 12,000 vachanas of this period authored by over a hundred spiritual seekers and saints, including over 30 women have been discovered. These poet…
NEOLOGISM: THE WORLD NEEDS SOME REPAIRS AND CHANGES IN ALL ITS SYSTEMS AND ORDERS:
Neologism means to introduce a new word or new senses of existing words. In its expanded definition, neologism also involves “a new doctrine, especially a new interpretation of sacred writings,” according to Dictionary.com. Many rituals, customs, and traditions related to our religions need a review for their practicality in our ever-changing world culture. Moreover, in…
HUMANS AND ANIMALS:
We all have feelings, love, emotions, tears, and smiles. We all have neurons creating intellect. We all have memories. We all eat, sleep, walk, talk, connect, interact, and relate. But mankind distinguishes that “human beings are the most beautiful, intelligent and favourite creation of God.” Maybe, cats, dogs, donkeys, etc., and birds think the same. With…
Ek Onkar is the eternal ‘1’
Oh God, are you He, She or It; Him or Her; King or Queen, Father or Mother! God does not have gender. Rather it carries all genders and is represented by the numerical figure ‘1’. Nanak says: Sahib mera Eko hai, Eko hai Bhai, eko hai. Translation: ‘My Master is One, One only, Oh Brother,…
Why the love story of Radha and Krishna has been told in Hinduism for centuries
Jeffery D. Long, Elizabethtown College Although it originated as a Christian holiday in honor of St. Valentine, Valentine’s Day has become a global celebration of romantic love, observed by people of many religions and of no religion. Other religions have long had their own myths centered on love. I have observed, in my work as…
Study of Self Makes quite a sense
Sufi poet and philosopher Bulleh Shah (1680-1757) says: “Parh parh alim fazil hoya, kadey apnay aap nun parhya he nai.” Translation and meaning: A person becomes knowledgeable or a scholar by endless reading and studying vast volumes of books, but he might not have ever read his inner self. Bulleh Shah’s marked observation sounds like…
Seeking Evolution In Religions:
Rituals, customs, and traditions provide a bulk of false identity to a religion. If these are detached from all the religions, then we can see fundamentals of moral and righteous teachings are the same in each of them. Pathways to divinity are infused with words of morality and ethics, principles, and noble deeds. While overly…
MY VISION OF A HAPPY NEW YEAR
The moment clock’s second hits midnight and the year 2022 departs, we step into welcoming 2023. Two images flash; one switches off, and the other switches on. That reflects two storylines: an imprint of the old one, while the history begins with the new one. Do we spot any change around our lives between circa…
Progressive Hindu Dialogue 