This is one of those pieces of mine that reads quietly but stays loudly in the mind. 18th-century Sufi poet and philosopher Baba Bulleh Shah placed self-knowledge far above scholarly accumulation. He warned that one could drown in books, and still remain a stranger to oneself: Parh parh alam te faazil hoyaTe kaday apnay aap…

I recall that, years ago, when I undertook a pilgrimage to a sacred shrine in India, I obtained a special permit to have my ‘darshan’ of the deity. The privilege obtained through personal ‘connection’ enabled me to bypass the miles-long queue of devotees behind me, who had been waiting for hours. Contrary to my pious…

Does Everything Have Consciousness—Or Only Us? Promod PuriDecember 2, 2025HinduismEdit”Does Everything Have Consciousness—Or Only Us?” Post navigation Previous What is the difference between you and me, and a spoon, a table, a stone, or any object or thing? All are physical matters. But we have consciousness; others don’t. Or maybe they have it, which we don’t assume….

Our mood, nature, style, and behaviour shape how we understand and interact with our family, friends, situations, and the society around us. A significant part of this comes from our physiology—the biology that underlies how the body works. This includes the physical and chemical processes, hormone activity, and brain functions that influence our level of…

Langar, the 500-year-old tradition introduced by Guru Nanak, is among the most sacred and transformative pillars of Sikhism. More than a kitchen and more than a meal, langar is a living expression of radical equality. As Guru Nanak declared, “Na koi bada na koi chhota”—no one is high, no one is low. The word langar…

When South Asian radio stations in Canada, in their radiothons, recently collected hundreds of thousands of dollars to help the victims of the Punjab floods, it was not only a gesture of donation, but a basic component of human interaction called sharing. “Vandd Chakna” is one of Guru Nanak’s most significant messages enshrined in Sikhism….

Fanatic Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Jew, or Buddhist — we hear these labels far too often. The word fanatic is a nasty little adjective. It pollutes the essence of the religion it attaches to and clouds its spiritual message. Over time, that word can even become the religion’s public face. Terms like “Islamic extremism” or…

A prayer that begins with Shukrana, ends with Shukrana, and is filled with Shukrana throughout, is not just ritual—it is a spiritual rhythm of gratitude. In the Punjabi religious ethos, Shukrana—meaning gratitude, thankfulness, or gratefulness—is more than a word; it is a spiritual vibration, a subtle offering that bridges the soul and the divine. In…