Ashram Yoga : India's Spiritual Tradition

Karadyan Nombu and Karva Chauth

admin — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:05:00 +0000

On the day of Karadaiyan Nonbu, women worship Goddess Gowri and pray for longevity and welfare of their husband. Through this festival women try to emulate the devotion of Savithri and her love for her husband, Satyavan. Her bhakti to Goddess Gowri gave her the strength and wisdom to win back her husband’s life from Yaman, the Lord of Death. Among the many festivals of South India, Karadaiyan Nonbu is more a renewal of the faith in the tradition. Customs & Rituals Karadaiyan Nonbu is observed on the day of the conjunction of the Tamil months Masi and Panguni. It is to remember the great battle won by Savithri – a mythological character – over the God of Death – Yama, not by arms or ammunitions but by her clever arguments to regain her husband’s life. Married women observe fast till the auspicious time arrives, whether it is late evening or mid afternoon. Regional Celebrations of Karadaiyan Nonbu Karadaiyan Nonbu is a festival of special significance to married women all over Southern India including states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. The Karva Chauth The fast of Karva Chauth is kept by Hindu women for the well-being, prosperity and longevity of their husbands. The origin of this festival is based upon a very sweet and noble idea. In earlier times, girls would get married at a very young age, and had to go and live with their in-laws in other villages far away from their own parents. If she had any problems with her husband or in-laws, she would have no one to talk to or seek support from. Thus, there grew a custom where the bride would befriend another woman to share her joys and sorrows. Their friendship would be sanctified through a small Hindu ceremony right during the marriage. Once the bride and the woman became god-friends or god-sisters as they are commonly known, they would remain so all their lives and recognize the relation as such. They would also treat each other like real sisters.After becoming friends, they would share all their joys, sorrows and problems with each other. Thus, Karva Chauth started as a festival to celebrate this friendship (relationship) between the brides and their god-friends (god-sisters). Praying and fasting for the sake of husband came later and was secondary. It was probably added, along with other mythical tales, to enhance the festival. In any case, the husband would always be associated with this festival, because the day of starting this holy friendship between two god-sisters was essentially the day of bride’s marriage to him. Thus, praying and fasting for him by his wife during the celebration of her relationship with the god-friend would be quite logical.

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Karadyan Nombu and Karva Chauth

Prayer To Ward Of Evil

adam — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 05:20:00 +0000

There is a story of about a sea captain who in his retirement skippered a boat taking day-trippers to Shetland Islands. On one trip, the boat was full of young people. They laughed at the old captain when they saw him say a prayer before sailing out, because the day was fine and the sea was calm. However they weren’t long at sea when a storm suddenly blew up and the boat began to pitch violently. The terrified passengers came to the captain and asked him to join them in prayer. But he replied, “I say my prayers when it’s calm. When it’s rough I attend to my ship.” Here is a lesson for us…… If we can not and will not seek God in quiet moments of our lives, we are not likely to find him when trouble strikes. We are more likely to panic. But if we have learnt to seek him and trust him in quiet moments, then most certainly we will find him when the going gets rough. A PRAYER A DAY KEEPS EVIL AWAY. The picture of Ganesha shown here is from full glass temple at Malasia.To see the full view please click on the picture.

Krishnaprem live at 4pm Tiru Ashram India part3

admin — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 21:57:50 +0000

Recorded on my iphone – Captured Live on Ustream at www.ustream.tv with the Ustream Mobile App

Sewa Ashram, community of the Poor, Delhi India

admin — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 22:17:12 +0000

The Sewa-Ashram has been caring and loving the poor and destitute of Delhi for over 10 years. Founder Ton Baba.

At the Shivananda Ashram in Uttarkashi, India

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:04:43 +0000

Just North of Uttarkashi is the famous Anand Kutir, a Sivananda ashram of incredible beauty on the banks of the Ganga and Bhagirathi. The ashram grounds are lovingly tended gardens, while the building house devotees and dozens of young boys, a community hospital, and a gokulum. Brian Brunius

Yoga Meditation@Italy 9.mpg

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 23:44:03 +0000

Yoga in India – Sivananda Ashram 07-08 – Omshanti

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:19:42 +0000

www.omshanti.cat Sivananda Ashram, Kerala hivern ‘07 – ‘08

Mahadevi Akka

adam — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:45:00 +0000

Mahadevi or Akka Mahadevi, sometimes called simply Akka, was born in Udutadi in the Karnataka region of India. At age 10, she was initiated as a devotee of Shiva, the pale-skinned god of destruction and rebirth, lord of yogis and ascetics. She worshiped Shiva in the form of Chennamallikarjuna, which means literally “Mallika’s beautiful Arjuna.” It is said that Mahadevi was married by arrangement to Kausika, a local king. There were immediate tensions, however, as Kausika was a Jain, a group that tended to be wealthy and was, as a result, much resented by the rest of the population. Much of Akka’s poetry explores the themes of rejecting mortal love in favor of the everlasting, “illicit” love of God, and this seems to be the path she chose as well. She ran away from her life of luxury to live as a wandering poet-saint, traveling throughout the region and singing praises to her Lord Shiva. A true ascetic, Mahadevi is said to have refused to wear any clothing — a common practice among male ascetics, but shocking for a woman. In Kalyana, she met the famous Shaivite saints Basava and Allama Prabhu. Akka spent the last of her days in the Srisailam area. Tradition says she died in her twenties, entering mahasamadhi (final divine union) with a flash of light.

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Mahadevi Akka

Swami Swaroopananda about Attachment

admin — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:42:10 +0000

Swami Swaroopananda, Director of the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat shares the story of Swami Vishnu-devananda and his mother in relation to a question asked about the relationship between the spiritual aspirant and his family.

My Master

admin — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:20:00 +0000

MY MASTER This is the message of Sri Ramakrishna to the modern world; Do not care for doctrines, do not care for dogmas, or sects, or churches, or temples they count for little compared with the essence of existence in each man, which is spirituality; and the more this is developed in a man, the more powerful is he for good. Earn that first , acquire that, and cricise no one, for all doctorines and creeds have some good in them. Show by your lives that religion does not mean words, or names, or sects, but that it means spiritual rea,lisation. Only those can understand who have felt. Only those who have attained to spirituality can communicate it to others, can be great teachers of mankind. They alone are powers of light. The more such men are produced in a country the more that country will be raised and that country where such men are absolutely do not exist that country is doomed, nothing can save it.There fore my Master’s message to mankind is Be spiritual and realise truth for yourself. Swami Vivekananda

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My Master