Showing results by author "Sripad Jagannatha Dasa" in All Categories

Throughout history, some of the most thoughtful minds have advocated that life does not end with the death of our body, but continues on via a process known as reincarnation. In the Western world, followers of the Orphic religion in ancient Greece were the first known exponents of reincarnation. They were succeeded by Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato and a host of other philosophers.

The Hanuman Chalisa is a hymn in praise of Hanuman authored by Tulsi Das. The qualities of Hanuman - his strength, courage, wisdom, celibacy, devotion to Ram, and the many names by which he is known - are all in the Hanuman Chalisa. Hanuman is the epitome of ultimate devotion manifested with its full glory unchallenged. By the power of his devotion to Sita Ram, he easily achieved supreme status as the perfect devotee and servitor. Reciting the Hanuman Chalisa infuses one with unlimited energy and prana.

This is the true story of each of the spiritual "Gang of four" and their master and deep inspiration Neem Karol Baba.

Dr. Richard Alpert, a former Harvard professor and Timothy Leary cohort, was an icon of the hippie, LSD-fueled revolution of the 1960s. Thereafter, on a trip to India—like Clark Kent changing into Superman—he became the much-beloved spiritual teacher Baba Ram Das. His 1970s iconic book Be Here Now turned on a generation to the deep, non-sectarian spirituality within us all.

The Hanuman Chalisa is a Vedic devotional hymn in praise of Hanuman authored by the poet sage Tulsi Das. The word "chālīsā" means the number forty in Sanskrit, as the Hanuman Chalisa has forty verses. Lord Hanuman is a great devotee of Sri Ram and one of the central characters in the epic Ramayan. Hanuman is also an incarnation of Shiva. The qualities of Hanuman—his strength, courage, wisdom, celibacy, devotion to Lord Ram, and the many names by which he is known are all in the Hanuman Chalisa. Devotional recitation of this sacred prayer is done by millions every day.

Neem Karoli Baba known as Maharaj-ji—was a guru, mystic and devotee of Hanuman. He is very well known outside India for being the spiritual master of a number of prominent Americans who traveled to India in the 1960s and '70s, including spiritual teachers Ram Dass, Bhagavan Das, and musicians Krishna Das and Jai Uttal. His ashrams are in Kainchi, Vrindavan, Rishikesh, Shimla, Neem Karoli village near Khimasepur in Farrukhabad, Bhumiadhar, Hanumangarhi, Delhi in India and in Taos, New Mexico. Maharaji was a lifelong adept of bhakti yoga, and encouraged service to others (seva).