General Articles 
What Is a Master?
11 November, 2013 @ 1:16 am
Over the years, some friends on social media and elsewhere, who perhaps liked some words I’ve shared, referred to me as a “master.” This always shocked me. You see, I’ve experienced a true master and I can tell you that I’m not one.
Packets of Pain and Pleasure
11 October, 2013 @ 10:45 pm
It was in early 1987 that I first met Dr. Usharbudh Arya, who later took monastic vows to become Swami Veda Bharati. This meeting occurred at a Yoga Sutras seminar Dr. Arya was teaching in the San Francisco area, and I felt an instant and deep connection with him. To me, he was a perfect teacher: humble, grounded, with great depth of knowledge and absolute integrity.
AHYMSIN Family “Sahaj Sewa”
7 October, 2013 @ 4:07 pm
As Swami Veda was moving towards his vow of silence, he asked everyone to use Sadhana in Applied Spirituality as a basis for spiritual practice in the next five years and continuing years afterwards.
Meditation: What, Why and How
11 September, 2013 @ 10:53 pm
I’m dying to tell you…There was a lot that I learned this time (in India) that I never really knew before. And maybe you know, but I’m going to back up and start with when this began…I meditated…honestly meditated for the first time in my life about a year ago and I’ve been at it since 1971. I said to Shivram that I can’t tell them this or they won’t do it, he said “tell em!”
Fear
11 September, 2013 @ 10:50 pm
On December 16th, 2012, I had received unexpected and shocking news that my close friend suddenly passed away while observing spiritual practice at Sukato Monastery. She was still a strong person although she had suffered from lower back pain for many years. Before she left for the monastery, she had just visited and stayed overnight with me at the Himalayan Yoga Meditation Thailand center. We always had several activities together here: swimming, dinner and exchanging our life experiences.
Jaina festival of Paryushana and Forgiveness (Kshamavani)
31 August, 2013 @ 4:35 pm
It is that time of the year when Jainas celebrate Paryushana. This is the most holy celebration in the Jain calendar. It is the time when Jain laity take on vows of study and fasting with spiritual intensity similar to temporary monasticism.
Interview with Pandit Harshanand Uniyal
11 August, 2013 @ 11:12 pm
A few weeks before Guru Purnima, I could feel that something was different. I did not know what exactly was different but I could feel it as if a chrysalis was coming to life. It seemed that it would be important to interview Pandit Harshanand Uniyal and his wife Kusum, the head priests at SRSG. She sat quietly and listened. They kindly agreed to make room in their very busy lives as parents and priests to come to my cottage for an interview. This is what I learned.
Destiny
11 August, 2013 @ 11:10 pm
Some people say a person's destiny is pre-determined and fixed, and there is nothing one can do to change it. Other people say destiny is completely malleable and entirely in our hands; that our choices and thoughts determine where we end up. Which view is correct? Yoga says both are true: We have a destiny, and we can change it.
Explore the Richness of Inner Life
11 August, 2013 @ 11:01 pm
Guidance from Guru in Silence Swami Veda Bharati has begun his 5-year vow of silence in March 2013. He promised us, however, that his silence practice would produce even more powerful impact on spiritual progress of each of us, provided that we stick to our daily practice and discipline. Many years ago I had read about Swami Rama’s different ways of teaching his close disciples, and one of method was to teach in silence. I wondered at the time how could this be, but I kept my mind opened to such possibility. This retreat provided me with a direct experience to understand what this means. Silence is the nature of God (Dhamma) and there is no better state than silence from where the teachings and wisdom could flow to the mind of spiritual seekers.
Reflections on my Mantra Initiation
11 July, 2013 @ 11:25 pm
Dr. Judith Wermuth-Atkinson is a lecturer at Columbia [University] and a long time seeker. She was introduced to me recently by our beloved friend and scholar Siddhartha Krishna. I made an exception in her case to initiate her personally. She has written a description of the initiation which may be inspiring/instructive. — svb Dear Swamiji, I am sending you the description of my mantra initiation with some delay. I was not entirely happy with what I wrote and I am very concerned that I might disappoint you. I am afraid, in my description I was too analytical and too practical, and I did not manage to convey the greatness of the mystical experience. Perhaps there are things that I cannot put into words - no matter how much I love writing. — Judith Wermuth