Ganga Waters Meditation: Bathing in the Sounds of Ganga

I recently spent some time in the holy town of Rishikesh. What a blessing to be in Ma Ganga’s presence and feel her intimate connection with humanity.
(…)
In this audio/visual offering, you can sit back, relax and bathe in Ganga’s pure waters without leaving your home. Your own meditation on Ganga’s ghats…

Soldiers & Spirituality – Part 3

The Mahabharata tells of a question asked to King Yudhisthira: “What is the greatest miracle in this world?”

King Yudhisthira replied: “Everyday millions of people die yet people think they will live forever”.

Soldiers, perhaps more than any other group of people in the world, are constantly aware of their own mortality. Does that naturally turn them spiritual, wanting to know what is beyond death? What does it take for a soldier facing death on the frontline to overcome his fears and do his duty (dharma)?

In India, the ‘sant-sipahi’ or ‘soldier-saint’ tradition has been a long standing one. How does spirituality help one conquer the fear of death and are yoga and meditation essential for soldiers to maintain their calm and balance on the frontline?

Ancient Indian epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata embody a fight for good over evil – how can they help us better deal with the violence and threats we face in modern times from groups who only aim to terrorise and destroy?

In this final Part 3 of the exclusive interview for LWP with General GD Bakshi explores these questions, marking the narrative with his own on-the-ground experiences that make his messages all the more alive and powerful.

In case you missed the earlier parts of the interview, you can find both Part 1 and Part 2 on LWP.

Hope you enjoy this video and don’t forget to leave your feedback and comments on Facebook and YouTube!

Soldiers & Spirituality – Part 2

Newsletter No.7

Dear LWP Readers,

This newsletter contains news about the much awaited Part 2 of the exclusive LWP interview with Maj Gen GD Bakshi.  As usual, the weekly digest is included further below.

(FYI, you can sign up to receive these newsletters via email every Sunday)

Important Updates

Here’s Part 2 of the exclusive 3 part interview with Maj Gen GD Bakshi on the theme, Soldiers & Spirituality

General Bakshi is well-known in India for his views on military and defence matters but in this interview, he reveals a very different aspect of his life – the mystic and spiritual. It’s GD Bakshi like you’ve never seen him before!

In case you missed Part 1 of the conversation, you can find it here. In Part 1, GD Bakshi spoke about his guru.

In this Part 2, General Bakshi discusses his experiences in meditation as a sadhak, which included experiences of ecstasy as well as a near death experience that had a profound impact on his life.

He also talks about his two questions to his guru for which the circumstances shaped themselves into answer. The first question General Bakshi asked was whether he should dedicate his life to meditation and spirituality or continue his career in the army. The second question was, what is the meaning of Adhidaiva, Adhibhuta and Adhiyajna, that are mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita where Lord Krishna says:

“O Supreme among the Embodied (Arjuna)! Adhibhuta is the basis of physical existence; Adhidaiva is the basis of astral existence; and I (the Spirit manifested ideationally, both macro- and micro-cosmically) am Adhiyagya.”

—The Bhagavad Gita 8:4, from The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita by Swami Kriyananda

Hope you enjoy this Part 2 of the interview and don’t forget to leave your feedback and comments on Facebook and YouTube!

Also, look out for the final Part 3 next weekend in which General Bakshi speaks more generally about the role of spirituality in the lives of soldiers and how the scriptures like the Gita and Ramayana are still relevant today.

See Part 3 of the interview.

 

From Dior to Dharma

I’m happy to announce that my book, From Dior to Dharma was reviewed in Creative India magazine this week. It’s always very interesting for an author to see the book through the readers’ eyes and this review was particularly perceptive. You can read it here.

Update: Check out my Facebook Live Indic Chat (with Indic Book Club) about my book.

You can buy the book on Amazon (also Flipkart in India). I’d love for you to read it and share your thoughts on it with me!

Weekly Digest

Here’s what else happened on LWP this week:

– This past Monday marked the start of the month of Shravan (or Sawan), the auspicious month dedicated to Lord Shiva. LWP shared some quick facts about the month. This year’s Shravan is considered to be especially important because the month starts and ends on a Monday, the day traditionally observed as Lord Shiva’s day.

– Joe Nazar, a yoga and Ayurveda practitioner gave us a brief introduction to the two sister sciences and provided some tips on how we can use yoga and Ayurveda in daily life.

Subhash Kak shared his poem Pura Tirtha Empul, the great Vishnu pilgrimage temple in Bali, Indonesia which illuminates through a confluence of the five elements.

– LWP shared 5 tips for happiness such as being aware of the present moment and letting things be! Check them out.

Last Sunday’s newsletter was a Guru Purnima special about how the guru helps us go ‘from darkness to light’ (tamaso ma jyotirgamaya). The words of Sri Ramana Maharishi were also invoked to inspire us on Guru Purnima day.

– As mentioned above, you can also now read the first chapter of From Dior to Dharma on LWP.

 

As always, I look forward to your comments, feedback, suggestions and article contributions. Do share this with those you think may be interested so that they can also and join the wiser-living movement!

Wishing you a lovely Sunday wherever in the world you may be and don’t forget to share your comments on the GD Bakshi interview!

Warm regards,
Shruti Bakshi
Editor, the LivingWise Project

Soldiers & Spirituality – Part 1 (Guru Purnima Special)

Here’s Part 1 of the much awaited interview with Maj Gen GD Bakshi – Like You’ve Never Seen Him Before!

General Bakshi is well known in India for his views on military and defence matters but in this interview, he reveals a very different aspect of his life – the mystic and spiritual.

In this Part 1, General Bakshi talks about his early spiritual influences and about his guru – a fitting topic for this Guru Purnima weekend. Enjoy and don’t forget to leave your feedback and comments on Facebook and YouTube!

(P.S. Sign-up for website updates to get posts like these directly by email)

See Part 2 and Part 3.