The first of the Four Practices (sādhana-catuṣṭaya) is discernment (viveka). What does it really mean? What does it do? How do I practice it? How does it help my spiritual life?
Spiritual Fitness (Adhikāra)
Where Will I Go After Death?
What Survives Death and What Doesn't
Cosmic Person (Virāṭ)
God—Personal or Impersonal?
Creation – Gradual or Sudden?
Did the world come about gradually or did it manifest all at once? When a disciple asked this question to Holy Mother Sarada Devi, her answer was direct: “Everything came into being at once, not gradually.” What are the implications of that answer, keeping in mind the theory of evolution and the religious stories about creation?
The World of "Many"
Change and the Changeless
This, That, and Me
Questions About God
Having addressed a few questions about the world and about the self, we must now turn our attention to God, who is probably the most significant among the triad of religious inquiry. What kind of questions come to mind when we begin to think about God? Here are a few.
On Relationships
God as Guest
Hospitality is not just about food. Even a kind word or a smile or a friendly nod goes a long way. If God is in everyone and in everything, what excuse do I have to be nasty to others? If I want to change my life for the better, all I need to remember is that, no matter in which direction I look, I am seeing God and no one else.
Four Goals?
Opium and the Peacock
Thoughts on Service
The Grandest of All Truths
Sarada Devi's Gifts (2): Love
Looking Out, Looking In
Our senses are designed to receive sights, smells, sounds, tastes, and touch from the outside. All we need to do is open our eyes and the world of color and form fills our being. Similar is the case with the other senses. The process is effortless and it feels natural. What is not natural is to turn our attention to the inside. Looking inside requires enormous effort and doesn’t feel natural at all.
Peace—Its Spiritual Foundation
The older I grow, the more I am drawn to peace, even more than to happiness. When I am at peace with myself, I see clearly what makes me happy and what doesn’t—and this teaches me what I should do and what I shouldn’t do. When I am at peace with the world around me, I see clearly why there is suffering—and this teaches me what I can do to minimize the suffering.