The Four Yogas of Vedanta

The following excerpt from Principles and Purpose of Vedanta by Swami Paramananda (1884-1940), outlines the 4 Yogas that have as their highest aim: union with the Divine. It is intended as a companion piece to “The Wisdom of Vedanta”, posted on 06/02/2021. “The practical part of the teaching of Vedanta is called Yoga, which literally… Continue reading The Four Yogas of Vedanta

Meditation and Prayer

Laurence Freeman OSB, Director of the World Community for Christian Meditation,  calls meditation a “prayer of the heart”. Meditation enriches other forms of prayer to which we are more accustomed, such as the prayers we say when we gather as a group, when we wake up in the morning, before a meal or during a… Continue reading Meditation and Prayer

Spiritual Friendship

The following passage by Laurence Freeman – Catholic priest, Benedictine monk, and Director of the World Community for Christian Meditation – is found in the Introduction to The Good Heart, a book highlighting the inter-religious dialogue between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and a gathering of Christian and Buddhist teachers. This historic meeting took place… Continue reading Spiritual Friendship

Music, the Universal Language

From the prolific British composer of the first half of the 20th century, Ralph Vaughan Williams. His interest in sacred music from the Tudor period produced the beautiful and poetic Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis. Click on the post to hear Sir Neville Marriner and the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields perform this stunning work.

The Eight Pillars of Joy

To celebrate the Dalai Lama’s 80th birthday in 2015, the Archbishop Desmond Tutu visited him in his home in India. Click on the link in the post to read the highlights of their week together and the conversation that became a New York Times bestseller book titled The Book of Joy.

Music, the Universal Language

Music, the universal language. The many genres of music speak to the heart in a way almost no words can. Music gives an added layer of meaning, an added dimension, to almost every situation whether it’s time alone, a social occasion, or watching a movie or a tv show.   It has the power to heighten the level of engagement and awareness in all of these and many more activities.