Avatar

Avatar (Skt.=”descent”) In Hinduism, its offshoots, and in Sikhism the avatar is an incarnation of God who takes birth on earth to restore dharma. In Hindu thought, God comes to earth to restore order whenever morality becomes egregiously imbalanced. Jesus … Continue reading →

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888-1975) – Great unifier or opinionated reductionist?

Embed from Getty Images Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888-1975) was an Indian scholar of religion and philosophy who taught at the University of Calcutta and Oxford. He became the first Vice President (1952) and the second President of India (1962). More interesting … Continue reading →

The Q – Star Trek’s mythic gods

The Q is a fictional group entity in Star Trek TOS spin-offs and films. Members reside in an eternal field of space-time called the Q-continuum. Like the avatar in Hinduism, the Q appear in specific moments of space-time to apparently … Continue reading →

The Belief in Reincarnation – Man-Made Theory or Sacred Truth?

Also called metempsychosis and transmigration, reincarnation is a man-made theory usually presented as fact or sacred law by believers. Elements of the theory can be found in diverse religions and philosophies, including ancient Greek, Egyptian, Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist, Jain, African … Continue reading →

Sankara – A Hindu who was no big fan of the Buddha

Sankara, Shankara or Adi Shankara (c. 700 – 750 CE) was a Hindu philosopher, mystic and theologian born in Kerala, India. A towering figure in Indian philosophical history, Sankara advocated Advaita Vedanta. His commentaries on scripture like the Bhagavad-Gita and Brahma-sutras outline … Continue reading →

Rama

Rama is a Hindu folk hero often upheld as the embodiment of dharma (sacred duty) and karma-yoga (the yoga of action). He is also regarded as the seventh avatar (incarnation of God) of Vishnu. It is possible that Rama was … Continue reading →

The Ramayana – ancient Sanskrit allegory

The Ramayana is a Hindu epic poem about Rama and Sita, written in Sanskrit. The story is ascribed to the poet Valmiki, who allegedly received it from the gods while residing in Northern India, c. 300-400 BCE. The Ramayana tells … Continue reading →

The idea of the Seer

In the spiritual sense a seer is a person with an alleged gift of inner sight. He or she apparently “sees” the past and future, possibly across great distances and through different spiritual realms. At least, that’s one aspect of … Continue reading →

Vedas

The Veda (or Vedas) are the first group of ancient Hindu sacred books. Max Müller and most subsequent scholars date them to the 13th century BCE. Ten in all, the Veda form a mandala (circle) of knowledge and are believed … Continue reading →

Vishnu

Vishnu (Skt. to “settle” or “pervade”) In Hinduism, Vishnu is the second deity of the Hindu Trimurti (triad) of Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva. He rides the great eagle Garuda with his loyal consort, the goddess of prosperity and good fortune, … Continue reading →