May I answer-by Swami Sivanand

This book is a compilation from the various published works of the holy Master Sri Swami Sivananda, including some of his earliest works extending as far back as the late thirties.

The questions and answers in the pages that follow deal with some of the commonest, but most vital, doubts raised by practising spiritual aspirants. What invests these answers and explanations with great value is the authority, not only of the sage’s intuition, but also of his personal experience.

Swami Sivananda was a sage whose first concern, even first love, shall we say, was the spiritual seeker, the Yoga student. Sivananda lived to serve them; and this priceless volume is the outcome of that Seva Bhav of the great Master.

We do hope that the aspirant world will benefit considerably from a careful perusal of the pages that follow and derive rare guidance and inspiration in their struggle for spiritual perfection.

May the holy Master’s divine blessings be upon all.

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Hindu Rituals And Routines Why Do We Follow Them?

 Why Do We……. we Light A Lamp?  Why Do We Have A Prayer Room? . Why Do We Do Namaste?  Why Do We Prostrate Before Parents And Elders? . Why Do We Wear Marks (Tilak, Pottu And The Like) On The Forehead? Why Do We Not Touch Papers, Books And People With The Feet? To Touch Another With The Feet Is Considered An Act Of Misdemeanor. Why Is This So?  Why Do We Apply The Holy Ash?  Why Do Offer Food To The Lord Before Eating It? . Why Do We Fast? . Why Do We Do Pradakshina (Circumambulate)?  Why Is Pradakshina Done Only In A Clockwise Manner?  Why Do We Regard Trees And Plants As Sacred? . Why Do We Ring The Bell In A Temple? . Why Do We Worship The Kalasha?  Why Do We Consider The Lotus As Special? Why Do We Worship Tulasi? Why Do We Blow The Conch?

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Chants of India by Ravi Shankar

Sanskrit chants from the Vedas, Upanishads, and other texts have been handed down through the centuries by Traditional Scholars in India. In these renditions, Ravi Shankar reconfigured existing forms and composed new numbers to convey the spiritual force of these Sanskrit mantras and chants.

Oftentimes, it's the repetitive use of mantras that calls upon the internal spiritual self. And, it's the primordial, and shortest, sacred sound Aum or Om that is used before or after each prayer.

These chants, Shankar notes, "were mainly prayers for the well being of the universe, physical, mental, and spiritual selves of everyone, without pollution, turmoil, illness, discomfort, and misery of any kind and for overall Shanti (peace)."

Swami Sukhabodhananda

Swami Sukhabodhananda, an International Management and Spiritual Guru, is the founder Chairman of Prasanna Trust. He is also the founder of the research wing of Prasanna Foundation, which focuses on the scientific aspects of meditation and psychology. He is a regular invitee to various forums in India, USA, UK, and Switzerland. He has been addressing many gatherings at important Universities in India and abroad.

Leading industrial houses invite Swami Sukhabodhananda to conduct 'In-house workshops' for their executives. His self-development and management programs have benefited many in the corporate sectors of reputed institutions like banking, finance, industry, education, armed forces and police.Swamiji was invited as a dignitary in five different panels at the prestigious World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland and was a special invitee to the United Nation World Millennium Summit of spiritual Leaders.

why do we go to temples?

This question has been debated furiously by people who believe in god and people who don’t believe in god.But believe me the fact is people who go to temples are benefited!

HARD TO BELIEVE

There are various theories lingering on why we should go to temples, as; to worship god, to get peace, to meditate, to learn about culture, language, religion, morals and goes on.But the most interesting thing I’ve heard is entirely different, astonishing and hard to believe.

Everyone who spoke to me on why we should go to temples told me all the above spoken but none explained scientifically, expect one. I don remember his name and believe it was long time back he told me and some how this popped up in my mind when I was searching topic for my first posting in this blog.

We’ll start with on what all happens in a temple while we worship. When we enter and start to worship we smell the fragrance to flowers and incenses, hear the bell ringing, see the pujari showing the aarathi to god, and finally they offer prasadams. These rituals is correlated scientifically and is said to refresh the major five senses of the human body such as Smell, Sight, Hear, Touch and Taste.

Here’s how this happens
1. We smell the fragrance of flowers and incenses this refreshes the Sense of smell in our body.
2. When we hear the sound of the bell ringing the sense of hearing is refreshed.
3. The pujari shows the aarathi to god and when he circles the aarathi near the god our eyes moves with the aarathi and thus the sense of sight is refreshed.
4. When we touch the aarathi the heat from it refreshes the Touch sense.
5. And finally prasadam is offered and the taste buds are refreshed.

I've searched the net for this information whether this could be true but could not find even somewhere relating to this. Often many people say all the rituals in Hinduism have a scientific reason behind it and all these rituals have to be followed only for our benefit.

We can’t deny these facts and people who don believe in god or worshiping in temples can go for the scientific reasons behind it.