Hawan Group of Central New Jersey, USA
Growing up in a Hindu family, there’s hardly anyone who hasn’t heard about ‘vrat’, a ritual in which a person observes fast on auspicious day(s). However, rarely do we know or appreciate the other – more spiritual – meaning of the word vrat: resolution/vow. Vrat is a promise to do (or not do) something. A vrat could be made to
» Read moreTo achieve a commendable goal or acquire a worthy talent, be it at mental, physical or spiritual level, one needs to uninterruptedly practice for a long time. All three are must have ingredients for success: 1) practice, 2) without interruption, and 3) for long period. Absence of even one of them is bound to deprive the aspirant of the wished-for
» Read moreUnlike other species, God has endowed the human species with a unique gift: the ability to continuously learn and acquire new knowledge. However, without revision, the learnt knowledge is susceptible to be lost. To ensure the acquired wisdom is ingrained, this month, we will have a mid-year review of all we have learnt throughout the year. This month, Kids will
» Read moreHas it happened to you that you met a person for the first time and you were highly impressed? You couldn’t figure why it was so: was it because of that person’s behavior, speech, or simple act of being present. Whatever the reason be, that person possesses something that draws others. That “something” is Integrity: integrity of thoughts, words, and
» Read moreIf you were to ask people to think of their biggest asset, majority would think of wealth, some would think of health, and an even smaller number would think of brain prowess. But, aren’t they all mistaken; isn’t mind the biggest asset humans have? A person who has ample wealth, perfect health, a sharp brain, and a mind filled with
» Read moreFrom a very young age, a simply yet powerful lesson is taught to us to not criticize others (दूसरों की निंदा ना करें). However, rarely do we follow this teaching in our lives. No matter how much we grow physically, socially, and spiritually, this flaw (अवगुण) has the potential to pull us down. Well before forming a critical opinion, the observer must pay attention
» Read moreIn the Hinduism, among all the prescribed rituals, the Yagya/Hawan is accorded the highest place. While many do perform it on daily basis, on auspicious life-events like Greh-Pravesh to sanskars like Vivah and Anteyshthi, majority of the Hindus perform Yagya to pray and seek God’s blessings. By nature, Yagya is intrinsically sacrificial and benevolent (Propkaar – परोपकार) act – and
» Read moreThrough the monthly assignments, research, presentations, and discussions/real-life example expositions on the assigned topics, the hawan kids are building a gradual yet profound understanding of many of the subtler aspects of human character and noble life. Continuing the exploration we started last year on Human Characteristics, this month’s assignment is Shauch (cleanliness). Per Patanjali Yog, Cleanliness has two aspects: internal (aantrik shuddhta/shauch)
» Read moreNamaste, Like previous years, in the month of December, instead of a new assignment, we review our year-long learning. The theme for this year was Human Characteristics as prescribed in the Hinduism. Before embarking on this journey, in January’2014, we set a goal for ourselves as stated below. “This year we will learn and focus on one trait per month.
» Read more