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What image does come to your mind when you hear the word Tapasya? For the majority of people, it is of a sage sitting under a tree in the meditative pose with his back straight, eyes closed, and hands in gyan mudra. However prevalent this association may be, relevancy of tapasya is much broader than meditation only: without tapasaya, no […]

This month’s topic is Brahamcharya. It is one of the attributes of Hinduism that has a large variety of definitions: on one end of the spectrum is pure celibacy and on the other end is moderation in enjoyment. Even though celibacy has come to be a typical definition and often quoted meaning, we will tilt more towards the moderation in […]

Continuing on the theme of the year articulating different attributes that define human character per Hinduism, this month we will cover Daan (Donation). In the series of virtuous acts, Daan comes in the top category. In the Hinduism, Daan is considered ‘axis of religion’ and first step on the path of religious obedience. The donation is highly esteemed as a righteous act […]

As you know, the theme for this year is ‘Traits that define human character’. In the past five months, we covered the following five attributes: Truthfulness, Non-violence, Non-stealing, Forgiveness, and Curiosity. Based on what kids have presented, it is obvious that kids are building a fine understanding of the everyday as well as spiritual meanings of these attributes. However, to […]

This month’s topic is Jigyasa (curiosity). In Hinduism, Jigyasa is one of the highly esteemed attributes of human nature. Last year, we learnt about Hindu scriptures, which cover a broad spectrum of topics ranging from philosophy, human nature, human body, physical phenomenon (visible and invisible), to Trinity (matter, soul, and God) in amazing details. If it wasn’t for the deep rooted spiritual […]

The topic for this month is Kshama (forgiveness). It is one of the key traits of the Hinduism. This trait has become victim of overuse abuse: it is often suggested without thoughtful considerations. Kshama has two perspectives: someone who seeks forgiveness and someone who forgives. There is widespread confusion on this topic: whether a weak person can forgive someone stronger; is it […]

The topic for this month is Asteya (non-stealing). According to the Yoga Sutra, if you don’t steal, good things will come to you.  So, why aren’t the good things coming to us all the time; after all, we aren’t thieves – not in traditional sense, at least. By the way, do we steal – even unintentionally? Before jumping to any conclusion, let’s […]

This month’s topic is Ahimsa, a way of life. Ahimsa is one of the ideals of Hinduism. While the literal meaning of the word Ahimsa is non-violence or non-injury, the term has a much wider and deeper significance. One common understanding of Ahimsa is to be nice to all living creatures (humans and animals alike) or not hurt others for one’s […]

The topic for this month is Truthfulness. In words of Swami Dayanand Saraswati, Truth is to know a thing as it is, believe it to be as it is, speak of it as it is, and act in accordance with what it is. All People should speak truth at all times, in all the ways, and for the good of all. […]

“Be a man of character!” is an often quoted line by wise men. But, what is character? When people say that so and so is a person of character, do they really know what they mean? Is character defined by just a single moral attribute, like, being truthful, or combination of several ones? Are people born with  character? If not, […]