This compilation of articles published in Times of India and other leading Indian newspapers empowers you to rediscover the missing spiritual dimension of life. The memorable examples, the soothing language, the elo-quent words and the convincing logic will equip you with fresh spiritual perspectives for personal contem-plation and rejuvenation as well as for group discus-sions and interviews.

This compilation of articles unravels the mysterious relationship between the two fundamental human faculties, the scientific and the spiritual, and helps the reader discover an emerging post-secular synthesis. Filled with powerful quotes, piercing analysis, pragmatic examples, and pregnant vo-cabulary, this book will help all to rise to holistic understanding of life by unifying science and spirituality.

Demystifying Reincarnation explores questions of our identity and destiny scientifically, historically and philosophically. Scientifically, pioneering researchers have documented fascinating cases of:Children who recollect past lives, giving details that they had no normal way of knowing.People who, despite being medically unconscious, were con-scious of their vicinity and beyond. Historically, the principle of reincarnation has enjoyed acceptance in most parts of the globe throughout the ages. Philosophically, reincarnation is the bedrock of a profound world view that reflects our intuitive sense of justice, our innate need for hope and our universal longing for immortality.Demystifying Reincarnation expands our understand-ing of what it means to be human and reveals new horizons for our deepest aspirations.

Frequently Un-Answered Questions (FAQ) is an intellectual treat that sys-tematically answers common and uncommon questions about life and liv-ing, science and spirituality, Vedic wisdom and self-improvement through spirituality. The answers are phrased in eloquent language, permeated with clear logic, based on timeless wisdom, and illustrated with modern examples, revealing statistics and memorable quotes. Every one of the over 50 answers is like an illuminating ray of insight that will show the way to the treasure of love hidden in our own hearts.

Presented in an engaging question-answer format spiced with everyday examples, Idol Worship or Ideal Worship? illuminates a wide variety of historical, social, cultural and scriptural issues surrounding the traditional Indian practice of Deity worship. Some of the questions answered in this book are: ·

Does a form not limit God? ·

Why is an image made of stone considered to be God? ·

If the Deity is God, then why can’t the Deity blow away a fly on his face? ·

Is Deity worship meant for less intelligent people? ·

When we place food in front of the Deity, does anything really happen to the food? ·

Why do we move various items in circles around the Deity during artis? ·

Is Deity worship of any practical use in our modern times? This book will offer: ·

Dee-per insights into the meaning and necessity of Deity worship to those already practic-ing it. ·

Systematic logical, philosophical and scriptural answers to those having ques-tions about Deity worship ·

Refreshingly new perspectives to those equating Deity worship with idolatry

Presented as a lively and lucid conversation centered on the acronym T.E.M.P.L.E., Why do we need a temple? provides logical and authorita-tive answers to common questions about spirituality in general and a temple in particular.

My Little Bhakti Companion answers eighteen questions that address many common challenges confronting sadhakas:

• Why do I misidentify with my mind so much?
• Why do I feel so mentally exhausted?
• Why does my consciousness change suddenly from devotional to sensual?
• How can I increase my faith in Krishna?
• Should I forgive someone who has hurt me badly?
• Why do I find chanting boring?
• How can I understand that loving Krishna will fulfill my longing for love? By making Krishna’s wisdom our bhakti companion, we can progress steadi-ly towards reuniting with our unseen companion.

The Bollywood Movie Oh My God! fittingly exposed the arrogance and hypo-crisy of godmen. It also made several important points about specific reli-gious practices as well as the generic role of religion in society. Oh My God! Re-answering the Questions responds to those points through thirty-two question-answers like:

Do we need middlemen to approach God? Does God help atheists and oppose godmen? Is religion made by man or by God? When we don’t chant “Papa, Papa”, why should we chant “Krishna, Krish-na”? Does religion make people violent or helpless? When God is present everywhere, why should we worship him in temple stone images?

PK exposes insightfully the shenanigans of godmen and the gullibility of their fol-lowers. But in its negative stereotyping of religion, it mixes superstitions with meaningful spiritual practices and reduces God to an irrelevant cipher. GK for PK! responds to the issues raised in PK by drawing on logic, humor, scripture, science and common sense. Some of the questions answered are:

• Can we reject as wrong numbers the rituals that don’t make sense?
• Do people who are afraid go to temples?
• Are there two gods: the god who created man and the god whom man created?
• How can worshiping a cow get one a job?
• Does a stone smeared with colored powder become God?
• Why are we not born with our religion stamped on us?
• Why does God not respond to our prayers? Concise and penetrating, these twenty-five answers illumine universal principles of living and loving that can help you see religion, God and life in a refreshingly new light.

Gain the eye of wisdom to see timeless principles in action amidst the world’s seeming randomness and let those principles empower you to be an agent of change in your own life and in the world.

• What is the root cause of gang-rapes?
• What do scientific advances like the discovery of the God particle imply?
• Why do we see the paradox of misery amidst prosperity?
• Can we be spiritual without being religious?
• Why was the Bhagavad-gita mis-labeled as extremist in Russia?
• Are ancient scriptures like the Ramayana and traditional festivals like Janmashtami relevant today
  How can we live spiritually in a materialistic age?How can devotion help us in times of trial?

The Searching Eye seeks spiritual wisdom for making sense of life amidst our complex contemporary world

• Find time-honored insights that shed light on current issues such as sexual as-sault, match-fixing and suicide.
• Appreciate how the Bhagavad-gita’s vision affirms life, strengthens relation-ships and illumines love in its deepest aspects.
• Understand what the mind is, how it misleads and how we can lead it well.
• Learn how to turn the bad into good, seeing positives in life’s negative events.
• Redefine life as a reciprocation of endless spiritual love.

The Eye to See the I features 121 reflections on the Bhagavad-gita that make its insights appreciable in brief, relishable nuggets of wisdom. The book published in hard copy on Janmashtami last year is already nearing the end of its first print run and will go for the second print soon. Some of the reflections in the book are:

• Money talks – and walks away as it is talking
• We can’t replace the mind, but we can re-place it
• The soul seems far out because it is far in
• Free love is a self-contradiction
• The heart of knowledge is the knowledge of the heart
• Let repetition be a re-petition
• The past won’t last if to Krishna we hold fast

With punchy titles that distill each article’s central message, the Eye to See the I addresses a wide variety of issues, all meant to help us realize and relish the innermost core of our being.

Is life a doomed journey from a station called birth to a station called death with a bit of pleasure and a lot of pain sprinkled between? Though we rarely think of life in such stark terms, isn’t that its unvarnished reality? No, it isn’t. Life has a higher, richer, sweeter dimension – a spiritual dimension – that we frequently overlook amidst the horse-race pace of our current civilization.

The Gita for Daily Enrichment makes life’s spiritual dimension readily accessible throughout the year with its 365 brief reflections that can be read in just a few minutes. Meditate daily on the timeless wisdom of the Bhagavad-gita and enrich yourself with the sublime wealth of potent, pleasant and penetrating thoughts.

Belong addresses our heart’s longing to belong to something bigger than ourselves – a longing that is nourished and fulfilled by the Bhagavad-gita’s transformational message of spiritual love. While presenting that message in accessible 300-word nuggets, Belong shines the light of the Gita on many themes important for our inner growth:

• Optimism: Our willingness is more important than our willpower
• Resentment: Possibilities expand when we begin from where we are instead of where we should be
• Happiness: Temporary relief from self-inflicted torture is not pleasure
• Association: Our desires are not just linear, but also triangular
• Temptation: We don’t have to defeat our lower desires – we can just let them lose
• Discipline: Rules free you to be you
• Devotion: Krishna is the master before whom we stand truly erect

These 121 reflections prompt the head and the heart to move closer towards belonging to the one in whom our potentials attain the fullest development and we find the deepest fulfillment.

Nothing shapes our perceptions, emotions, actions, and ultimately our destiny as much as our mind. Though the mind is a constant inner presence, we rarely realise its presence, leave alone evaluate its effect. Mind It! offers sixty-four reflections on ten verses of the Bhagavad-gita, an ancient classic on mind management. Each of these reflections is like an inner torchlight for observing whether our mind is work-ing for our interests or against them. Some of the reflections are:

• The mind is a tormentor, not a mentor.
• The mind may replay, but we don’t have to play
• If we let the mind fill in the blanks, it will overwrite the sentence
• The mind is like a dog that barks, but can’t bite – unless we let it
• When the mind cries wolf, know that the mind is the worst wolf
• Play the part of the part and the whole will fill the hole
• Meditation minimizes inner friction and maximizes outer contribution
• The mind is the TV – and the TV-thief
• When you shake an apple tree, don’t be blind to the falling of mangoesWith catchy, concise titles that convey the gist of each of its reflections, Mind It! is a ready re-source for spiritual empowerment in our inner battle for fulfilling our potential.

Drawing from the timeless philosophical classic, the Bhagavad-gita, Inner Change features 121 thought-provoking, action-inspiring reflections on a wide gamut of human issues. Each reflection is encapsulated in an attractive title that doubles as a tangible carry-home message.

Managing the mind: We are not our feelings – we are the feelers of our feelings. Cultivate a tender heart, but cover it with a thick skin Growing through pain: We can’t delete our memories, but we can choose what we remember. Focus not on letting go of things – focus on taking hold of your thoughts Relationships: In the war of egos, the winner is the bigger loser We may be unloved, but we are never unlovable Inner Change is your aid to a richer life, today and every day

Offering a thought for each day of the year, Gita Wisdom Through Quotes is a collection of aphorisms inspired by the Bhagavad-Gita. Composed by Chaitanya Charan, a monk who has studied the Gita for over two decades and taught it worldwide, these quotes illumine human concerns ranging from the intra-personal to the inter-personal, from the psychological to the eco-logical, from self-improvement to self-realization. Each quote is your pathway to a more meaningful and joyful life.

Drawing from the insights of ancient wisdom traditions and modern management gurus, this book presents powerful principles and practices to experience the peace and power of meditation, break free from negative attitudes and habits, uncover your spiritual qualities and increase your willpower. Filled with easy to remember acronyms, memorable quotes, striking examples, entertaining stories and revealing statistics, E.N.E.R.G.Y will energize you for all-round success.

Filled with eye-opening analysis, powerful quotes, moving stories, and striking examples, this book combines ancient spiritual wisdom with mod-ern socio-economic insights to present a dynamic, grassroots level action plan for transforming the adversity of recession into an opportunity for personal growth.

Presented as an engaging question-answer discussion between a corporate leader and a leadership consultant, 10 Leadership Sutras from Bhagavad-gita makes the timeless wisdom of the philosophical classic, the Bhagavad-gita, accessible to the contemporary mind. Condensing the relevant principles from the Gita into 10 su-tra-like statements, it brings a richer, more spiritual appreciation of life, work and success. It provides principles and practices addressing daily concerns such as:

• Managing stress – Be concerned, not disturbed
• Team building – Words shape worlds; watch your words
• Facing reversals – Life determines our problems; we determine their size

Suited not just for present and potential leaders but also for all those who wish to lead themselves more effectively, 10 Leadership Sutras from Bhagavad-gita paves the way towards stronger commitment, greater achievement and deeper fulfillment.

What turns friends into worst enemies? Is accepting misfortunes as our destiny fatalistic or pragmatic? Can we regulate our emotions without repressing them? Seeking answers to such universal questions, Wisdom from the Ramayana: On Life and Relationships taps into the timeless wisdom of the Ramayana, encompassing many of its characters and reflecting on the complex dy-namics of their relationships.

By analyzing the thought processes of these characters and the principles they lived by, this self-help book offers guidelines to build lasting relation-ships and lead a spiritually fulfilling life.