Articles to Read
PART ONE
This is an alphabetical list of on-line articles that will explain various philosophical points and general spiritual topics that you may find interesting and helpful for your own understanding as well as use in everyday life. Many of these are excerpts from the books of Stephen Knapp and can assist in showing samples of his writing, and some of the many subjects about which he has written and is concerned. Naturally, the books take these topics into greater detail. Other articles are compiled and written especially for this website. Simply click on the title to take you to it. The articles in PART TWO are more focused on specific issues that pertain to Hinduism, especially in India.
1. About the Name "Hindu" is an excerpt from Proof of Vedic Culture's Global Existence. It explains the origin of the name "Hindu." Although many people feel the name represents the overall religion of India, it is not actually related to the true Vedic culture, nor is it a Sanskrit word, and, thus, fails to represent the many distinctions of the real Indian philosophies.
2. About Vedic Prophecies is the interesting Foreword by Bhaktitirtha Swami Krishnapada from The Vedic Prophecies: A New Look into the Future. He discusses the importance of the Vedic predictions and compares them to other prophecies from cultures around the world.
3. Absolute Truth: What or Who is It when much confusion often exists regarding this topic, this article explains by Vedic evidence the description of what or who is the Absolute Truth
4. His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is an article written for this website to provide readers with a brief biography about Srila Prabhupada, one of the most noted scholars and prolific writers on Vedic philosophy. There are also 8 photographs of Srila Prabhupada that have never been published before. Also see our Prabhupada Photo Gallery for over 140 never before published photographs of Srila Prabhupada from the early '70s. Also, use this link for eight additional vintage photos of Srila Prabhupada on his first visit to New Vrindavana in June, 1969, provided by Chintamani dasi.
5. A Call to be Vedic Ambassadors This article explains that in this age, when there is a concern for preserving, protecting and disseminating Vedic culture and its vast knowledge on all aspects of life, there is a great need for those who follow Sanatana-Dharma or Hinduism to be Vedic Ambassadors, or those who can fairly and accurately represent the Dharma, and how you can help.
6. A Little book of Prayers, Mantras and Gayatris offers a variety of prayers, including prayers of surrender to God, for giving thanks, asking for protection, for seeking higher levels of enlightenment, or our need for deeper love of God and His spiritual parts and parcels. These prayers can also offer profound insights or windows into the spiritual dimension, and are thus great vehicles for our meditation on God and understanding His supremely loving characteristics and the spiritual world. Some of what is included are the Brahma-samhita, Purusha Suktam, Isha Upanishad, Nrisimha Kavacha, the Sri Vishnu Sahasranam, and many other gayatris to the Supreme, His incarnations, the demigods and the planets for assistance.
7. A Look at India From the Views of Other Scholars lists many quotes of scholars and researchers and how they viewed the influence of India on the world and other cultures.
8. An Alien's View of Life on Earth is a special article that explains Stephen's reasons for never having been too comfortable on this human level of existence, and gives a different perspective on the peculiarities of what living on this planet and in a human body can be like, and why it may be better to move on.
9. A New Species of Humanity is an excerpt from The Vedic Prophecies. This explains, in part, about the importance of the spiritual advantage that is found in the Golden Era of the Age of Kali, that is predicted to last for 10,000 years, which will bring about a new world consciousness. Many more details are in the book.
10. Another Creation Theory Bites the Dust explains a little about how the Big Bang Theory is in trouble and no longer satisfactory for scientists to explain the origins of the universe.
11. Antiquity of Deity Worship in the Vedic Tradition shows by the descriptions of ancient holy sites and from scriptural references that the recommendation and instructions, and the process of Deity worship in the Vedic tradition has been going on for thousands of years.
12. A Reason Why I Am Determined to Spread Spiritual Knowledge. This is a touching article about a serious incident that happened in South Africa that shows one of the reasons why I feel the world is in a state of emergency and desperately in need of deep spiritual understanding, and why I feel compelled to help spread it.
13. The Avataras of God describes what is an avatara, what it means, and the basic descriptions of the main avataras of the Supreme Being when He descends into the material worlds to display pastimes. .
14. Becoming a Hindu or Devotee is Easy clears some of the confusion about how a person can start the path of Hinduism or being a devotee. It is not as difficult as some people think, nor does it require any sort of ritual to make it official. All it takes is understanding and accepting the Vedic principles and applying them to one's life. This article explains how to begin.
15. Becoming Free from Sex Desire The greatest happiness for the soul starts with complete freedom: freedom from misery, unhappiness, suffering, freedom from the dictates of desires, and, ultimately, freedom from being trapped in a material body. But what keeps us ensnared in such a condition are the desires for sensual and mental pleasures. And the hardest freedom to attain is freedom from sex desire. Find out how to begin.
16. Beyond Vegetarianism shows how we become free from the karma of using plants in food preparations, and how the plants used in the preparations also make spiritual progress by offering them first to the Lord to become Prasadam, which becomes the perfect yoga diet without karma that helps spiritualize our consciousness.
17. The Bible Teaches Chanting God's Names is an article that shows how the Bible recommends many of the same principles of spiritual development as found in the Vedic system. We can especially find these similarities in the processes of bhakti-yoga, mantra-yoga, and sankirtana (the congregational singing of the holy names of the Lord). However, as we go through these quotes, we can see that they are rather basic and that learning from the Vedic texts take us into deeper levels of understanding the purpose behind these methods.
18. Biographies of Vaishnava Saints and Sages. The many pastimes of the lives of the Vaishnava Saints and Sages are quite fascinating and provide much inspiration. Many miraculous activities and events are recorded in connection to such saints, and many insights are provided in how to make progress in spiritual life by following their examples. Descriptions of 75 saints and sages are provided.
19. Bhagavad-gita's Ultimate Purpose explains the conclusive instructions about the purpose of life from Lord Krishna, to attain the spiritual world.
20. The Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya Disciplic Succession and Its Unique Characteristics: Of Which We are a Part explains the special nature of the spiritual masters who have appeared in this line, what they have done, and their spiritual identities. Evidence is provided that shows that no where else can one find the unique knowledge and insights into the spiritual world and the loving devotional mood that is provided in this disciplic line of spiritual authorities that comes from Lord Sri Caitanya Himself.
21. Buddhism and Its Vedic Connections points out some of the many similarities between Buddhism and the Vedic philosophy, and the Vedic roots of numerous aspects of Buddhism.
22. Can Vedic Dharma Bring Peace to the World? describes how the Vedic principles and knowledge are meant to bring contentment and peace to the individual, and then to the world in the most practical way.
23. Choosing a Spiritual or Material Lifestyle, or a Balance of Both lists a few of the factors and reasons why we should choose to accept a fully dedicated spiritual life, or remain in material pursuits, or for now choose a balance of both.
24. Christianity and the Vedic Teachings Within It is an article which shows the ancient origins of many of the teachings and philosophy within Christianity, and how many of its traditions are carried over from the early Vedic culture and the surrounding pagan traditions that are still held within it to this day.
25. Christianity's Similarities With Hinduism is an article that briefly explains some of the ways that Christianity is similar to Hinduism, and contains elements that could have been derived from no where else but India and Hinduism. This certainly shows how closed-minded people who declare that other religions are but heathen or worse are doing nothing but shunning their own ancient cultural roots.
26 Consciousness: The Symptom of the Soul is an excerpt from "The Secret Teachings of the Vedas" and shows by describing scientific experiments how consciousness interacts with but is separate from the body, and is the source of our will to do anything. In fact, it is a way of perceiving how the soul is our real identity, different from the physical form in which we reside.
27. Curing Depression With Spirituality is an important overview of various causes of depression and suicidal tendencies, and gives a number of ways in which spiritual development can help a person overcome and rise above this problem.
28. Darshan and the Significance of Deity Worship is a short article on how the Deity in the temple is a direct manifestation of God, and Who can manifest spiritual exchanges with those who have a developed stage of devotion.
29. Dealing With the Loss of One's Spiritual Master is an article that deals with the issues and what to do when one's guru leaves his body and goes elsewhere. How do we continue without our guru?
30. Descriptions of the Spiritual World provides deeper insights into the spiritual world than found in any other religion or culture by using the more elaborate descriptions as provided in the Vedic literature.
31. Directories of Temples, Ashramas and Spiritual Organizations will provide you with lists of addresses and contacts of the many temples, etc. that may be nearest you, or that you may want to check out while traveling. This is to assist you in your pursuit or study of the Eastern spiritual paths.
32. Dispelling the Fear of Death is an excerpt from Facing Death: Welcoming the Afterlife. This gives practical spiritual advice on understanding that death is not a tragedy. It shows how to change your attitude and view of the purpose of death, and how death can be a blessing, helping to relieve you from your limitations and carry you closer to your real home and true spiritual identity.
33. Divya Desams of Lord Vishnu contains descriptions of the 108 major holy places of Lord Vishnu and His avataras, as well as small pictures of the deities or the pastimes associated with each holy place.
34. Do All Christians Go To Heaven? In spite of the fact that many Christians say that all you have to do is believe in Jesus and that he died for your sins and you will easily go to heaven, this article points out the quotes from Jesus himself that relate how it is much more difficult that that. Thus, it is not so easy and will take more than simply believing in Jesus to get the expected results.
35. Economics According to the Vedic Way explains the difference in an economical system according to the Vedic standards and the modern tendency for power, control and manipulation.
36. Ekadasi: The Appearance and Purpose of This Special Day This article was written in 1956 by Sri Navinacandra Cakravarti, a disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. It is based on the conversation between Srila Vyasadeva and Jaimini Rishi and gives the real spiritual reason for following the vow of Ekadasi as emphasized by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in Sri Caitanya-caritamrita and later by Srila Prabhupada.
37. Environmentalism According to the Vedic View stresses the way to see how the environment is the property of the Supreme Being, which is but God's blessings on us since it contains the essential resources that we need to live. Seeing the environment as nothing but substance from which we selfishly can take what we want in any way we want will only cause trouble in our future, as nature increasingly reflects the selfish consciousness of the general masses who inhabit the planet.
38. Finding Our Real Spiritual Identity presents some of the most important spiritual information in Vedic philosophy so that everyone can understand their real spiritual nature. This is in brief but much more of this valuable spiritual knowledge is provided in Stephen's books.
39. Frequencies that can Kill, Heal, and Transcend is an article that shows how the numerous frequencies that exist around us can affect us in various ways, both beneficially or destructively. It shows how Russians were broadcasting radio frequencies that could control behavioral patterns in people or even kill, as well as how the ancients used the sound vibrations in mantras to perceive and reach the spiritual strata and change social cooperation for the better.
40. Ganesh, learn all about Lord Ganesh and his functions and the meaning of the symbols that he carries.
41. George Harrison: A Link to Our Future is our little tribute to George after his passing from this world. It shows that he still is and has always been a link to our future, helping to signal our way to God.
42. Giving Vedic Culture to the Next Generation relates a few of the problems but also the premise needed in providing the new generation of Indian Hindus the way to take their culture seriously and convince them of its importance.
43. God is Both Personal (Bhagavan) and Impersonal (Brahman) When it comes to understanding God, many people do not quite understand what is God. Often we find a pervasive view that God is impersonal, like an indescribable force of which we are all a part. Or that everything is God, or that we are all God, or that God is love, or God is the Absolute Truth, and so on. This article clarifies how God is not only an impersonal force, but that God is both the impersonal energy that pervades everything and a Supreme Person, controller of all, and with Whom we can have a personal relationship.
44. Gods and Goddesses of Vedic Culture is a quick guide to the primary Divinities of the Dharmic tradition, and gives short descriptions of their purposes and functions in this material creation.
45. Gotras: A Simple Explanation provides information on how this system of family lineage works, tracing one's family back to the time of the great rishis.
46. Great Indians who did Great Things Here are some short reviews of some of the great, ancient Indian masters who made great contributions to world development.
47. Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, What's so Special About Chanting Hare Krishna? is an in-depth article that explains the benefits, reasons and results for chanting this mantra, and instructions on the best way to do so.
48. Hindu Festivals lists and gives a short description of the major Hindu festivals that take place throughout the year.
49. Hinduism Predates Christianity: The Archeological Proof shows the undeniable evidence established by the Heliodurus column in Vidisha, India of the fact that Vedic culture predates Christianity by at least 200 years. Also has two photos of the column.
50. Hindus, Dharmists, Devotees and Politics gives a number of points about how we should look at supporting and voting for the right politicians, and how we can work with them to get their support, and examples of those who have run for public office and how we can also run for office, whether big or small, all for protecting and supporting the Vedic culture, and its traditions and principles by which we live.
51. How I Started Writing (And What Became of It), explains how Stephen Knapp took the step to start writing and how it developed over the years to what it is today.
52. How Lord Krishna is the Source of all Avatars: The Expansions of the Supreme explains how all expansions or incarnations of Lord Vishnu can be traced to Lord Krishna.
53. How the Essence of Religion Came From Vedic Culture traces back some of the essential spiritual truths common to all religions back to their origins in Vedic culture.
54. How the Sciences Faded From India, gives a description of the forces from both within and outside India that were trying to denigrate, demean and extinguish any respect for its sophistication, especially of the ancient Vedic tradition which had previously given so much to humanity, especially through the manipulation of its educational system.
55. How to Spiritualize Your Busy Life and Why is an article written for Stephen's presentation at the Global Dharma Conference. It explains the importance of including spirituality as one of the foundations of your life and some of the individual and global benefits of it, and how to manage your time to make it part of your daily schedule.
56. How to Understand God explains the process by which we can understand the nature of God.
57. How We can See God explains several ways by which we can start to recognize God and His energy all around us, and shows the process by which we can raise our consciousness to actually perceive the spiritual dimension.
58. How Yoga can Lead to a Universal Vision of Humanity, shows of the way yogic teachings can lead to see our social and personal unity with each other.
59. Importance of Bhagavad-gita in This Day and Age discusses how the timeless teachings within the Bhagavad-gita can be applied at any time, and summarizes the teachings within it to show what can be gained by studying it.
60. The Importance of the Cow in Vedic Culture by Subramanian Swami explains the significance of the cow in the Vedic tradition, why it is so special and should be protected, and how it can offer many health benefits that we may have forgotten.
61. Indian Contributions to American and Global Progress This little compilation shows the contributions that have been made by Indians toward the social, technical and financial progress in America and the world. It also briefly describes some of the numerous inventions and major developments that originated in India that has influenced the evolutionary growth and sophistication that has since followed in Western society. It shows how we should not ignore the history and contributions of India.
62. India's Ancient and Great Maritime History traces India's sailing back to Vedic times, and shows how it was one of the ways Vedic culture reached many other areas of the world.
63. Influence of Vedic Culture Around the World, shows how many scholars from numerous places outside India have great respect for India's Vedic Culture.
64. Inner Meanings of Lord Krishna's Pastimes, explains how the demons killed by Lord Krishna also represent the anarthas or negative qualities within our consciousness that must be removed so we can enter into a meditation or the pastimes of Lord Krishna.
65. Jesus Predicted in the Vedic Literature? gives the verses from the Bhavishya Purana and information regarding how Jesus may have been predicted in the Vedic literature, what it means, whether it is authentic or not, and how this may have happened.
66. Jesus Taught Bhakti-yoga shows how the basic teachings that are related to Jesus are but an introduction to the more elaborate teachings on bhakti-yoga and karma-yoga, that are more fully explained in the Vedic texts.
67. Just Wake Up! is the story of the start of my own spiritual awakening from the materialistic illusory dream to spiritual reality, and what it takes to continue the journey of awakening.
68. Kalki: The Next Avatar of God and the End of Kali-yuga is an excerpt from The Vedic Prophecies, and explains the time, the city, the parents, the activities, and results of the appearance of Lord Kalki. Fascinating information, and a way to be informed so as to not be fooled into thinking someone else may be the next incarnation of God.
69. Karma of the Nation explains how a whole country acquires karma and reactions to the activities that the general populace performs.
70. Karma: What Is It provides a short, concise explanation of what is karma. Prepared for distribution in a brochure format to introduce the topic based on Vedic knowledge.
71. Krishna Darshan Art Gallery is a collection of beautiful photographs of Deities and paintings of Lord Krishna and His associates. These can help us meditate on the pastimes of Sri Krishna or invoke higher states of devotion by viewing and becoming absorbed in these images.
72. Krishna's Eternal Spiritual Abode--Our Ultimate Goal explains a little about the spiritual abode of Lord Krishna, which is our ultimate home and goal.
73. Krishna--The Ever-Loving God explains how Krishna is always loving toward everyone, but reciprocates with His devotees according to the love they have for Him.
74. The Kumbha Mela is the largest gathering of people in the history of the world. This year's Mela saw more people than ever before, more than 70 million people from all over the world. It also saw an amazing increase in the number of people who came from the West, even famous movie stars, curious to see what the Mela is all about. Why is this festival so unique? Why does it attract so many people from all over the world? What are its benefits? And what happens at this festival? You can find out the answers through the fascinating articles and photographs listed on this page.
75. Kurukshetra: A Short Visitor's Guide to the Holy Town, describes the many places to see that are associated with Lord Krishna, or the Bhagavad-gita which was spoken by Lord Krishna, or incidents in the Mahabharata.
76. Lakshmi, The Goddess of Fortune explains who Lakshmi is as the consort of Lord Vishnu.
77. Lord Balarama: Who is He describes many of the various functions and expansions of Lord Balarama who acts in many ways in the creation of the universe, as well as being Lord Krishna's first expansion or brother in His pastimes.
78. Lord Krishna Descends to Reestablish Vedic Culture explains why Lord Krishna descends into this world, His main purpose, and how after Vedic dharma had disappeared from the face of the earth, He came to reestablish it, all of which is explained in the Vedic texts and Bhagavad-gita.
79. Lord Rama: Fact or Fiction shows the various ways of understanding how Lord Rama was a factual personality who existed in India.
80. Lord Vishnu, explains who is Lord Vishnu, His position and what He does.
81. Mantra-Yoga: A Necessity for this Age explains how mantras work and how they are the best technique for spiritual realization in this age.
82. Mayavada-sata-dusani or Sri Tattva-muktavali: The Pearl Necklace of Truths or 100 Refutations of the Mayavada Fallacy by Sri Madhvacarya. This is Sri Madhvacarya's compilation of 119 verses that refute the impersonalist or Mayavada philosophy that the soul and God are both the same.
83. Mohammed: Is He Really Predicted in the Bhavishya Purana? The Bhavishya Purana seems to have a reference regarding the appearance of Mohammad, or at least some people are very eager to make that claim. So, this article takes a closer look at what it really says.
84. Moksha / Liberation: What is It? describes what is the meaning of moksha, and what are the different levels of spiritual liberation from the material world that are outlined in the Vedic literature.
85. My Northeast India Mission of 2003-4. This explains the activities I did with the cooperation of other members of my organization, the Vedic Friends Association, to work for the preservation of Vedic and indigenous culture in India's Northeast area, such as Assam, Nagaland, and Manipur, and the risks and adventure that we undertook to do that.
86. Nama Bhajan, (The Science of Chanting Hare Krishna) an advanced article by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura on the spiritual knowledge and the means and potency of chanting Hare Krishna.
87. Natural Disasters: Where is God in all of This? a short article that helps show how we can recognize God in situations that may seem to force us to reassess ourselves and our life, and in the cooperation and renewed spirituality that it may take to overcome disasters and tragedies.
88. Nityananda Prabhu: Who is He explains the origins of Lord Nityananda, how He is the spiritual brother of Lord Caitanya, and how He expands in the many forms to serve Lord Vishnu and Krishna. Also describes the sites at Ekachakra, Lord Nityananda's birthplace.
89. Nonviolence According to Dharma, shows what is real nonviolence as opposed to dogmatic pacifism, and when to make a stand for what is right and Dharmic.
90. Not Feeling the Bliss of Spiritual Life? Here's the Cure, this explains how to experience or regain the bliss and ecstasy in spiritual life by attaining the right mood in your service attitude, and why it works.
91. 108: The Significance of the Number, shows some of the ways and reasons for the importance or emphasis on this number in Vedic culture.
92. Organized Religion is an article by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur. Within the eloquent vocabulary is the deep revelation and insightful perception of the dangers that exist within most of today's worldly forms of theistic institutions and their misleading religious indoctrination. A must read, twice if necessary.
93. Our Real Identity, Our Real Motivation explains that not only are we eternal spiritual beings, but each one of us is also a manifestation of the Lord's Divine love. This explains why we always want to love and be loved, and why we are often looking for it in the wrong places while in this world when we misdirect it toward merely satisfying the mind and senses, and how to correct that view.
94. Politics and Leadership in the Vedic Way points out who is a proper leader, and how politics and leadership have a higher purpose for the social and spiritual benefit of everyone, and what that is according to the universal Vedic principles. It also shows how true leadership can create a bright future for the world.
95. Prasada: The Power of Sacred Food provides a short, concise explanation of what is the sacred food in the temple after being offered to the Deities. Prepared for distribution in a brochure format to introduce the topic based on Vedic knowledge.
96. Preaching in India's Northeast for Cultural Preservation is an article that relates my recent experience of traveling and lecturing to the people in India's Northeast region, and the trouble that is going on there from the many conversion tactics that are underway from the missionaries of the West, and what can be done to balance the situation.
97. Preparing for Your Trip to India is a short guide to help you decide what to bring and how to get ready for traveling in India.
98. Purpose and Function of the Government According to Mahabharata is a 20 page report that uses numerous quotes from the Mahabharata and a few other Vedic texts to describe the necessary qualities of a proper ruler and how the government should direct a country and protect the citizens.
99. Purpose of Defending Dharma, an excerpt from "Crimes Against India and the Need to Protect its Ancient Vedic Tradition," provides an overview why to protect the profound Dharmic and Vedic tradition of India from various ways it has been attacked over the last 1000 years as well as in the present.
100. Radha Kund: The Holy Place of Srimati Radharani describes the significance of Radha Kund, one of the most sacred of holy places in all of the universe, and briefly takes you on a tour of the temples and places to see around the kund.
101. Ramayana Sites in Sri Lanka describes many of the most important sites that are connected with the Ramayana and Lord Rama's battle with the demon King Ravana.
102. The Ramayana Summarized is a great shortened version of the Ramayana. It is especially nice when there is a need to recite the Ramayana on a special day and not have it be overly long. This contains all the highlights.
103. Ratha-Yatra Festival at Jagannatha Puri is an article that describes this unique festival. This is the second most popular festival in all of India, next to the Kumbha Mela. Many hundreds of thousands of people attend to see the Deities as They ride on the huge carts through town. Just seeing this festival is said to open the doors to liberation. The article also explains the significance of Jagannatha Puri, as well as how the Deities appeared in this form.
104. Reaching Our Fullest Potential with Vedic Spirituality This shows how we can be all that we can be by understanding and using Vedic spiritual knowledge in our lives. In this way, we uplift ourselves which contributes to changing the whole world, which benefits the whole society.
105. Reaching the Ecstasy Within Devotional Yoga gives a detailed analysis based on quotes and examples from shastra on how we can attain the natural spiritual bliss that we all long for through the mentality of servitude toward the Supreme.
106. Recent Archeological Finds Confirming Vedic History Additional evidence of the truths of Vedic culture is continually being uncovered. So this is a new project in which we list some of the most noteworthy archeological finds over the last year or so that tend to confirm the Vedic descriptions of world history.
107. Recognizing Vedic Culture Around the World, This is a simple introduction to how we can begin to recognize how Vedic culture infiltrated or was simply accepted into various cultures around the world.
108. Reestablishing the Date of Lord Buddha shows the historical evidence that Buddha actually lived much earlier than we are taught. This has various ramifications, such as Buddhism existing far earlier than we presently think, and that the Vedic period, as well as everything else figured according to the time frame of Buddha, has to recalculated and pushed much farther back than generally figured.
109. Reincarnation: A Simple Explanation provides a short, concise explanation of what is reincarnation. Prepared for distribution in a brochure format to introduce the topic based on Vedic knowledge.
110. Religious Unity: Why There Could be a One World Religion shows that the essential purpose of each religion or spiritual path is actually the same. This purpose can be practiced by all people from any religion or culture, making it the One World Religion.
111. Rudraksha explains how these beads are accepted as the tears of Shiva, and the characters and qualities of the different kinds of Rudraksha beads based on the number of faces that each kind of bead may have.
112. Samvit, Sandhini and Hladini: The Three Original Energies of the Lord and how they compose the form of the Lord and expand into the various spiritual facilities in the spiritual realm.
113. Sanatana-dharma: It's Real Meaning explains the actual basis of the name, what it is, and the beauty of the path of dharma, and how to practice it.
114. Sanatana-Dharma / Hinduism in a Nutshell explains the essential principles in a concise and easy to understand way, based on universal spiritual truths that anyone can use. This is especially good for presenting to those who want a quick overview.
115. Sankirtana--What Makes it So Effective explains from the evidence by Jiva Goswami why sankirtana, or kirtana, the chanting and singing of the Lord's holy names, such as in the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, is so effective in helping people make spiritual advancement, and can arouse the divine love which everyone is seeking.
116. Sanskrit: Its Importance to Language offers evidence, analysis, and opinions by scholars on whether Sanskrit was the original of the sophisticated languages and writing systems.
117 Sarasvati, The Goddess of Learning, explains who is the Goddess Sarasvati.
118. Scholars Who Believe in the False History of India are a Dying Breed shows how the newer evidence of India's history, and how the younger and bolder researchers are uncovering and presenting a new view of what is India's real history, while the academicians who cling to the old theories are fading away. This is slowly causing the false notions of the Aryan Invasion Theory and other misunderstandings about Vedic culture to fall like a house of cards.
119. Seeing Beyond the Illusion is an excerpt from How the Universe was Created and Our Purpose In It. It shows how after understanding the process of the universal creation, we can more easily see through the material, illusory energy and into the spiritual Truth of who we really are. Once we reach this stage, or even come close, we will never see things the same, and we will naturally find our real purpose in life and rise above the material limitations in our perspective of things.
120. Seeing Spiritual India The text is a small excerpt from the tour of South India described in The Secret Teachings of the Vedas. It provides a look at traveling in India today and represents the information that one will find in the rest of the segments on Seeing Spiritual India in the books of Stephen Knapp. This article includes a selection of colorful photographs taken by Stephen of various places in India, so it takes a few minutes to download. Links to many more pages of photos of holy places in India taken by Stephen are also on this page.
121. Seeing the Divinity in Everyone is an excerpt from Toward World Peace: Seeing the Unity Between Us All. This helps show how we are all parts of God and His plan for this universe, and how a higher regard for each other can be attained by this recognition.
122. Shiva-Lingam: What is It is an article that gives a description of what the Shiva-Lingam is, what it represents, and what is its significance. This helps take away much of the misunderstanding and misinformation about the Shiva-Lingam.
123. Slavery to Banks: A Vedic Prophecy This shows how banks, especially the Central Banks, which are part of a network established in many countries, have set up a system which is increasingly controlling the economy and lives of numerous people around the world, and is gaining more power, wealth and influence. The questionable development of the Federal Reserve Bank in America is presented as an example of the fulfillment of the Vedic prophecy regarding the dangers of standardized gold and the hoarding of it (one of the places in which the personality of Kali resides), and what more problems this can cause in the future as the age of Kali-yuga advances.
124. Spiritual Enlightenment: A Cure for Social Ills is an excerpt from The Heart of Hinduism. It shows how the pursuit for spiritual progress can positively affect the whole world.
125. Spiritual Enlightenment: What Is It provides insight and descriptions of the different levels of spiritual realizations and enlightenment, and the consciousness that accompanies one who is spiritual awakened.
126. Spirituality Beyond Religion: The Concept and the Conference. This gives a summary of the idea of spirituality beyond religion and the conference that was held in Jaipur during February 5th to the 10th of 2006 to exhibit this principle. This was attended by delegates from nearly 35 different countries who participate in the indigenous cultures of the world and share their similarities and respect. Also contains several photographs of the conference.
127. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura: The Lion Guru is a brief biography of the exceptional life and accomplishments of one of the most stalwart and erudite spiritual masters in the Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya line of preceptors.
128. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura And His Great Accomplishments is the inspiring story of the great accomplishments of this important and distinguished devotee of the Lord and what he did for spreading pure spirituality and the universal principles that are based on the teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. It shows why he was called “the God-sent pioneer of unalloyed devotion to God”.
129. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is an article written for this website to provide some insight into the life and teachings of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He was accepted as the most recent incarnation of Lord Krishna and appeared in the region of Bengal 500 years ago. It explains some of His life and the many predictions that were given in the Vedic literature for His appearance and mission. Two rare paintings are also included with this article.
130. Sri Krishna is a short 28 page "ebooklet" that explains the nature of Lord Krishna, who He is, some of His activities, and some of the nature of the spiritual world, which is our real home. This article is essential for any readers new to this topic of Vedic spiritual science. Several rare paintings of Krishna are also included. You can also see our collection of Krishna prints and photographs of various Krishna Deities at our Krishna Darshan Art Gallery.
131. Srila Vyasadeva is an article that briefly explains how Vyasadeva was an incarnation of the Supreme Being who came to this world to compile and spread the Vedic knowledge into written form. It is compiled from information presented in The Universal Path to Enlightenment.
132. Srimati Radharani This explains who is this Chief of the Goddesses, the feminine aspect of God and consort of Lord Sri Krishna, Her beauty, Her special qualities, and why She is so special.
133. Sri Nandanandana dasa: The Meaning of the Name gives a deep description of what this name means and the form of Krishna to which it refers.
134. Staying Free of Kali-yuga's Dark Influence. As the age of Kali-yuga moves forward, many people are wondering how bad social conditions will get before they improve, and what can we do about it now. Yet the Vedic texts contain a specific prescription for staying free from the heavy influence that this age of Kali-yuga brings.
135. The Story of the Appearance of Lord Krishna is the wonderful meditation on how and why Lord Krishna took birth in this world.
136. Surya Namaskar: A Great Exercise Routine Many people in the West look for the best exercise routine to help them stay in shape. Here is something that has been around for thousands of years and has withstood the test of time. It strengthens the body, circulation, the breathing, and keeps the body limber and in shape. And you can have this completely free of charge, without a fitness coach, by simply using the following instructions.
137. Swastika: Its Real Meaning explains the nature of this symbol and how it represents the universe, God, and happiness and prosperity for all.
138. The Beauty of Lord Krishna explains the many beautiful characteristics and qualities of Lord Krishna, and how He is the origin of all beauty.
139. The Conclusion of Vedanta, presents the final conclusion of Vedic philosophy and its spiritual truths as presented in the Jaiva Dharma by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur.
140. The Dangers of Meat is a summary of the PBS special called: "Modern Meat: A PBS Frontline Documentary." It relates the surprising information n the increasing hazards that one takes in consuming meat.
141. The Disappearance of the Ganges is an excerpt from How the Universe was Created, and provides a look at how the Ganges River may be disappearing, as was predicted in the Vedic prophecies, and how many of the glaciers around the world, are melting away. Anyone concerned about the environment will find this info startling.
142. The Four Sampradayas, or Main Chains of Vedic Disciplic Succession. This explains the four major schools of thought in viewing the identity and relationship of the soul and the Supreme Creator, and the acharyas from whom they are descending, and how Sri Chaitanya gave a more complete philosophy.
143. The Glories of Vedic Culture As Expressed by Western Thinkers This article gives quotes from numerous Western poets, writers, thinkers and philosophers from over the years who have written about and given praise to India and its spiritual culture.
144. The Golden Rule is in Every Religion shows how in every religion there are references relating the need to respect one another and treat others as you would like to be treated. What a difference there would be in the world if everyone immediately began to practice what they preach from their own doctrine.
145. The Greatness of Ancient India's Developments, shows the many areas of advancements that came out of Ancient India to contribute to the social and scientific progress of the world.
146. The Material Creation is Proof of God's Existence is an excerpt from How the Universe was Created and explains how, by proper analysis, one can understand that the universe itself is a sure sign for the very existence of God.
147. The Meaning of "God is Love" is an excerpt from The Heart of Hinduism and relates the real meaning of the phrase. It gives further information about the loving nature of Lord Krishna and His identity with Radharani, His consort and personal expansion of His pleasure potency, and how we are all meant to be a part of such spiritual loving relations.
148. The Out of Africa Theory Verses the Vedic View discusses how new discoveries are challenging the "Out of Africa" theory and giving way to the "Multi-Regional Theory" and then to the "Simultaneous Multi-Species" View, which is closer to the ancient Vedic view of the creation and spread of modern man.
149. The Prison of Religion and the Freedom in Vedic Culture shows the constraints and control that most religions can have on people by labeling everything else as evil or hell bound, while the freedom for full spiritual development is easily provided in Vedic culture.
150. The Proto-Indo-European Language. This article presents the way the Indo-European family of languages developed, and how they have not yet identified the original or Proto-Indo-European language, and how Sanskrit is viewed as one of the earliest of all languages, which provides the link that it may indeed be that earliest of sophisticated languages that is or is the nearest to that Proto-Indo-European language.
151. The Purpose of Life is an excerpt from How the Universe was Created and our Purpose In It. It presents the Vedic conclusion of why we are here and what we can accomplish in this life for our ultimate good. Life is never without a higher purpose, it is just that some people do not know what it is.
152. The Purpose of Ritual Worship explains why we do it, its influence and effects, how it is beneficial for us and what it can do for us.
153. The Ramayana on the Need for a Proper Ruler explains how a ruler has to have particular qualities, his responsibilities, and what it can mean for a nation to have such a ruler.
154. The Secret of Bhakti-yoga, Using quotes from Bhagavad-gita and Bhagavata Purana, this presents the basis and reasons why Lord Krishna emphasized the process of bhakti-yoga in Bhagavad-gita, and what it can do for our spiritual progress.
155. There is No Failure in Spiritual Life shows how any progress we make in genuine spiritual activities is an eternal credit to our upliftment, and how God is always helping us to continue on our way to Him, and how once started, no one fails in spiritual progress, though some may take longer than others.
156. Tilak: Why Wear It is a compilation of information, much from Vedic texts, that explains what is the forehead marking called tilak and the benefits of wearing it.
157. Time Line of Lord Krishna describes how by the astrological configurations and scientific research we get a view of when Lord Krishna was on this earth and what He did, which corresponds to the Vedic version.
158 Timings of the Four Yugas explains the way to calculate the lengths of the yugas and which one were are in at present and how long it has to go. This article shows Vedic references which help rectify the confusion that some people have when trying to balance the difference in explanations of the yugas described in years of the devas and how we experience them here on earth.
159. The Traditional Source of Vedic Literature relates the way the Vedas and the Vedic texts appeared from the spiritual energy, and then expanded into various branches and passed along by the great sages down through generations for the benefit of humanity.
160. Tulasi Devi: The Sacred Tree gives the story of why the Tulasi tree is so sacred, the Puranic legends associated with her, how she is Lord Vishnu's pure devotee, why many devotees wear beads of Tulasi wood or die with leaves on them, and why Lord Vishnu also appears as a sacred stone from the Gandaki River called Salagrama-shilas.
161. UFOs and Vimanas is an excerpt from Proof of Vedic Culture's Global Existence and shows the advanced nature of the ancient Vedic sciences and the similarities between the Vedic Vimanas, or flying machines, and the UFOs that are described today.
162. Uncovering the Truth About India's History is another excerpt from Proof of Vedic Culture's Global Existence and will provide some clear insight into how much of India's glory, beauty, art, music, architecture, and sciences have been falsely attributed to outsiders and foreigners, often said to have started in the fabricated "Aryan invasion." This article will show how India has not been given credit where credit is due.
163. Universal Brotherhood Includes the Animals is an article by Stephen that gives another reason for being vegetarian. It explains that if we expect to attain peace in the world, then kindness must extend to all living beings. Otherwise, the violence we perform will manifest in other areas of our lives and in society. Contains quotes from various religious texts and Christian authorities. Readers can download this, re-typeset it, and make it into a handout flyer.
164. Using Proper Vocabulary to Describe Vedic Concepts presents some of the common words that often misrepresent various concepts of Vedic culture, such as "myth," or "mythology," "idols," "monkey god" and others that should not be used but replaced by proper vocabulary.
165. Vastu Shastra: An Introduction to the Science of Building a House gives a basic overview of some of the principles of Vastu and how it works and why we should know its advantages.
166. Vedas Say They MUST Be Shared with Everyone, uses Vedic quotations to show why and how Vedic knowledge must be shared with everyone for the benefit of society, or darkness will descend on civilization and those who do not preserve, protect and promote it.
167. Vedic Contributions in the Orient shows how Vedic culture was very influential in the cultures of the Far East and South Pacific.
168. Vedic Culture: As Relevant Today As Ever gives a good overview of the many different ways in which the advancements that were made in the Vedic customs are still appreciated today in so many ways. It points out that such things as its spiritual as well as cultural traditions including, Vedic art, dance, mathematics, gemology, astrology, Ayurveda, and Vastu are all gaining popularity and play important roles in assisting everyone to attain their higher potential.
169. Vedic Culture is the Parent of Humanity is an excerpt from Proof of Vedic Culture's Global Existence. Though it may appear to be a bold statement, this article shows some of the evidence, that is greatly detailed in the book, that the Vedic culture was once a global influence from which came many of the world's languages, legends, understanding of God, and knowledge of who we are. This is sure to change the historical view of many readers.
170. Vedic Culture: The Last Bastion of Deep Spiritual Truth. Why would Vedic culture be called the last bastion of deep spiritual truth? The Vedic process of spiritual advancement promotes individual freedom of thought, complete liberty of inquiry, and the privilege of independent and personal development through one's own spiritual experiences. This degree of latitude for self-discovery is found in few other cultures or western religions. Find out why.
171. Vedic Description of the Soul provides a short, concise explanation of what Vedic knowledge explains to be the nature and position of the soul, our real identity. Prepared for distribution in a brochure format to introduce the topic based on Vedic knowledge.
172. Vegetarianism: Beef Can Kill You, is a booklet with lots of information about the importance of the Cow in India, what it provides, but also the health dangers and cruelty of the illegal cow slaughter industry, especially in India, and what we should do about it.
173. Vegetarianism: Quotes from Noteworthy People provides a number of quotes from historical personalities from Gandhi, Pythagorus, George Bernard Shaw, and others, on the need and advantages of being a vegetarian.
174. Vegetarianism: Recommended in the Vedic Scripture shows that the Vedic scripture severely warns against the danger of accumulating bad karma from the practice of eating flesh, or being connected with it in any way.
175. Vegetarianism Supported in the Bible shows the biblical verses that condemn the eating of meat.
176. Vegetarian Recipes and Resources is a page that provides access to some great vegetarian recipes, cookbooks you can print and use now, and additional information and websites on how to become or increase your ability to be a vegetarian, including the health, environmental and spiritual benefits of being one.
177. Visiting the Grave of Jesus in Srinagar, Kashmir relates what it is like and what you will find by visiting the grave of Jesus in Srinagar, and some of the background information that gives this place any significance.
178. Vrindavana: The Holy Land of Lord Krishna This provides a description of a tour through Vrindavana, the holy land of Lord Krishna where He displayed many of His most intimate pastimes. We start in Mathura, then go to Gokula, Vrindavana, and then to other places in the greater area of Vraja, or Vraja-Mandala.
179. Was the Taj Mahal a Vedic Temple? The Photographic Evidence presents photographs that belonged to the Archaeology Survey of India that shows the evidence of how the Taj Mahal and other buildings were pre-existing before the foreign invasions of India, and were originally Vedic temples and palaces. There are also other papers and articles on websites accessed through this page, such as the most interesting paper: "The Question of the Taj Mahal" (Itihas Patrika, vol 5, pp. 98-111, 1985) by P. S. Bhat and A. L. Athavale.
180. Were There Two Buddhas? explains how there is shastric evidence that explains there was one Buddha, the incarnation of Vishnu, who took birth around 1800 BCE and established ahimsa and non-violence and compassion for all, and then another around 560 BCE who was Gautama, the man who established the monistic or godless path of Buddhism as we know it today.
181. What is the Vedic Aryan Culture is another excerpt from Proof of Vedic Culture's Global Existence. It relates the real purpose of the Vedic Aryan culture, as opposed to the white supremacists who think they are Aryans, and why we should still find many advantages in living according to its standards.
182. What is Vedic Literature using quotes from Various Vedic texts, this describes the way all Vedic texts that support the Vedic conclusion are considered part of the Vedic literature, both Shruti and Smriti.
183. When Religions Create Divisions and How to Avoid It is an article that clarifies why religions can create divisions between us instead of the harmony that we should expect, and how we could change that if we could see things more clearly by reaching a higher and truly spiritual understanding of ourselves and God.
184. The Whole World is One Family provides the necessary view that if we are to bring peace into the world, we need to adhere to the Vedic premise that we are all connected. We may live individually, but we can only survive on this planet collectively. We must make the decision to either progress happily together or perish miserably together. The choice should be obvious.
185. Why Be Vegetarian provides a short, concise explanation, and prepared for distribution in a brochure format to introduce the topic based on Vedic and other forms of knowledge.
186. Why I Became a Hindu / a Krishna Bhakta describes the essential reasons why I became a Hindu, or a Krishna Bhakta, and what made the difference in the Vedic tradition over other religions or spiritual paths.
187. Why is There Suffering? explains the varied reasons why we experience suffering within this material existence, the perception of it, and how to be free of it by changing our consciousness.
188. Why Study the Vedic Path is an excerpt from Proof of Vedic Culture's Global Existence. It explains the importance of Vedic culture, the difference in studying it over other historical cultures, and presents quotes from a variety of scholars who also feel the need to understand the great heritage of humanity found in the Vedic tradition.
189. Why the Demigods Want Birth on Earth describes how the residents of heaven feel that life on Earth is especially beneficial for reaching the real purpose of existence, which is to attain the spiritual world, which is more easily accomplished on Earth than from heaven.
190. Why Understand the Creation of the Universe is an excerpt from How the Universe was Created and Our Purpose In It. This explains the importance of looking into the creation process to better understand where we've come from, how we really got here, who we are, and our purpose in being in this world. It also look at other ideas of how the universe was created, such as the scientific theory of the BIG BANG, and how it relates to the Vedic version.
191. Women in Vedic Culture shows the respect and honor that the old and genuine Vedic tradition had for women, and how we need to get back to that and preserve it. It also explains the unique qualities women have to contribute to society and their real potential, when they are allowed to achieve it. It also provides examples of women who have been great examples and a source of inspiration to both men and women in helping set the foundation of Sanatana-dharma.
192. World Peace is a Possibility is an excerpt from Toward World Peace: Seeing the Unity Between Us All. It discusses a little about the means by which people can see beyond their cultural and religious differences and begin working toward a united society and positive future for all.
193. Yantras: What is Their Purpose explains the various kinds of yantras and how they are used and what they signify, and illustrations of several kinds as well.
194. Yoga and Meditation: Their Origins and Real Purpose, this describes the Vedic foundations from which yoga and meditation has developed, and their benefits as well as their real spiritual purpose.
195. Your Thoughts Create Your Future is an excerpt from The Key to Real Happiness and shows how your thinking creates your consciousness and how to help control it. It provides evidence so that you can see how your life unfolds according to what you draw to it, as dictated by your consciousness and thoughts. By taking the responsibility for yourself and your thinking process, you can make your life more positive and uplifting, and reduce or negate the influence of any hurt or negative energies you encounter. This information can help you take control of your life and be more spiritual.
ARTICLES PART TWO
PART TWO contains articles that are more focused on some of the issues and present cultural challenges that are connected with Hinduism and India.
196. The Significance of the New Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, by Stephen Knapp. A western devotee's perspective on the difference the new Rama Mandir will make.
197. Adding Innovation, Wisdom and Holistic Human Development to Our Universities, This article shows how it is beneficial when students in pre-school, or even in school and universities, include studies in the Dharmic traditions for reaching the higher potential in human development.
198. The Basis of the Hindu Identity and Cause for Unity, This present some of the important factors that make up the Hindu identity, which helps outline the similarities among all Hindus, and actually help unify us in that identity and purpose in life.
199. Becoming a Dharmic Leader explains the qualities, concerns and ways that a true Dharmic leader, one who represents the Vedic spiritual path, helps guide and teach the Vedic community about the culture, and how he works to preserve, protect and promote it for its continued practice well into the future.
200. American Hindus: How to Cultivate Your Culture in America gives an eight point action plan to overcome some of the basic difficulties and issues that will help catapult the cultivation of, and involvement in, the Vedic Dharma tradition by Hindus living in America.
201. United Hindu Identity United Hindu Cooperation, explains the need and benefits for Hindus to cooperate together which becomes easy when based on a united Hindu identity.
202. Hindus Must Unite or Face Extinction provides a dire message that the future of Hindus / Dharmists / Devotees depends on how they unite and work together to protect there culture against those who would rather see its complete demise through one way or another. This shows specific things that can be done, and connects with other articles on this site for action plans to secure our spiritual path well into the future.
203. The Power of a United Hindu Community, This is the strong keynote lecture that I gave at the Hindu Unity Day Festival (Hindu Sangathan Divas) on July 10th, 2011 at the Hindu Temple Auditorium in Flushing, New York. This was very well received by everyone who wanted to meet me, shake hands, have photos taken, or talk to me about what I had to say. The event was shared with Dr. Subramanian Swamy as Chief Guest and Kamal Kumar Swami as the additional speaker, both of whom I had met before at an event in Tirupati for protecting Hindu temples from government control. However, this is the complete version, which is a few paragraphs longer than what I presented at the festival.
204. Giving Inspiration: The Primary Purpose of the Vedic Temple, shows the reasons and ways to help people transpire from observing the Vedic tradition in the temple, to appreciating the benefits of it, to joyfully participating in it, and helping in temple management for its continuation of both the temple and the tradition into the future.
205. Creating a Spiritual Revolution in India For Protecting India’s Vedic Heritage This article focuses on plans and methods that are being done for establishing a stronger connection between the villagers and the Vedic/Hindu traditions of India. Why worry about the villages? Because that is where the majority of India's population resides, and because they are the most vulnerable to propaganda from religious conversion tactics of outside religions.
206. The Threat Against Hindu Temples and Vedic Culture in India. This article shows how the Indian government is purposely jeopardizing the future of Hindu temples. With a little attention, anyone can see how Hindu institutions and Hinduism in India are unfairly targeted by a combination of Christian and Muslim Fundamentalists, vote bank politics and unscrupulous politicians and businessmen. Particularly alarming is the destruction of Hindu institutions and illegal mass conversions by other religions.
207. Time to Plan the Survival of Vedic Culture is an excerpt from "Proof of Vedic Culture's Global Existence." It shows how the secular government of India has made arrangements for the partiality toward the minority religions at the expense of Hinduism. This will increase the deterioration of Vedic culture in India unless Hindus give up their timidity and work in a pro-active way to defend and preserve what is left of their culture. It shows the need to begin making changes now.
208. An Action Plan for the Survival of Vedic Culture. This is an excerpt from "Proof of Vedic Culture's Global Existence." It provides an important step-by-step plan, full of suggestions, that can help preserve the understanding, the practice and respect for Vedic culture as it now exists in India.
209. Save Your Culture is a short paper on why there is no need for the people of Northeastern India to change their culture or religion, and why and how they should work for preserving and protecting it.
210. Preservation, Protection, Promotion and Perpetuation of Vedic Culture, briefly describes the main ways, "the four pers", that need to be accomplished for the long-term flourishing of the Vedic tradition.
211. Why All Religions Are Not the Same In spite of various Hindu leaders who say all religions are equal, this article shows that religions have numerous differences between them that will take a person to various levels of consciousness, understanding of God, or of themselves and others, and why many of them cannot get along with those who do not hold the same beliefs, or ever show any religious cooperation or mutual respect.
212. Interfaith Marriages: What Young Dharmists Should Know explains the consequences and challenges that are often faced when young Hindu/Dharmists enter an interfaith marriage to non-Hindus.
213. Hindus Must Stand Strong for Dharma shows how Hindus of all ranks must be ready and willing to stand strong for their own culture. Too many are not able to do that. They must be educated enough in the Vedic tradition to be able to answer questions from all kinds of people, both those who are looking to criticize and demean it, or those who are sincerely interested but do not understand it.
214. Self-Defense in Vedic Dharma: Is It Our Duty? This discusses the importance of preserving and protecting Sanatana-dharma and why, and what our shastra says about this. It explains all the ways that we can work to do this in a nonviolent way before more forceful measures need to be used if necessary. But the conclusion is that we must act before our freedoms to be Hindus and participate in Vedic culture are reduced or extinguished.
215. Strong Hindu Families for Strong Hindu Youth explains how when Hindu families are strong and dedicated to their culture, the children are also likely to be strong to their Hindu identity, and how to accomplish that.
216. Without Promotion Vedic Culture Cannot be Protected shows why it is necessary to promote Vedic culture in this competitive world if you expect to protect and promote it, and several easy ways to do that.
217. A Cure for the Corruption in India gives the methods and remedies, both short-term and long-term, for curing the problem of corruption, fraud, dishonesty, etc., that we find so much of in India today by promoting the universal ethical codes of Dharma.
218. Are the Hindus Destined to Become an Extinct Race? This is an article by Ishani Chowdury. It contains powerful points regarding serious issues, and is addressed as from one Hindu to another. It explains many details of how Hindus are losing their future. Descriptions are provided showing how Indians and Hinduism are being attacked even in India, and how the cowardice and "slave mentality" of numerous Indians could one day make Hinduism extinct if changes are not made within Hindus today.
219. Hindu Apathy, the Real Enemy, Exploited by World Religions, a strong article by Greesh Sharma, Ph.D. which describes how the apathy often found in many Hindus leave an advantage to other religions, anti-Hindu political parties, etc., to take advantage of Hindus in many parts of the world who do not stand up to defend their own culture.
220. The War Against Hinduism is a pointed and important article written after my trip to India in June/July, 2001. It describes the situation that is happening regarding the efforts of minority religions in India to convert Hindus by demeaning the Vedic culture. It shows how Hinduism is losing ground in certain areas of India, and how Hindus in general must become more serious and work together for preserving their ancient heritage and the freedoms they have to practice Vedic traditions, or face the consequences.
2210. Vedic Temples: Making Them More Effective A step-by-step plan to help make temples more effective by offering the right programs for reaching out and assisting more people to learn and understand, and then participate in the timeless and beneficial Vedic traditions.
222. Vedic Temples as Centers of Sacred Knowledge shows how to increase the value of our temples by viewing them as more than places of worship but as centers of sacred spiritual knowledge that can be acquired no where better than the temples.
223. Speaking Out Against Prejudice Toward Hinduism and India is a letter that was written as our response to a Christian minister who wrote to the "India Tribune" about his false notion regarding the need for the freedom of Hindus to convert to Christianity to bring them out of their plight of poverty and oppression under "Hindu" leaders. His prejudice and bias was so obvious that we felt compelled to write a more accurate and truthful view of the situation. This was appreciated by others who, after reading our letter, were thus inspired to write in their approval with additional letters that made various and valid points about the same topic, a few of which we have included herein. Powerful reading.
224. The Aryan Invasion: History or Politics is an article by N. S. Rajaram. This gives a concise and precise account of the origins of the Aryan Invasion Theory and why it was never based on scientific evidence but on politics maneuverings, and why it should be discarded for genuine history.
225. Solid Evidence Debunking Aryan Invasion contains two articles by David Frawley that explains how the Aryan Invasion Theory does not hold up.
226. Casteism: Is It the Scourge of Hinduism, or the Perversion of a Legitimate Vedic System? Casteism in India has gotten a lot of criticism, and rightly so. The way casteism is at present should not even exist. Casteism as we find it today is now nothing more than a misrepresentation and misinterpretation of a legitimate and progressive Vedic system known as varnashrama. However, we need to know the difference between the two, then get rid of present-day casteism to again utilize the genuine and liberal form of social organization, known as varnashrama.
227. Vedic Literature Says Caste by Birth is Unjust uses shastric quotes from the Bhavishya Purana to show that modern casteism, determining one's caste or varna by one's birth family, is unjust and not really part of a religious or spiritual system. Whereas the Vedic system of Varnashrama diagnosed a person's mentality, interests, natural talents, abilities, and level of consciousness to determine which varna and occupational path would be best for the person for one's ultimate happiness and satisfaction.
228. Opening Vedic Temples to Everyone expresses why everyone who sincerely wishes to participate in the Vedic tradition should be allowed in the Vedic temples in India, rather than showing prejudice against those of lower caste, class, or the wrong skin color.
229. Kashmir: My Experience in Srinagar, a report on my visit to Srinagar of June, 2007 on the sites to see and the conditions regarding the affects of terrorism on the people of Kashmir.
230. The Truth on Kashmir and Terrorism in India. This is a fact sheet that will let you understand the real history and development of Kashmir's legal ascension to India. It will also explain the numbers of Hindus who have been killed in the "ethnic cleansing" that is going on there that no one seems to want to talk about, as well as the depth of Pakistan supported terrorism that is happening there.
2310. Christian Persecution in India: The Real Story We have heard about what the Christians in India have called the persecutions against them. However, there is much more to this story than we often hear. This is a first-hand investigative account by Francois Gautier that relates what has really been going on with the Christians in India, much of which has been kept from the public. This shows the duplicity in the Christian activities in India.
232. What We Should be Thankful for About India, explains how India's ability to persevere, its flexibility and culture has preserved India's ability to thrive, which it and its people are doing now that it has its independence and freedom from what some people call its years of slavery to invaders, but now how it must choose its destiny carefully after learning the lessons of the past.
233. Thirteen Years of Killings in Tripura. In our concern for the violence that takes place daily in India's Northeast region, here is a sample of the typical but atrocious news that comes out of the region due to the insurgency of the terrorist, militant Christian groups that act in the area. These groups, in their promotion of Christianity, continue to kill thousands of local people in their attempt to ban all Hindu practices and convert everyone into Christians. This is followed by a list of murders and terrorist activities that have gone on for the last 13 years by these groups.
234. Mahatma Gandhi on Conversion gives a short list of his thoughts on the dangers of religious conversion and why he avoided it.
235. The Real History of India. This has three separate and long articles on the real history of India, describing India's progress from ancient times and through the many attacks of invaders against its Vedic culture, the destruction of numerous Hindus and temples, and its road to independence.
Maps of India, offers two maps, one of major cities and regions, the other of the states.