We Have moved! www.digitalhindu.org

Hello fellow Digital Hindus!

We have have moved our site. We still bring you information that matters to a Hindu. Visit us at www.digitalhindu.org!

The Balance of Life - Good Vs. Evil

From as little as I could remember I was always attracted to stories, novels, movies, and TV shows that revolved around the concept of Good vs. Evil. Even well into my adult years my fascination with Good vs. Evil has never left me - I mean how could it not since the whole crux of any religion is Good vs. Evil. But in recent years I have come to conclusion that that this whole concept of Good vs. Evil is not as simple it seems.

Good and Evil are both mindsets. A instinctive operating module for every human to choose between. With those mindsets we add more layers to our thoughts based on our individual perspectives and then we take action and make things happen. Things as small as what we are going to eat or as big as the way you treat people you love. We are human so there is absolutely no chance of a purely evil and purely good nature mindset people. We are also a creature that is a sum of its parts - have a room full of thieves someone is bound to get robbed or have a room of lawyers and some is bound to get robbed again but in a totally different way ;) All joking aside - if everyone in the world was 51% evil actions and 49% good actions we would be a living in a world of Evil by pure definition. That is what I used to think as Good vs. Evil and the balance of it in our life.

Well it turns out this is where things get complicated.

We all have one perspective, ours. Not that of our parent, child, lover or who ever else you comes to mind. The individual perspective that we have is influenced by our ethics and different sets of values that have been instilled in us through our experiences. Every action is a culmination of Good or Evil based solely on our individual perspective. So by the time we actually carry out the action we think we are doing good because we have logically justified it to ourselves - every thief has a reason for stealing. Every liar has a belief that "makes" them lie. Some people think eating meat is evil others think its the natural order of the food chain.  There is definitely the reservation of doubt in every action varying in degrees with the hope you are making the right decision but the action is taken and done.  To that one person the action is justified to be good but the action's net result is Evil. The same is true for truly good actions the net result is good. The true problem is inaction. Evil is stronger and more powerful than Good, history and religion will teach you that. So the evil's actions are done. Good has been known to be weaker is some respects but in the end is resilient. Sometimes some actions won't come to fruition but actions will never cease to exist. Now consider this, Good vs. Evil is actually Good* vs. Inaction (*based on individual perspective) That's the balance of life.

That's the very reason the world around seems so crazy at this point. The balance of life is off.  Evil continues to march on forward is because its stronger and more powerful and Good while resilient is weakened not because of trying but expecting others to do something about it. For whatever reason we have become a world where most expect others to do something about the issues. The Government, the media, social organizations, New President, whatever is the flavor of that week. Instead why don't we go to our local schools and offer to help out. How about feeding the hungry? Buying the homeless a blanket? Or something as simple as not buying a product form a corporation you think is evil. Carpooling so people rely less on gasoline. Use cash instead of a card to pay for purchases at local small businesses helping them keep atleast 1.5% of that revenue within your community.

This world is lacking action of the Good kind ;) Sorry I haven't written in a while life's been crazy because I'm out to doGood.

Love all and let the light within shine bright!

Digital Hindu

Sandy Hook Connecticut Shootings

I am a Hindu and proud of it. But beyond that pride of Hinduism is my patriotic pride of being an American. Sure America is not perfect, our politics maybe corrupt and capitalism maybe the root of majority of the wars that the USA has been a part of in the last 10 years. But the USA is also the country that gave me as a Hindu, a Fijian immigrant an equal opportunity at life. Sure it wasn't perfect but it was a lot better than some of the other countries in the world tha'ts for sure. But as Americans we may have our political differences, our socioeconomic differences but at the same time we take pride in the fact that we as a society do everything we can for our kids.

When someone commits a heinous tragedy as the one committed today we must all stop and think about the world that we are preparing to hand to our kids. I'm a single, unmarried man living in the US but this morning as I learned the details of 20 innocent lives being lost, my entire being shook. While I know that the there are kids all over the world that are face unfortunate situations like this or worse daily, this is the UNITED STATES of AMERICA. We pride ourselves on a few things and I dont know where our values have gone but I personally will not let the beauty of America that I grew up in die. This is America and these children that we lost today will not have died in vain.

As devastating as today as been, I do have to say it has renewed my faith in humanity. People, friends from all walks of life have shared their pain today for children who's color we don't know, or their religion, ages, sex, orientation, gender, or anything beyond the fact that they are children. Children deserve a safe place and I can't speak for anyone but myself and instead of complaining about the world we live in, I intend to do something about it. America is the land of the free and if I as a citizen I have a problem with the way this country is run then I have a choice to make. Call me emotional, delusional or whatever you want - I will focus my professional energy into politics.

This should be fun.


Love all and let the light within shine bright.

-Digital Hindu
www.digitalhindu.com
fb.com/digitalhindu
@digitalhindu

A Choice of Roads

Some days are interesting - today definitely was. Someone more knowledgable than me about the workings of the universe told me that I have a choice of two roads ahead, one of confusion and the other of happiness. The life of happiness is a new path that my life is on course for - without my past and in it I will truly find happiness. The path of confusion comes with it my past but keeps people in my life that were once the biggest part of my life. Being at this crossroad, I need to be able to answer a very simple question: Is the purpose of life self happiness?

I have heard it a million times and for the most part I agree - before you can take care of others you have to learn to take care of yourself. That's all fine and dandy for some moments but the question that I need to answer:  is it worth it to leave certain people that once mattered to me in life for personal happiness? Yeah I should take care of myself - thats what general knowledge says. But the fact of the matter is that I have lived my live with very simple but difficult, at times, principles: 

1) Everyone lives for themselves, someone should for others. 

2) While most swim with the currents, I choose to swim against them - hoping to creating a current of my own. 

3) I will live a life filled not with material wealth but by memories that mean the most to me. 

4) Never hurt anyone on purpose. 

5) Redemption is the greatest of all human qualities. 6) Money isn't everything - financial gain shouldn't lead to someone else's personal loss 7) There is good in everyone sometimes people themselves forget, we should remind people for their capacity of good any chance we get.

Now I also have to be honest and I have learned that regardless of how hard you try - sometimes life will work out that you won't be able to prevent other's personal losses, thank God for #5, more on that later. After every crazy thing that has happened over the course of my somewhat young life, I can honestly say that while life for me hasn't been perfect I can't change those principles. While the last couple of years may have been difficult and has tested me as a human being - there have also been great moments  like #6 throughout my life thanks to those principles and I can sit around for days upon days and tell you about the greatest moments of  my life that involved people that in many ways define me. The fact of the matter is whether happiness has eluded me or not in life, life has brought me certain moments that change a man forever. The trip to India that I have discussed many times changed so much about me. In all honesty when I boarded that plane to India I was a broken shell of a boy that once thought he could change the world if he wanted to. When I landed back from India I can tell without of shadow of doubt I returned a man ready to fulfill his duty in life. That trip to India had many moments but it also contained these moments: 

Moments where my friends and I ended up in a village in Uttar Pradesh, India where children had no schooling and they had the need for $25,000 USD. A change in the life of these kids has the price tag of $25,000.00. It wasn't just in UP that we saw these needs but all over India and the fact of the matter is  it woke up the human in me and got me to see the world from a much different perspective. 

If a future of happiness comes at the price that I lose people that helped influence moments like those days in my life then I choose the path of confusion. For me a life without those people that I met along the way that had pure hearts and were kinds spirits is a life without happiness. It maybe confusion but the reality is I haven't forgotten about those kids. I haven't forgotten the promises I made. The purpose of my life is to give people a fighting chance. If guaranteed happiness eludes then so be it - I will always to choose the life of craziness, with those that mean the world to me as long as we DoGOOD. 
Why do I share this with you? I dont know sometimes other crazy people like me need to know there are others out there that exist. 

As for those wonderful kids in Uttar Pardesh - I haven't forgotten about you. I'll see you soon. 

Love all and let the light within shine bright. 

-Digital Hindu
fb.com/digitalhindu
@digitalhindu  

Sikh Temple Shooting in Oak Creek, WI

Sunday morning started off me like most Sunday mornings. Breakfast with my family, surfing the TV channels,  seeing whats happening in the world on my laptop. A phone call from my sister changed this from a normal Sunday morning to, for the lack of a better word, an abnormal one. The Sikh Temple shooting in Oak Creek, Wisconsin has brought up many more questions about what is going on in the world stronger and more closely than ever before. I moved to America while I was still in diapers. I was raised as an Indian-American - a decent hybrid of Indian and American values. Growing up I had family and friends that were not only Hindu, but Sikh, Christian, Catholic, Muslim, Buddhist, Taoist - you get the picture. I was taught values based on culture and not on religious faith. That's probably why personally I have a respect for any way one gets to God - even atheists.

9-11 changed the world as everyone knew it in 2001 and I'm not talking about about the National Security or TSA safety standards I'm discussing everyday life for someone like me. Being Indian and having that olive skin color that people spend lots of money in tanning salons to get - my stereotypical look is diverse enough to get people to think I'm of any brown decent - namely Terrorist ;) After 9-11 my personal world changed because I went from being the "foreigner" kid, pre-6:30am on September 11, 2001, to potential terrorist. Being a traveling sales person who used planes, rental cars and hotels on regular basis my entire world had changed. I spent more time as a part of additional security checks that anytime I flew coach I knew I should get to the airport an additional hour ahead. More times than one I have found the TSA National Security sticker on my checked bag after a flight - even when my luggage tags were accidentally switched and placed on my non-brown traveling companion's bags. 9-11 took the looks of jealousy that most uninformed white folks gave me when I traveled to non-diverse parts of the United States and made them into looks and treatment of hatred from those folks.

Today after the Sikh Temple Shooting in Wisconsin - I have to beg the question, when did America - the land of the free and  where religious diversity is welcome - became a country where people will attack people during prayer their holiest day of the week. And then the News Media's message to everyone is to educate them the difference between Sikhs and Muslims - in a way saying don't attack the wrong people. Why aren't we educating the uninformed that the acts of a few should never dictate their impressions of others that may look like them. As an American Citizen of Indian decent who has faced his share of prejudice, should I know question the actions of every bald headed white male that comes any where near my religious places of worship? Should I create a stereotype out that says "Bald Headed White Males" seen any where near religious places are potential threats so judge them as if they were criminals? No. From a person who has been on the end of ignorant prejudice in this post 9-11 world here's what I say. People are either good or evil - there is no in between. Good and evil isn't exclusive to a group based on exterior factors like look, sex, orientation, race, affluence, religion or nationality - its something that exists in the heart of a person. Don't hate people because of the way they look - look around and judge a person's heart not their exterior qualities. To bad we don't take the time to teach this to people and our young rather than help create more unnecessary differences.

As far as teaching people about Sikhism here's what I know and its good enough for me, Ek Onkar, which means One God. By the way, after a person of non-sikh decent open fired on this congregation in cold bold and has definitely put their faith on the test- this congregation was offering food and water to all reporters and law enforcement offices.

Love all and let the light within shine bright.

-Digital Hindu
fb.com/digitalhindu
@digitalhindu

The Inspiration for DoGOOD

My life at this point in time is about doing good, or as in my case the inspiration that I hope to provide to the masses, DoGOOD. But many will wonder what is the inspiration behind DoGOOD – the answer - the need to make this world into a better world, a better place.

I didn’t always start off this way. I grew up in a commercial world, built on the foundation of a commercial desires and unfortunately, a commercial economy. The key to the entire foundation of capitalism is consumer spending and consumer spending is influenced by marketing. Thankfully growing up my path in life took me down the road of marketing for organizations and helping them close deals to make money. As long as I could help companies make money through marketing I knew I would always have work. Over time I honed my craft and cultivated my skill – not only was I able to create strategies that would influences the masses into making purchasing decisions I was also able to also sell those strategies to decision makers and create a revenue stream that way. As every aspiring 20-something I worked in the corporate world and made a decent amount of money – not always consistent but I could never complain about the money I made doing this. There came a time in my life that after feeling like I had achieved my dreams the question that was ever so ingrained in my mind at a very young age of “So what?” popped up into my head(Thanks to 2 crazy high school teachers of mine). Money isn’t happiness, I can personally vouch for that. I have made decent amounts of money in my life(before going broke J ) that I personally know that the more money you make, the more you work, the less time you have to spend with loved ones. But money as I have said before is a means for accomplishment. But that question of – you’ve done for well for YOURSELF but is that the purpose of your life? So what is the purpose of life if it’s only meant for personal satisfaction?

Now never in a million years would I have thought back at that moment when the “So What” popped up in my head that 16 months later I would also be writing the words “before going broke :)”, but sometimes life gives you lemons and you have just have to make lemonade (now that’s one of those quotes for inspiration that I love). But the truth is this, regardless of how much money I made I never had peace. That night when that “So What” moment popped up(thanks to a person I have always considered an Angel in my life) I knew that my life, was meant for more than just personal success. I knew that like a favorite quote of inspiration of mine, “Everyone lives for themselves, someone needs to live for others” I was meant more for helping mankind than helping income statements.

Everything that has happened between then and now, in my mind, is the way life had to play out for me to get to this very moment so I can say, for a better world to come people need to be inspired to DoGOOD for mankind and humanity’s sake. We live in a world of war, terror, fear and hate. Many will agree that a world filled with hate will never survive. If there was ever a need for a revolution it is now. Instead of a revolution based on the premise of violence, uprising, over throwing governments – why not create a revolution based on the concept of doing good. Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr, and others have proven that revolutions based on the premise of peace and humanity can succeed. As marketer I have skill set to take a message and present it to the masses. I have made the choice of being one of those people the helps create a better world. My message is DoGOOD and there is no better way to sum it up than my favorite inspirational quote by Marianne Williamson:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.' We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Needless to say watch what I do next . . . .#DoGOOD :) 

Love all and let the light within shine bright.

-Digital Hindu

facebook.com/digitalhindu

@digitalhindu

digitalhindu.com 

Life and its moments

So if you been reading Digital Hindu for the last two years you will know a few things about me. I'm coming off a career that ended in devastation. I have had a chance to go many different places and meets many, many different types of people. You also know thanks to http://www.digitalhindu.com/2012/02/at-top-of-world.html that I am working to DoGOOD in this world. That after everything that has happened in my life I'm choosing to not rebuild my life as it once was with material wealth but to rebuild it with a foundation of helping those that need help. Let me tell you how its going:

I'm broke. I haven't made a paycheck in a year and constantly wonder why am I doing this to myself. Life is nothing like what it had been for me - things are so different that I don't even think I'm me anymore. Some days I find myself thinking how things changed so fast. Then I meet a legally blind professional wrestler who on most weekends gets hit in the face in the chair and loves it. That's when it all came back to me. I choose to be this person now. If I wanted to go back to the life of wining, dining and making the deals - I can easily do that. That professional wrestler he reminded me that everyone has problems but have the time of your life and do what drives you in the meantime - while financially I maybe walking through the post-apocalyptic waste grounds, I'm happy. Money doesn't mean happiness and never has. Its a mean to get things done and boy can I confirm that now. But the real reason I'm happy has to do with the fact that every action I make, I make in the name of good and will one day help those in need. How could I not be happy?

The decision that I made sitting in the Himalayas almost a year ago was to take my life in a new direction. Its providing me my fair share of trouble but everyday I'm happy because I'm walking my path and doing my Karma. My reason to write this today is to remind you that life will never be perfect. Be happy for all that you have and don't desire much. Let life carry you and enjoy whereever you go - just DoGOOD along the way. If you're legally blind and getting hit in the face with a chair makes you happy - then you go Pro Wrestler get your faced smashed away :)

And as for being broke - well there is a power in GOOD that GREED can never have. The best things come to those who never lose faith and take the leaps of faith when their heart tells them to you. . .

Love all and let the light within shine bright.

Digital Hindu
fb.com/digitalhindu
@digitalhindu

Exactly what is a Hindu?

I have had the opportunity, the privilege and honor to meet people of many races, religious beliefs, genders, and sexual orientation over the course of my life. There have been two things that I have found in common between all of them: 

1. People fall into 1 of 2 categories: Good or Evil 

2. Every non-Hindu I meet has asked me, at point or another, "Exactly what is a Hindu?"

For point one please reference, any or all of your respective religious books. As for Exactly what is a Hindu? Let me help clarify. Numero Uno - there is no such thing as "Hindu or Hinduism" All of it is known as Sanatan Dharm. Santana means "eternal" and Dharm means law. Followers of Santana Dharam are known as "manush" - otherwise known as human beings. The terms Hindu and Hinduism are products of foreign invaders having to call the culture and its spiritual beliefs as a religion. But for clarity's sake we will continue the use of the words Hindu and Hindusim. 

Sanata Dharm or "Hinduism" is way of life. The religious texts known as the Vedas seems to be more of manuals on how the Universe and the Earth work. The Bhagvad Gita is a conversation of how Karma is more important than emotional connections. A great summary of the Universe and mankind's importance in it. No evil or hurtful curses - an understanding that there is more than just what we see before us. Hindusim at the crux of it all explains everything in existence as energy and how that energy transforms and develops - in a constant state of change. The understanding of an Eternal Soul - that is an essence of existence and its creator, that comes into this world to learn and grow to one day go pass beyond the cycle of energy transformation into eternity one with existence and the creator. 

Manush or "Hindus" belief in one singular energy(God) that everything comes from.We also believe that during these cycles of transformation that singular energy comes into the earth to help direct mankind. That's why non-Hindus believe that Hindus believe in multiple Gods compared to one. But from a Hindu's perspective its the exact reason why we can believe in everyone's religious God's because that energy comes into this at its choosing. Hindus believe in respecting all whether good or evil because we know that God exists all around us and in everything. That is the man reason why when Hindus greet anyone they they hold their hands together and bow to one other. It's respect for the God that exists within you. 

You don't convert to become a Hindu - there is no such thing as a conversion process to Hinduism. You aren't born a Hindu - you don't die a Hindu. Sanatana Dharm teaches one to find that inner self, to have love and compassion in your heart always and to fear nothing - because while existence is forever it's is only one day at a time. 

Love all and let the light within shine bright. 

- Digital Hindu

Science and Relgion

Science and Religion. The debate about science and religion is one that can continue for years on end. Two polar opposites that interestingly enough require both faith, belief and practice. One searches for that one Universal Element while the other preaches that the element is God. 20 years ago this debate would have raged on as both sides would contest their beliefs and values. But today things are a little interesting.

Hinduism, as it is popularly known around is the religion of many Gods, The Gita, Cow worshipping, ashrams, devotion, peace and love. But the truth is Hinduism, while known for its many religious books and Gods - also is the only religion that explains the world around us. The age of the universe, the number of lifeforms in the Universe, Energy and Matter, number of planets and moons. Please remember that the youngest of these religious books is at least 5,000 years old. With in the knowledge of Hinduism comes the various incarnations of Gods there is the hidden fact that we and everything else in this Universe is energy. Within that energy there is a duality, one of self(Purush) and that of reality(Prakriti). Self is governed by two modes :The Conscious and the Sub-Conscious.  The Sub-Conscious is universally amongst all Universal beings and the is the supreme being, Brahman, God. This is what Hinduism teaches amongst its many other things.

Today, in 2012 Science is starting to prove some of this. Psychology and Physics has come a very long way. Physics has been able to prove that everything including us, is energy that vibrates at various frequencies. Psychology has one way or another crossed over into Meta-Physics and discussions about these vibrations have become very interesting. Dr. Masaru Emoto has taken high powered pictures of of frozen water crystals to prove an interesting point. See before the water for most of these pictures were frozen they either were spoken to softly with positive messages or yelled at with aggression with negative messages. The Crystals from the negative messages were broken, and destroyed, while the crystals from the postive messages were beautiful.

Cognitive behavior therapy uses the concept of positive thoughts and emotions into the sub-concious to create a better conscious. This is one of the many reasons the words of God, any God, are uplifiting. They get to us on a different level and in change the vibration of of personal energy. That vibrations attracts similar vibrations. Haven't you ever seen positive happy people with other positive happy people? Negative people use with others or alone? If you are cheerful, happy and calm you spread a calmness but if you are timid, angry and bewildered you only spread stress and tension. This is one of the many reasons most Hindus are vegetarians. The vibrations of the animal's animalistic behavior will mix into our thought process and energy. 

Religion is being proven true by Science. What I have discussed here is just the tip of the iceberg, but what's important is to understand that it is through love and compassion that happiness will be found. The more love and compassion you put out into the world, the more love and compassion will surround you. 

Love all and let the light within shine bright. 

-Digital Hindu 

digitalhindu.com

www.fb.com/digitalhindu

@digitalhindu

Jesus Christ

The other day I was driving and I stopped behind a car with a license plate frame that read: " He died for me. I'll live for him" Being that Easter is just around the corner, Jesus Christ has been on my mind a a lot once again. As I have said before that while I did grow up Hindu, one thing that my parents helped me learn was respect for other religious beliefs. They had taught me that in the end all of the stories that religion tell, the moral of the store always was Good deeds were the road to peace and happiness. Living life with that perspective and looking only at the good in people, I have had multiple opportunities to learn a lot about many religions and understand various perspectives.

As a child Jesus Christ was someone that I undoubted always loved. First for his birthday I got presents and on Easter I got lots of candy. To the child me Jesus Christ was the God of Happiness. One amazing benefit to being Hindu is that it makes every religion's God(s) more acceptable. Back to Jesus Christ, yes I have many, many wonderful memories from my childhood that relate to that man and its probably why today as an adult I can tell you who Jesus Christ is to me today. You see as I got older my fascination with religions other than mine started fascinating me. The more I read about Jesus Christ the more I felt like I understood him. That day when i read that license plate frame an instant, my understanding of Jesus Christ became clear:

Jesus Christ is and always will, regardless of whether you see him as a God, a Prophet, a Son, a Man he is the embodiment of the potential positivity that we all have within us. Jesus Christ is a reminder that while evil exists in this world of ours, the power of Good that comes from within all of us is eternal and limitless. Jesus died for me. I Digital Hindu agree with that. Jesus Christ died to remind me that human life is a blessing and that regardless of how much it may feel like that Evil is winning, good will always triumph. The loving and kind will always be victorious over the treacherous and vindictive.

So as you go through your day think of one thing only, the good that is within you and what you can do to unleash it into the world.

Love all and let the light with in shine bright!

digitalhindu.com
fb.com/digitalhindu
@digitalhindu

At the top of the world.

 

At the top of the world.

During June and July of 2011,  every night in my dreams, I kept seeing visions of the prayer flags with the Himalayas in the background. By then my body had completely starting shutting down from the amount of stress I was under at work. I made a point that I needed to do something I hadn't done in 3 years and that was take a true vacation, starting August 15th. Unfortunately as life did its thing, by the time i got to India a lot in my life had changed. But as I have always been told by people that love me unconditionally, regardless of what happens always make sure to keep moving forward. 

When I took that picture on September 3, 2011 I had been in India for 3 weeks and  in Leh for 3 days. On that same afternoon I got the opportunity to to visit some monestaries and as I walked around I saw something that looked familiar.  It took a moment, but there I was at one of the highest peaks in the world and realized my dreams had came true. I had the chance to sit at peace and take in the site that I had been envisioning for months at that point. The journey to this moment was a long and tedious one. My body was not cooperating with me one bit, but as I sat there in serenity and peace, with the wind providing a nice cooling breeze and I just took a moment to take meditate.

My trip in India took me to many places. But I will remember that afternoon in Leh forever. Everything that life had taught me until then was completely overshadowed by thought while I looked at those prayer flags, dreams can come true. You just have to try. I'm a firm believer that mediation for everyone is something different, but to me when I meditate, I find clarity or new beginnings. That day when I was in Leh, I knew that my time as a business guy, as a suit was over. I knew that my job was do as much good in this world as possible. If anything give people a chance at life, to remind them that life won't always be easy - but to always remember that good will never die.  

From there I found I purpose again. I ended up spending the rest of my trip in India, mixing with locals, visiting orphanages and just seeing how many people are working with, very little resources and doing everything that they can for these kids. These are people that will do anything to make sure every person has a fighting chance at life. These moments inspired me in ways that I can't explain all I know is I picked up the name of Digital Hindu and decided from that moment forward I would remind others to be compassionate, loving and to do good. I decided to join those DoGOODers of the world that dream not for themselves, but for others in a hope that this world will become a better place.

All of this came from that one moment where I felt like I was on the top of the world. 

Love all and let the light within shine bright. 

www.digitalhindu.com

fb.com/digitalhindu

@digitalhindu

Sunrises and Sunsets

Yesterday i posted a picture of the sun setting on the Digital Hindu wall. One person commented, "nice morning." As I have told you before I'm a thinker, and this got me to thinking that sometimes sunsets and sunrises looking the same. During and before my recent visit to India, I was at a very interesting point in my life. I had worked day and night to save my company for about 1.5 years and the day that I was leaving for India had to make some heart breaking decisions. My life was very rough. I was distant from every family and friend. Work for many, many reasons was a nightmare on a daily basis. I was no longer able to create the one thing that I had always cherished the most in life and that was to create memories with those that I had in my life. In the end - everything in my world was gone. People, relationships, trust, faith - all of it had vanished in almost a heartbeat. I thought about sticking around and canceling my trip but in the end, I needed to slow down and bring my life back together. My trip to India was not as fun as one might think. Mentally I was in place of despair, loss and just trying to recover from one blow after another from life.

I ended up in Gokarna alone at the recommendation of a dear friend. The idea was to go visit OM beach and stay in one of the beach shacks right on OM Beach. This was a long journey - took about 14 hours from driving from Mysore to Gokarna. It rained the whole way there and when I reached my night's accommodations at 11pm. I woke up in the morning to the heaviest rain that I had experienced throughout my entire time in India(I was there during Monsoon season). Going on the beach was not an option and while doing research for what to do in the city - I found out that I was near the Mahableshwara Temple. This temple is famous for a few reasons, but the most important is the Atma-Linga. In short the Atma-Linga has been described as bestowing the blessings of immortality and invincibility and was once possessed by Ravan himself. After getting to the temple and praying. I walked out with the rain gone and the sun shining. As I walked out of the temple, for the first time in months and months I was at peace, I almost felt as if my entire view on the world had changed. While I was in the temple and actually in the presence of the Atma-Linga I did not know anything about it or its symbolism. I was in Karnataka and english and hindi my two fluent languages were not a commonplace. It was until weeks later, when I came back to the US that I realized where I was. The reason why I share this story is simple, at that point in my life before I got to Gokarna all I could see was what was ending around me. I never saw tha one chapter of my life was ending and a new one was beginning. Months and months later when I look back on the sun shining and the birds chirping outside of the temple - I realize that, that was the first time I saw something move forward and actually took time to acknowledge it.

Months after I left India and I sit here in the US looking at my life today,and how different it from the life I had 6 or 7 months ago - I can say one thing for certain. What may look like the sun setting, may actually be the sun rising. That day in Mahableshawara, being in the presence of the Atma-Lingam, I dont know if I have been bestowed with Immortality or Invincibility. I do know that day when I walked out of that temple, I definitely had a new perspective. The way I saw the world changed and what I was about to do next was clear. Atma-Linga and Mahableshwara for me was a very significant part of my story - it was the beginning of a new chapter in my life. I was in a place where I was literally all alone, with a feeling that everything was lost, I found a strength and the beginning of a new journey.

So as dark as life might get, keep moving forward. Sometimes things don't happen gradually, especially recovering from emotional incidents but things will always changes. As many have said before me, our jobs in life is to move forward and just try to be the best human being we can be. Never give up, because the change that you need maybe a second away.

Love all and let the light within shine bright!

fb.com/digitalhindu
@digitalhindu

The Birthplace of Hanuman-ji

Bajrang Bali, Pavaan-putra, Hanuman was born in Kishindha, India. In autumn of 2011 I was fortunate enough to have gone there. Life wasn't at its best personally at that point for me. I was however lost in a land that all the same time as being foriegn, was sumwhat of a beefed up native homeland to me. I'm was born in the Fiji Islands and while my culture throughout my life may have been what it had been but I always as Indian. Therefore I learned to respect all religions and grow up around the huge amounts of people and accepted people based on one simple fact, divine or demonic? In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Kirsihna defines that every living soul is either divine or demonic, simply put good or bad. This lead my trip around India to be great. Kishnindha was a journey of my personal choosing for reasons of my own choosing. I spent a night in Hampi and in the morning ventured to Anjana Parvath in Kishkindha,

I had a chance to visit the temple that people say is the birthplace of Hanumanji. It was one of the most amazing journeys that I have ever taken in my life. At the end All I can tell you is this how the journey begins:

My tour guide Manjunath was a good guy. I was by myself and in a land of getting ripped off because you don't speak the language, this guy was being fair and telling me the right prices. If you ever visit Kishkindha and you get a guy who takes you across the River, ask for Manjunath. It was on this trip that I got a chance to have my conversation regarding Karma through a guru. It took almost 3 hours from 8 am in the morning and after walking up 650 plus stairs I arrived to place that was, with all due respect, exactly what Pride Rock from the Lion King was meant to be.

After paying my respects in the temple and having a conversation that I positively believe was the changing point in my life, I came upon a tree in the front of Hanumanji's home. It was a tree where many, many people had tied strings for things that they desperately needed. The local legend was that whatever you ask there will come true. It was a tree of I kid you not, positivity. So many people at that point, at the doorstep of Hanuman-Ji's home itself, had thought of nothing but good thoughts.

As I left Anjana Parvath, a few thoughts had come to mind. One I thought about what made a place Holy. And the simplest way I could tell it was because everyone thought positively of these places. They were highly regarded and respected places that brought the honest attempts of anyone looking for something positive to help them move forward. Places were holy because they harbor love. Two, I had lunch at the temple, I feed some monkeys, that live around the mountains and I received some true wealth in the days conversations. All of this was made possible because of Hanuman-Ji. I respect all religions for one very simple reason, prayer has a power to it like nothing I have ever seen. That day as I did everything I ever learned as a child and paid respect to Pavaan-putra Hanuman as best as I could. Prayer is important part of life, it doesn't matter who you direct them to, just make sure to put that positivity out into the world.

What religion has taught me in life.

I have told you about my trip to India, today I want to share what I learned on that trip. Earlier today I was talking to an old friend about why I had gone to India for two months. My response to her was "because India was the capital of my religion Hinduism." We had a pleasant conversation about spirituality, life and moving forward, the way we always had over the years. In the end when I thanked her for not forgetting about me, she said something very comforting to me "the important thing was not let a relationship ever die." I'm a thinker. This got me thinking. Why was India even better than just being Hinduism's biggest capital? India taught me something not just about Hinduism, but something much more important. It reminded me why religion was important to me in the first place.

This journey taught me lots of things. It made me believe in good again. Not through any acts of my own. Through the acts and generosity of others. Say what you will about India, but the truth is you will meet atleast one person on that trip that you would trust everything with. Because whatever you did, whatever you saw, there was always at least one place you saw positivity, in all the great and not so great situations - The Human Spirit was alive and well. People move forward in India regardless of their situation. They keep their religion, their families/friends, their spirit. While there regardless of where I went, I got to experiences festivals like Durga Puja in Bengal, or spend Eid in Jammu Kashmir or visit the some pretty holy places, within India such as Murudeshwara, The Golden Temple, The Basilica Of BomJesus, Spituk Gompa, Anjana Parvath, or Maitreya Statue built in 1 B.C. It wasn't that my trip was designed to visit those places. I was just in India backing packing and going to places that I or the group wanted. And on my journey I would just came about these places as waypoints of religion. Main reason is that the people of India are very, very religious. It actually  reminds me of my childhood, where religion was a part of everyday life . In all situations I saw I people moving forward with family and friends and making the most of what they had. I was a tourist and there was no getting around that. But I talked to the locals and enjoyed some very interesting things along the way, some a little flat our weird. But by interacting with all of those people I learned why they were so religious. All these people were from many different religions. But the fact of the matter is they all prayed to God and the words of God. The word of God - regardless of how it gets to you always has something profounding and uplifting to say to you. That's the power in the words of God.

What was the reason that I followed religion? The answer is simple: when life got tough, something that would inspire me to just move forward one step more were God's words. Didn't matter who said them or how they got there the important thing was they were words of God, and that was the positivity I needed. When all faith was lost, the positivity that I needed came from religion. Here's the funny thing, I grew in the United States of America, and I didn't just get my words from God through Hinduism alone, I got them from my friends, neighbors and business collegues for different faiths. What religion has taught me in life, what religion has always meant to me in life is positivity.

In my mind we spend so much time bickering about the details of religion, or whether other religious are right/wrong,  that we forget the simple message that each one trys to teach, Be Good and Think Positive. Good things and good people will gravitate towards you on their own. I had another wonderful conversation on Monday night where someone told me that by connecting with people that have positive thoughts you are able to send out more positivity in the world. So the next time you start thinking negatively about something ask yourself one question, "Has [insert name of your personal religion here] always taught me be a good human being, do good and think about things from a positive point of view?

DoGOOD in this world. Smile more often. And just respect every person you meet. Oh India you and I will meet again some day soon. . . .

Love all and let the light within shine bright.
@digitalhindu
fb.com/digitalhindu

Who God is to me. . .

You can call God by any name that you choose: Allah, Yahweh, Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, Shiva, etc. But from where I stand in the world I believe that is only one Great Soul, one entitity that connects all of us together. I was raised Hindu - a religion with I believe 3 million deities or avatars of God. See to me that Great Soul resides in all of us. And from time to time common everyday people like you and I rise to do amazing things - over the course of time these people are looked up on as Gods because of those amazing feats that they ended up accomplishing.

I believe that the Great Soul that ties us all together gives us the chance to live life our way. That's why regardless of the tensions that religion does create - the message of God was spread from one corner of this world to another. God was okay with whatever name you called upon, whichever way you decided pray to that soul - it was okay as long as you did good. To me God gives me one thing - the power of thought. In earlier posts on this blog, I have talked to you about the concept of Aham Brahmasmi, you may also have heard of a book called the Secret or in Psychology something called Cognitive Behavior. All of these schools of thought point to one thing. They point to the power of positive thought. My God, irrelvant of his name gave me the power to think and build the world that I want to build. The unfortunate part is that we have fallen prey to competitive houses of religion that are more interested in denouncing other's beliefs rather than promoting God's words.

I honestly believe that the connection between Love and God is that love was the remedy to every problem. God has shared this through every religious text, every religion and every prophet he sent on this earth. It is sad that we live in a world where we have begun to doubt the power of our own mind and the reality that our mind creates for us. It is sad that we live in a world where we turn to people and think they will guide us when at the end of the day all you have to do is believe in your God and put love out into the world.

God to me is faith - faith in my beliefs, faith that if I give love unconditionally, I will recieve love unconditionally. Faith that while bad things will happen to me over the course of my life - God will always be there to protect me. I dont have to call on him or pray to him - I just have to carry out every one of my actions with Love in my heart and that is prayer enough. Faith - that the power of my own thoughts, regarding my own reality( which is unique to me) will attract everything I ever imagined but the path to that comes through unconditional love for ALL. It doesn't matter if I'm Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Catholic, Jewish, Buddhist, Taoist, or any other religion that I have forgotten, I have faith that job of all religions was to spread the word of love, the word of God.

That's who god is to me . . .

Love all and let the light within shine bright.....

fb.com/digitalhindu
@digitalhindu

The New Year

So I have to admit - I lost some steam during the course of the last two weeks of the year. I guess in a weird way I enjoyed the holidays with my family and friends. I really wanted to write something at the end of 2011 about my thoughts as I always do here, but I guess I'm glad I waited to write until now. The first three days of this year have been better than all of 2011. I don't know whether, I've moved on from certain in incidents in the recent past or I have changed the way I look at the world but these last three days have taught me some lessons already, and I'm glad it did.

1) The Past will always come to haunt you - And boy did it ever. But with the past also came with the realization of today. I have done everything in my life with good intentions. I have never set out to hurt anyone and never have I tried cause any other human being any harm. Sometimes life throws so much on you that you try to do your best but you can't appease everyone. Sometimes it takes ghosts from your past to remind you that you have to move forward and never doubt your nature or who you are on the inside. That sometimes you just have to believe in your heart that your right and do as you have always done. The past will come, but remember its today, and today is your day.

2) Somethings are absolutely without a doubt meant to happen - They really are. Its almost as if only through tragedy that, we as people grow. The last two years have been hard on a lot of people, you can find this sentiment all over the internet and social media, but this year I see people starting with a new vigor, almost as if to say, yeah I learned what I had to learn. I see the human spirit back again, I see it in a lot of eyes and feel it emanating from a lot of hearts. I have spent a lot of time in the last few weeks realizing that some of those bad things couldn't have happened any other way, because if they did I wouldn't be where I sit right now. From one perspective it can look bad but from where I see my life, from the perspective where I understand it - I'm happy.

The past few days have also put the idea that change only occurs through creation. Somebody told me recently that 2012 is a year of creation. So here's the mindset that I have decide to create:

1) The past is in the past. If its not around me anymore - I dont desire it or yearn for it. I will make due with what have with me today, around me at this moment and be happy about the tomorrow that I am building, TODAY!

2) I trust in the way this world works. I believe that as long as I carry out every action of mine with God in my mind and heart, I will not stray wrong. But that doesn't mean I'll go on autopilot and follow conventional rules that are in front me. I will as they say, put my heart into it, I will be fearless in my beliefs and move forward with honor and make sure I laugh the whole way, TODAY

3) I will realize that as a human being if I want to remember yesterday, its called a memory. If I want to see tomorrow, its called a prophecy. All I have ever known all I will ever, all I have ever been IS TODAY!

If you dont get it, I have realized that it all happens today, everything! If I choose to be sad and down, I wont be happy and moving until I decide to do it, because the only time frame I have to do it in is today. I'm ready for this New Year and I hope you are to. If you like what I write or share - please do me a favor and make sure to share it!!!

Love all and let the light within shine bright.....

fb.com/digitalhindu
@digitalhindu

The DoGOOD Baker

Last week I went to a bar with a friend of mine on a Tuesday night. It was pretty dead and we just sat at the bar having a drink and just chatting. In the midst of taking my jacket off I accidentally hit the girl that had sat down next to me. I apologized and and gave her one of my stupid one liner jokes, because she looked like she could use a laugh. We started talking about her evening and she told me that she was baking for homeless teens for an event that was going to take place the next day. We started talking about various things including religion and her lost faith in God. She told me she grew up in a very religious household and over the years had lost her faith in God because of the many bad things that have happened to her over the years. She told that on that night she was baking for these homeless teens because no one else was. She was upset with God because he had forgotten about the homeless teens. At that moment I had to stop her and point out something that so many us forget when we question the ways of the universe.

I told her that God hadn't forgotten about those kids, because those kids would be getting those baked goods the next day. If anything they were now going to get nicely wrapped ones cookies and cakes  because she, the DoGOOD baker, was there. While she was questioning why God had forgotten about those kids, she failed to realize that he had sent her to them. There is a piece of God in all of us - that's why we do the good and kind things that we do. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in needless questions that we fail to realize that we are the answer to all of those questions.

So bake on DoGOOD baker - God remembered those kids through you.

Love all and let the light within shine bright.....

Never give up

2011 has been a year that has personally put me in the eye of the storm so to speak. I started this year an entrepreneur, but as the year progressed things started changing, for the worst. I lost a very important relationship in my life, my company shutdown, my personal wealth went into the negatives and all the people that I loved and cared about seriously began second guessing my character and what I truly stood for.

The fact of the matter was all of this could dwindle down to a few choices that I made in my life, all of them having to do with the people that I decided to trust in my dealings. I have spent the better part of the last few months trying to get back what once was. For a while there I was putting all of my energy into holding on to the past, making everything the way it once was. In the process, like I have said before, God found me. Quite honestly I felt like he was stalking me. I had let go of my faith in him, I had decided that this world was lost because if there was a God, then the person that I was, would never have to deal with the things that I had to deal with. And sometime in the last few weeks, I changed again. I realized that all of those bad things that have happened to me are happening to me because it is time to move on. To become the next, better version of me. One of the status updates, on fb.com/digitalhindu, this week was:

" It has been said, "nothing in life dies, it just transforms." What you think is lost today, will comeback to you in a new way tomorrow." 

See I was so busy trying to hold onto the past that I was ignoring the fact that things were evolving. Every relationship that I had lost or was stressed was now changing into something different. Those employees that I once had in my business, today are my becoming my business partners for the greatest dream of my life. Those people that have or still are questioning my character will continue to do so. I am continuing the way that I always have. Do I trust everyone again, yes, but I'm smarter about it. Do I think that one day I will show people that what I was, who I was - wasn't wrong - HELL YES! 


See God never let go, he held on. Even when I didn't. When I was lost he took over but now I am lost no more. I move forward everyday and I try. I dont look for success or accolades or to prove myself right. I'm doing exactly what Lord Krishna told me to do in the Bhagavad Gita - every action that I do, I do with the the thought of God, of Good without expecting any results. I do things not because it will make me rich or get me attention. I do them because they are the right things to do. When I look back the amount of "success" I have attained in life I realize that most of it - I was just doing my Karm(a).  

"Never give up. The desire not fail that comes from with in you, is greater than humanity. It's the good that comes from the light within."

The things that you should be doing and are the ones that will bother you the most. The reason is simple that's your path. You could choose to give up - its normal, I did - but always remember that to find that internal peace that each of us is looking for can only be found by picking the broken pieces of  our lives and move forward. Just remember, "Respect is the glue that keeps love alive. Every religion teaches the concept of respecting everyone. You are not here to judge others, you are here to be the best person that you can be and hopefully inspire others to be all that they can be."

So move forward, with love in your hearts, respect in your actions, and Good on your mind. The road will be easy as long as you remember why you are doing the things that you do and that in every step you are doing good. Redefine who you are and write a story that is worth sharing. Funny how when you remove a letter for Good you get God and you add a letter to Evil - you get the Devil. 


Love all and let the light within shine bright. . .

Why bad things happen to good people. . . .

You ever why wonder why bad things happen to you? The old saying goes that when it rains it pours. I dont know about anyone else but in my world when it rains it Monsoons. A LOT. Like many of you I have sat around on multiple nights thinking to myself why these bad things happen to us. Why is it that we can put so much good out into the world and bad things happen to us.  Well us to understand this I want to remind you of the Ramayan.

Its really a simple story for those of you that don't know it - God is reincarnated as a throne prince, gets married to the fairest maiden in the land, has to go into exile for 14 years because of a jealous stepmother who wanted the throne for her biological son, his wife gets kidnapped by by the most evil king in the land who can only be killed by being hit on a very specific part of his body, he has to set out into the world with just his little brother, wodden shoes and a bow/arrow to fight an entire army and Evil kingdom.

Now I feel obligated to remind you. . . THIS WAS GOD!

As you sit through and think about all of the good things that you have done and compare them to the bad things that seem to be happening, here are few things I want you to remember.

Lord Ram, our hero of the Ramayan, was God himself but he had to follow the laws of the land. Our world is filled with good and bad, like night and day, like fire and water, its the balance of a nature an essential truth that you need to understand. Sure being God, he may have cheated knowing he was God and knew what was coming next. But he still had to endure the same pains, the same suffering and the same blows that you and I have to deal with on a daily basis. But for those of that know the Ramayan you also know how the story ended.

Evil was vanquished, the evil kingdom was utterly defeated, Queen Sita was saved and the Lord Ram took his rightful place as king. The Ramayan teaches a lot things but one of its greatest teachings doesn't get focused on a lot. The way all of this was possible by a guy with Bow and Arrow, a little brother and wodden shoes was because of the people he met along the way. People that helped him, supported him and when the time came they laid there lives down for him. Yes many of them knew he was god and thats why they did it. And who could forget this fellow:

Hanuman-ji knew who Lord Ram was but he also represented something very interesting. He had God in his heart like all of us do. My point for all of this is simple. Sometimes we meet people that need our help, whether its some money, food, clothing, words of advice or a simple and hug reminding that everything will be okay. So the next you think about not helping someone just remember one thing - GOD RESIDES IN ALL OF US. This long and difficult journey of life can only be completed through love and peace. We are all connected, all of us, by the bond of god within.

Bad things happen to good people as a reminder, to always be there for another, if Lord Ram needed it you do too. The Ramayan would not be a story for the ages if people didn't rise to help one another. The world today needs people to rise once more, the God you are waiting for is inside of you and needs you. So tomorrow morning give someone a smile or a words of encouragement - remind them god is here, there everywhere!

JAI SHRI RAM!


Love all and let the light within shine bright. . .

Om Namah Shivaya

Every morning I meditate to and chant "Om Namah Shivaya" 540 times using rudra beads. Up until yesterday I really dont know why I was doing this. It was just this strong emotion inside of me that is driving me to do this. But there is something very interesting that has been happening with me the last few months. You see I always have considered myself a religious guy but not someone who was a fanatic. God has had a very important place in my life, I almost see God as a friend. I argue with him, and at the same time I thank him for giving me the opportunity to wake up every morning and experience life in all of its greatness.

I have spent the last few months bitter because of various reasons and times have been absolutely lost. But the weird thing that has been happening to me is, it seems like God has been trying to find me( I know I should have been the one trying to find God). See the good and bad thing about religion is interpretation. I know there is probably a more profound and richer history/meaning of Om Namah Shivaya. But to me through all of what has happened to me it seems like that all of those moments were leading me to the road that I am on today. Like I said I didn't know why I was focusing so much on Om Namah Shivaya until literally yesterday. See the more I read about Lord Shiva and Parvati Ma, I'm starting to learn that they are the embodiment of everything that surrounds us. I read somewhere last night that Om Namah Shivaya is "I bow to Shiva" and Shiva is our inner self. Shiva is our Conscience and Parvati is our experience in this world. Everything that I am starting to learn about us and the world that surrounds us is that it is driven by us and our thoughts.

Shiva is supposed to be the destroyer of this universe, and I guess in my younger days I didn't know what that meant. But you can only destroy that which you control. Vishnu might be the preserver or life but most enlightened will tell you that you are an essence of Shiva and it is that Conscience that all of us has that keeps this world going. Om Namah Shivaya, to me, is not the prayer offered to Lord Shiva only but also to our inner selves. No wonder every time I get done with my chanting I feel this sense of extraordinary peace and strength. I feel that I am the master of my domain and Shiva is with me, in every step, in every moment guiding me. Parvati Ma is there to make sure my experiences are strong and fulfilling - whether I consider them good or bad but that usually changes with time. In the end, I will never tell you should DO something, other than doing good. When the time is right, like it happened with me, he will come looking for you and will find you. Just live with love and peace you in your heart.

Love all and let the light within shine bright.