Books | Original Christianity and Original Yoga

5 Reasons for the Smile of Krishna

December 9, 2018 by Abbot George Burke (Swami Nirmalananda Giri)

The Smile of Krishna
As the fighting is about to commence on the battlefield of Kurukshetra in the tale of the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna begins to advise Arjuna. (This article is taken from The Bhagavad Gita for Awakening.)

Arjuna, overcome with anguish at the prospect of killing in battle those he loved and was obligated to respect, presented to Krishna his reasons for refusing to fight. Hearing the “case” presented by Arjuna:

“To him, the dejected Arjuna, Krishna, smiling, O Dhritarashtra, in the middle between the two armies, spoke these words” (Bhagavad Gita 2:10).

Why a smile?

The smile of Krishna is extremely significant, and we must be grateful to the sage Vyasa for including this detail that carries a momentous message.

Why did Krishna smile, considering how grief-filled Arjuna was, and how impassioned he had been in his insistence that to fight would be the greatest of evils–in contradiction to the urging and advice of Krishna? Arjuna was both sad and rebellious. Yet Krishna smiled.

The word in the Gita is prahasann, which means to smile before laughing. (Sargeant renders it: “beginning to laugh.”) So it is not some weak smile, nor a condescending or sarcastic grimace, but a very positive sign of impending mirth. How is this? Krishna smiled for several reasons. [Read more…]

“The Bhagavad Gita for Awakening” Is Now Available as Paperback and Ebook

November 27, 2018 by Light of the Spirit Monastery

After years of writing and preparation, we are happy to announce the publication of Abbot George’s latest book, The Bhagavad Gita for Awakening: A Practical Commentary for Leading a Successful Spiritual Life. Although it has been available for reading online at OCOY.org, it is now also available as a paperback and ebook at various online outlets (see below).

With penetrating insight, Abbot George Burke illumines the Bhagavad Gita’s practical value for spiritual seekers. With a unique perspective from a lifetime of study and practice of both Eastern and Western spirituality, Abbot George presents the treasures of the Gita in an easily intelligible fashion.

Here is what early reviewers say:

“I found reading Abbot George Burke’s The Bhagavad Gita for Awakening a genuine pleasure. While I was expecting another Gita commentary, I was delighted to discover so much more than just a commentary. Utilizing his wonderful gift of expression, and employing poetry, parable, personal experiences, and a generous dose of his own deep spiritual insight and wisdom, Abbot George has produced a work that is extremely readable and immensely practical.”
–Russ Thomas

“I’ve read many, many different translations and commentaries on the Gita; Abbot George’s is hands down one of the most approachable. It is clear, helpful, and has a vast depth that easily brings both the meaning and value of the Bhagavad Gita to life. I would highly recommend The Bhagavad Gita for Awakening to anyone that wants to bring it’s lessons into their daily life.”
–Michael Sabani

“I had read through the original text of the Gita a few years ago and as you could imagine, the majority of its lessons were lost on me. The version Abbot Burke has written opened up the lessons the Gita holds in a way that is relatable to a westerner, and far easier to grasp. Being raised in the Catholic faith, I see parallels to the teachings of the Christ and that message is enhanced greatly. I would recommend this version to anyone regardless of religious upbringing, as it’s lessons are relevant to everyone. I truly love reading this book.”
–Caraine Wells

“Be swept away by the ancient wisdom of the East in this timeless classic that offers practical solutions to the modern problems of today. Struggling with the constant tug-of-war between good and evil, our hearts and minds will relish the opportunity to reconnect with God’s eternal love for us so eloquently illuminated in this book. A must read for anyone on a spiritual quest for the truth!”
–Sailaja Kuruvadi

“The Bhagavad Gita is truly one of the world’s foremost scriptural gems, and this new translation and extensive commentary by Abbot George provides great insight into its richness. Abbot George’s ability to examine difficult and often confusing texts (particularly for those not immersed in Indian religious thought and symbolism) and explain them clearly and in a gentle tone is apparent throughout.”
–Br. Julian-Ozana Arconti, CG

The paperback is 533 pages of spiritual insights. The ebook is available at 75% OFF for only 99¢ for a limited time. You can get the ebook at these online sites: Amazon U.S., Amazon India, Barnes & Noble, Kobo.com, iBooks (Apple Books), 24 Symbols, and Playster, and the paperback at Amazon.com.

[Read more…]

Soham Yoga Now Available in Paperback and as an Ebook (and for Reading on Our Website)

July 27, 2018 by Abbot George Burke (Swami Nirmalananda Giri)

We are happy to let you know that Abbot George’s latest book, Soham Yoga: the Yoga of the Self, is now available for purchase on Amazon and other online outlets.

It is also available for reading on the web, each chapter a separate web page, and as a free downloadable PDF on our eLibrary page. We have revamped our Home Page and Original Yoga page and sidebar navigation to include links to this new content.

Why Soham Yoga Meditation?

Meditation is the process of centering our awareness in the principle of pure consciousness which is our essential being. In this way we will never lose sight of our real identity.

Normally we lose awareness of our true Self through consciousness of external objects. Since we are habituated–if not actually addicted–to objective consciousness, we can use that very condition to our advantage. Rather than disperse our consciousness through objects that draw us outward, away from the source of our being, we can take an object that will have the opposite effect, present it to the mind, and reverse our consciousness.

Such an object must have three qualities:

it must be something whose nature it is to turn our awareness inward and draw it into the most subtle depths of our being,
it must be something that can continue to be perceived even in those most subtle areas of our awareness,
it must already be present in our inmost being awaiting our discovery of it. Therefore it must be an object that can both impel and draw us, accompanying our questing consciousness inward, not being transcended when the mind and senses are gone beyond, but revealing itself as the Self.

That object is the mantra Soham. By sitting with closed eyes and letting the mind become easefully absorbed in experiencing the inner mental repetitions of Soham we thereby directly enter into the state of consciousness that is Soham, the state of consciousness that is both Brahman the Absolute and our Self.

What you will discover

In Soham Yoga: The Yoga of the Self you will find a full explanation of:

What is Yoga?
Why Soham Yoga?
How to practice Soham Yoga meditation.
What great teachers say about this practice, such as Ramana Maharshi, Swami Sivananda, Gajanana Maharaj, Swami Muktananda, Kabir, Sankara, and many others.
Pointers for success in meditation.
The foundations of yoga.
Breath and sound in meditation.

Those who seek to learn to practice meditation will need nothing further than this in-depth guide.

For a brief time, the Kindle ebook of Soham Yoga: The Yoga of the Self is on sale for only 99¢ at Amazon.

(The Kindle version of Soham Yoga is also available on sale for a limited time from international Amazon sites such as in India: Amazon.in, Canada: Amazon.ca, Great Britain: Amazon.co.uk, Australia: Amazon.com.au, and others.)

Watch Our New “Christ of India” Video Trailer

June 30, 2018 by Light of the Spirit Monastery

You have heard of video trailers for movies. Did you know that there are trailers for books?

We have created a video trailer for Abbot George’s book, The Christ of India: The Story of Original Christianity, which we have shared on Youtube, Vimeo, and Facebook.

The video is only 3 minutes long. We hope you will take a short moment and watch the video, and give the video a “thumbs-up” on Youtube, and share your thoughts in the Youtube comments. We hope you enjoy it.

(Watch it on Youtube here.)

You can get the book as paperback or ebook here at Amazon.com.

Ma Anandamayi’s instruction on Nama Japa of the Divine Name

April 27, 2018 by Abbot George Burke (Swami Nirmalananda Giri)

Anandamayi Ma quote - divine name Q: May I ask you some advice about Ma Anandamayi’s instruction on Nama Japa?
You noted that she emphasized the word must be a Name. I was just curious about if you knew more about this from Ma?

Ma said that there was no need to do japa of a formal mantra. For example, instead of Om Namah Shivaya the sadhaka need only do japa of the simple Name: Shiva. She also said there was no need of formal diksha to take up the practice of such japa.

Q: I have read that when people said that they were not getting effect from Japa, Ma said it was because they do not control their desires. She compared Nam to medicine and control of desires to healthy/correct diet. Again, could you help by sharing more of what exactly Ma meant, if possible?

The Divine Name is all powerful, yet the sadhaka should do his best to order his life so he will be responsive to the power of the Name.

Pure vegetarian diet and living a moral life is very necessary to the sadhaka. Otherwise he is simply resisting and going against the shakti of the Holy Name.

Everyone has trouble with delusive desires and thoughts, but if he continually calls on the Holy Name while doing his best to purify his thought and life, then that Divine Name will indeed become his deliverer from the bonds of karma and samsara. This I can assure you is true.

However, do not wait to take up the japa of God’s Name. Right away begin calling on God with a firm intention to make any needed changes in your life and thought.

Ma often said: The desire to know God is the way to God. Be assured that God is ready to give you all the help you need in seeking Him.

Book News

If you like questions and answers such as the post above, you will enjoy Abbot George’s recently published book, Satsang with the Abbot: Questions & Answers about Life, Spiritual Liberty, and the Pursuit of Ultimate Happiness. For just 3 more days you can get the Kindle version for only 99¢ before it goes back up to $3.99 in May. Visit the book’s Amazon page to download it now!

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In other book news, we have just published the second edition of The Christ of India: The Story of Original Christianity by Abbot George Burke.

“Original Christianity” is the teaching of both Jesus of Nazareth and his Apostle Saint Thomas in India. Although it was new to the Mediterranean world, it was really the classical, traditional teachings of the ancient rishis of India that even today comprise Sanatana Dharma, the Eternal Dharma, that goes far beyond religion into realization.

In The Christ of India Abbot George Burke presents what those ancient teachings are, as well as the growing evidence that Jesus spent much of his “Lost Years” in India and Tibet. This is also the story of how the original teachings of Jesus and Saint Thomas thrived in India for centuries before the coming of the European colonialists.

Included in this edition is a special Appendix: Indian Masters Who Considered Jesus One of Them, with stories of masters who had visions of Jesus, and those who researched Jesus’ time in India, including Sri Ramakrishna, Paramhansa Yogananda, Swami Sivananda and others. Get The Christ of India in ebook and paperback formats now at Amazon.

How to Grow Your Knowledge of the Life of Christ

April 20, 2018 by Abbot George Burke (Swami Nirmalananda Giri)

Q: Do you base for your knowledge about Jesus Christ and his teachings on the presently available Bible or some other book(s)?

books on Jesus Though they are not well known, there are quite a few books about the lives of Jesus and his mother Mary. They were considered authoritative by the early Christians but are mostly forgotten today except by the Eastern Christians. I have made a compilation of many of them and written a commentary on each one. The manuscript is over three hundred and fifty pages, and I hope it will be printed in the future. Presently the entire text is posted on the ocoy.org website under the title: “The Unknown Lives of Jesus and Mary.”

Several Christian mystics had visions of Jesus’ life, especially Anna Catherine Emmerich whose three-volume Biblical Revelations is quite remarkable and very reliable. Teresa Neumann, who is written about in Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramhansa Yogananda, had many visions of Jesus’ life, and they can be found in The Visions of Teresa Neumann, by Johannes Steiner. Three volumes by him in German are also available.

The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ by Nicolas Notovitch is the translation of a Tibetan manuscript found in a Buddhist monastery in Ladakh in the nineteenth century, and is available from more than one publisher. Information on that and two other sources, the Bhavishya Mahapurana and the Nathanamavali can be found in my book The Christ of India which is posted on our website and available in a print version.

In my estimation one of the most valuable books of Jesus’ life is The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ by Levi Dowling. It is a record of his mystical visions of Jesus’ life, and lays no claim to being perfect or infallible, but the teachings in it are of great value, including the account of his years spent in India. This can also be found on our website along with a commentary by me.

The best exposition of Jesus’ true teachings are found in The Second Coming of Christ by Paramhansa Yogananda. The version published by the Amrita Foundation is also posted on our website, but the print version from Self-Realization Fellowship is more complete. Yoganandaji’s books of talks and articles contain a great deal of trustworthy explanations of Jesus’ teachings.

Jesus Christ and Yoga by Shyam Sundar Goswami is very instructive also.

Q: Do you consider the whole of the presently available Bible literally as the Infallible Word of God without any errors or untruths in it as is believed by Christians?

I do not believe that any of the Bible is infallible or the Word of God. There have been many alterations in the texts through the centuries, some to suit the ideas of Jewish rabbis and some to suit the theology of state-supported Christianity. So we must sift through and use our judgement as to the value of what we find there.

Swami Dayananda Saraswati The Vedas are the infallible Word of God–Shabda Brahman. The purity of the text can be tested by purely mathematical formulae. (My knowledge of such processes is nil, so Indian scholars and pandits must be consulted regarding this.) I do believe that the interpretations and translations of the Vedas by Maharshi Dayananda Saraswati and others of the Arya Samaj (notably Pandit Anandapriya of Baroda) are the most trustworthy.

Having said this, I must in all honesty aver that in my opinion the supreme universal scripture is the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, and I believe every word with my whole heart.

In case you are not aware, I believe that Jesus (Ishanath) was a Sanatana Dharmi, neither Jewish nor Christian, who drew his wisdom from the teachings of the ancient rishis and master yogis of India.

In his new book, Satsang with the Abbot: Questions & Answers about Life, Spiritual Liberty, and the Pursuit of Ultimate Happiness, Abbot George answers over 350 of your questions on all aspects of spiritual life in 402 pages. It is still available on Amazon in ebook format for 99¢ until the end of the month, when it reverts to its normal price of $3.99.

You can also order the paperback version here. Plus you can download a free PDF of Satsang with the Abbot from our eLibrary. Thanks for your support in the launch of this new book!

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ “Abbot George speaks as one who knows his subject well, and answers in an manner that conveys an effortlessness and humor that puts one at ease, while, at the same time, a wisdom and sincerity which demands an attentive ear.” ~ Russ Thomas