The Cave Where Jesus Stayed
In north India on the Ganges River in the Himalayas, about an hour up-river from Rishikesh, is a cave called Vashishta Guha. Made famous by the ancient sage Vashishta, it has been the home to yogis for centuries, most recently the renowned Swami Purushottamananda. About a five-minute walk down-river from this cave is another cave known as the “Jesus cave.”
What Was Jesus’ Real Name?
Q: What name do you think Jesus was called by when he walked the earth? I’m certain that it was not Jesus. For one thing neither Hebrew nor Aramaic had a “J” sound like we have. I know he was called Issa or similar in … Continue reading
How Authentic Yoga is Different from Popular Christianity and Hinduism
To someone who asked why some Indian teachers insist that the only thing needed is to be devoted to the form of God they worship–just love that form of God, worship him and go to his world after death and adore him forever–which is not … Continue reading
Sacred Visions: A New Website of Spiritual Art and Photographs
Ever since we launched OCOY.org we have had requests for our image of “Christ of India” as is seen on our home page. Though we have on occasions shared this with inquirers, we wished to make it more widely available. We have discovered a way … Continue reading
Sayings of Sri Gajanana Maharaj of Nashik
We wish to share with you some of the teachings of Sri Gajanana Maharaj of Nashik which you will find in our new book, Light of Soham. We have also created a short introductory video about Sri Gajanana Maharaj which we think you will enjoy … Continue reading
Incarnations of God – Avatars: The Sankhya View (With Surprising Christian Insights)
To someone who wrote about the nature of avatars–incarnations of God. The Sankhya view (on which Yoga is based) of avatars is that when perfectly illumined and liberated souls return to earth to teach spiritual wisdom, they are avatars: incarnations of God in the sense … Continue reading
The Inner Meaning of Bhagirathi’s Penance to Bring Down the Ganga
Q: Is there an esoteric meaning of Bhagirathi doing intense tapasya to bring Ganga to earth? Also, what is the significance of Lord Shiva and the redemption of Bhagirathi’s ancestors in this episode? There is a symbolic, esoteric meaning to this, but that does not … Continue reading
18 Indispensable Ingredients You Need to Become a Real Yogi
Q: How does a person go about becoming a yogi? I mean a real yogi in a real tradition? First of all, seek God and God alone, and never accept any intermediary, though there is nothing wrong in learning from teachers. But scrutinize them thoroughly … Continue reading
Satsang with the Abbot Now Available in Print and as an Ebook
We are happy to announce that Satsang with the Abbot: Questions & Answers about Life, Spiritual Liberty, and the Pursuit of Ultimate Happiness is now available on Amazon in printed and ebook formats. In this book Abbot George Burke, spiritual director of Light of the Spirit Monastery, … Continue reading