Author: Lavanya Waechter

Lord Shiva is the Sanatana Dharma (Hindu) deity of transformation and completion. The holiday of Shivaratri is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is celebrated on the moonless night of the month of Phalguna. This is the fourteenth day in the krishnapaksha period. This also known as the dark half period. It is especially auspicious and helpful to do spiritual practices on this day because of a favorable alignment of the planets. In the Puranas (some of the sacred texts of Sanatana Dharma) there are references to this. Shiva himself tells his consort Parvati Devi (the Divine Mother) that this...

(Editor’s Introduction: In this satsang (spiritual discourse), Swamiji Amritageetananda Puri, one of Amma’s most senior disciples, discusses the importance of following a prescribed sadhana (spiritual practice). Because each sadhak (spiritual aspirant) is unique, there are different sadhanas that are beneficial for each person. Only a Sadguru like Amma knows what is best for each individual. Swami especially makes a distinction between the path of knowledge (“jnana”) for the meditative type and the path of action (“karma”) for the active type. It is important we ask our Guru what sadhanas are best for us. Once we do, we need to...