Word: sanskrit
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
There were prayer sessions from which rose chants of Sanskrit verses. Then the blue lights in the meditation hall dimmed, and the faithful swayed rhythmically to and fro. Finally, Muktananda proclaimed (in Mindi, a Hindi dialect), "Now is the auspicious hour of the auspicious day. The sun and moon are strong." That heralded the main event: the marriage of 16 couples, the women in saris, with garlands of flowers. The guru, who is licensed to perform weddings as a minister in an ordination mill called the Universal Life Church, blessed the rings and said, "May you live together in love...
...entered a room and reverently knelt before a candlelit altar holding a picture of the late Guru Dev, Hindu holy man and predecessor of TM Leader Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Each student brought fruit and flowers to be placed on the altar by Teacher Janet Aaron, who then recited a Sanskrit puja (hymn of worship)* and whispered each student's mantra, the secret word that must be repeated to aid meditation...
...demands of its practitioners is that they sit still for 20 minutes each morning and evening and silently repeat, over and over again, their specially assigned Sanskrit word, or mantra...
Paradoxically, TM is also criticized for being too practical and not meditative enough. Most Hindu gurus, for instance, teach one or another form of yoga, which combines practical exercises with meditation to achieve union with Brahma?the ultimate reality or Absolute. Yoga itself is the Sanskrit word for a yoking, or union. The various branches of Buddhist meditation?Zen and Tibetan, for example?usually require great discipline and concentration to try similarly to gain nirvana, that ineffable state of liberation and union with ultimate reality in which suffering is eliminated and compassion and wisdom are attained. "Transcendental Meditation does...
...lefthanded dentistry student in a world of righthanded dental equipment, Berg was suited to do just about anything. He had an IQ that could not have been too far behind his career batting average of 243. He was competent in a dozen languages, including Latin and Sanskrit. He held a law degree and even practiced for a few off-seasons on Wall Street. He was charming, good-looking, witty and a connoisseur of wine, women and string quartets. He kept a tuxedo in his locker. He was also a bit mysterious...