Reflections on faith, community, and the examined life

When My Soul Becomes Someone Else's Project

On uninvited saviors, the Sanskrit word that never existed, and the quiet dignity of a tradition that never asked to be rescued

I was recently at a panel discussion about religious conversions and persecutions, and it prompted me to reflect more deeply on something many Hindus silently endure but rarely articulate…

Guru Vandana: The Teachers Who Lead Children from Darkness into Light

On an ancient tradition of reverence, the children who carry it across oceans, and what it asks of the teachers who receive it

Every intellectual conversation, in the tradition of those who practice this custom, begins with a prayer to Goddess Saraswati — the feminine personification of all…

When the Himalayas Came to Me

On ancient mountains, living masters, and the stillness that finds you when you stop running from it

The Himalayas are not just mountains. They are ancient storytellers, wrapped in robes of snow, whispering truths only the still-hearted can hear. They rise like silent…

Exploring the Healing Potential of Devotion and Kirtan: A Personal Journey into Spiritual Transformation

Growing up in a Hindu household in India, I was introduced to the path of chanting in the name of Bhagwan, which is known as the Bhakti yoga path. This tradition has…

The Hindu Understanding of Charity — From Entanglement to Elevation

In the Hindu worldview, charity ( dāna ) is not merely a noble act — it is a spiritual responsibility. As householders, we naturally engage with the world: earning,…

Shiv–Shakti: The Primordial Union of Consciousness and Energy

On the dance of consciousness and energy, the mystery of creation, and the timeless path back to oneness

In the vast tapestry of Hindu philosophy, few concepts capture the essence of cosmic creation and individual spiritual evolution as profoundly as Shiv–Shakti. Rooted in…

The Word That Stayed Outside

A reflection on Universal Oneness at Madison Square Garden

This past Saturday I went to Madison Square Garden for what I understood to be one of the largest Hindu gatherings in America. Inside, over roughly two and a half hours, I don't recall hearing one word…

Faith and Freedom at America 250

A Hindu American Perspective on Religious Liberty and Democratic Pluralism

On September 11, 1893, a 30-year-old monk from Calcutta stepped to the podium at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago and began with two words: "Sisters…

Murmuration: A Word That Became a Mirror for Community, Faith, and Shared Purpose

What a poetry reading, a rabbit hole of bird videos, and the science of starlings taught me about how communities truly move

At a recent high tea hosted by the Center for Interfaith Cooperation titled "Power of Women in Faith," a single word from a poetry reading stayed with me: murmuration .

A Fortunate Bindu: Becoming Dharma Pracharaks

Devprayag, a sacred town in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, marks the confluence of two hallowed rivers — Bhagirathi and Alaknanda. Together, they merge to become the…

Before You Argue, Prove You Understand

An ancient Hindu practice of understanding your opponent before you speak — and why it may be the most urgent intellectual skill of our time

There is a particular kind of frustration that settles in when you realize, midway through an argument, that neither side is actually listening. Words are being launched…

The American Left and Right Don't Include Me — Dharma Does

On why Sanatana Dharma doesn't map onto the American political spectrum — and what it asks of us instead

America tends to present itself as a choice. Left or Right. Progress or tradition. Solidarity or self-reliance. The political air crackles with ultimatums, and every…

Eternally Present: Where Time Collapses into Now

A friend of mine recently posed a question: What are your thoughts about the eternal present?

Balance Is Not a Buzzword — It's a Reckoning

On reading Die with Zero, The Second Mountain, and The 5 Types of Wealth back-to-back — and what they forced me to see

I didn't plan to read Die with Zero , The Second Mountain , and The 5 Types of Wealth back-to-back. They showed up one after another — at a point in life when things had…

Later is a Fragile Plan

On the quiet lie we tell ourselves about time, and what it costs us in the end

There is a word we use more than almost any other, and we use it with a confidence that is almost never earned. The word is later .

The Silence That Preserves Harmony — and Erodes Truth

On civility, the fire we bury, and the quiet courage it takes to remain whole in a polarized world

"We bury the faint crackling of our inner fire underneath other, safer noises, and settle for a false life." David Brooks writes this in The Second Mountain . When I…

A Yatra in Three Movements: Roots, Return, and First Darshan

Thirty days, fifteen cities, nineteen mandirs — and the slow recognition that some journeys carry you back to who you already were

There are journeys we take for the first time. And there are journeys we take again — not because we have forgotten, but because we have not yet finished understanding.…

A Birthday in Kyoto: Where Tradition Holds Its Breath

On golden pavilions, ten thousand vermillion gates, and finding Hindu deities standing guard in a Buddhist temple

There are birthdays that pass pleasantly, and then there are birthdays that change something in you — quietly, permanently, in the way that only a place of genuine depth…

Three Worlds, One Journey: Peru and the Art of Keeping Moving

On altitude, ancient stone, and what human beings are capable of when they build something in the belief that it matters

Peru announces itself in thirds. La Costa, the Pacific coastline. La Selva, the Amazon basin. La Sierra, the spine of the Andes. Over fourteen days in May, our family —…

Football, Food, and Faith: A Journey Through Spain

A 15-day sojourn from Barcelona to Madrid — and the Moorish thread that runs through it all

Life is an extraordinary journey, and one of its greatest joys lies in experiencing diverse cultures, traditions, and customs. When we open ourselves to the world, we…