So, recently I downloaded my first iphone game. It’s called “Doodle Jump.” What a revelation!

Confession: I haven’t played a video game, (if they are still even called “video games”) since Space Invaders came out on those arcade machines with the eerie green screens.

After just a couple of games, I realized that Doodle Jump is a perfect little microcosm of Nature, and a great mirror and teacher, for those on a spiritual path. If you approach it the right way, of course. (more…)

Paramahamsa Satyananda Saraswati

Paramahamsa Satyananda Saraswati took Mahasamadhi on December 5th, 2009 in Rikhia, India.  He was a great disciple of Swami Sivanananda of Rishikesh, a Guru to thousands and the founder of the Bihar School of Yoga among other prominent and beneficial institutions.

Update: Worldwide sadhana for Paramahamsa Satyananda Saraswati described in full at The Atma Center.

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A question from Germany:

I know you are not a neo-tantra teacher, but you don’t talk about sex at all! Isn’t sex a part of Tantra, even traditional Tantra?

All expressions of human life are part of traditional Tantra, including sex. I haven’t talked about sex much on Jaya Kula because, oddly enough, no one has ever asked me to!

Tantra offers two basic approaches to sex: one is through the life science of Ayurveda and the other is through ritual worship. (more…)

A long-time reader from the Netherlands asks:

I noticed that you are not talking about Kashmir Shaivism anymore, and that instead you are using the term ‘direct realization Tantra.’ For instance, on the title of your upcoming book. Why is this, and what do you mean by ‘direct realization Tantra’?

Thanks for this question. I would have had to ask it myself if no one else did first! There are many reasons why I have decided to drop “Kashmir Shaivism” and adopt “direct realization Tantra.” I’ll just talk about one of them here. (more…)