By Dinesh Nath

“The soul has neither sex, nor caste nor imperfection.” “The best thermometer to the progress of a nation is its treatment of its women.” ” There is no chance for the welfare of the world unless the condition of women is improved.” “Woman has suffered for aeons, and that has given her infinite patience and infinite preserverance.” “The idea of perfect womanhood is perfect independence.” “Soul has no sex, it is neither male nor female. It is only in the body that sex exists, and the man who desires to reach the spirit cannot at the same time hold sex distinctions. (CW ,V.4, P.176) It is very difficult to understand why in this country [India] so much difference is made between men and women, whereas the Vedanta declares that one and the same conscious Self is present in all beings. You always criticize the women, but say what have you done for their uplift? Writing down Smritis etc., and binding them by hard rules, the men have turned the women into manufactu...

Yama and Niyama are the do's and don'ts, or ethical disciplines, which have existed in the human race since the beginning of civilizations. Patanjanli, the father of yoga has very clearly specified these 10 commandments of Sanatana  dharma  or  Hindu  religion for  harmonious human life  but they have nothing to do with the ideas of sin and virtue or good and evil as dictated by some cosmic potentate . They are the first two level of his eight fold yoga system known as Ashtang yoga. The first two levels  are known as Yama (precepts of social discipline) and Niyama (precepts of individual discipline). Yama and Niyama are practical whether one is from the civilizations of the East of the West. By following these practical and relevant precepts, we can create a harmonious human society and  can work toward individual development of the body, mind and soul.  They are the foundation of our practice without which no spiritual p...