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Hindus drinking cow uirne

It is well known that Hindus consider the cow as sacred but what you are about to see is going to knock you over so I suggest you take a seat. 

Some Hindus drink cow urine. Yep, that's a fact. If you don't believe me then watch this video to see Hindus collecting cow urine and drinking them. Please do note that not all Hindus drink cow urine. Many just like you could not touch it. But there are many who would start their day off by having a glass of cow urine. 

10 things to do in Amsterdam

Take a stroll down the cobbled streets of Amsterdam, pass by the serene canals, or gaze at the vibrant nightlife of the city and you’ll Amsterdam is a magnificent city with a creative legacy. It is the perfect blend of ancient and avant-garde, and makes for the perfect vacationing trip.

10 things to do in Amsterdam


1. Dam Square

Dam Square, located near the famous Amstel River, is the focal point of the Royal Palace. After Louis Napoleon’s crowning, it went from being a city hall to a royal residence in 1808.



2. Anne Frank’s House

Anne Frank’s house is a sober reminder of the Nazi occupation during World War II, and it contains her infamous diary. It is located by the Square. If wanting to visit, come early and be prepared to wait as this place is a popular tourist attraction.



3. Rijksmuseum

The famous Rijksmuseum houses some of the most profound historic art in the world, including pieces by the famed Rembrandt. The works of Frans Hals and Vermeer are also featured here. Besides the artwork of the more famous artists, one can also see beautifully crafted porcelain dolls and doll houses here.



4. Van Gogh Museum

The Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam is home to the largest collection of Van Gogh’s work on the globe. It’s definitely something you don’t want to miss when you visit Amsterdam.



5. Albert Cuypmarkt

Do you like shopping? If so, the Albert Cuypmarkt offers everything and anything you might ever think of buying. This street market offers everything from fresh produce to clothing, and it’ll placate your shopping urges.



6. Queen’s Day

Queen’s Day celebrates the LGBTQ community. Music pulsates from every corner of the city and people, both gay and straight, celebrate all over Amsterdam.



7. Vondelpark Summer Festival

This amazing festival takes place in the summer between June and August and features many types of fund and frolic, entertainment, including open air concerts, theatre, and cabaret. The festival is family friendly and men, women, and children of all ages will be able to find something to do here.



8. Holland Festival

If there’s one thing you’ll learn while in Amsterdam, it’s that the Dutch love their festivals. The Holland Festival is the biggest annual arts event in the country and takes place over three weeks throughout the month of June.



9. Dutch Clogs

When visiting Holland, one must try on a pair of the famous, wooden Dutch vlogs at least once. Other iconic souvenirs that are worth going out of your way to find are Dutch dolls and Delft pottery. Cheese and the famous windmills are also popular must-experience items on your vacation itinerary



10. Grand Cafes

Cafes are spread densely throughout the city. Take a well-earned break and try the local erwtensoep in between shopping.


How to promote your travel blog posts

These are some of the things you can do to get back links when you write a post on your blog on your travel blog. The idea is to get it indexed by search engines as soon as possible. There is a lot of argument about back links; it is said that, some are good and some can actually harm your ranking. A backlink has more weightage if it’s coming from similar niches. But then this is debatable. Google is putting more emphasis on social media meaning that more it gets shared, the better it ranks.



1. First things first, ping it. If you are using Wordpress then, then it is automatically done on ping-o-matic. There is a form in Wordpress that allows you to enter all the places you want to ping your site after publishing a blog post.


2. Submit your blog post URL on Twitter to let your followers know that you have published something. Include some text; an URL on its own does not look nice. Be creative with your limited allowance of words. Don’t forget to use appropriate hastags such as #travel, #travelindia etc.

3. Send your blog URL to your Facebook for your friends to read and comment on. There are lots of niche groups and pages you can join and post your post but don’t spam them obviously.

4. You can also Digg your post. Make sure you write a good description. The more thumbs up you have better the chances of being read by more people.
5. You can also submit to Stumbleupon. But remember quality of traffic is pretty poor. The new algorithm states that, a longer a visitor stays on your site, the better it is. Most people on Stumbleupon, really Stumbleupon like mad. They move from one site to another like crazy.

6. Publish on Linkedin. There is a “share an update” box that allows you to attach a link. Do it, don’t be shy.

7. Post on plurk, a social micro-blogging platform. But remember they are no-follow. It’s just letting your followers know that you have published.

8. Post on Apsense. It is a social networking site for business owners, internet marketers and affiliates.

9. Post on Blog Engage. If your post is good then it gets read by lot of people and will be promoted to the top page.

10. Go and post useful constructive comments on like minded blogs (travel blogs that have commentluv plug enabled) and get some instant back links. Many blogs allow you to link to your latest post. This blog allows you to choose from your previous posts and is do-follow. So feel free to comment.

11. Post your link and a small description on Google Plus. You can join travel related groups where you can post your travel photos and blog post.

12. ScoopIt is another place where you can submit your blog posts. Its content curation site where people share great content.

13. Don’t forget Pinterest. If you use this correctly then you will get a lot of traffic to your travel site. The idea is to create boards and post your images there. Don’t forget to share other people’s images onto your own board.

Are these the things you are doing when you write a blog post or do you just leave it at that? Feel free to comment. Please feel free to share your thoughts as to what you doing when you publish a post. If you have any more ideas, please do share them here. There are lots of other things you can do to promote your brand or website for example guest posts, interviews, podcasts and other link building strategies. We will talk about this in a different post.

15 ways to piss Indians off if you don’t like India


India is a great country. Not because the world thinks so, it’s because that is how we Indians like to think. But given a chance, most Indians would leave the country for Europe, Canada, Australia and most importantly USA. Even if Indians do go abroad, we take some of the pride with us and see India as the best country in the world that has the best culture of them all. This is complete hypocrisy at its worst. This is the reason why Indians abroad has no “white” friends; they never go to the pub with their work colleagues and stay ghettoised within their own community.

Now, if you are travelling to India then you are in for a ride. Some of you will love India and will be coming back while some of you will hate this place so much that you will never make trip to India again (you can read what an American woman thinks of India here).


If you did hate India, then here are 15 things you can do to piss us off when you get back home.

Ask which caste we belong to

Indians are divided into castes. Hindus in particular are divided into so called, upper and lower castes. In the olden days, the sole purpose of the lower castes was to serve the upper castes. Things have changed; the lower castes have become very rich and powerful given the 50% reservation in government jobs. So if you did want to piss an Indian off, just ask if they belong to a lower caste. But remember caste discrimination is against the law but there is no law against asking someone which caste they belong too. Sikhs too have their own caste system. They claim that they give equality to all castes but the reality is that caste discrimination is very much alive both in Hinduism and Sikhism. Muslims of India too are divided into sects and they hate each other. The worst thing you can ask an Indian is if they belong to a lower caste.


Tell us that Kashmir do not belong to India

Most Indians do not talk about Kashmir but if prompted, you can find yourself in a heated debate. In order to piss an Indian off, just tell them that Kashmir does not belong to India and the people of Kashmir are being killed and raped by the Indian army. You should tell them that there should be a referendum just like Scottish referendum and if people of Kashmir said ”Yes” then it should be handed to Pakistan or given independence.
Tell us India is a poor country

Indians have a lot of pride in them. If you tell them that India is a very poor country and there is a lot of poverty, hunger and lots of beggars all around then you will be hitting the Indians right where it hurts. Tell them that a poor country like that of India they should not be investing in missiles, space satellites, nuclear weapons and so on. Tell them that India should feed its poor first and then think about sending missions to space. How can a country spend a lot of money on useless programmes rather than feed its dying children. This will really piss Indians off.

Enter the temple with your shoes on

Indians consider shoes as dirty and they like to take it off before entering their homes. They definitely take their shoes off when entering temples. So if you wanted to piss Indians off then enter temples with your shoes on.


Tell us that Indian women are ugly

I wrote about Indian women being the most beautiful in theworld. Some would agree and some would not. Many Indians take pride in the fact that many Indian women have won several beautiful pageants – Aishwarya Rai, Diana Hayden, Yukta Mookhey, Priyanka Chopra etc. If you wanted to piss us Indians off then tell us that Indian women are very dark and not very beautiful. Tell them that they won these pageants not because they were beautiful but because other competitors were not able to answer the judge’s questions appropriately. Also you can make fun of the sari (saree) which is nothing more than a piece of cloth wrapped round the body.

Tell them that Bollywood movies suck

We Indians love watching Hindi also known as Bollywood movies. In fact, Indian housewives are either cooking and cleaning or watching movies. Tell them that these Hindi movies are crap. They are too long, full of useless and vulgar songs and make no sense of the story lines. Tell us that Bollywood will never compete with Hollywood.

Abuse the game of cricket

We Indians love cricket and everything that has to do with the game. If you wanted too piss Indians off then tell them that cricket is the most boring game in the world and is only played in poor countries. Tell them that Indians are not good in sports and hence they play cricket where talent is not required. Make sure than you foul-mouth Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli who are considered as the best batsmen India has produced. Tell them Indians will never beat Australia.

Call an Indian a Paki

Calling an Indian a Paki will not work in India but it does wonders in the UK and USA. Paki is the short form of “Pakistani” and used commonly to denote a person from South Asia. The word “Paki” originated in England where they saw waves of Indian and Pakistani immigrants to their country. The word is supposed to be derogatory and racist and Non-Resident Indians abhor the word. If you wanted to piss an Indian, call them a Paki but then you will branded as a racist. Your idea is to piss them off and not appear as racist.

Tell us that Indians are dirty people

Like in the Western world, Indians do not use toilet paper to wipe their arse. Instead, we Indians use water to wash the backside with the left hand. The idea is to pour water on the left hand and rinse the back side till it is clean. (More on Indian toilets here). Tell the Indians that they are dirty people and it’s disgusting to use the hand to wash something as bad as pooh. Tell them Indian men scratch their testicles in public and urinate wherever they want. Tell them that they lack hygiene and that is why India is suffering from various water-borne diseases. 

Talk about politics

Most Indians love politics. They will support one party or the other. Find out which party they are supporting and then foul-mouth them. Let’s say if I were to support the “BJP” which is supposed to be a Hindu nationalist party, and then tell that they were involved the massacre of innocent Muslims of Gujarat and they are anti-Muslims and fascists. If they are the supporters of the Indian National Congress then you can tell them they were involved in the 1948 Sikh riots and they are nothing more than a privately run enterprise by the Gandhi Family. If they are the supporters of the AAP party then you can tell them that they are “AAPtards” (derogatory word used for those supporting the AAP party) are nothing more than anarchists.


Tell South Indians that North India is better

There is a somewhat divide between the North and South of India. South Indians have a raw nerve when it comes to North India. South Indians are pissed off because New Delhi, the capital of India lies in the North and secondly most powerful politicians come from the North. Tell South Indians than North is better than South India. Tell the South Indians that Hindi is a great language and they should also learn the language.

If you do the reverse where you tell North Indians that South India is better then it’s not going to work. We North Indians know that South India is boring and their languages suck big time.

Tell us that you love eating beef (this is a good one)

The cow is a revered animal. Lord Krishna was a cow herder and the cow is considered as a mother. Hence the cow is not eaten. In fact, in some Indian states, slaughter of the cow is forbidden. So if you wanted to piss an Indian off then ask an Indian, “how to cook beef curry”. Better still, go to an Indian restaurant and ask for beef curry and tell them not to make it too hot. (Here’s where to eat beef in India).


Ask Sikhs about their hair

All Indians are very touchy about their religion. There was a time in the 1980’s when the Sikhs wanted their own country but their demand was eventfully suppressed. Terrorism was rife in the Punjab and Delhi. In fact, Hindus were deliberately hand-picked and killed in Punjab (where most Sikhs come from). The police too was very brutal and committed atrocities. Every Sikh with a turban was thought to be a terrorist or a sympathiser for the cause of the separation of Punjab from India. It was not a happy time. But things changed and peace prevailed. This has led to Punjab to become one of the most prosperous states of India. But the scar remained.

Sikhs can be found in most parts of India and most religious Sikhs can be identified as they wear a turban on their head. If you wanted to piss an Indian Sikh then tell them how ridiculous their turban looks. Consumption of tobacco is considered a sin just in the same way as eating beef for Hindus and drinking alcohol for Muslims. You can always light up a cigarette too piss them off.

Tell Muslims of India that they are not Indians and were converted

Muslims of India are still not fully integrated and in order to piss Indian Muslims off, you can tell them that they are not Indians. Tell them that they came from outside as invaders and settled in India. Worse still, you can tell them that their ancestors were once Hindus and where forced to convert into Islam by the Muslim rulers of India. You can also tell them that you love eating pork sausages and beer to go with it.


Tell the Indians that India is a bogus democracy

We Indians take pride that India is a democracy. In fact, we Indians like to think of India as the world’s largest democracy. But you can touch a raw nerve by saying that India is not really a democracy. You can tell them what kind of democracy is India where people do not really vote for change but vote for someone who belong to the same caste and religion. You can say that despite being a democracy country, India is still wrecked by poverty, social injustice, high illiteracy rates, rampant corruption; politicians steal money and stack them in Swiss Banks and so on. I am sure you will over the step the mark and piss some of us Indians off.

I hope I have not offended anyone. We Indians are pretty cool but some things get on our nerves.

Best places to visit as a student

Good thing about being a student is that you don’t need to worry about a family, your mortgage, paying off your loans etc. So this is the best time to travel while you are still young. So if you are a student why not make the most of your life and travel and see the world.

Seeing places while you’re still young will open you up and you will get to understand cultures other than your own. In fact, it will open your eyes and you will be able to see the world differently. You will appreciate that there are other cultures, races, people and countries in the world that is diverse.
And since air travel agencies as well as airlines provide student travel discount and special student travel rate, student travel is becoming more and more available for greater number of students who want to explore and learn more about the world.

Let’s take a look at some of the most historical places where you as a student can travel.

India

India is one of the most rapidly growing countries in the world as far as economy is concerned. If you like temples, other cultures, food then India is the place to be traveling to as a student. As a student you must have gone out to drink and then ended up in a curry house. Why not try to real thing in India. If you are the type that seeks spuirituality then why not visit the River Ganges in the holy city of Varanasi and sit with the Naga sadhus over a chillum. Find out more about traveling to India here.

Best places to visit as a student


Athens

As the center of knowledge, government, and system in the ancient world, every student will be amazed how this ancient city grew and evolved. There are no shortages of places to visit in Gree. Students can visit Acropolis, Agora, Library of Hadrian, Kerameikos, Olympieion & Southeast Athens, Pnyx, Roman Agora & Tower of the Winds, Arch of Hadrian, City Eleusinion and other ancient sites in this ancient city of Athens.



Egypt

Visit one of the earliest civilizations founded in this part of the world. Egypt features 3000 years old city in the banks of River Nile. Egypt is also one of the oldest tourist spots in the world with visitors coming from all over the world.

Moving your way south from Cairo, the nation’s capital, you can stop at Giza where the famous Great Pyramid stands. Did you know that it was built by Pharaoh Khafu in the year 2550 BC. Standing at 147 meters, it was the largest and the most ambitious structure built in the ancient Egypt requiring 2.3 million stone block to erect. Also at Giza, see the Pyramid of Khafre home if the Sphinx. It was built 30 after the Great Pyramid. As the second largest, the Pyramid of Khafre stands at 144 meters of 471 feet. The third pyramid located at Giza was the Pyramid of Menkaure which stands at 65 meters or 213 feet.



Further south, Saqqara is home to the Step Pyramid of Djoser built in 2630 BC. Pyramid of Pepi II, also located at Saqqara was the last pyramid built by ancient Egyptians. In Dahshur, the Bent and the Red Pyramids are located. And down south at Maidum, the Maidum Pyramid can be found.
See the temples, mummies, tombs, hieroglyphics, and Valley of the Kings and the Queens if you visit Egypt.

Rome

Rome is one of the best places to visit if you are religiously minded. If you aren't then its still a place to visit to admire the architecture. You will find ancient Rome still intact with evidences of Roman structure and architectures built more than 2000 years ago. Rome presents the living timeline from the Roman Empire to the shift of the Middle Ages, to baroque and renaissance, to the dawn of the romantic period and enlightenment. Rome preserves its temples, churches, arts, and priceless paintings and murals.



China

Travel Far East and learn the history of the ancient eastern civilization that was once unknown until the last centuries. See the Great Wall, a remnant of the Zhou Dynasty along with other unique oriental culture and tradition. See the Chinese painting, calligraphy, paper cutting, and Chinese art.

great wall of china


Peru

As the center of the Inca civilization, Peru is a great destination for student travel for discovery of 
South American history. The 500-year old Inca traces could be relived in the Inca Trail that is both exciting and educational. Walk to the Ollantaytambo, Sacsayhuaman, Machu Picchu, and Pisac.



Turkey


A former territory of the Roman Empire which stood strong for more than a thousand years against several barbarian attack. Turkey is in the easternmost part of Europe that features a diverse culture, religion, philosophy, and architectures. Click here to read why tourists visit Turkey

Hope you have liked this list of best places to visit as a student. If you have you own list then feel free to comment. 

Best places to visit in Dublin Ireland

Few places around the world lend a friendlier hand than Dublin. The Emerald Isle offers wonderful hospitality, complemented by its warm and friendly hosts. A cosmopolitan city, Dublin is rightly proud of its rich heritage, but also presents a modern face in keeping with contemporary culture.

Temple Bar Dublin

1. Trinity College

Housing the Book of Kells, a near two century old manuscript written by monks, Trinity College is Dublin’s oldest university, built in 1592.

2. Christ Church Cathedral

Dublin’s oldest building dates back nearly one thousand years to 1038. It was built courtesy of the invading Vikings, a monument to serve a powerful army.

3. Dublin Castle

Dating back to the Norman invasion, this wonderful example of medieval architecture captures the artistic influence of the time. Magnificent painted ceilings and crystal chandeliers portray the Ireland of one thousand years ago.

4. National Gallery of Ireland

Monet and Picasso are just two of the influential artists on display in the city’s largest gallery. Some 2,500 paintings give a flavour of a historic past and present.

5. Guinness Storehouse

Ireland’s most famous export was once brewed in this famous old building. Since relocated, the Guinness Storehouse now delights in telling its visitors how one of the world’s favourite beverages came to be.

Guinness Storehouse


6. Temple Bar

Contrasting Dublin’s historic ancestry, Temple Bar brings the city right up to modern day with its cosmopolitan mix of bars, restaurants, shops and art galleries.

7. Smithfield Village

More eating, drinking and shopping can be found at Smithfield Village, a newly renovated development. A walk to the top of the Chimney presents magnificent, panoramic views of Dublin.
8. Grafton StreetBig name department stores trade alongside local craft shops in the busiest shopping area of Dublin. Traditional Irish gifts and souvenirs can be found more easily in the adjacent Nassau Street.

9. Pint of Guinness

No visit to Ireland would be complete without a tipple of the world famous Irish Guinness. Locals say it tastes better in its home city. Well, there’s only one way to find out!

10. Irish Grand National

You can smell the money amongst the punters present at one of the great sporting events of the calendar. Join the runners and riders during the month of April to witness the Irish Grand National.

Why tourists visit Turkey

The five reasons why Turkey is remaining the number one emerging holiday hotspot for Europeans despite its recent security fears and the five reasons why Turkey is one of the most exciting destinations in the world for travelers today.

According to the latest reports from the tourism industry Turkey remains the number one emerging holiday hotspot despite recent cases of the human form of avian flu having been discovered in remote areas of the country (in 2015) along with severe cases security issues. 

temple of aphrodite turkey
Temple of Aphrodite in Turkey
The appeal of the country for those in search of a dream vacation destination stems from the following five key reasons: -

1) Turkey is a vast country with a rich historical and cultural background that offers the summer holidaymaker some of the most stunningly beautiful and unspoilt beaches on the Mediterranean Sea and some of the most exciting resorts which are becoming increasingly popular with European sports stars and celebrities.

2) The summer sunshine shines in southern Turkey from March until October giving tourists the chance to sample the delights of this inimitably interesting nation throughout the spring, summer and autumn.

3) In the winter Turkey plays host to winter sports fans and those in need of some après ski fun in a wide range of sophisticated ski resorts where prices are far lower than in Austria, Italy or Switzerland but where the quality of facilities and amenities are on a par with those of the best European winter sport resorts.

4) Prices for holiday accommodation to rent or even buy in Turkey are the lowest in the entire Mediterranean region and it’s possible for a family of four to rent a villa with sea views and a private pool for a tenth of the price of a similar property in Spain, Cyprus, Italy or France.  Furthermore anyone wishing to buy a holiday home in the sun will save hundreds of thousands of dollars, euros or pounds by buying property in Turkey rather than buying property on the Greek Islands or on the Spanish Costas for example.

5) The accessibility of Turkey is improving all the time as more airlines open up more routes to and from Turkey from across Europe.  One of the most recent developments in this area is a new regular British Airways flights from the UK to Dalaman and in terms of domestic flights within Turkey they are incredibly affordable which gives the holiday maker a chance to enjoy a dual or multi location holiday in the vast nation of Turkey.


Mumbai Travel Guide Book

Are you considering visiting Mumbai this year? If yes then I have news for you! I have another travel ebook that will be useful to those considering visiting Mumbai this year. I have been to Mumbai about 4 times and I have to say Mumbai is one hectic place and can be very confusing. Here's my new Mumbai Travel Guide Book and those considering visiting Mumbai should get it. The book is called "Travel Mumbai: Places to Visit in Mumbai: Mumbai Travel Guide" is available on all Amazon stores. It covers an introduction and history of Mumbai with places to visit with maps and photos.
Mumbai Travel Guide Book
Mumbai Travel Guide Book

How To Start A Travel Blog And Make Money eBook

Looks like everyone seem to want a blog these days. The trouble is that not everyone has the technical abilities to start a blog. Even if they do manage to start one, writing blog posts and then promoting them to get traffic is a completely different ball game. What is even harder is, making money from the blog. After a few months of trying their luck, majority of them give up.
How To Start A Travel Blog And Make Money
How To Start A Travel Blog And Make Money
I have therefore published a ebook called, “How To Start ATravel Blog And Make Money” and is now available to buy on Amazon. The book goes through everything for starting a travel blog - from start to finish. It helps you how to register a domain name, getting hosting, setting WordPress up, writing blog posts to making money from the blog.

The trouble with many bloggers is the monetization process. This is where most bloggers fail. Most of the bloggers are hell bent on using Adsense and other contextual advertising which is completely fine but that’s not where the money is. The big money making from travel blogs (and other blogers) is from affiliate marketing and getting advertisers to advertise on your blog. They are the ones who will be paying you. Learn how to start a travel blog and make money from it. You can find the book on all Amazon stores.

Here’s what you will learn in the book: 

Introduction to travel blogging and how to start it
Why everyone should have a travel blog
Things needed to start a travel blog
Registering a domain name
Setting up custom domain with Blogger
How to set up hosting
How to set up WordPress using cpanel
Changing WordPress theme
Installing WordPress plugins
Creating travel content
How to create posts
Search Engine Optimisation for your travel site
Off page SEO
Track your website traffic
Things to do after publishing your post
How to promote your travel blog using social media
Commenting for traffic
Travel sites to join
How to make money from your travel blog
Hot tips
Message from the author

Here’s the list of country specific Amazon stores where the book can be found.

Mexico: https://www.amazon.com.mx/dp/B00FDUDIPQ

Raja Yoga By Swami Vivekananda

Since the dawn of history, various extraordinary phenomena have been recorded as happening amongst human beings. Witnesses are not wanting in modern times to attest to the fact of such events, even in societies living under the full blaze of modern science. The vast mass of such evidence is unreliable, as coming from ignorant, superstitious, or fraudulent persons. In many instances the so-called miracles are imitations. But what do they imitate? It is not the sign of a candid and scientific mind to throw overboard anything without proper investigation. Surface scientists, unable to explain the various extraordinary mental phenomena, strive to ignore their very existence. They are, therefore, more culpable than those who think that their prayers are answered by a being, or beings, above the clouds, or than those who believe that their petitions will make such beings change the course of the universe. The latter have the excuse of ignorance, or at least of a defective system of education, which has taught them dependence upon such beings, a dependence which has become a part of their degenerate nature. The former have no such excuse.

Raja Yoga By Swami Vivekananda

For thousands of years such phenomena have been studied, investigated, and generalised, the whole ground of the religious faculties of man has been analysed, and the practical result is the science of Râja-Yoga. Raja-Yoga does not, after the unpardonable manner of some modern scientists, deny the existence of facts which are difficult to explain; on the other hand, it gently yet in no uncertain terms tells the superstitious that miracles, and answers to prayers, and powers of faith, though true as facts, are not rendered comprehensible through the superstitious explanation of attributing them to the agency of a being, or beings, above the clouds. It declares that each man is only a conduit for the infinite ocean of knowledge and power that lies behind mankind. It teaches that desires and wants are in man, that the power of supply is also in man; and that wherever and whenever a desire, a want, a prayer has been fulfilled, it was out of this infinite magazine that the supply came, and not from any supernatural being. The idea of supernatural beings may rouse to a certain extent the power of action in man, but it also brings spiritual decay. It brings dependence; it brings fear; it brings superstition. It degenerates into a horrible belief in the natural weakness of man. There is no supernatural, says the Yogi, but there are in nature gross manifestations and subtle manifestations. The subtle are the causes, the gross the effects. The gross can be easily perceived by the senses; not so the subtle. The practice of Raja-Yoga will lead to the acquisition of the more subtle perceptions.


All the orthodox systems of Indian philosophy have one goal in view, the liberation of the soul through perfection. The method is by Yoga. The word Yoga covers an immense ground, but both the Sânkhya and the Vedanta Schools point to Yoga in some form or other.

The subject of the present book is that form of Yoga known as Raja-Yoga. The aphorisms of Patanjali are the highest authority on Raja-Yoga, and form its textbook. The other philosophers, though occasionally differing from Patanjali in some philosophical points, have, as a rule, acceded to his method of practice a decided consent. The first part of this book comprises several lectures to classes delivered by the present writer in New York. The second part is a rather free translation of the aphorisms (Sutras) of Patanjali, with a running commentary. Effort has been made to avoid technicalities as far as possible, and to keep to the free and easy style of conversation. In the first part some simple and specific directions are given for the student who wants to practice, but all such are especially and earnestly reminded that, with few exceptions, Yoga can only be safely learnt by direct contact with a teacher. If these conversations succeed in awakening a desire for further information on the subject, the teacher will not be wanting.


The system of Patanjali is based upon the system of the Sankhyas, the points of difference being very few. The two most important differences are, first, that Patanjali admits a Personal God in the form of a first teacher, while the only God the Sankhyas admit is a nearly perfected being, temporarily in charge of a cycle of creation. Second, the Yogis hold the mind to be equally all-pervading with the soul, or Purusha, and the Sankhyas do not.

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Dinosaur in Love

  Once upon a time, in a land far away, A dinosaur named Rex had something to say. He walked with a swagger and a mighty great roar, He was ...