Elliot 
Enlightenment Nirvana is a Sanskrit word that literally means ‘blown out’. In Indian religions, this is the achievement of moksha, or liberation from reincarnation. Nirvana refers to the extreme silence of the mind after one has tempered the fires of desire, aversion, and delusion. It is most commonly associated with Buddhism, though Hinduism and Jainism use … Read more
The Founder of Jainism Mahavira or Varhamana was the 24th and last Tirthankara (person who has conquered Samsara) of Jainism, therefore the founder, or reformer of the Jain religion. Mahavira, like the legends of the buddha, was born into a royal family in Bihar, India. The name Mahavira means great warrior, though in youth Mahavira … Read more
Siddhartha Gautama Siddhartha Gautama, or the buddha, is the sage whose teachings were interpreted to form Buddhism. ‘Buddha’ means awakened one, or enlightened one and is titular for the first awakened being of an age. Siddhartha is the supreme buddha (Sanskrit सिद्धार्थ गौतम | samyaksaṃbuddha) and taught a middle way between the opposing philosophies of indulgence and asceticism in … Read more
Planned 2015 Travels in Asia and Europe I am starting to get excited to leave for India, I bought some great hiking boots and a solid camping backpack for traveling around Asia. I will be trying to post the entire time I am there, but am leaving room for lacking technology in Asia. Things have … Read more
Brahman is a Hindu concept describing the energy force behind the universe, the unchanging truth of why the universe is, and the source behind it. This is very different from the god Brahma, who is known as the creation aspect of the divine pantheon and is a part of the Trimurti with Shiva and Vishnu. He is … Read more
Comparing two religions in their similarities, differences, and the in-between “Can you do a simple comparison of Hindu versus Buddhism at some time in the future?” -Inga D This article comes from a request from my good friend Inga, thanks for the great idea! Most of my experience with these two religions is based upon … Read more
“This is what happens when you give yourself to love completely, my son” the priest sighed, continuing to stare at the crucifix. His own distaste at the particularly vivid depiction was apparent. It was almost like Jesus was there. The boy, only eight, looked up again at the statue, hung over the altar in the … Read more
Are you looking for the list of ten things? I hate to break it to you, but your body’s nutritional needs are much more complex than a 10 item list, so stop looking for the easy way out. With that said, I have about 5 or 6 points I would like to make :), these … Read more
My Way of Doing “Art”: ADD ADD and ADHD are the same thing, there is no meaningful difference in the classification, in case you thought there was. ADD (or add the H if you want to be outdated) is one of those hot topics in America that really doesn’t make sense to me. Giving children … Read more