![]() Ritual without philosophy is only superstition, while philosophy without ritual practices amounts to madness.” The mission’s philosophy is based in Vedanta, or “the conclusion of the Vedas,”-the foundation of Hinduism. Swami Chinmayananda said, “True religion has two important constituents: its philosophy and its ritual. He urged me to pray, to recite the Vishnusahasranama and Aditya Hrudayam every day. My husband-my best friend and soulmate-tried to comfort me. I was on the verge of becoming an atheist. Soon I no longer felt like praying I lost interest in my favorite activities, such as listening to music or going for long walks. My mother, siblings and cousins in India also tried to console me, to no avail. Engulfed with sadness and anger, I could only nod my head when friends offered condolences. My caring mother-in-law and husband cooked food for the family every day for the next two months, while I would sit in my room for hours, staring at a beautiful picture of Lord Krishna, asking, “Why did my father die? Why am I feeling so sad?” Sometimes tears rolled down my face. I found myself hating life every morning. For the following few weeks I was overwhelmed with intense pain, sadness and grief. The difficult karma kept coming, and I fractured my right hand on the journey home. After traveling to India for the funeral rites with my husband, mother-in-law and son, I returned to the US with a heavy heart.
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