In Sri Yukteswar’s younger days, His health was rather frail. One day, while recovering from an illness, His Guru, Sri Lahiri Mahasaya, commented that his wellness was a matter of will, explaining: “Thought is a force, even as electricity or gravitation. The human mind is a spark of the almighty consciousness of God. I could show you that whatever your powerful mind believes very intensely would i

Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri was born Priya Nath Karar on May 10, 1855, in Serampore, West Bengal, India. His father was a wealthy landowner. Sri Yukteswar was fairly young when He inherited and shouldered the burden of managing His family’s land holdings upon His father’s passing. It was through a friendship with a local maharaj that Sri Yukteswar met His own Guru, Lahiri Mahasaya, a disciple

As a young adult, Saint Clare went to San Damiano, where she stayed for 40 years, serving as the abbess. She was reunited with her mother and younger sister Beatrice during her time there. Saint Clare of Assisi founded the Order of Poor Ladies, later named Poor Clares, which had strict vows of silence, poverty, and fasting. She exclaimed, “They say that we are too poor, but can a heart which posse

“Place your mind before the mirror of eternity! Place your soul in the brilliance of glory! Place your heart in the figure of the Divine substance! And transform your whole being into the image of the Godhead Itself through contemplation!” – Saint Clare of Assisi Together with the devoted companion Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Clare founded a religious monastic order with over 12,000 foll

We are honored to continue our interview with Antonia, a Costa Rican-Lebanese and family relative of Saint Charbel Makhlouf, as she shares more stories of the Saint. "He (Saint Charbel Makhlouf) is known as a thaumaturge, a wonderworker. But perhaps the greatest wonder is that He works miracles and wonders for Christians, yes, but He is highly revered by Muslims, who come to His grave a lot

Today, we are so honored to have Antonia, one of Saint Charbel Makhlouf’s family relatives, rejoin us and share more stories of the Saint. "Saint Charbel, or Mar Charbel, did not leave any writings, and very little is known about Him because He was an extremely private person. He never spoke. It is well known that when He was sent to attend a sick person, or to give extreme unction, or for the ano

Known as the “Miracle Monk of Lebanon” by Lebanese Christians, Saint Charbel Makhlouf was a 19th-century monk who lived in Lebanon. We are privileged to have one of His relatives, Antonia, with us to share some stories of Saint Charbel Makhlouf. Antonia is of Costa Rican-Lebanese heritage, and her family has a deep relationship with the Saint. "Since He was a child, He loved the countryside, He lo

Known as the 'Miracle Monk of Lebanon' by Lebanese Christians, Saint Charbel Makhlouf was born on May 8, 1828, as the fifth child of Antoun Zaarour Makhlouf and Brigitta Chidiac. The devout Maronite Catholic family lived in the Lebanese mountain village of Bekaa Kafra. As a youth, Saint Charbel Makhlouf was drawn to the exemplary lives of the saints and hermits. However, in 1851, at 23 years of ag

Abdu'l-Bahá was the eldest son of Bahá'u'lláh. Along with Bahá'u'lláh and the Báb, Abdu’l-Bahá, who staunchly persevered and worked towards the realization of His father’s mission, was canonized as the last of the three “central authoritative figures” of the Baha’i faith. Today, Abdu’l-Bahá’s discourses and writings continue to serve as a source of Bahá'í sacred literature. Abdu’l-Bahá was

Born on December 22, 1853, in Jayrambati, West Bengal, in India, Sri Sarada Devi was the wife and spiritual consort of 19th-century Hindu Master and Saint, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa. Sarada Devi is also endearingly known as the Holy Mother or Sri Sri Maa by the followers of the Sri Ramakrishna monastic order. A venerated woman Saint and mystic of the 19th century, Sri Sarada Devi was the embodim

Since love is at the heart of everything, the be-all and end-all of creation, Maharaj Ji Neem Karoli Baba’s doctrine was simple: “Love everyone, serve everyone, remember God, and tell the truth.” He followed this up by repeatedly saying “Sub Ek,” which means “All is One,” and continued with: “If you cannot love each other, you cannot achieve your goal,” for “the whole universe is our home and all

Maharaj Ji Neem Karoli Baba, known throughout North India as the “Miracle Baba,” was a unique and astonishing mystic who lived in Nanital, in the Himalayas. He was born around 1900 in the village of Akbarpur in Uttar Pradesh, into an affluent Brahmin family. Named Lakshmi Narayan Sharma, He was unmoved by worldly attachments even as a child. He married at the age of 11 but left for Gujarat soon af

Venerated enlightened Master Socrates was one of the greatest ancient Greek philosophers. He showed how discussion and debate could help people understand difficult issues, issues that were superficially political, but deep down were moral questions about the meaning of life and goodness. One of his famous pupils was the venerated enlightened Master and philosopher Plato. Socrates was unlik

During a lecture in 1988, Supreme Master Ching Hai recounted the story of Saint Bernadette. “Her younger brother who always stole her bread asked her, ‘What did you see just now?’ Bernadette did not want to tell him at first, but her younger brother kept asking, so she said, ‘Okay! I will tell you, but you can’t tell anyone else.’ So she told both of them, ‘I saw a beautiful woman just now. and gl

Marie Bernarde Soubirous, a humble peasant girl, was known to all as Bernadette. Her life story has transformed Lourdes from a small market town in the Hautes-Pyrénées department into one of the most important sites of pilgrimage in the world. Young Bernadette was a compassionate sister and daughter, but because of the family’s situation and her own health, she did not have the opportunity to get

The Venerated Mahatma Koot Hoomi, also known as Kuthumi or K. H., is one of the great Masters of Ancient Wisdom. Incarnating again and again, the compassionate Savior’s mission is to aid humanity in their spiritual evolution. In His last incarnation as Master Koot Hoomi, He was instrumental in the founding of the Theosophical Society. Alongside Lord Jesus Christ, the Venerated Mahatma Koot Hoomi n

Renowned as “Sheikh ul Akbar,” meaning “the Greatest Master,” in the Muslim world, Hazrat Sheikh Mohye-ed-din Ibn ul-Arabi was an influential Andalusian Sufi mystic, philosopher, poet, and spiritual teacher. Born on July 28, 1165, in Murcia, Spain, Ibn Arabi provided a far-reaching understanding of Islam and spiritual Masters worldwide through his teachings and writings. Ibn Arabi wrote over 350 w

Babaji has appeared on Earth in many different forms and incarnations. He can form a physical body anytime He needs, without undergoing the normal process of being born into the world through a woman as a baby. The book “Babaji Neti Neti,” written by Sita Rami, records these descriptions of Haidakhan Babaji: “His eyes are dark and sparkling, laughing, full of bliss, endless in their depth; seeming

Shri Mahendra Maharaj, popularly known as Shri Mahendra Baba, was a Siddha yogi, an ascetic with supernatural powers. He travelled across the Indian subcontinent professing the coming of Shri Haidakhan Babaji, who was acknowledged as one of the manifestations of Shiva Mahavatar Babaji, the famous Immortal Saint who revived Kriya Yoga. Shri Mahendra Baba Ji had two subsequent visions. On his fifth

His Excellency Ben Ammi Ben-Israel was the beloved founder and anointed spiritual leader of the African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem. After having a divine vision in the 1960s, he led a group of African American Hebrew Israelites on a pilgrimage, eventually settling in Israel, “the Promised Land.” In Dimona, Israel, he established the now-thriving Kingdom of God (or Yah) spiritual community. Driven by inner revelations and guided by biblical scripture, he immersed his followers in the compassionate ways of God. Throughout his lifetime, His Excellency Ben Ammi Ben-Israel lectured extensively and authored many books discussing different topics, from biblical prophecy to a healthy lifestyle, emphasizing non-violence and veganism as fundamental to a successful spiritual life. In February 1966, His Excellency Ben Ammi experienced a miraculous vision that would set in motion the beginning of a new life – physically and spiritually – for himself and fellow African Hebrew Israelites. One evening, as I lay there on my bed, and the Angel Gabriel came [and said]: “Bring the Word of God,” that it was time to start the journey back to the Promised Land and to establish the long-awaited Kingdom of God. And the year of the exodus would be 1967. In 1967, the first group of 350 African Hebrew Israelites left the United States and initially resettled in Liberia. His Excellency Ben Ammi and his followers endured two years in the harsh and challenging environment there, undergoing many trials and tests of faith. It was viewed as a cleansing period for the group. During this time, community members planned to have a ritual slaughter of a goat as per secular tradition. His Excellency Ben Ammi stopped the cruel practice from taking place, explaining that this was not the kind of sacrifice that God wanted, but rather it was their devotion. He implored them to be repentant in their hearts and expel their old unclean habits. In 1969, His Excellency Ben Ammi and his followers began to settle in Israel. The group founded the now-famed African Hebrew settlement at the city of Dimona, in the Negev Desert in central Israel. At Dimona, Israel, His Excellency Ben Ammi established the Kingdom of God, or Yah, settlement. The settlement is self-sufficient and run in accordance with the spiritual principles inspired by Genesis.