Sanatana Dharma: A Complete Guide in 22 Lessons
The eternal way of living — God, the soul, karma, yoga, worship, scripture, and how to live as a Hindu. A free, self-study course.22 lessons
The course in six parts
1.Foundations
Start here. What Sanatana Dharma actually is, the scriptures it rests on, and the vast Vedic timescale everything else sits inside.
- What Is Sanatana Dharma? Meaning, Scriptures & the Eternal Way of LifeSanatana Dharma is the original name behind the word Hinduism. Understand its meaning, the Shruti and…
- The Scriptures of Sanatana Dharma: Vedas, Upanishads, Itihasas & PuranasA clear map of the Sanatana Dharma scriptures: the four layers of the Vedas, Brahman, the Upavedas and six…
- The Vedic Conception of Time: Yugas, Kalpa & the Lifespan of BrahmaHow Sanatana Dharma measures time: the breath of Maha Vishnu, the day of Brahma (Kalpa), the four yugas and…
2.Understanding God
Who God is in Sanatana Dharma — the one Supreme, his three aspects, his ten avatars, his cosmic creation, his eternal abodes, and the many devatas who serve him.
- Is There a God? Ishvara, Atheist Arguments & the Six Opulences of BhagavanThe Sanatana Dharma answer to 'is there a God': the common atheist arguments and their replies, the case…
- The Three Aspects of Godhead: Brahman, Paramatma and BhagavanSanatana Dharma's three realizations of God, explained with the sun analogy: Brahman the impersonal…
- Dashavatara: The 10 Avatars of Vishnu and the Story of EvolutionThe ten avatars of Vishnu — Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parashurama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha…
- Brahma Samhita 5.23: How Creation Begins in DarknessA study of Brahma Samhita verse 5.23: the cosmology of Maha Vishnu and the Causal Ocean, Brahma born on the…
- The Abodes of the Lord: A Map of the Spiritual WorldThe graded realms of Sanatana Dharma from Brahma Samhita 5.43: Goloka, Vaikuntha, Maheshadhama, and…
- The Devatas: Who They Are and How They Relate to GodUnderstanding the devatas in Sanatana Dharma: one God and many devatas, the king-and-ministers model, the…
3.The Soul & Karma
What we are — the eternal soul — and the laws that carry us through the world: karma, reincarnation, and the three modes of material nature.
- Who Are We? The Atma, the Soul, and the Bhagavad Gita's First TeachingSanatana Dharma's answer to 'who am I': you are not the body but the eternal atma. The Bhagavad Gita's…
- Karma and Reincarnation: The Three Bodies and What Decides Your Next BirthHow karma and reincarnation work in Sanatana Dharma: the gross, subtle and spiritual bodies, the three…
- The Three Modes of Material Nature: Sattva, Rajas, Tamas, and Reading Your Own ModeThe three gunas of Sanatana Dharma: goodness (sattva), passion (rajas), and ignorance (tamas). The three…
4.Yoga & Worship
How the soul connects with God: the ladder of yoga, temple worship and arati, and the festivals and fasts that shape the devotional year.
- The Yoga Ladder: How the Soul Connects with GodSanatana Dharma's real yoga, from animal life up to bhakti. The yoga ladder explained rung by rung…
- Temple Worship and the Meaning of AratiHow to approach a Hindu temple and what arati really means. The temple as an embassy of the spiritual…
- Festivals and the Meaning of EkadashiThe festival year of Sanatana Dharma, from Janmashtami to Diwali, and the meaning of Ekadashi: the pastime…
5.Living Dharma
How to actually live it — social and spiritual duty, the sacraments of a lifetime, everyday values, and why the cow is honoured as a mother.
- Varnashrama Dharma: The Four Classes and Four Stages of LifeWhat varnashrama really teaches: the four varnas and four ashramas as the parts and seasons of a healthy…
- Samskara: The Sacraments of a LifetimeThe samskaras of Sanatana Dharma, the rites of passage that purify a life from before birth to after death…
- Values and Culture: How to Live as a Human BeingThe values and culture of Sanatana Dharma: the four pillars of Dharma (mercy, truthfulness, cleanliness…
- Gaumata: Why the Cow Is Called Our MotherThe sacred cow in Sanatana Dharma: the seven mothers, Kamadhenu the wish-fulfilling cow, the demigods…
6.Scripture Studies
Close readings from the Srimad Bhagavatam and a full summary of the Bhagavad Gita, the heart of the tradition.
- Markandeya and the Baby on the Banyan Leaf: A Vision of the Lord's MayaSrimad Bhagavatam, Canto 12, Chapter 9: the immortal sage Markandeya asks to see the Lord's illusory…
- The Glories of Srimad Bhagavatam: The Final ChapterSrimad Bhagavatam, Canto 12, Chapter 13: the concluding chapter on the glories of the Bhagavatam, the…
- The Bhagavad Gita in Summary: All Eighteen ChaptersA chapter-by-chapter summary of the Bhagavad Gita: its three-part structure of karma, bhakti, and gyana…