William Schindler, a.k.a. Brother William - Hindus - Indian Culture - Cultures

About > AllExperts
	Search for

Main Menu

Login (Experts Only)

About Us · FAQ · Tell Friends About Us · Link To Us · Free Encyclopedia · Disclaimer · Tech Support

You are here: AllExperts > Cultures > Indian Culture > Hindus

Expert Profile: William Schindler, a.k.a. Brother William

Expertise: I can answer questions about Vedanta philosophy, Patanjali Yoga philosophy and practice, Tantra, Bhagavad-Gita, Upanishads, Vivekachudamani (Shankara`s Crest-jewel of Spritual Discrimination), Advaita (non-dualism), the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda tradition, Goddess worship, meditation practice, Hindu monasticism (sannyasa), and Sanskrit.

Experience in the area
I've been studying and practicing Vedanta and Tantra since 1969.

Organizations
I'm the founder and spiritual director of Ashram West, a gay spiritual community based on traditional Hindu Tantra. I have been a member of the Vedanta Society of Southern California since 1969.

Publications
I have three books in print: GAY TANTRA, ESSAYS ON GAY TANTRA, BLOOD OF THE GODDESS.

Education/Credentials
I hold a B.A. in Sanskrit (UC Berkeley 1975) and an M.A. in clinical psychology (Antioch University 1986).

Ask a Question	View Past Answers	View Ratings

What do you still hope to achieve/learn in this field? I am always learning better ways to transmit the ancient teachings in ways that people today can better understand and use in their daily lives.

Something controversial or provocative about this subject Some heroic tantric practices involve the use of items that the uninitiated might find horrible or otherwise contrary to conventional norms of spirituality. Sexual ritual with a partner who is not one's spouse and the use of forbidden intoxicants are some examples. One may practice Tantra without doing these things, however.

Something interesting about this subject that others may not know: Many people hold the mistaken notion that Tantra is primarily about sex. The purpose of Tantra is to enable one to spiritualize the whole of life, to become enlightened. To the extent that sex is part of one's life, Tantra helps spiritualize that, too. But sexual ritual is an advanced practice unsuitable for most beginners.

What do you like about this subject? As a young man once said to Swami Vivekananda after hearing him lecture: "If all this is true, then nothing else matter. If it is not true, then nothing matters." Truth can be known, experienced directly. There is no need to believe blindly; you can find out for yourself by doing spiritual practice.

Average Ratings
Prestige Points: 2476
Knowledge	9.79 Best of the best
Clarity of Response	9.75 Best of the best
Timeliness	9.92 Best of the best
Politeness	10.0 Best of the best
Number Of Questions (in Past 24 Hours)		1
Max Questions to be Asked (in 24 Hour period)		5
Total Questions (since joining AllExperts)		441

Recent Reviews from Users

Knowl	Clarity	Time	Politeness	Date
9	8	10	10	12/02/08
10	10	10	10	11/19/08
10	10	10	10	10/30/08
10	10	10	10	10/18/08
10	10	10	10	09/07/08

User Comments

Thank you, brother.
(Kanu on 12/02/08)

Thanks.
(Tom on 10/30/08)

Thank you so much very helpful
(Julie-ann on 10/18/08)

Thanks again - Shiv
(Shiv on 09/07/08)

View All Comments

Ask a Question	View Past Answers	View Ratings

Recent Answers from William Schindler, a.k.a. Brother William

2008-12-02 Atma: Dear Kanu, Thank you for your question. The word “atma” in Sanskrit is used with different meanings in different contexts. The primary meaning of the world is “self,” and this may refer to the body-mind...

2008-11-20 Women in Hinuduism: Dear John, Thank you for your question. Hinduism, unlike Roman Catholicism, for example, has no centralized authority like the Pope to dictate doctrine for all believers. Therefore, we find the status...

2008-11-19 inter-caste marriage: Dear Warun, Thank you for your follow-up question. First, please review my response to your first question as to the original meaning and application of the concept of caste. In marriage it is good...

2008-11-18 inter-caste marriage: Dear Warun, Thank you for your question. Varna, or caste, as it was originally conceived and practice among Aryans, had nothing to do with one's ancestry and everything to do with one's nature (svabhava)...

2008-11-08 Mantra ending: Dear Ansh, Thank you for your question. Mantras should always be learned from a qualified guru and not from books. Your guru will tell you how to practice with your mantra. The words “svaha“...