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Subhamoy Das
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By Subhamoy Das, About.com Guide to Hinduism

Thanksgiving Has Hindu Roots?

Friday November 21, 2008

A yoga master made a startling statement: that Abraham Lincoln had been a Himalayan yogi in a past life. Lincoln delivered a proclamation establishing Thanksgiving as an American holiday in 1863. Research sheds light on a possible Hindu origin for the American celebration of Thanksgiving.

"The holiday of Thanksgiving has a Hindu origin," says Richard Salva, author of a book on the reincarnation of Abraham Lincoln entitled 'Soul Journey: From Lincoln to Lindbergh' which is based on a statement by the great master of yoga, Paramhamsa Yogananda, who declared that Abraham Lincoln had been a Himalayan yogi in a past life. "During my search for signs of a past-life yoga practice," Salva said, "I noticed that President Lincoln repeatedly chose Thursdays - the holiest day in the week for Hindus - as national days of prayer, fasting, and thanksgiving.

Comments

December 19, 2008 at 10:51 pm
(1) Maharaj says:

That’s really interesting. In fact all founding fathers of America were great mystics themselves. My friend who literally read every authoritative book about american freedom fight often says this.

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