Browse Meditation

Among all the animals in the world, it is the faithful dog that evokes the most positive emotions in people. Being pack animals, dogs are known for their loyalty and allegiance to their masters. These animals can also prove to be faithful companions when times are tough. As such, there is a bond that grows between humans and dogs that expand into multitudes of cultures. This is what gives way to the symbolism of dogs in Tibetan Buddhism. In this mode of Buddhism, dogs rise far above being mere pets. Instead, they take on many components of religious symbolism.

Published · 2,178 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

Tibetan Buddhism is somewhat unique in the sense that it integrates a variety of prayer items into its process of worship. One such item is that of the Prayer Wheel. As more and more people are becoming interested in Tibetan Buddhism, additional interest continues to grow in the peripheral items connected to such worship. That is why many will purchase prayer wheels for their decorative value. Certainly, there is nothing wrong with making such a purchase as prayer wheels do make excellent decorations.

Published · 2,007 views · Rated 4/5 from 1 votes

Some may say that Buddhism is a minimalist religion since it does not employ the volume of icons and items found in other religions. But, to assume there are not items associated with the practice of Buddhism would be an inaccurate assessment. Depending upon the type of Buddhism one is practicing, certain components are utilized effectively in its practice. In Tibetan Buddhism, various items are used effectively in the process of worship. Of the many different products used in the performance of Buddhist practice, singing bowls would be among the most unique and interesting.

Published · 1,785 views · Rated 4/5 from 1 votes

A topic along the lines of the essential of Buddhism is something that could take many volumes to cover. That is because there is a great deal of complexity associated with the religion of Buddhism. However, there is a certain irony present here as well. Namely, Buddhism is a very simple religion at its core. It is primarily a practice of worship that entails adherence to simple logic and common sense. This is far removed from many of the past religions of the world that are rooted in spiritualism, mysticism, and magic.

Published · 1,720 views

While we often do not think of gods and deities when we think about Buddhism, the fact remains there are symbolic gods and goddesses in certain modes of Buddhist practice. This is most evident in Tibetan Buddhism where the Goddess Tara appears frequently in symbols and images. Those interested in the subject of Tibetan Buddhism would certainly benefit from taking a closer look at this particular goddess. Such an exploration would aid in gaining an understanding of what she represents. From this, a clearer understanding of what Tibetan Buddhism represents can also be derived.

Published · 2,609 views · Rated 4/5 from 1 votes

There are 8 Auspicious Symbols in Buddhist art and the Lotus Flower is one of the most prominent. In fact, you could credibly claim that the Lotus Flower is the most well known of all the symbols. It is commonly featured in artwork because of its deep rooted connection to the notion of enlightenment which is the prime goal of practicing Buddhism. The Lotus Flower and its derivative Lotus position in the practice of Buddhism have a greater level of complexity than most realize.

Published · 1,803 views

While there are many differences among the various religions of the world, there are some aspects of similarity among them as well. This can be commonly seen in the prevalence of prayer beads worn or employed in the worship of various religions. Prayer beads are incorporated in the worship of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism. Why are prayer beads so common and what is there significance? The reasons for this are well worth looking at… First, one needs to clearly understand what prayer beads are.

Published · 1,675 views

While many have the impression that Buddhism is a religion not known for its icons and symbols, this is not an accurate assessment. There are many components to the worship of Buddhism that are integrated into its worship. One such item is that of the prayer flag. In fact, so common is the prayer flag in certain circles of Buddhism that the flag is the defining symbolic item that clearly displays a Buddhist place of worship or the home of a practitioner of Buddhism. So, what are prayer flags and what is their purpose?

Published · 1,903 views

When it comes to the connection betwee Buddhism and wisdom, it would not be accurate to say that the path to wisdom is found exclusively through Buddhism. However, it would be accurate to say that a life spent practicing Buddhism would make you a wiser person. You would definitely achieve such wisdom to a far greater degree than a lifetime of idle pursuits. That is because many of the processes in Buddhism are found in rather earthen and common thought processes.

Published · 1,571 views

Surely, you have seen images of the practitioners of Buddhism sitting in the lotus position. Those familiar with such a posture are undoubtedly aware that when practitioners are in such a position they are meditating. Without a doubt, meditation can be considered one of the most vital components to the practice of this eastern religion. Yes, if there was one component that most people were familiar about when it comes to Zen Buddhism it would be the art and science of meditation.

Published · 1,710 views

It’s said that the Buddha admonished his students not to believe anything just because it’s taught by teachers or appears in sacred books but, instead, to examine everything carefully themselves. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some ideas about meditation. I have often wondered about the phrase "meditation practice." Tell me, just what you are practicing for? Most people say they are doing meditation practice to improve other parts of their lives that don’t have anything to do with meditation.

Published · 635 views · Rated 4/5 from 1 votes

I was over at my friend Dave’s house when I noticed he had a book called 8-Minute Meditation. I had to take look at it. Since I think meditation can be experienced instantly and this fellow says you can do it in eight minutes, I was curious to see what he’s up to. In a nutshell, he was offering your basic Buddhist meditation instruction while leaving out most of the Buddhist theory.

Published · 1,181 views · Rated 3/5 from 3 votes

Those who are just starting out with meditation often try to create a daily meditation practice. People regularly ask me to talk about starting a daily practice in a similar tone to how people talk about losing weight or stopping smoking. The conversation sounds like there is some habit that needs to be overcome or acquired. Maybe I'm not the best person to ask about this, because besides going to the bathroom and breathing, there isn't really anything I can think of that I do every single day.

Published · 1,455 views · Rated 2.8/5 from 10 votes

While not the first person to teach meditation in the West, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi has been one of the more influential meditation teachers of our times. You probably recognize his photo even if you didn't recognize his name. And if his photo isn’t familiar to you, chances are good that you would know him as the person who founded TM® or Transcendental Meditation®. What you may not know is that he is also the founder of Maharishi International University, a school located in a small town called Fairfield, Iowa.

Published · 1,409 views · Rated 3/5 from 3 votes

While not the first person to teach meditation in the West, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi has been one of the more influential meditation teachers of our times. You probably recognize his photo even if you didn't recognize his name. And if his photo isn’t familiar to you, chances are good that you would know him as the person who founded TM® or Transcendental Meditation®. What you may not know is that he is also the founder of Maharishi International University, a school located in a small town called Fairfield, Iowa.

Published · 1,504 views · Rated 2/5 from 1 votes

I've done more than twenty Vipassana meditation retreats. My first one was in 1983. I had been meditating for more than twelve years at that point, but I had never taken ten days to do nothing except meditate for fourteen hours a day. Americans interested in practicing Vipassana are likely to encounter two primary lineages for this kind of meditation. One of them was brought from Burma by Mahasi Sayadaw and is taught at the Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Califo ia and at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts. You will often hear this referred to mindfulness meditation.

Published · 2,128 views · Rated 3/5 from 2 votes

If you are looking into Buddhist meditation and you want to really go deeply into it, then the best way to do that is to go on a Buddhist meditation retreat. You can find Buddhist meditation centers just about anywhere in the world. However, having completed over thirty meditation retreats, I can tell you that there is no need to travel to some distant country to find the best meditation center. This is true even if you want to do Tibetan meditation. There is no need to go to Tibet or Nepal for a good Tibetan Buddhist retreat.

Published · 1,605 views · Rated 3/5 from 2 votes

When you are searching for meditation techniques or want meditation instruction, whether you are looking for relaxation meditation or spiritual meditation techniques, if you are an advanced student or a beginner, if you are searching for anxiety relief or anything else...whatever reason you may want to meditate, it’s important to keep in mind that there are many different kinds of meditation.

Published · 1,436 views · Rated 3/5 from 2 votes

Finding the right meditation supplies, especially the perfect meditation cushion, can feel lot like looking for the Holy Grail. I started meditating in 1970 and since then, I've tried almost every kind of meditation cushion ever created. I've spent so much time on this I even tried to design the ideal meditation cushion myself, contemplating how to make something that would hold my spine perfectly straight, let my knees be comfortable and my back to be free of pain.

Published · 917 views · Rated 3.7/5 from 3 votes

Want to learn how to teach meditation? It’s simple. You can turn yourself into a meditation teacher in less than five minutes by following these easy steps. First, pick a simple meditation technique and practice describing how to do it. You don’t have to be able to do it yourself, just be able to explain to others how it is supposed to be done. Don’t know any meditation techniques? No problem. Just do a search for free meditation techniques online. Or you can try using this one: Pay attention to your breathing. Be aware of your in-breath; be aware of your out-breath.

Published · 1,078 views · Rated 3/5 from 3 votes

Back when I started doing Buddhist meditation in the ‘70’s, it was hard to find any Buddhist books or Buddhist retreats or Buddhist meditation classes or any information of any kind at all that could help me learn a daily Buddhist meditation practice. If you started talking about the "Dalai Lama," people figured you meant some kind of restaurant featuring sandwiches for pack animals from South America. It's different now, of course. In fact, I think people have gotten a bit Buddhist meditation happy these days.

Published · 1,908 views · Rated 3.3/5 from 6 votes

Would you like to learn Zen meditation? If you do, then you have to make a decision: would you prefer to sit staring at a blank wall, or would you like to have an idea what other meditators in the room look like? Actually, there’s another decision involved: do you want your progress towards enlightenment to be gradual, or would you prefer to wait a long, long time and then have enlightenment strike instantly?

Published · 1,332 views · Rated 3.3/5 from 3 votes

Would you like to learn Zen meditation? If you do, then you have to make a decision: would you prefer to sit staring at a blank wall, or would you like to have an idea what other meditators in the room look like? Actually, there’s another decision involved: do you want your progress towards enlightenment to be gradual, or would you prefer to wait a long, long time and then have enlightenment strike instantly?

Published · 2,446 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

"How to Meditate" In 1970, I saw this title on a small ad in the back of a comic book. I could learn to meditate for just $1, the ad promised. “Secrets of ancient yogi masters revealed: achieve psychic powers, control the mind!” Learning to meditate like a monk through this step-by-step course was only four quarters away. I could hardly wait.

Published · 951 views · Rated 3/5 from 3 votes

After teaching meditation to thousands of people, when I ask what sorts of problems they encounter with their practice, I hear the same three answers again and again. The problem I hear the most frequently is that people can't quiet their minds. They refer to having "monkey mind," or tell me, "I can't stop thinking." Sometimes they say they have "negative self-talk," or other unhappy thoughts they can't get rid of. The second complaint on the list is not having enough time.

Published · 1,369 views · Rated 3/5 from 2 votes

Jason Shulman, a friend of mine and Kabbalistic healer, tells one of my very favorite stories about Zen meditation. He had gone on sesshin, a Zen meditation retreat. He was at a place in his daily meditation practice where he had come to believe that the goal of Zen meditation was to have no thoughts. So he sat on his meditation cushion in the lotus position, facing a blank white wall with his hands in the correct mudra.

Published · 3,675 views · Rated 3.1/5 from 9 votes

On one of the meditation courses I did, we sat for fourteen hours a day. During that time, there was one three-hour period when we were supposed to sit in the meditation hall on our meditation cushions without moving in any way.

Published · 1,481 views · Rated 3/5 from 5 votes

Not long ago, I did a web search for how to meditate. In each of the top twenty results were nearly identical basic instructions: Find a quiet spot. Choose the same time to meditate each day. Sit upright with your back relaxed and your spine straight.

Published · 1,228 views · Rated 4/5 from 4 votes

It is easier than ever to get meditation instruction where you live. You can find meditation classes in almost any American city. I’ve see YMCA's in the middle of nowhere offer free meditation instruction. At one time, you could have listed all of America’s spiritual and meditation retreat centers in a book you could put in your back pocket. You can now find meditation centers and meditation teachers in every state in the Union, often no more than a few hours away. Back in 1970, when I started meditating, there weren’t very many books on meditation.

Published · 875 views · Rated 3/5 from 2 votes

Several decades ago, I listened to a talk given by a Western teacher who had become a monk in a Tibetan Buddhist tradition. In order to protect the possibly guilty, I’ll leave out his name. He described how, in the years since he’d become a monk and began formally practicing meditation, he had grown calmer and improved his ability to manage life's ups and downs. The audience responded with both envy and optimism. They were optimistic because of the possibility that meditation could lead to more happiness.

Published · 1,709 views · Rated 3/5 from 3 votes

If you’d like to relax, take a mental vacation, gain some spiritual insight, or just clear your mind, a good way to do so is to meditate. There are many different was to do meditation and there are even more methods to learn how to meditate. Almost every religion has its own meditation techniques. Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish and Christian traditions all have some form of contemplative meditation in which you select a teaching from a sacred text and quietly consider it, looking to find the truth in it or to see how it applies to or affects your own life.

Published · 1,121 views · Rated 3/5 from 3 votes

If you’d like to relax, take a mental vacation, gain some spiritual insight, or just clear your mind, a good way to do so is to meditate. There are many different was to do meditation and there are even more methods to learn how to meditate. Almost every religion has its own meditation techniques. Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish and Christian traditions all have some form of contemplative meditation in which you select a teaching from a sacred text and quietly consider it, looking to find the truth in it or to see how it applies to or affects your own life.

Published · 1,280 views · Rated 2/5 from 2 votes

As I wrote the title of this post, “Meditation and Depression,” I found myself smiling at the concept that meditation could cause depression.

Published · 1,577 views · Rated 3.5/5 from 6 votes

There must be something wrong with the way I talk. I decided this must be the case because when I say I teach meditation, people frequently say, "Oh, you do yoga?" Meditation… yoga… I don’t think they sound like the same words – do you? Many people, however, seem to think they are the same thing. Yes, Pantanjali's yoga included meditation, and there is yoga in some of the Tibetan Buddhist schools of meditation. But meditation and yoga are not the same things and often not even remotely related.

Published · 1,215 views · Rated 3/5 from 3 votes

You could say that yoga & meditation are two sides of a coin. They can be difficult to separate. Doing both meditation and yoga isn't required, but they do go together well. They each can enhance your practice of the other. If you take meditation to your yoga mat, you may find more ease and flexibility in your postures and perhaps a greater degree of calmness than you used to feel.

Published · 1,240 views · Rated 3.7/5 from 3 votes

One of my friends is a Tibetan Buddhist monk. He’s an actual Tibetan born in Tibet, not an American who has converted to Tibetan Buddhism or learned Tibetan Buddhist meditation. If you’re actively involved with some religious or spiritual tradition, I recommend getting to know a high-ranking leader within that tradition.

Published · 1,801 views · Rated 4/5 from 3 votes

Here are some ideas on how to best prepare for your first meditation retreat: 1) Make sure details are handled before leaving. Pay your bills. Arrange for someone to check your messages and let them know where to reach you in case of emergency. Be sure someone will be checking on your pets and knows how to reach your vet. Record a new outgoing voicemail message so people know you will be unavailable till you get back. 2) You will forget some things… and it will bother you.

Published · 1,044 views · Rated 4/5 from 1 votes

Meditation is not going to help you. Meditation will not make you more peaceful and calm. It’s not going to eliminate your stress. Meditation will not cure your disease. It’s not going to advance you spiritually. Meditation will not help you do better at your job or sport or hobby. Meditation does not give anyone magical powers. It’s not going to assist you in making more money. And you most definitely will not become enlightened from meditating. Okay, there, I've said it.

Published · 1,266 views · Rated 2.3/5 from 3 votes

Would learning to do meditation yoga techniques create more peace for your body-mind? Yoga and meditation both demonstrate how the mind and body are interdependent. If you relax the body with yoga, the mind will get the hint, too. If you calm the mind with meditation, then the body can let go as well. You can find dozens and probably hundreds of yoga and meditation techniques.

Published · 1,236 views · Rated 3/5 from 2 votes

I was a meditation failure. I began meditating at the age of eight when I purchased a "Hypnodisk" I saw in the novelty Johnson-Smith catalog. The manual explained how to induce a hypnotic trance, information which soon caused my teacher to write to my parents asking me to stop hypnotizing the class. But it also contained some basic meditation instructions I began using at that time. When I turned 14, my meditation practice turned serious and I learned biofeedback to help me with migraines.

Published · 604 views · Rated 4/5 from 1 votes

Is meditation meant to be a relaxation system? I wonder about that. When I was eighteen, I was introduced to a famous American meditation teacher and we became friends. Through him, I met another American who had spent the prior six years in Thailand as a Buddhist monk. This former monk had only recently returned to the US and traded out his monk's robes for regular clothing. He was still working out what his "right livelihood" might be - you know, work that would pay him enough to cover his food and rent.

Published · 1,366 views · Rated 2.8/5 from 4 votes

One of my closest friends wrote me to say he planned to go on a mindfulness meditation retreat to find some relaxation. I picked up the phone to suggest that he might want to reconsider that plan. Now, I’d like to be clear about this.

Published · 1,866 views · Rated 2/5 from 1 votes

Friends often talk to me about the hours they spend doing triathlons or running marathons, and usually I say that I can't imagine doing something I love for so many hours. So it surprises me to remember that I once spent three days chanting Hindu mantras, non-stop, at the top of my lungs. This is sometimes called japa, or Indian meditation music. Sometimes it's just called crazy. These days, a lot of people are only familiar with chanting music meditation through the work of the popular performer, Krishna Das.

Published · 1,369 views · Rated 3/5 from 3 votes

First, a message to my readers who practice TM® (Transcendental Meditation®): I am not taking any position for or against Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the TM® organization, TM® itself, or anything else related to TM®. Now that we've taken care of that… I do, however, have a position regarding the studies that have been promoted to "prove" that TM® is the best thing since meditatively sliced bread. My basic position is this: Most of these studies, maybe all of them, are pretty questionable. Before any of the previously mentioned TM® advocates "get all up in my grill," (lov

Published · 4,896 views · Rated 3/5 from 3 votes

I was eight years old when I first began meditating. No, I wasn't raised in a commune by hippie parents. I checked out a book on meditation from the school library and practiced the technique in the book. So began my thirty years of meditation practice. Over the course of my meditation career, I tried many different kinds of meditation practices - from simple meditation techniques to more difficult, advanced practices.

Published · 1,560 views · Rated 4/5 from 4 votes

The New York subway used to be my meditation room. Somehow, the noise in the background of the subway served to drown out the noise in the background of my mind and made it much easier to concentrate. When I was in grad school, as I rode from Greenwich Village to Columbia University, I could get in a good thirty minute meditation session with one quick break to change trains at 59th Street. But my favorite meditation story from New York is this one: There used to be a store called "The Warlock Shop" on W. 16th Street. As the name suggests, it was about paganism and witchcraft.

Published · 1,237 views · Rated 2.5/5 from 2 votes

Meditation classes you can take online are an amazing new development on the spiritual path. Previously in order to learn meditation, you’d need to travel - sometimes to the other side of the globe – in order to find a teacher.

Published · 1,296 views · Rated 2.5/5 from 2 votes

Are meditation and prayers the same thing? Some traditions use the words meditation and prayer interchangeably. You can find Jewish and Hindu and Catholic and Buddhist meditation practices that require the repetition or contemplation of a particular religious passage or concept. To illustrate, there are those that will say the Lord's Prayer over and over in a similar fashion to how someone practicing Transcendental Meditation® might repeat a mantra.

Published · 1,519 views · Rated 3.3/5 from 3 votes

Most all meditation traditions suggest practicing meditation daily. Regardless of whether you are doing a mindfulness practice or yogic meditation, a Buddhist meditation or relaxation practice, or even listening to a guided meditatio CD, daily practice is usually recommended by most meditation teachers. My first formal meditation practice was in the Kriya Yoga tradition. It was in 1972 and I was ten years old. I was instructed to meditate for thirty minutes, twice daily, with an additional two hours each weekend.

Published · 953 views · Rated 4/5 from 1 votes

When we try to stop thoughts, we are playing a cerebral kind of "Whack-A-Mole." It doesn't matter how many times you go after that mole, there are always more of them bursting out of various holes, over and over, faster and faster, not stopping. But there are other possible ways to experience your thoughts than whacking at them like pesky rodents. For example, you could try being kind. One way to approach this is to consider that the mind is like an ocean with waves we call thoughts.

Published · 802 views · Rated 2.6/5 from 5 votes

Alright, let’s talk about the "E-Word," one of those combinations of letters that carries almost as much baggage as the c-word or the -word, depending, of course, on who you hang with and what country you call home. People argue about this word; they criticize it; they make up stories about it.

Published · 1,997 views · Rated 3.4/5 from 5 votes

Here is a daily meditation to play with… I haven't ever heard anyone complain about the fact that their body feels, or their ears hear, or their nose smells or their eyes see. To put it another way, we don't usually complain or attempt to fix our senses when they are doing what they were designed to do. The job of our mind is to think. At times it thinks a little, at other times it thinks a lot. Some of the thoughts it has are enjoyable, and others seem to be less so.

Published · 1,108 views · Rated 3/5 from 2 votes

I’ve done somewhere in the neighborhood of forty Buddhist meditation retreats. While some only lasted a day or two, more than half involved ten to fifteen days of practicing Buddhist meditation for up to sixteen hours a day. Some were Tibetan meditation retreats. Some retreats were in the Zen tradition, including retreats for Zen archery, a form moving meditation called Kyudo. But most of my retreats were Vipassana meditation retreats. I’m not telling you this to impress you or show off. Really, all this demonstrates is that in my twenties and thirties, I didn’t have a regular job.

Published · 2,746 views · Rated 4/5 from 4 votes

I recently read an Arizona Daily Star article about how Transcendental Meditation® is being taught in an alte ative-minded school. Now, since I teach meditation myself, you might expect I’d be happy about this, particularly since the article reports positive results. If only it were so easy. Let’s examine why it’s not.

Published · 1,326 views · Rated 2.7/5 from 3 votes

I recently read an Arizona Daily Star article about how Transcendental Meditation® is being taught in an alte ative-minded school. Now, since I teach meditation myself, you might expect I’d be happy about this, particularly since the article reports positive results. If only it were so easy. Let’s examine why it’s not.

Published · 1,208 views · Rated 3/5 from 2 votes

One of the countries in which Buddhism has had a recent impact is Tibet. "Recent," in this case means, oh, about 1000 years ago, when Buddhism was brought to Tibet from India by Padmasambhava. These days, Tibetan Buddhism is popular world-wide. The Dalai Lama has written many books, won a Nobel prize, and fills stadiums to overflowing with people who want to learn more about Tibetan Buddhism and experience its ceremonies. One thing that makes Tibetan Buddhism so popular is that they guarantee you can become enlightened in this lifetime. Of course, this claim has a problem.

Published · 1,110 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

Which is better: Zen meditation or Vipassana meditation? I’m regularly asked this question because new students often have some friends who are into Zen meditation retreats and other friends suggesting they try Vipassana meditation retreats. Or they check the bookstore and discover that, in the Buddhism section, half the books there are on Zen meditation and half the books are on Vipassana meditation.

Published · 8,082 views · Rated 3/5 from 3 votes

To some people, meditation means sitting in a dark cave on top of a mountain in a loin cloth, burning incense and chanting some foreign Sanskrit word while eating nothing but tree bark. Other people define meditation as a state they experience while participating in an activity they are passionate about, such as painting, athletics, or perhaps even making love. Some people value the benefits of meditation over the practice itself.

Published · 1,542 views · Rated 3.3/5 from 3 votes

More than ever before, meditation is being researched by science. Because of advances in imaging technology, such as fMRI, or functional magnetic resonance imaging, we can now see much more than we used to about the inner workings of our brains.

Published · 1,333 views · Rated 3/5 from 2 votes

There are a lot of different reasons people want to learn meditation. Maybe you think meditation will help you relax and better handle stress. Perhaps you play a sport and your coach recommended meditation to improve your performance. Maybe you are focused on spiritual growth and believe that if you meditate, you will move faster down your path or find an easier way to get where you are going. Perhaps you are experiencing some illness that you think meditation will help you better manage. Maybe you are in pain and meditation was recommended to you for healing or pain relief.

Published · 1,334 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

“Meditation teachers should offer their instruction for free.” About once a month, I get an email telling me that. Often, I hear this from people who have studied with meditation teachers in India or have visited ashrams where they weren’t asked for payment for classes they took. This gave them the idea that the teachings were free, even though they may have paid for room and board. The reality in these places is more complicated than it looks, however.

Published · 960 views · Rated 3/5 from 3 votes

Have you found your perfect meditation cushion yet? You know, a mediation cushion that lets you sit for hours at a time, staying focused and alert and concentrated, with no back pain or any numbness in your legs? The type of meditation cushion that gives you a straight spine with no effort at all? Of course you haven’t. Such a magical cushion doesn’t exist. I’ll always remember when I was invited to participate in a free meditation group taking place in Kathmandu, Nepal. I arrived a little early. The room was very small, maybe big enough to hold twenty students at the most.

Published · 1,698 views · Rated 3/5 from 3 votes

For people in the West, Zen Buddhist meditation can often seem mysterious and magical, as well as a bit confusing at times. If you take some time to look unde eath the mythology around Zen, however, it can be much easier to comprehend. I have to warn you, though, that discovering the simplicity behind Zen will remove the magic and mystery that has drawn so many people to it in the first place. Okay, so let’s take a closer look. My focus for this discussion is going to be on Zen archery, also called Kyudo, often referred to as Zen meditation in motion.

Published · 1,145 views · Rated 3/5 from 6 votes

In my local new age magazine, there are at least 20 different meditation courses. Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Kabbalistic, Sufi. Then there are the meditation classes emphasizing stress-reduction, weight-loss and pain-control. Among the different meditation lineages, each has its own answer for what is the best practice (needless to say, theirs is the best).

Published · 5,350 views · Rated 3.5/5 from 2 votes

Love...Everyone in the world seeks it. You can have fame, power, billions of dollars, but without it you have nothing. Without love you are impoverished; without love you will die. Love is what gives real meaning and purpose to our lives; it is the reason for our very existence; to receive it ...

Published · 1,893 views

We have entered an Age of Enlightenment. Millions of people are becoming more aware: aware of their own true nature, aware of a deeper calling, aware of an awakening of consciousness that is occurring throughout the collective consciousness of humanity. You are at the very front of this global ...

Published · 1,431 views

As we learn, grow and evolve ourselves and are guided to the fulfillment of our life purpose we inevitably come to areas where we appear to get stuck or stagnate. Whether it is in our career, our relationships or spiritual development we rise to the capacity of our own awareness and any ...

Published · 1,556 views

For the world to enlighten we must first enlighten, and bring this higher awareness into every facet of our lives including business. Capitalism affords the opportunity to aspire to achieve a better life, liberty and happiness, but all too often also breeds greed and corruption. At a lower state ...

Published · 974 views

No matter how stressed you get, no matter how life tests you or what challenges come up in your life, you can always find peace within. Everything you experience is teaching you something about yourself. You are being stretched to evolve your conscious awareness to its highest expression. Life ...

Published · 1,664 views

Have you noticed that life appears to be speeding up? We are trying to "fit" so many things into our schedule, trying to keep up, stay on top, working harder and harder to get ahead. The whole world is stressing out. The recession is creating a fear of survival; a "lack" consciousness is ...

Published · 2,009 views

For everything that exists, there lies a latent potential for it to exist. The realization of that potential is an expression of consciousness. As consciousness is expressed we observe it as energy, it appears to us as time, space, energy and matter. We engage it in light and sound, through ...

Published · 2,083 views

Looking back at my high school yearbook, the senior class asked what you wanted to attain in life, most people said simply to “be happy.” Of those who I have kept track of, I think very few have found true happiness despite having attained financial success. You readers, you ...

Published · 1,433 views

Do you feel a sense of absolute awe and wonder with your life? Does your life flow effortlessly with synchronicity and abundance? Do you feel you are aligned with your purpose and feel fulfilled, completely happy and at peace? If not, why not? You already know the answers lie within you. You ...

Published · 841 views

Imagine meditating on an active volcano. Mauna Loa, on the Big Island of Hawaii, is the most massive mountain on Earth; measured from its base on the seafloor it rises 56,000 (27,000 higher tha Everest from the base) and lies over 13,700 above sea level. It was snowing on the peak even as we ...

Published · 1,006 views

The Kalachakra tantra has been held sacred and preserved in both India and Tibet for over 2500 years. The Kalachakra tantra helps purify the body and mind. Kalachakra literally means, Time wheel or Time Circle. Some sections of the Kalachakra tantra have been lost over time, but the beginning ...

Published · 5,266 views

After years of studying and writing about world religions and spiritual paths a common message appears in each of the world’s major teachings, whether it be an eastern or western religion, spiritual group or master, and that is that one day we humans will all live together in happiness and ...

Published · 1,507 views

There is an awakening of consciousness occurring within humanity. You are part of a small but rapidly growing segment of the population that is awakening. You are amongst the first to develop that inner knowing and who recognize the shift in consciousness that is occurring in the world. Spirit ...

Published · 1,379 views

Tibetan Buddhist meditation has a long history, but not as long as the history of meditation itself. Buddhism was a branch of Hinduism and so meditation was practiced in Hinduism before it was practiced in Buddhism. Buddhist thought is that there are three things one must accomplish before ...

Published · 1,692 views

Each day you wake up to a new beginning. Each day you turn the page of your life story and can begin to write whatever you want. Stories change and what makes any book interesting is reading how the hero makes a transition, has an epiphany, or saves the day. What’s the story of your life? ...

Published · 1,648 views

Hundreds gather from around the country and abroad to the vortexes and natural beauty of Sedona, Arizona, to learn The Exact Science of Manifesting from some of world's leading experts. One of the highlights of this weekend retreat was when leading clinical psychologist and best-selling author ...

Published · 846 views

What if you could think whatever you want whenever you want? What if you felt joy, love and peace all the time, or even just most of the time? Can you think of some old feeling that you would rather not be carrying around, or a behavior that just doesn’t serve you anymore and you would ...

Published · 1,282 views

Your body is energy. Energy is absorbed through the air you breathe. It flows in your nervous system, like electricity flowing through wires, to all your extremities and vital organs. It flows in streams through channels of low resistance and high conductivity called chi, or ki. Your central ...

Published · 891 views

As we celebrate the upcoming holidays a message of "Peace on Earth and Good Will Towards Man" is echoed by people of varying faiths from around the world. If we all wish for that, why have we not created it? We have only to look into our own lives and ask ourselves "am I at peace right now?" We ...

Published · 1,049 views

Almost everyone has heard about Bikram Yoga and how it is a scientifically designed system for achieving and maintaining health and balance in your body, mind, and spirit. However, if you live in the Greater Phoenix once you have made the decision to check out a Bikram Yoga Studio you will quickly discover that you have a variety of different Bikram Yoga Studios to choose from. And while it would be nice if all of the studios were created equal, as you can imagine that really isn't the case.

Published · 1,974 views

Conflict coaching can be a great help and is a service offered by a professional life coach who is trained and specializes in helping with conflict issues in relationships. Conflict coaching looks at your relationship and helps you to explore new ways of acting and reacting to minimize or remove conflicts. Conflicts can come in many ways such as the below: • Value conflicts: differences in lifestyle choices, ideology. • Conflict of ideas: differences of opinion, perspective. • Conflicts of interest: differences in the interests of people.r

Published · 1,124 views

There is one thing that many fit and attractive women love to do and that is dance. Likewise, as a man the one place you want to go in order to attract women is where they go to dance. Now, your first reaction to this might be “I already am going to the dance clubs” which isn’t where women go ...

Published · 1,075 views

Many times your failure to attract women comes down to your desire for instant gratification when it comes to women. Instead of living your life in a way that makes you happy and is under your control, some men choose to put their power and happiness in techniques and material possessions with ...

Published · 1,267 views

There is power in dreaming. What you direct through your mind has energy; what you dream of you can create. What do you want? At the very core of your being, what is you soul searching for? What would you like to manifest in your life? I would like to invite you to join me in visualizing and ...

Published · 984 views

Each of us have an instinct to learn, to grow and evolve. Everything you experience is teaching you something about yourself. Life lessons that we miss we tend to get tested in again and again until we learn the lesson. The more we learn the better life we live. The more we evolve the greater ...

Published · 1,260 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

As a man looking to attract women, you must get out of your house and out of your comfort zone in order to do so. There are hundreds if not thousands of opportunities to meet new people and that before you even get to these options that are created specifically for single people to meet up with ...

Published · 1,288 views

While success with women can and many times does happen ove ight, you can’t expect the changes you make to have an immediate impact. For instance, expanding your social circle and activities does increase the amount of women you come into contact with increasing your chance for success in ...

Published · 923 views

In the last decade we have learned so much about how to use our mind and manifest what we want. The Law of Attraction goes back thousands of years to the ancient Vedas of India. When Yogi's would align with the Innate Intelligence of the Universe, and realize their true nature, they would gain ...

Published · 993 views

As you have probably already noticed I talk about maintaining your power and control in your relationships with women in all ways. For whatever reason many men either don’t have a basic understanding of what it means to maintain your power and control or simply choose to ignore what I say ...

Published · 3,637 views

The majority of you reading this now have already begun making the most important changes when it comes to overcoming your desire to avoid rejection from women. Like most things in life only you have the power to change them in order to get what you want. No matter what, if you never take that ...

Published · 1,006 views

Chances are if you live in or nearby Scottsdale, AZ you have either heard about or see The New Church of Phoenix. Just in case you haven’t, they are located at 561 E. Shea Blvd, Scottsdale, Arizona 85254. In a similar manner, you might also find yourself wondering what The New Church of Phoenix is all about. That’s why you will be glad to know that the New Church of Phoenix is based on “a new Christianity”, which teaches that there is one God who we know as the Lord God Jesus Christ.

Published · 1,301 views

That which causes life within you, is you. The spirit that animates your physical being is an expression of your consciousness…it is known as Shakti. Your consciousness is what is reflecting upon these words and guiding you to read them. Observe your mind thinking. Who is observing these ...

Published · 955 views

Relationship coaching is intended to help people in any relationship such as married couples, family members or even co-workers. One of the main aims is to improve the quality of relationships with the recognition and development of trust and involvement, both in the coaching relationship itself and outside.

Published · 1,043 views

Human beings have been evolving for millions of years, our minds have developed significantly in the past few thousand, and our consciousness really began developing only in the last few hundred years. But it is only in the past few decades that we have consciously been evolving our ...

Published · 945 views

Many times your inability to try something new, different, and interesting by yourself is a big reason why you can’t find or attract the type of women that you want. When you are limited in where you can go because you must go with someone else, you limit the amount of women that you have the ...

Published · 1,058 views

Sometimes the reason why a man finds himself in situations in which he perceives that women are rejecting him is because of his failure to expand his social circle and activities. Doing the same things day after day, week after week, month after month and year after year tend to lead you to the ...

Published · 1,084 views

That which you are seeking is causing you to seek. Your true self is already realized and is directing your mind to read these words and think about them. The key to self-realization is for your mind to realize that you are NOT your mind. Observe that part of you that can observe what your mind ...

Published · 959 views

That which you are seeking is causing you to seek. Your true self is already realized and is directing your mind to read these words and think about them. The key to self-realization is for your mind to realize that you are NOT your mind. Observe that part of you that can observe what your mind ...

Published · 954 views

Stress management exercises can be used by anyone at anytime, no matter what form of stress we each have to deal with. We all have stress in our lives, sometimes it is daily stress from work and home life that is minimal, but builds up when we don’t get a break. Other forms of stress can be more extreme such as dealing with immediate trauma, relationship problems, recovering from addictions.

Published · 1,343 views · Rated 4/5 from 1 votes

That which caused life within us is us. The life force energy, or spirit, that animates our own existence is an expression of the consciousness that lies at the very core of our being. The same spirit that is causing my heart to beat is also causing yours to. This underlying spirit is creating ...

Published · 1,376 views

In 1990 I received a calling to go to India with my good friend and partner Jim Smith. I closed down my business, packed away a few belongings and said goodbye to my family and friends to meet up with my first guru, Yogiraj Vethathiri Maharishi ("Swamiji"), a Kundalini Master from an ancient ...

Published · 961 views

Your source of power lies within you. The answers lie within. Happiness and peace lie within. You know this all already innately. The same life force energy that makes your heart beat enables you to create the world you want to live in. The same innate intelligence that knows how to regenerate ...

Published · 1,093 views

There is literally a power running through your body causing your heart to beat, causing your cells to regenerate, and your hair to grow. A life force current with innate intelligence is flowing through you right now providing the volition to move your eyes across this page and to think about ...

Published · 981 views

Within one generation technology has brought the world together in ways unimaginable to most people. We have extended our awareness through satellite, cellular and fiber optic applications. The World Wide Web has created a global mind with information being shared with millions in seconds; ideas ...

Published · 951 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

What do you want? What do you want from life? Do you know that you can create whatever you want? If there is any part of you that doubts that, the first step is to clear that limiting belief out of your mind. It doesn't serve you anymore. The more open you are to receive, the more you will ...

Published · 919 views

You might not realize it now however her cheating on you can be on of the greatest things that ever happened to you if you learn and grow from it. After she cheats you are going to be challenged both mentally and emotionally and at the same time finding yourself having to make some decisions ...

Published · 1,155 views

One of the biggest complaints men give to me quite often when it comes to attracting women is that there simply isn’t that many available women where they currently live. While this rarely is the case, what is true is that where they currently live there aren’t that many available ...

Published · 1,180 views

Do you want to know where some of the worst places are for men to meet and attract women are? Bars and clubs, online dating, speed dating events and anywhere else where you r primary purpose for being there is to meet and attract women. Now that you might have noticed that these are also some ...

Published · 1,436 views

Most men already know how to attract women, but their beliefs are getting in the way of them actually doing it. Instead, they look for ways in which they can change a woman’s natural tendencies into those which fit his beliefs. For instance, many men believe that being nice to a woman you are ...

Published · 1,116 views

We human beings are instinctively being guided to evolve. As with all creatures, we must adapt to changes in our environment to survive and flourish. We can see evidence of this evolutionary trend in our physiology, our society, and in our technology. Our brains continue to develop, an ...

Published · 1,115 views

Did you realize that the practice of Yoga Nidra is one of the most ancient and powerful Yogic techniques that there is? Wipe away all thoughts of a variety of different difficult and challenging poses that come to mind when you think about Yoga and begin to realize now that the practice of Yoga Nidra is quite simply a guided meditation technique that helps you let go of and transcend many of your deeply held samskaras.

Published · 1,080 views

You don't know it yet but, at the conclusion of this article, you will feel as if the practice of meditation has so much to offer you that no matter what your reasons may have been for not wanting to meditate on a daily basis. You will have already begun to realize that these 3 incredible benefits of meditation are only the tip of the iceberg in regards to what you can expect when you meditate on a daily basis. 3 Incredible Benefits of Meditation

Published · 1,335 views · Rated 4/5 from 1 votes

Do you find yourself getting upset about things that when you take the time to really think about it really shouldn’t be getting under your skin and causing you to be upset? Did you know, that every person has a threshold for what they can handle emotionally and that when that threshold is exceeded you will begin to feel uneasy and overwhelmed? In addition, when you begin to feel uneasy and overwhelmed that is when you are most likely to turn to such coping mechanisms as anxiety, anger, depression, substance abuse and many other negative and non-serving behaviors.

Published · 1,085 views

You have no idea that when it comes to the variety of different meditation techniques and methods that are currently available that Yoga Nidra is one of the oldest and most effective guided meditation techniques that you can experience. As you can imagine, Yoga Nidra is literally translated into yogic sleep which means that this guided meditation technique is going to drop you into the deepest states of your being to help resolve and transform your life in a variety of different ways.

Published · 1,460 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

Many people confuse Buddhism and Hinduism, but they are two very separate and distinct religions. They do however have some similarities, such as the belief in karma and reinca ation. Since the Buddha lived in India and was originally a Hindu, it’s understandable that the two religions would have close correlations.

Published · 6,366 views

What would happen if you achieved balance between your human nature and divine nature as you practice spirituality in everyday life? What if you suddenly began to realize that the balance of mind, body, and spirit is within you? Would you find yourself living this life with gratitude all the while basking in the divine light within you through conscious awareness? And it is with this hope in mind whether you realize it or not that you have already begun to acknowledge the divine potential within you.

Published · 2,210 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

Believe it or not we are all spiritual beings living in a physical body that is within the physical world. As you begin to recognize that you are indeed a part of the divine order of the universe that is governed by physical laws in the same way that the planets, stars, and sun are the more easily it becomes to sense the connection we have with everyone and everything within the universe. And it is that awareness to the connection of the universe that can allow you to truly give thanks to your body by seeking out guidance for healthy living in all ways.

Published · 2,565 views · Rated 2/5 from 1 votes

What if it suddenly became clear that Love, Joy, and Peace was within you even though at times outside circumstances attempted to draw you away from that Love, Joy, and Peace? Just begin to imagine feeling challenged by life’s circumstances or being overwhelmed by your responsibility in order to get a sense of what it is like to be drawn away from that Love, Joy and Peace that is within you. And as you do read the following words from the Bible very carefully…

Published · 1,148 views · Rated 4/5 from 2 votes

Notice the comfortable warmth of your body and as you do so begin to become aware of the fact that comfort means so much more than the simple ease that a recliner has to offer or your pair of favorite slippers on a cool morning. It might be good to remember that comfort is the ease of Spirit residing within you as Love, Joy and Peace. Just notice for yourself how you experience comfort when you are still in ways that allow you to simply soak in and bathe in the radiance of that Love, Joy, and Peace within you.

Published · 984 views

In what ways have you pushed past your comfort zone with confidence, drive, and a strong desire to move forward into the destiny that is what you came here to do? Did you know that you can tap into your own adventurous nature and determination so that you can do whatever is before you in this moment of now? As you are focusing on each and every thought I give you in this moment you might be taking your first steps in some kind of physical or emotional recovery. Then again you might be beginning a new relationship or simply renewing a previous one.

Published · 1,262 views

If you are anything like most people your daily tasks at home may range from picking up toys or caring for the ones you love. Your work duties may be anything from the mundane, trivial or essential. And no matter what your day's activities may bring you if you are seriously interested in discovering and experiencing that inner peace within you might be surprised to know that allowing yourself to accomplish your daily activities with Love and Joy is the gateway to that Inner Peace.

Published · 1,191 views

It's no secret that many of us strive towards finding that sense of Peace that we know is within us. Yet, far too often life situations and circumstances that are beyond control have a tendency to move us away from recognizing that Peace within ourselves. How would your situation change if you suddenly began to realize that in order to find that Peace within yourself would also require you to begin to Love without conditions so that you could experience the kind of everlasting Joy that ultimately leads to Peace?

Published · 2,471 views · Rated 4/5 from 1 votes

When you suddenly find yourself in need of new employment, it can be quite challenging to find something to cheer about. While it might seem quite natural during times many people find themselves in need of employment to begin to allow worry or fear to overwhelm them. As you take a deep breath in now you can begin to realize that your good can come through a variety of different channels. Begin to concentrate your mind on the fact that you are a divine creation with unlimited potential.

Published · 1,095 views

Prayer beads have been used for thousands of years in a wide variety of religions, including Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam. Devotees use prayer beads to help them focus on their prayers or mantras. The fingering of the beads brings one back into focus when the mind begins to drift from the prayers onto the more mundane considerations of everyday life. Prayer beads also help one to keep track of the number of prayers recited when they’re doing repetitions, such as in Christianity when reciting the Hail Mary using a rosary.

Published · 2,262 views

As you can imagine if you are anything like most people, then there is a certain part of you that in a variety of different ways would like to learn how to become more peaceful and at ease with life and all of its experiences. That's why as you continue to read this article you will be glad to know that you will learn a variety of empowering ways to become more peaceful and at ease in your life. How to Become More Peaceful!

Published · 3,387 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

What would happen if in this moment you began to realize that you are perfectly poised to share and apply your talents and experiences in new and empowering ways? Can you begin to imagine what it would feel like when you allowed yourself to blossom into the person that you are meant to be? With every passing minute you begin to become aware that this is your time to stretch, grow and create the life that you want regardless of your age or circumstances.

Published · 4,840 views

What would happen if when you suddenly found yourself feeling burdened by life's circumstances, in that moment you chose to become still? All you need is to let yourself think that when you turn inward, you are affirming God's presence in and all around you. As you already have probably noticed it is relatively easy to pause for a moment and see the powerfully loving presence that is within you through the beauty of a sunset or an infant.

Published · 1,255 views

Tibetan prayer beads, or malas, are strings of beads that have been used by Buddhists for thousands of years to help count prayers, which are known as mantras. Buddhist malas are usually composed of a circle of 108 beads which are used to complete 100 repetitions of a mantra. The extra 8 beads are used to account for any mistakes made during the repetitions.

Published · 2,859 views

Just picture this for a second, what if it was impossible to Love one person without loving all people. I invite you to know in your mind now that we all are one in God. And as you do so, begin to become aware of the fact that every time one heart is lifted, all hearts are lifted. Each time a life is blessed, all lives are blessed. Learn to trust your subconscious mind because each time you enter into the presence of Love, Joy, and Peace that is the silence within you; begin to realize this truth about yourself and all those you Love.

Published · 1,139 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

As each day brings more and more experiences into our lives it becomes clearer that if you are like most people, during a busy day, your thoughts may seem scattered. And the more scattered your thoughts become the more tempted you find yourself to put your faith in what you perceive around you rather that putting your faith and trust in the kingdom of Love, Joy, and Peace that resides within you. Let me remind you of the following scripture that might help you take a deep relaxing back so that you can shift back to that empowering kingdom of Love, Joy, and Peace within you…

Published · 1,074 views · Rated 4/5 from 1 votes

It truly is amazing how every Spiritual book you read can be broken down into simply saying be still within. No doubt about it be still within can be experienced through the practice of meditation and learning how to listen to that silence within. In the Bible, it speaks of how God is always with you, yet more than that it speaks of how when your unity with God grows, your ability to overcome and conquer your fears grows as well. For instance, allow your mind to resonate with the following words from the Bible...

Published · 2,524 views

Just suppose you could open your heart to love in order to find the strength to forgive. How often have you found yourself experiencing some kind of circumstance in which you find forgiving someone (or maybe even yourself) nearly impossible. In the past you may have thought that holding on to feelings of resentment or judgment simply felt safer, that you wanted people to change before you were going to be willing to forgive them. Know in your mind now that you will be able to discover another answer to finding the strength to forgive.r

Published · 1,471 views · Rated 3.5/5 from 2 votes

It’s no secret that there is a tremendous amount of power in the act of praying? As you already more than likely realize the act of prayer is your opportunity to talk to God. Today I don’t know how long you will wait to begin listening to God yet I get the sense that sometimes after you pray you seem to be waiting for something to happen when the truth is that “happening” is already in progress.

Published · 2,084 views · Rated 4/5 from 1 votes

Tibetan prayer beads are called malas (also called japa malas), which translates in Sanskrit as garland. Most Tibetan prayer beads have 108 beads, but some have 21 or 28 beads, which are used when doing prostrations. In 108 bead malas, 100 of the beads are counted as the practitioner recites 100 mantras, with the extra 8 recitations completed to account for any mistakes made during the repetition. As each mantra is recited, each bead is held in the fingers in sequence until one comes to the end of the prayer bead circle.

Published · 1,720 views

Prayer flags are believed to have originated with the Shakyamuni Buddha, who had prayers written on flags that were taken into battle to protect the warriors. The traditional Bon religion of Tibet, which was in effect before Buddhism, also employed prayer flags in which important symbols were put on flags for protection. It’s believed that they later incorporated Buddhist prayers onto their flags when the religion became the predominate one of their culture.

Published · 1,579 views

Allow yourself to get that kind of feeling where you become aware of the fact that each moment of your life has the potential to be a new beginning. Notice how when you are able to let go of the past and the future in a moment of now you able to merge into this space of realizing that there are choices to make, new ideas to adopt, and renewed hope that will enliven you. Indeed, from this space your life is under your authority and you can use this power to create the life that you consciously choose.

Published · 1,110 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

Tibet has a long history of making hand crafted silver jewelry which dates back thousands of years. In medieval times, other cultures wrote of the wondrous skill of Tibetan silversmiths, who were believed to be some of the most accomplished in the world at that time. Chinese documents dating back to the 600s A.D. note the incredible skill of Tibetan silver work. Buddhist temples dating back to the 7th century A.D. have been found to be decorated with intricately worked silver medallions and sculptures.

Published · 1,260 views

The Vajra, or Dorje is a Buddhist symbol representing the nature of reality. Vajra is a reality wisdom, wisdom of equanimity, and all-accomplishing wisdom complementing at the other side. The significance of the symmetry of this symbol is to illustrate the unification of relative and absolute truth. The closing of the prongs at the end of the symbol represent closing the wheels of Samsara, or the realization of Enlightenment.

Published · 2,198 views

The Eight Auspicious Symbols, or Ashtamangala are present in Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism and Sikhism. The specific symbols can vary between each faith. The Eight Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism are the Conch Shell, the Lotus, the Wheel, the Parasol, the Endless Knot, the Pair of Golden Fishes, the Banner Proclaiming Victory, and the Treasure Vase. These symbols are another way of reminding Buddhist followers of the benefits of the Dharma. The road to enlightenment is a long one, but these symbolic cues can help keep Buddhists on the right path. Conch Shellr

Published · 1,516 views

The Endless, or Ete ity Knot is one of the “Eight Auspicious Symbols” of Buddhism. The other seven symbols include the: Conch Shell, Lotus, Parasol, Pair of Golden Fishes, Victory Banner, and Treasure Vase. The Tibetan phrase for Endless Knot is dpal be'u, and its Sanskrit name is shrivatsa. There are several other English terms that can be used for this historic symbol, such as: the Tibetan Knot, the Mystic Dragon, the Knot of Ete ity, and the Lucky Diagram.

Published · 19,521 views

Buddhism has been the official religion of Tibet for almost 2,000 years. Originating in India approximately 2500 years ago, it migrated to Tibet in 170 AD, but didn’t take hold until the reign of King Songtsen Gampo, when he declared it the official religion of the country in 641 AD.

Published · 1,125 views

Nobody is certain when people began using prayer beads, but they’ve been employed in almost all religions for thousands of years. Prayer beads are used by Buddhists, Hindus, Christians, Muslims and many other religions. One reason for using prayer beads is that they allow people to keep track of the number of prayers recited when they’re doing repetitions. An example of this in Buddhism is when practitioners are reciting mantras, such as the Om Mani Padme Hum (Sanskrit) or Om Mani Peme Hung (Tibetan).

Published · 2,743 views

The Kalachakra Mantra symbol of Buddhism is complex and comprehensive. It is also referred to as the “Tenfold Powerful One”. It is thus named because it consists of ten different parts. This ancient symbol is made up of a mantra of seven syllables surrounded by a ring of fire. Above and to the left and right of the mantra are three additional symbols, thus totaling ten parts of the design. The symbol’s many parts are intertwined with each other to form an elaborate pattern. The Sanskrit word Kalachakra means “time wheel”. The entirety of the Kalachakra mantra is:

Published · 9,842 views

The Mahakala Buddha is a Dharmapala, or “protector of dharma”, who resides in the fourth hierarchy of deities, and is most associated with the Vajrayana Buddhism. Mahakala’s Sanskrit meaning comes from its roots of “Maha”, or “great”, and “kala”, meaning “black”. Tibetans generally tend to refer to Mahakala as “the protector”. He is also referred to as “Lord of the Tent” by the nomadic Tibetans, who often call upo Mahakala to protect them in their tents Mahakala is called Daheitian by the Chinese, and Daikokuten by the Japanese.

Published · 1,440 views

A mandala set (or Dultson Kyilkhor in Tibetan) is a tool used by Buddhists, Hindus, and Jainists in their offering ceremonies. The mandala set represents the mind and body of the Buddha, and can grant practitioners great power. The Sanskrit word mandala means “circle”. Mandala sets are often used in the mandala offering ritual. In this ritual, the practitioner offers the universe to the gods. In modern times, a mandala set is also used simply for decoration because of its exquisite aesthetic qualities. The mandala set is made up of several different parts.

Published · 1,762 views

Tibetan Buddhists often use tingshas during their meditation practices. A tingsha is a pair of small cymbals connected by a strap. Tingshas are used in prayer and rituals, and produce a clear, high-pitched tone when struck. A tingsha is a relatively small instrument, usually measuring between two and four inches in diameter (each). Tingshas are often embossed with a mantra, such as the popular “Om Mani Padme Hum”, which is said to invoke the nature of Chenrezig, the great Buddha of compassion. Many others are embossed with “Om Ah Hung”, which represents the attainment of Enlightenment.

Published · 4,454 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

If you’re seriously interested in discovering and experiencing the power of meditation for yourself and live in or plan on visiting the Phoenix area then you might want to consider the Unity of Phoenix Wednesday Evening Chapel Meditation. In this Unity of Phoenix Wednesday Evening Chapel meditation review I am going to give you a general understanding of what you can expect when from this experience of meditating at Unity of Phoenix on Wednesday Evenings.

Published · 1,070 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

You may find it interesting to notice that while just about everyone would agree that world peace may seem like an impossible dream the truth of the matter is that if you are reading this world peace is within you. In fact, whether you realize it now or later, world peace is indeed the impossible dream as long as you are not at Peace with yourself and the world around you.

Published · 1,976 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

If you are seriously interested in taking a Flow class at Yoga Pura on Wednesday nights then keep on reading in order to get a taste of what Yoga is really about. Currently, the Wednesday night Flow classes at Yoga Pura are being led by the talent and imagination of Jen Brooks. One of the first things that you’ll notice about Jen Brooks Wednesday night Flow class at Yoga Pura is how she starts each class off by having us all honor our teachers that came before us thousands of years before.

Published · 1,150 views

Life seems almost perfectly arranged to keep us guessing as to why we are here … about our role, our place, in this world. At one moment the problems of the wider world seem to call to us with the greatest urgency. In the next, these vanish as we’re called to our own urgent needs. The sublime achievements of others can inspire us, exciting our deepest aspirations – and at the same time confound us, fearing we can never approach such mastery. And when we see so many struggling to find their way, how can we feel certain of our own?

Published · 2,599 views · Rated 4.8/5 from 6 votes

For those of us on a Spiritual Path, learning lessons to aid our Spiritual Growth are a daily occurrence. But in the school of life, who is the teacher? Lessons to help us interact with our environments occur continually. How we greet our neighbors, treat our work colleagues, relate to our families, and most importantly, how we think of ourselves are the real spiritual tests. Turning up to a spiritual circle once a week is not enough to say you are doing all you can. It's a good start, but clearing karmic baggage is an ever present task.

Published · 2,224 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

The following are answers to some of the questions most frequently asked of us by those interested in or just beginning the practice of meditation. WHAT IS MEDITATION? Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years, so there are countless variations and definitions of the practice. Most forms of meditation offer relaxation – primarily through a quieting of the mind – and create a “pause” from the rapid pace of our lives to let our mind and body “catch up,” rebalance, and re-center.

Published · 3,694 views · Rated 5/5 from 17 votes

It’s easy to misinterpret periods of great growth and advancement – in our personal lives and in our world – as dark and difficult times. As times of great fear. And in the face of these fears, we can find ourselves feeling disheartened and “at odds” with our growth. But, in fact, we are never more aligned with our growth – and with our growing strength – than when we come up against our fears. Far from being a discouraging sign, our fears actually show us where we are growing … because as we grow, we will necessarily “push out” against our fears.

Published · 3,004 views · Rated 5/5 from 9 votes

A meditation teacher’s top 12 tips to achieve the most from your meditation practice. Through meditation you can bring about a better understanding of yourself, greater peace of mind and improved power of concentration. The focus you give during your meditation is the important thing. In the silence of meditation you can develop your own divine qualities of inner peace, happiness and joy that are independent of any outer circumstances.

Published · 820 views · Rated 4/5 from 2 votes

Be you ever so wise, confident, and “enlightened,” you will nonetheless find yourself at times uncertain: uncertain about what actions to take, uncertain about your life, uncertain about your place or purpose in this life. At such times, we tend to think of ourselves as confused or lost. And consequently, we may feel fearful, “unsupported” in the larger sense, or even powerless.

Published · 7,368 views · Rated 4.8/5 from 22 votes

We all know it, only too well. It’s that inner voice, that “inner critic,” that seems always present and always keenly prepared to defeat us. When we feel happy, the voice says: “Yeah, this can’t last.” When we’re about to attempt something, it whispers: “Watch out. You’re gonna fail.” And when we do succeed, the voice dismisses: “That was just luck. It won’t happen again.”

Published · 4,478 views · Rated 4.6/5 from 10 votes

When writing of spiritual development, it helps to find simple analogies to give perspective to deeper esoteric principals. With that in mind, I ask you to please consider the humble light bulb. In essence there are two forms working together. The physical structure that gives it a real world presence and the energetic component of light. An outer shell - and an inner life force. Sound familiar? Let's explore the concept further. In the beginning there was only one design of light bulb.

Published · 2,036 views · Rated 5/5 from 2 votes

As my friend re-filled his water bottle, he took a marble from one container and placed it into another. I asked what he was doing and he explained to me it was a part of the 'Counting Principle'. For every goal you can make quantifiable - you will be naturally driven to improve. I realized that human beings are geared for growth. The time we spend in school is learning lessons, sitting tests, and progressing when we have proven our worth. Our applicable intelligence is valued on a scale with reference to the pass-mark.

Published · 2,970 views · Rated 4.3/5 from 4 votes

Living in a time of light, we will "of necessity" encounter the shadows within us and around us. It's critical we understand that this is not intended as a burden. These shadows are never meant to darken our view of ourselves or our view of the world. It's simply that our wholeness grows as we make more room for light within us. So with these encounters we are merely "extending" light into those places that light has not fully reached ... places that still hold remnants of fear or wounding.

Published · 1,640 views · Rated 5/5 from 6 votes

Running a meditation site means I am experiencing a new meditation every day from the Meditation Masters Network. It is some built-in stress training that keeps me calm and very happy. I found it frustrating and embarrassing that I still would experience panic attacks when on an airplane. Considering I fly at least once a month and used to be an American platinum flyer, I was faced with impending panic on a regular basis. It was awful.

Published · 1,524 views · Rated 4/5 from 2 votes

Meditation positions can do more harm than good. Many magazine articles will show pictures of esoteric yogis holding intricate hand gestures while sitting in bliss. This can be a turn-off, since perhaps you aren’t limber or maybe you are at work and don’t want to be started at while busting out a full lotus. Meditation is an internal experience.

Published · 1,478 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

Every color on the visible light spectrum has a different frequency. It's no coincidence that rainbows always appear to us in the order of Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet. It is a scientific fact that each color vibrates, or exists with a different energy. As color is everywhere, we take for granted the effect it has on our lives. But just because we are not aware does not mean that we are not influenced by the powerful energies each color has. The use of color with specific intent has been used for centuries - but at no time more than now.

Published · 9,291 views · Rated 4.5/5 from 2 votes

Nature's Golden Ratio Leonardo "Fibonacci" of Pisa revealed a numeric sequence in which each subsequent number is the sum of the previous two: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89 and so on. The sequence in turn gives rise to several unique ratios including .618, .382 and 1.618 (AKA The Phi or Fibonacci Ratio). These ratios exist throughout nature in the form of fractals or golden sections. Although they have been employed in man made structures like the Pyramids in sacred geometry, they have always existed throughout all of nature, living and non-living.

Published · 4,077 views · Rated 3/5 from 2 votes

Our usual way of being is to live in accordance with the rules and regulations set down by others. To play other people's games. They tell us what is right and what is wrong, and most importantly, how we should behave. This is simply conditioning by our parents, our educational system and society in general. At a very early age we learn that certain modes of behaviour are either acceptable or not. We loose spontaneous action, because in our mind we always trapped by this conditioning. A student of mine telephoned me one day to ask a question.r

Published · 1,482 views

I normally have pretty good luck with the Law of Attraction. But perhaps the focus on “stress reduction” this month on the blog has caused my stress level to rise a bit. One bright side to that is I have lots of situations to apply the stress relief tips that are being shared. One stress reduction strategy is to take time to respond to someone when angry. I faced a situation with my website that initially got me incensed.

Published · 1,506 views · Rated 4.3/5 from 3 votes

Sometimes there are days when I wake up and already feel behind. It is a very unpleasant feeling. Rushed, anxious, slightly nervous for no apparent reason, it is as though the stress fairy visited me right before I woke up. I would think all of the stress training I receive in my meditation training would grant me immunity to this feeling. It doesn't.

Published · 1,433 views · Rated 4/5 from 1 votes

An interview with Dhamma master Michael Kewley by Leonie Gschwendtberger rn'Dhamma is simple. Live with love and be aware. It is only the mind that complicates this teaching and says that it is not enough. The mind, invested as it is in fascination and distraction from simply being, always seeks something outside the reality of the moment.'rn- Michael Kewley On Being One With The Reality Of Life

Published · 1,370 views

Ron Scolastico, Ph.D. has worked with many people whose loved ones have died and who are sad because they do not sense the presence of their deceased loved one. Recently he was asked the following question. I hope you find the answer helpful. QUESTION: “Often, people will vow that, after their death, they will contact and ‘never leave’ their loved one after they die. However, more often than not, the surviving person does not feel the presence of the deceased loved one. Why is this?” ANSWER: It is because of perception within the human who is still living.

Published · 1,509 views · Rated 4/5 from 2 votes

As I write this a woman from Tucson is meditating for the first time in her life. The red rocks now aglow from the light of the sun as it begins to set. What will she see when she opens her eyes? What will she remember when she thinks back to her first meditation? When I think back… I remember ...

Published · 982 views

We live in a busy world. There is never enough time! Our priority lists start with the necessities such as family, work, cleaning and eating, and only when we juggle or sacrifice do we find the time for hobbies, personal development and dare I say it, Relaxation. And by relaxatio I don't mean sitting on the couch mindlessly flicking the remote. Physical and Mental relaxation is vital to a balanced and healthy life. Relaxation should be one of your priorities! But you are busy, I know. So lets focus on a solution.

Published · 2,364 views · Rated 3.5/5 from 2 votes

“Why am I here? What is my purpose in life?” Asking these questions marks the beginning of your search to finding your life’s purpose. Following the path toward a life of meaning and purpose is different for everyone. Here are some steps that have been taken by many who live a fulfilling ...

Published · 1,463 views

Controlling the autonomic responses like heart rate is quite familiar to practitioners of Qigong.The difference betwee Qigong meditation and other types is that we utilise different kinds of "body breathing" techniques through the flesh and bones, especially when we induce proper "Qi" flow or ...

Published · 9,600 views · Rated 3.3/5 from 6 votes

This method of dowsing and remote viewing (RV) uses Google Maps as a convenience tool for finding your target with further reconnaisance thereof. From the perspective of this article, I assume that the reader already knows how to do remote viewing.

Published · 5,143 views · Rated 4/5 from 2 votes

I was recently at the circus. The ring-master bellowed a terrific introduction for the next act - A man with lightning fast hands. He started by juggling 3 balls, then 4, then 5... The crowd seemed suitably impressed and responded with enthusiastic applause. 6 balls, 7 balls... Amazing! He threw each one higher and higher into the air. With his head tilted skywards he seemed to be able to keep track of them all. His busy little feet shuffled this way and that, and his hands, well yes they were fast. 8 balls... 9 balls... What skill, what a master. He made it look easy.

Published · 2,232 views · Rated 4/5 from 6 votes

Often we feel disconnected from the lives of others. We see people who seem to have so much good fortune and success in the material sense that we wonder how they could ever complain about their life. We fail to realise that suffering and unhappiness are aspects of mind common to all beings, and that our judgements are really only a manifestation of our own jealousies, fears and insecurities. It is so easy to tell others just to 'let go' of some emotional crisis and then to explain exactly what we would do in their situation.

Published · 1,343 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

I want to write this from my heart so here it goes. Open yourself to hope, open yourself to true freedom, and open yourself to the right to be your true self. I choose these words to capture your attention to open your mind. People look for answers in their mind of reason, their mind of ego. They look for self help books they go to gurus, doctors, and places of worship. But the last place they go is their own heart. Does anyone know why? Why don’t you trust your own voice, your own higher self?

Published · 1,279 views · Rated 3/5 from 2 votes

So, you are not feeling 100%. Work is full of stress, family life is running you ragged, and the bills are never ending. If you could just have a 'time-out' to recharge and refresh, life would be wonderful! Well, when was your last Massage? When did you last take time away from the pressures and responsibilities of the world - to either sort the physical niggles in your body (the stiff neck, the headaches, the sore lower back) or to pamper or reward yourself for the effort you have applied elsewhere in your life.

Published · 2,445 views · Rated 4.5/5 from 2 votes

Most people admit that world peace is something they’d like to see in their lifetime. However it’s not usually one of the reasons people give for wanting to learn to meditate. Solutions to the conflict and the disasters facing the world today are on the minds of most of us. Along with hearing ...

Published · 1,022 views

Reinca ation is an interesting concept to entertain. Are we spiritual beings having a physical experience, or do we return to dust at the end of our life? Many of the world's religions teach that we are on Earth to experience and learn good behaviour so that we may grow as souls. These lessons are many and inca ations may run into the hundreds. Karma is one of the major components of reinca ation. Karma is a law that says 'We are held accountable for all of the actions in our life, as governed by those of a higher power'.

Published · 2,619 views · Rated 4/5 from 2 votes

Some people have asked me how remote viewing is like Neigong Meditation. I want to show you how remote viewing is an extension of Neigong Meditation. Although there are esoteric meditations similar to Neigong, I have chose Neigong to compare with remote viewing because I am a certified oriental ...

Published · 3,720 views

Why is this called the Sensory Resonance Method?We're using Burt Goldman's positive rhythm method to resonate with specific intense sensory imagery which we gain through cognitive psychology methods.Cognitive psychology is a branch of psychology that investigates internal mental processes such ...

Published · 2,731 views

The secret benefits of Guided Meditation are the subtle effects that happen quietly in the background without your conscious awareness. The first term I will introduce is Homeostasis. (Just read it slowly and that is how it is meant to sound) Homeostasis is when the different systems of the body work together to regulate the optimal conditions for you internal function. And to put that more simply... It's the body striving for 'balance'. Now, the body is made up of 11 major organ systems.

Published · 2,470 views · Rated 4.3/5 from 7 votes

What are you doing right now? You are probably sitting and reading this. But what else are you doing? Thinking? Eating? Listening to music? Spending time with your family? “Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: On purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally.” I like ...

Published · 1,097 views

There's an energy dynamic common to personal healing and growth that's easy to misinterpret. It's part of the natural momentum of the healing and pattern-breaking process that can, however, lead us to believe we've relapsed when in fact we're nearer than ever to completion. If you've ever had a personal breakthrough, only to feel it slip away days later, you've experienced this dynamic. If you've ever felt discouraged and dismayed as some old negativity -- some old pattern or pain you'd recently cleared -- comes roaring back out of nowhere, you're actually right on course.

Published · 1,455 views · Rated 4.9/5 from 7 votes

Do you believe we live more than once? Do you believe in Reinca ation? It's a yes or no question, but when most people answer, they answer with an explanation. Reinca ation is an interesting thought or concept to entertain. Are we really spiritual souls just having a physical experience? Or do we simply return to dust at the end? Truth be known - there is no truth to be known. Believers can't prove that its true and Scientists can't prove that its not (without a doubt).

Published · 2,783 views · Rated 4/5 from 2 votes

One of the qualities of spiritual progress is balance. This is achieved through the establishment of a calm and peaceful centre. Actually, this centre is not acquired by doing anything special, or by developing any particular talents or abilities, but by simply letting go of the minds natural tendency to operate in extremes.r

Published · 1,133 views

There is a common misunderstanding in spiritual practice that we do what we do to acquire some special qualities and that there is something to get from outside ourselves. Something that we don't already have. Something that will make our life perfect.r

Published · 1,817 views · Rated 4/5 from 1 votes

In a word, yes! Transcendental Meditation brings about a deep inner calm that is both relaxing and revitalising. The unique Transcendental Meditation process actually dissolves the stress and fatigue trapped in the body, promoting happiness, health and clear thinking. Many hundreds of ...

Published · 1,696 views

There are many meditation techniques. These vary from watching the breath to staring at a candle to concentrating on a thought. Some are easier than others. Many are frustrating to do. Some will even give you a headache. However there is one meditation technique which has stood the test of time, ...

Published · 7,276 views

How to relax and focus instantly in any situatio Natural deep breathing opens your higher consciousness Remain cool and calm in any crisis Simple step by step guide I've listened to a lot of people conce ing meditation. First, let's recognize that there are all kinds of meditation. The ...

Published · 5,784 views

Why, Self, am I writing to you? Well, for one thing, you’ve been a busy lately. I’ve had trouble getting your attention. Sometimes you can get someone’s attention with a memo, so I thought I’d give it a try. Anyhow, why do I suggest that you find the time to ...

Published · 1,450 views

n Sounds like a new Rock Band. Now Playing, "Pluto and the Plutoids". There are some new kids on the planetary block in our solar system. They are the plutoids not to be confused with dwarf planets, and moons of Pluto. Just to be clear. Charon is a moon of Pluto. Pluto is a dwarf and a ...

Published · 2,303 views · Rated 4/5 from 1 votes

On May 17, 1967, my husband, Ron Scolastico sat on the steps of Sproul Plaza at UC Berkeley, mesmerized by the words and presence of Martin Luther King who helped pave the way for a person of color to become President. On January 17, 2009, Ron and I listened with tears in our eyes, to Barack ...

Published · 1,495 views

Sounds like a new Rock Band. Now Playing, "Pluto and the Plutoids". There are some new kids on the planetary block in our solar system. They are the plutoids not to be confused with dwarf planets, and moons of Pluto. Just to be clear. Charon is a moon of Pluto. Pluto is a dwarf and a Plutoid, ...

Published · 1,692 views

The new year is here and we are all ready for new changes to occur. We are done with the dark and heading for the light in so very many ways. Rejoice for the time is now! Get your spacesuit laundered and ready to wear! n WE'RE OUT OF THE WOODS AND INTO THE LIGHT! At this time the thirteen ...

Published · 1,198 views

Transcendental Meditation brings benefits in all areas of life. Just as when you have slept and rested really well the world appears a brighter and more enjoyable place to be, so the uniquely deep rest that TM provides – shown by research studies to be even deeper than deep sleep - reduces ...

Published · 1,815 views

So you hear a little inner voice, a little "message." Or you feel an inkling, a sense that directs you this way rather than that. Is this a voice or a feeling you should follow? Is this your intuition or just an active imagination?

Published · 3,990 views · Rated 5/5 from 6 votes

"To be honorable in thoughts, sincere in words, good in deeds is to have the heart of a Buddha."* There are several qualities of Buddha that many people, even those who are not Buddhist or who are quite secular, admire and aspire to emulate. As we approach the holidays, it may be a good time ...

Published · 1,646 views

Being fully present to any single moment, truly being HERE NOW, is as easy as being aware of the next breath, and as difficult. Try a small experiment. As soon as you finish reading this paragraph, sit comfortably and begin to watch your breath coming into and going out of your body for ...

Published · 1,184 views

New School, Emotional Freedom (Shotgun) Techniques versus Old School, Chakra and Energy Meridian (Scholarly) Knowledge The reaso I'm an old school kind of guy is that I've seen old school ideas get rediscovered and rehashed for most of my life. The new thought healing modality dubbed ...

Published · 2,943 views

New School, Emotional Freedom Techniques versus Old School, Kuji Kiri Mind Control of Ninjitsuryu The reaso I'm an old school kind of guy is that I've seen old school ideas get rediscovered and rehashed for most of my life. The new thought healing modality dubbed "Emotional Freedom ...

Published · 6,438 views

As a home business owner, I find great value in the informatio I read online in emails, ebooks, newsletters, ezines, articles and website content. However, being an online entrepreneur, I am sometimes bombarded with information (not all content driven) that can become an overwhelming ...

Published · 1,280 views

Have you ever had the experience of facing a situation similar to one you’d been in before, maybe even many times before, and finding that you had changed enough to actually handle it better this time? Well, I just did and I want to share the story with you. This story is about relationship. ...

Published · 1,317 views

Living in Peacen There is an old rule: The one who stays silent is criticised. The one who talks too much is also criticised. Even the one who speaks only a little is criticised. There is no-one in the world who is never criticised. Dhammapada: verse 227n Free from the world Criticism is ...

Published · 1,173 views

You feed your body several times a day, but how often do you nourish your spirit? You exercise your mind almost constantly, but how often do you connect with your inner being? In this hectic world our attention is drawn by all sorts of issues and tasks-clean the house, care for the children, ...

Published · 1,821 views

Ordinary Life A monk went to Joshu and said “I have just entered your monastery, please teach me.” Joshu asked, “Have you eaten your porridge?” The monk said, “Yes master, I have.” Joshu replied, “Then wash your bowl.”nn(Zen Koan) It is a ...

Published · 1,202 views

Seeing the Buddhann He who sees me, sees the Dhamma, He who sees the Dhamma, sees me. Vakkali Sutta This short, but beautiful verse expresses completely our spiritual journey, and the goal ...

Published · 1,449 views

The mind is like time is like the mind. Like time, the mind is not what it appears to be on the surface. In the mind, we can replay a situation from the past over and over. We can predict an event from our past experience and intuition. We can even create situations in our minds that can ...

Published · 1,735 views

The value of life If you don’t let go of your worldly worries about the futurenand making a living, you will regret it. Follow the Way, or all of your days and nightsnwill have been lived for nothing. Zen Master Doge The function of the Dhamma Master is to encourage their disciples to ...

Published · 1,226 views

The value of Patiencenn The cultivation of patience is the highest practicen and Nibbana is the highest truth. The one who harms or upsets anothe is not a true disciple. Dhammapada: verse ...

Published · 2,916 views

As Thanksgiving and Christmas approach, we give thanks for the abundance which we have in our lives and send wishes for peace to the world. But how much peace do we, ourselves, experience? It is my heartfelt wish to assist you to cope with the flurry of activity and the unconscious need to do, ...

Published · 1,149 views

Anyone who knows me would be shocked to discover that I once indulged in 60-hour work weeks, drinking endless cups of black coffee, and smoking three packs of cigarettes a day. What saved my life? What helped me to transform the tensio I thought was caused by the circumstances of my life? ...

Published · 1,272 views

_________________________________________________ Your day to day life is lived in a way that involves several distinct “levels” of reality. If you have an ongoing practice of meditation, you can take fascinating jou eys through those different levels. You are clearly aware of an ...

Published · 3,380 views

At one time I was flying out of Heathrow airport to go to India and conduct our annual series of ten day Vipassana Retreats at the International Meditation Centre in Budh Gaya. It was a stormy evening and the sky was black with clouds and occasional lightning flashes, a good indication of what was to come.r

Published · 1,502 views

We all have a perception of perfection. We carry with us an idea of how everything should be and because of this spend huge amounts of time and energy trying to arrange conditions to match this idea. Our family, friends, partners and colleagues, our work and social engagements. Nothing falls outside our desire to be happy by controlling all the things we think we need to produce that happiness. It is a constant struggle. The blueprint for perfection against the realities of life.r

Published · 3,040 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

There is an old rule: The one who stays silent is criticised. The one who talks too much is also criticised. Even the one who speaks only a little is criticised. There is no-one in the world who is never criticised. Dhammapada: verse 227 Criticism is a part of our life, whether we give it or receive it, it is always there. For the one who gives it, it is a way to show power and control, for the one who receives it is a humiliation. However, it is a fact of life and no matter who we are or what we do, as long as we have life we will always be in the place to receive it.r

Published · 1,399 views · Rated 4/5 from 1 votes

If you've made the choice for a richer, more empowered life ... and your life-path seems "bumpier" than ever, please don't be discouraged. If you've been striving for greater wholeness – striving to heal a part of yourself or your life that is causing you pain – only to find yourself in greater turmoil, don't give up quite yet.

Published · 1,773 views · Rated 3.8/5 from 13 votes

At one time many years ago, I had a female student who came to learn Vipassana meditation with me. After some weeks she was met by a friend who also claimed a meditation practice.rn‘How long have you been learning?’ asked the friend.rn‘Oh, for about six weeks now,’ my student replied.rn‘Are you seeing green lights yet?’ continued the friend.rn‘No,’ replied my student somewhat startled by the question.rn‘Then your meditation isn’t working!’ said the friend.

Published · 1,456 views

Many, many years ago I knelt in front of my teacher and complained about my father, his attitude to me and his complete lack of understanding with my interest in Buddhism. He had recently said some things that had hurt me very much and even angered me. I needed to share that pain and find some support. My teacher listened while I poured my heart out about the current situation and finally when I had finished he smiled and said, rn‘Ah yes’, he said, ‘the Buddha had a lot of trouble with his father too.’

Published · 1,071 views

It's the puzzle we all face as we go about healing and restoring a wounded self-esteem. We want to value and love ourselves more completely. We certainly know the anguish when those old feelings of worthlessness creep in. We even know the areas where we're most "sensitive" and self-critical. But how on earth do we get from these wincing, self-negating feelings to feelings of self-love? How do we love ourselves when in many ways we so painfully don't?

Published · 2,336 views · Rated 5/5 from 11 votes

These are real questions asked in various forms on retreats or seminars. Perhaps some are your questions also ............... Question: Why is it that I seem to have such a problem with anger? Answer: It's interesting to notice the words we use to describe certain things, because it is our language that defines our relationship to a particular situation. As soon as we used the word ‘problem’, we have created a situation of conflict. We have in our mind an ideal scenario of how things should be for us all the time, and in this instance there is no room for anger.r

Published · 1,283 views

At one time I was flying out of Heathrow airport to go to India and conduct our annual series of ten day Vipassana Retreats at the International Meditation Centre in Budh Gaya. It was a stormy evening and the sky was black with clouds and occasional lightning flashes, a good indication of what was to come.r

Published · 1,294 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

The one who loves the dhamma lives happily, with his mind at ease. Dhammapada verse :79 At 10.32 on the 10th May 1987, I became a monk, with the name Paññadipa, meaning Island of Wisdom. This, as my teacher told me, was reference to the fact that I come from an island, not because I was wise ! It was a very special time for me, not only because I could surrender completely into the ways of a Buddhist monk, but also becasue I would be even closer to my teacher, perhaps the most important person in my life at that time.r

Published · 1,012 views

Meditating earnestly, the wise realise Nibbana, the highest happiness. Dhammapada Verse : 23 During one of our annual retreats at the International Meditation Centre, Budh Gaya, India some years ago, a young man from Holland came to me and said, ‘everytime I begin my meditatio I hear Beatles songs in my head, what should I do?’ I simply answered, 'let it be!' Hearing the song isn't important - it's singing along that brings the difficulties.

Published · 1,083 views

Dhamma is everywhere My teacher arrived back at his monastery one afte oon after visiting his other monastery in London. He came straight to the kitchen where I, as a monk, was making a cup of tea. His smile was enormous and he said immediately, "Paññadipa, I have just heard my whole philosophy in a song on the car radio." (He was searching for a news station and bumped into pop music.) "Really," I said, "What was it?" "Don't worry, be happy," He replied. rn(Don't worry, be happy: Bobby McFerrin 1988)

Published · 1,504 views

Our usual way of being is to live in accordance with the rules and regulations set down by others. The play other people's games. They tell us what is right and what is wrong, and most importantly, how we should behave. This is simply conditioning by our parents, our educational system and society in general. At a very early age we learn that certain modes of behaviour are either acceptable or not. We loose spontaneous action, because in our mind we always trapped by this conditioning. A student of mine telephoned me one day to ask a question.r

Published · 1,773 views · Rated 3.5/5 from 2 votes

When we are awake and alert, We have a predominance of beta rhythms and a few alpha rhythms within our neural patterns. Imagine a busy, but relatively uneventful work day. When we invest in brainwave entrainment (BWE) programs, it's usually for purposes of relaxation. We invest in alpha and theta rhythm programs to help with stress relief and relaxation. We invest in delta rhythm programs to help with pain relief and sleep. There are all kinds of BWE programs for other purposes too.

Published · 2,204 views · Rated 3.3/5 from 3 votes

The wise man will not look for the faults of others, or for what they have done or left undone. Rather he will look at his own misdeeds. Dhammapada verse : 50 Many years ago, whilst living on the Isle of Man, I was invited to present a Dhamma Talk at the local prison. I had become quite well known as a Buddhist practitioner and teacher, and then as now, always eager to serve the Dhamma, so I was happy to agree.

Published · 1,049 views

Human beings are a pretty strange and complicted life-force and although the potential for complete liberation is present in every moment, mostly we take the other route, that of suffering. One of the most common expressions of this suffering in the West is the bizzare pre-occupation with low self esteem. How did we arrive in this place where we continually think that we are no good, or at least not good enough, and then so often feel intimidated and threatened by everything around us ?

Published · 1,072 views · Rated 4.5/5 from 2 votes

Changing places At one time a student of mine was asking about my time as a monk in the Theravada tradition of Buddhism. He listened to my words and when I had finished speaking he said, 'Ah yes, but the monks life is a special life.' I answered, 'Not when you're a monk.When you are a monk that life is your ordinary life.’

Published · 1,225 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

The end of the year is a very powerful time. And one that presents some unique opportunities and challenges. Along with “holiday” pressures, we must also contend with the natural shifting of “energy” that comes as we approach the close of the year. As one creative cycle ends and another begins – as it does with the turn of our calendar year – the larger energies that move us forward will need to rearrange themselves. There will be a necessary shifting of momentum.

Published · 1,700 views · Rated 5/5 from 8 votes

Whatever we are attached to will hurt us. It is well understood that attachment is the condition for our suffering and that whatever we are attached to will hurt us This attachment will always manifests in a possessive relationship with life and everything that it contains, and is revealed in the words ‘I, me, mine and my.’ When using these words without wisdom and understanding we open the gates to our unhappiness. The answer to the question, ‘who suffers ?’ is always the same, ‘I do !’ Attachment is always possessive, but what is it that we think we own ?r

Published · 1,079 views

Though practiced around the world by people of all faiths and abilities, Meditation is seen by many beginners as a difficult practice to do. In truth, the art of meditation can take many forms, but many of them are simple and suited just for beginners, as the 10 steps below testify. The first step is to give yourself the gift of time. 1. Ensure you won’t be disturbed.

Published · 1,700 views · Rated 4/5 from 1 votes

As we approach the holidays we look forward to a time of joy and happiness, to lightness and warmth. It's a season of fond memories, great anticipation … and much planning. And whereas this yearning and anticipation is quite understandable, it can also be a bit of a trap. Expecting great joy and not finding it, we may become all the more disheartened. Seeing warmth around us yet not experiencing it ourselves, we may find ourselves feeling a bit separated.

Published · 1,742 views · Rated 5/5 from 7 votes

If you are drawn to spiritual growth, you are no doubt “sensitive.” And as we pursue these paths and practices, our sensitivity will certainly grow: sensitivity to our own feelings and “energy” ... and sensitivity to the world around us. This sensitivity is of course a strength, as we need it for our compassion and for connecting with ourselves and others. It is also a great power, as we cannot hope to properly address a thing (internally or exte ally) until we become aware of it.

Published · 1,893 views · Rated 5/5 from 9 votes

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. ~Albert Einstein Many of us have drama cycles that recur in our lives. It might be a situation we often find ourselves in that causes a great amount of stress or pain. It might be a particular type of person or significant other, who repeatedly enters our life at key moments and messes things up for us. Perhaps it’s an automatic reaction we have to a situation that we inevitably regret each time we do it.

Published · 2,501 views

Nothing's more frustrating than feeling like you're "spinning your wheels." There's a restlessness for action or change, but you can't seem to sustain your enthusiasm for any particular direction. Or perhaps you're facing a critical decision, a situation that DEMANDS action. You want to make the right choice, but the more you think about it, the LESS certain you become.

Published · 1,585 views · Rated 5/5 from 6 votes

We’ve all arrived at those moments when we feel overwhelmed, even under siege, by trying circumstances within our life. We’ve done all we can, bearing up as best we can, but without great success or relief. And in our frustration and fatigue, we’ve probably looked up to heaven and asked: “How can you possibly ask more of me?” If we could hear clearly through our distress, we’d probably hear heaven lovingly reply: “ 'We' are not.”

Published · 3,239 views · Rated 5/5 from 11 votes

In the 21st century, travel is much different than it was back in the 1990’s. Nowadays, we all have this wondrous device called a smartphone. The internet has brought us many social networks to meet new people and stay in touch with old friends. The airline industry landscape has changed with new budget airlines to make airline travel compete with ground transportation between cities and countries around the world. These tools have made travel cheaper than ever before.

Published · 2,697 views

Sahaja Meditation is a simple technique that lets you tap into your subtle inner energy system and harness its power to become better balanced and better connected to yourself — emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Even at its most fundamental level, Sahaja Meditation can offer important practical benefits; for example, relief from stress, anxiety and negative thought patterns.

Published · 2,686 views

The development of view is central to Dzogchen meditation. Therefore, a point of clarification necessary to understand Dzogchen is this. View and viewpoints, while somewhat related, are not exactly the same. What do I mean by that? First of all, a viewpoint (or point of view) generally has its basis in some school of thought or system of belief, although not necessarily a formalized system of belief. In fact, most viewpoints are loosely acquired over time. But how? Acquiring Points of View As you observe and evaluate the circumstances of your life…

Published · 1,621 views

Integrity is easy to define: wholeness, unity, authenticity, honesty, acting in accordance with our beliefs. But living in integrity can be a long-term project. We are inundated with information from the moment of birth - some of it is right for us, much of it is not. For anyone who seeks Truth, a large part of our lives is spent sifting and sorting to find our own personal Truth. Swami Shankarananda says it so well: "The inner or yogic criterion of truth is the feeling of harmony. Truth always has a feeling of harmony and peace.

Published · 1,517 views · Rated 3/5 from 2 votes

The goal of Dzogchen meditation is to discover the mind’s true essence, its natural state. This essence is traditionally described with words like spacious, open, clear, luminous, and aware. It is nondual.

Published · 3,022 views

Walking a metaphysical path will raise many conflicts of principle, morality and purpose within you and in the process of awakening to your higher purpose, and subsequently function, both the good as well as the bad are brought into consciousness. Deeply buried garbage in the form of mental conditioning and emotional programming as well as deeply buried joy will begin to well up to the surface for your consideration.

Published · 3,022 views · Rated 4/5 from 2 votes

I’ve struggled with meditation most of my life. Over a span of 15 years, I purchased meditatio CD’s, attended meditation classes and read books on meditation, yet was still unable to incorporate it into my daily life. The meditatio CD’s usually put me to sleep and the classes and books made ...

Published · 6,990 views

It is almost impossible for anyone, however gifted, to portray higher dimensional beings accurately with either the use of three dimensional art forms or the use of the written word. Realizing this, we should be grateful for whatever truth the artist or the writer manages to capture, no matter ...

Published · 4,330 views

Are you motivated to stop smoking? If so, how are you going to do it? No doubt you’ve tried to use the willpower method and probably various other methods too. But this time you’re going to do it. So let’s look at the pros and cons – starting with some gloomy predictions as to whether you stand any chance of ‘giving up’ (a term I never normally use as it implies that you are making a huge sacrifice.

Published · 1,676 views

Most people are aware of the benefits of meditation, yet MOST people DO NOT have a regular meditation practice. The biggest obstacle to developing a regular meditation practice is TIME. People say they don't have enough time to meditate. Yet did you know the average American waits 42-60 ...

Published · 1,817 views

Meditation for personal transformation - Coming into Purpose and Keeping the Flow of Living Life as we Age! - By Lynn Gardner 8/08/2008 The oldest baby boomer is approaching 65 years of age and the majority expected to live well into their 90”s. We have not yet reached this age groups ...

Published · 1,365 views

Everybody knows at least one of them. They are the people who have all the best things in life: the wonderful relationship, the great career, the beautiful house, the luxury car… the entire package. Good things just seem to fall into their laps. Hopefully, one of those lucky, wealthy people you are thinking about right now is yourself. If not, read on, because you have the power to create your own wealth, just as the “lucky” people do. Now, here’s the shocker: “Lucky” people aren’t really lucky.

Published · 996 views

So you would like to meditate. It sounds great doesn’t it – sitting quietly, letting go and straight into meditation. In fact, most people trying meditation for the first time – or even the hundredth time - feel anything but peaceful – the mind starts racing away – ...

Published · 837 views

Make it your business to take time to Rest, Renew and Redefine What make life fruitful? The attainment of wisdom? The establishment of a just and fair society? The creation of beauty? The practice of loving-kindness? Thomas Jefferson, our forefather suggested that human life and liberty ...

Published · 940 views

I am one of those persons who have always been in a relationship, at least since I was 14, and successful ones. They had their natural flow and growth and at a certain point they came to and end, with a little sadness in saying goodbye and the certainty that the emptiness of separation was ...

Published · 1,538 views

The Radical Sabbatical is a great exploration of our unique truth and destiny through world wide travel. The journey expands wisdom and authenticity about our purpose, our relationships and the "awe" of our true nature by exploring and experiencing diversity in landscape, people and cultural ...

Published · 2,516 views

Sometimes I get messages in my meditations that are muddled and sometimes they come in boldface, 14 point font. Yesterday was one of those days in which the message was loud and clear: “Resist nothing. Resist no-thing. When we become no thing, we can become anything. This is true freedom.” This ...

Published · 1,317 views

It’s a new year; traditionally, a time for reflecting on the past and preparing and planning for the upcoming year. Although, I have learned from reading The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, that nothing is more important than the present moment. Tolle says that “True salvation is fulfillment, ...

Published · 1,896 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

Take the Meditation Challenge: How to Develop the "Habit" of Meditation and Live from the Inside Out. Gandhi said, “Peace, to be real, must be unaffected by outer circumstances.” What if you could truly experience inner peace regardless of what’s going on exte ally? How would it FEEL ...

Published · 1,360 views

Have you heard about the “law of attraction” but are wondering whether you’re applying it correctly? Or maybe you’ve applied the law but are wondering why nothing is happening? If this is you, then I highly recommend the book Ask and It Is Given by Esther and Jerry Hicks. Upon first glance, ...

Published · 1,543 views · Rated 3.5/5 from 2 votes

Imagine if you had been given a gift -- a magic wand of sorts --and you were told that you could use this wand at any time to create what you wanted in life. How much would you pay for such a gift? What would you be willing to sacrifice to get it? Now, what if I told you that this gift was ...

Published · 1,520 views

Here it is, it’s very simple...The most important thing YOU can do to manifest World Peace is… BELIEVE PEACE. What? What does that mean, BELIEVE PEACE? “You mean to tell me that all I have to do is Believe Peace and Peace will be my reality? You mea I don’t have to do anything like write my ...

Published · 4,234 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

I was at the public Library the other day to look up some media contacts for a publicity campaign and also to check out a biography of Woodrow Wilson. When I left the library, I found myself walking directly behind a man who had a dark complexion and was wearing a turban. Two young ...

Published · 2,079 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

Although yoga is practiced in the U.S. by more people than ever before, there is still a great deal of misinformation in the West about the true nature and purpose of this sacred science. Most people associate yoga with the physical practice of postures, called “asanas.” But this is like saying ...

Published · 3,129 views · Rated 2/5 from 1 votes

Does the rain bring you down? Does it make you more grumpy? The lack of sunshine affects some people more than others. Shortened days and colder temperatures in the fall and winter bring most people indoors. Only with the light of spring do they recover from the winter blues.

Published · 1,947 views

LETTING INTUITION WORK FOR YOU The psychologist Carl Jung was once asked if he believed in God. He responded I don’t just believe, I know. Intuitives often feel the same way, many of you as readers don’t just believe it exists, you know it does. Intuition is just another sense like seeing, hearing or smelling. It’s a sense we all share.

Published · 1,354 views

Published · 4,496 views

On a Christmas Eve, not so long ago, I was driving around with friends, looking at Christmas lights. They "oohed" and "ahed" in the front seat while I sat in the back staring out the window, wondering out how the commercial extravaganza starring Santa Claus got scheduled on the same day as the celebration of the birth of Jesus - who, by all accounts, was not at all materialistic(although he had quite a way with loaves and fishes). I recalled that, as a child, I had started wondering about my parents’ religion when I found out that Santa Claus was make-believe.

Published · 1,153 views

t's no big surprise that meditation isn't always accomplish-able. Family, friends, work and even strangers can get in the way of working on relaxing. Thoughts, sounds, too much coffee, anxiety and even fear are some other culprits.The list goes on and on. So what are you to do when sitting down to meditate just isn't happening? Here's something I discovered. It's called, "The 'Shut it Up' Method." (I'm sure you see where this is going.)

Published · 1,149 views

Ah the great meditation practice killer: Boredom. It sneaks up oh so silently, without warning. One minute you're meditating and the next you wish you weren't sitting your beautiful darrier on that pretty meditation cushion. What started out as the purest of intentions to connect to inner peace has turned into a colorless continuation of monotonous moments. All of a sudden the intention of relaxing into your self turns into, "To hell with this ish! I got better things to do." And just like that, that day's practice has gone down the drain.

Published · 1,032 views

“Jesus Christ knew he was God. So wake up and find out eventually who you really are. In our culture, of course, they’ll say you’re crazy and you’re blasphemous, and they’ll either put you in jail or in a nut house (which is pretty much the same thing). However if you wake up in India and tell your friends and relations, ‘My goodness, I’ve just discovered that I’m God,’ they’ll laugh and say, ‘Oh, congratulations, at last you found out.” ~ Alan W. Watts Spiritual Awakening. Finding out. I remember the day I found out.

Published · 1,159 views

Who has time to count calories, shop for exotic, low calorie, super foods, or sign up for all the latest fad diets? I know that I certainly don’t. I remember times in my life when dieting was not a problem. Playing football and burning up five or six thousand calories a day made weight control easy. As a matter of fact, I had to conscientiously try to gain weight! (Tons of milkshakes and ice cream). As Buddhist monk in Thailand, my food intake consisted of one meal a day at 10:00 am all mixed together in one bowl.

Published · 5,785 views · Rated 4/5 from 3 votes

IF you feel, or believe, that your life is in such an impossible state that there is no way you can move forward from it,(without it being ovewhelmingly painful or catastrophic), take heart. It's just these kind of circumstances that often give rise to major growth. But in order to do that, you might well benefit from some positive guide lines that can help you to navigate the hard times without collapsing into fear, defensiveness or other ways of being. It's important to grow in ways that do not recreate the unwanted circumstances you're experiencing now.

Published · 2,253 views · Rated 2.1/5 from 7 votes

The man continues to see and hear repeatedly deceiving advertising and marketing, its nature is to gather correct. That is what the psychologist says about human nature. Based on it, the big business houses spend big money on its announcement of deceiving advertising on the Internet, television and published. It is the violation of human rights.

Published · 1,477 views

There are many different conceptions of God since the dawn of civilization. It is considered the ete al creator and sustainer of the basis of all walks of life and substance to the universe. The most conceivable God is omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, the supreme divine power, very subtle, perfectly pure, perfectly motionless and supreme wisdom of God. Human population in the world is estimated at 660 million. The majority believe in it, have a different perception with a different faith. It is estimated that 32% of people believe in his collection with the Christian faith.

Published · 1,252 views

Many people are wondering if you are a truly spiritual man, to show us God. Tell us where God is. I told them that drop your simple thoughts of the world in mind, you will reach to himself. While you can not do it, you do not come to witness God. God has many names and is an ete al existence in Inner beyond your simple mind. It can not be lived until you unfold your experience and wisdom of the spiritual mind. Spirit has an ete al existence in Inner beyond your conscience. You have the ete al connection to your spirit through your consciousness.

Published · 625 views

Meditation books for beginners available on the Internet are endless. How to select the best book for understanding of meditation and the practice of meditation? Many beginners are confused about meditation techniques. Here the suggestion to choose the book of guided meditation and meditation techniques before going ahead and deep meditation. A good book of meditation for beginners is that gives easy to learn techniques of meditation. Well adapted the techniques of meditation that gives peace of mind.

Published · 1,264 views

Similar to Christianity, Buddhism has many branches. The original doctrine that the Buddha taught his monks is called the Theravada or the Teaching of the Elders, but this very deep teaching may be too strange and frightening for everyday Americans. This unpopularity is not unusual when we consider the deeper teachings of many religions, such as Kabbalah in Judaism and Orison in Christianity. People usually talk a good story about God, but don't want to really go there, opting instead for earthly glories such as sex, money, power, security and entertainment. Familiar things.

Published · 2,290 views · Rated 5/5 from 3 votes

Beliefs of Buddhism is the spiritual philosophy to understand his individual life of man, the absolute life, consciousness and subtle problem of human suffering and human suffering that can be controlled based on meditation and conscious experience. It helps understand the metaphysics of the human mind, its thoughts and desires.

Published · 1,986 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

Wordsworth wrote a poem that "child is father of man." This statement was interpreted by various critics. But I share a story from my childhood, which bears the seeds of moral values in my childhood to become trees of the positive attitude at the age of mature man. It is also good food for my critics who saw me in the position of corrupt financial expert and intelligent. The child is a life pure plays in happiness, regardless of what is in the future. What is given to the play, he willingly accepts to play with love to please her parents.

Published · 633 views

USA TODAY reports that "Despite population growth and immigration adding nearly 50 million more adults, almost all denominations have lost ground since the first ARIS data was released in 1990. The 2008 results, released today, April 25th, are based on 54,000 interviews with a margin of error of plus or minus 0.5%." On their interactive map, data that was collected over 18 years from the American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) is available state by state.

Published · 1,446 views · Rated 2/5 from 1 votes

Many academics, scientists and philosophers do not accept consciousness as there is nothing organic to conclude. They consider that the functions of the mind are all at the center of the physical body. Many other people perceive and accept as by faith. Rare is the pious person who has experienced it and love to live in its serenity. Spiritual consciousness is who you are and do not have a physical origin. Mental physical functions provide an opportunity for spiritual awareness to survive the physical world. Mind functions come and go, or rise and fall on demand.

Published · 1,364 views

Are liberals and conservatives opposite? If you are a conservative, does that mean that liberal ideas are opposite of yours? And if you are liberal, are conservative ideas opposite of your way of thinking? The opposite of liberalism is not conservatism - but tyranny (a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator - not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.).

Published · 1,256 views

Remember that all-in-one 48 piece exercise gym that you bought a few years ago? You even figured out how put it together, and actually worked out for a month or two! Then the sessions got further and further apart, and finally you had to disassemble the infe al contraption and move it into another area (the attic) to make space for your new "media room." Or how about the 37 books on Feng Shui that are now collecting dust on the crooked bookshelf shelf next to your recliner with the duct taped arms? I won't even mention the collection of yoga CDs, next to the 25 financial advice DVDs.

Published · 3,282 views

The first thing you want to do is scream at your kids. That makes them afraid and teaches them to become pushy themselves, connecting verbal abuse with authority and influence. (Never use compassion or loving kindness - that will make girlie men out of them). If you are dead, so to speak, serious about raising a world class bully, then maltreat them as often as possible. The more maltreatment they learn to endure, the better bully they become.

Published · 2,062 views · Rated 2.8/5 from 5 votes

It's obvious that only after young adults leave home do they find their own potential and blossom in their own way. The bittersweet acknowledgement of this reflects a mature relationship with parent and child. This is a cutting of the umbilical chord with our children, offering them a chance of individual development, and freedom to explore their new world on their terms. Freedom: Are there other umbilical chords that can be cut that offer freedom for ourselves?

Published · 2,292 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

Daily meditation grounds your thoughts instantly. It makes you aware of your negative thoughts. Once you become aware of your negative thoughts, your wisdom and his reading began to refuse to intervene physically. It makes you feel positive thinking. When all this becomes impulsive, it is itself in your body language and speech. Daily meditation gives you the space to focus on manifesting your life today the most abundant. Anyone who experiences daily meditation in the heart is happy in all situations of life. He / she have attained the goal of human life.

Published · 1,300 views

Of course, most of us have seemingly innocent alliances that are common to ordinary folks, like our friends and relatives. But is this where the really dangerous alliances lie? How can a relationship with Auntie Bess and Uncle Bill be harmful for us? They are loving, warm, giving, and have encouraged and guided us throughout our lives. But is there a sinister aspect to their association with us?. An alliance is when we get together for a common interest. But what makes alliances dangerous?

Published · 1,754 views

By a narrow margin, both houses of congress agreed to cancel the Government of the United States. After years of struggle, President Polin has finally fulfilled her mother's dream; the total end of government control. On the streets of L.A. can be heard the celebratory exclamations this morning: "No more payroll taxes! Yay! No more Social Security or Medicare taxes! Yay! No more military expenses (Yay!) No more post offices or schools! Yay! No more costly VA.

Published · 1,552 views · Rated 2.5/5 from 4 votes

Most of our experiences of self-realization and evaluation of God is mere perception. A profound meditation and practice self-control is necessary for self-test and internal unity of God. Selfishness can not understand the language of internal autonomy. The experience of the dissolution of selfishness and the silence of consciousness is the door to self-realization of self and a true sense of the unity of God. This is the first step. Practice conscientiously, to avoid talking and listen more. Make a habit of deliberately giving more chance for others to speak.

Published · 591 views

Once the Buddha was asked if anyone can become enlightened, even if they were not a follower of the Buddha. His answer - a resounding; "Of course!" He even went further than that. He warned about becoming attached to the religion itself, and suggested that one only use Buddhism as a raft to cross over from delusion to enlightenment. Then, just as one who has crossed a river in a raft gets out of the raft on the far shore and leaves it behind, so an enlightened person should do the same with Buddhism.

Published · 1,867 views · Rated 3.6/5 from 5 votes

I am looking for God - the friend of silence Sounds of Silence deep total. Sounds of Silence deep Total is my Lord, my faith. I feel the end of life achieved while circulating through the silent sound of total silence of God. Sounds of silence inside Feelings become impulsive in me and I can feel it in a crowded area and before loud sounds of televisionr If we lose our inner connectio Sounds of Silence, dead silence, all, we are in tension, sadness, hostility and talk about selfishness. To live life with happiness, filled with silence is the key

Published · 1,658 views

H.B.I.T.S. is more widespread than originally thought, mainly because it goes unreported. The reason for this is that on the surface, it doesn't seem to be all that serious. But as a matter of record, H.B.I.T.S. could be called the silent killer. One of the major symptoms of H.B.I.T.S. is a sudden and drastic lapse of intelligence that becomes problematic when this lapse turns into a chronic disorder.

Published · 1,860 views · Rated 3.6/5 from 5 votes

When my mother married my Dad in 1950 her expectations were that he would work and provide for her and their family. My mother expected to stay at home, cleaning, shopping, cooking and accompanying my father on his social activities. I know this is an over-simplification: they certainly loved each other and were good friends too – but that was broadly the paradigm in which they operated their relationship.

Published · 1,912 views

Civilizations and religions, different languages have different names and symbols. Allah is the name most often used to make love in the true name of God in Islam. The Holy Trinity is the love in the true name of God in Christianity. To make love in the true name of God in Hinduism is Ishwara, ie driver Supreme Lord. To make love in the true name of God in Buddhism is the Four Noble Truths. There is no end of names and forms of making love in the true name of God. All are faithful to the demands of its name and form of God is satisfied with thinking skills.

Published · 857 views

If you do not like to worship God through rituals of the faith or to visit churches and temples, meditation on God is a good alte ative. If you are unable to speak directly to God, meditation on God is the solution. If you do not find a proper relationship with God, then meditation on God is meditation on the shortcut path. If you find your friendship with God is not calm, then God meditation is a spiritual medicine.

Published · 1,575 views

Who says prayer does not work? Who has not experienced the power of true prayer? How to prayer are as important as cultivating faith in God. Texts of Sacred Books of almost all major religions, preaches a relationship with God through prayer. Prayer to the Lord, has significance in almost religious.

Published · 725 views

Human beings go through an interesting process when reinca ating, a process that unless explained would probably go unnoticed. This article will explain the steps. All major religions recognize reinca ation. This especially true with Eastern religions.

Published · 1,894 views

Human life have developed all evil techniques to destruct all natural resources of planet and so its existence. Present all religions are failing to control moral character of humans. Present all religions are in control of political actors. Present religions have divided one God and set different Universal code of conduct for its followers and not-followers.

Published · 1,732 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

Women's work at home as housewife and mother to take care of children is priceless. Working women continue to work hard on housework and childcare. Without doubt, a housewife and mother to child live more difficult lives than her husband. In countries like India, my country, for the sake of a healthy diet and education of children, women usually play the role of housewife. This is the case of qualified women, even professional.

Published · 3,424 views

It's obvious that other people, when they disagree with us, are just plain wrong. And when we confront these kinds of people, our only alte ative is to let them know in no uncertain terms that they are not only wrong, but apparently stupid for disagreeing with us about something so obviously apparent. It's unbelievable that people can be so messed up. Of course, the other person feels the exact same way about us! It's not that they somehow realize that they are stupid and forge ahead anyway.

Published · 1,516 views · Rated 5/5 from 2 votes

We in America are just beginning to understand what the phrase "Letting the cat out of the bag" is all about. This idiom means that a secret has been somehow accidentally disclosed, and in America's case, the secret has dire ramifications. The phrase has been traced back to around the middle ages where dishonest farmers would sell piglets packaged in opaque, black bags that you couldnt see through. But there were no piglets in the bags . . . there were cats! Which were much less expensive than piglets.

Published · 1,457 views

Under the Declaration of Independence of US, the "pursuit of happiness" is a fundamental human right. Critics say the U.S. Constitution does not guarantee happiness, the pursuit of it. Find happiness with wealth is a pipe dream. You do not find happiness, you live in happiness. Recent survey shows that many people who have more money and wealth are not in happiness. But for many, the pursuit of happiness is money and wealth. I asked several people what they think give them happiness in human life. One person said that the pursuit of happiness, he makes money and wealth.

Published · 4,551 views

When you say to someone, not of your religion, that "because your good book says it is true, therefore it must be true," don't you ever notice that the person, instead of falling down in worship, rolls their eyes? Do you smugly continue to be a "work in progress," and proud of it, justifying your careless actions by pointing out that sinners have no chance to improve themselves? . . . Convenient. Are you peaceful, calm and loving, or are you ever trying to make something happen in your faith.

Published · 1,646 views

How about a fresh approach to religion? What if we observed life as it truly is? What if we tried to see the truth of life without preconceived ideas about life, without the filter of our past conditioning and entrenched beliefs? Is there an approach to life that plainly, logically, and clearly appeals to common sense? A philosophical, psychological approach that people can relate to? If such an approach existed, it surely would have a universal appeal.

Published · 2,138 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

This world is an amazing place. Never-ending things to experience. Long ago this was not the case . Other than a change of seasons, nothing much happened. But today with the internet, we can be worldwide travelers while sitting in our media rooms. We can be authors and write articles, or political pundits and create blogs. We can even shop the world for everything from a nice camera to a good-looking wife. Who would want or could imagine any more than this?

Published · 1,911 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

As are your thoughts, your emotions are in the moment. Conflicting emotions are strong constraints in mind. The managing emotions are learned through regular practice of awareness of its positive and negative thoughts. Measuring happiness depends largely on how effective you are in control of emotion. The emotions are ephemeral, bound to swing. Emotions are transient and related to the movement of thoughts in mind in the moment. The thoughts of happy events in the present moment are to make you happy. Thoughts of sad events of today are to make you sad.

Published · 1,430 views

What is the Difference betwee Meditation and Yoga? Meditation in yoga program is defined by Patanjali as "Chitta Vriti Nirodhah. It means a personal development program that establishes the harmony of body and mind and considering the development of humans on the physical, mental and spiritual. Meditation is an element of the yoga program.

Published · 1,321 views

Many people wonder that they have lot of wealth, power and position, but are lacking freshness in the physical and mental life. It is affecting their business, so they are worried and unhappy. They have no interest in spirituality, but want to buy some mind control technique to live in spiritual happiness. They are to manage their large companies and can not spare time in reading E-books or attending spirituality sessions. Many of these people come to me.

Published · 689 views · Rated 4/5 from 1 votes

My favorite thoughts of spiritual meditation continue to fight to mind the question of how my life is dependent and correlated with the utmost subtle world. It continue to have problems every time my spiritual self asks where the world comes, why I'm here again, or what happens when I die. Favorite thoughts of spiritual meditation continue to values such as patience, contentment, humility, beauty, love, or creativity that feels beyond our visible world.r

Published · 1,623 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

What is old age? The last part of human life is old age. It begins with the deterioration of physical abilities such as sight, hearing, walking, etc. forgetfulness occurs with age. The good memory of the past begins to fade in old age. Problems may arise in remembering the names of relatives and friends in old age.

Published · 1,776 views

Adults are seeking conditional perception of God with many names and logos and the scriptures of God and become worn without any conclusion. There is little research for his selfishness and learn the art of restoring his selfishness in his inner self, unconditionally and feel to reach the destination. . Some people do not perceive and believe in a God or supe atural being. They reject anything that transcends the world of appearances. They feel that there is no God or supe atural power that can be tested with the senses.

Published · 1,040 views

Yoga is the experience of control and calm persistence of thought in the mind with consciousness raised. Consciousness is a reflection of the true soul in your mind. Consciousness is life in the universe of pure subtle where it meets your selfishness in your physical life. Your mind is impure, like Looking Glass, which reflects the thoughts of selfishness updated with information from the senses of sight, smell, taste and hearing. Your selfishness is impure consciousness. Pure Soul can not be tested before having a clear conscience.

Published · 1,386 views

Meditation is a tool to remove the sense of many objects in the physical world and the thoughts of attachment and hatred in the unconscious mind. Hinduism have used meditation path to wash the bad thoughts in mind and improve the health of the mental life. The Hindu way of meditation that perceives the divine love in every law of the divinity.

Published · 1,334 views

There are many ways to feel affection for God. The best is the one that shows your emotions. The best means of loving God is always for your mood and always giving relaxation and happiness in mind control. Forced deep love of God for your metaphysics is not mature is simply perception or imitation. Love of God under any fear or any other influence is neither useful nor refreshing. Some, like searching for God through rituals hard on his behalf and there are many ways of torturing its physical properties and to live life through rituals hard.

Published · 1,808 views

Sanskrit word Yoga means union of life and soul. Holding physical life in various postures with conscious mind is called yoga poses or postures. Practicing breathing exercises in different styles with the conscious mind is called Yoga Pranayama. . It was intended to maintain a healthy physical life and mind and the development of social and moral values in terms of human rights. Yoga poses and pranayama has been developed by pious people who lived in caves Himalaya during the origin of the Aryan civilization of the world

Published · 2,143 views

Our sense act simply on orders our desires positive or negative in thoughts. Each our actions are directed by desires in our senses. Our actions are simply the words of our desires habitual in thoughts positive or negative in spirit. But we try rarely intending to become aware of desires positive or negative in thoughts. Our thoughts become the value normal of impression subliminal in consciousness pure and seeds of karma, not bound at time. When ripens we experience our desires into thoughts time. This is called law karma (action).

Published · 2,044 views · Rated 2.7/5 from 3 votes

Praise and worship is the means of communicating with a sacred object, a god, a lord or the oneness of God. It is universal, the method of performing the rituals continue to diverge from different faiths. The technique of praise and worship are numerous and each is directed to different depths of the relationship with the Lord.

Published · 1,463 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

Have you ever noticed that pious persons of all major religions - Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism, carry out various kind and colors of chains of Prayer beads in his hand or wearing it form of necklace. What is this string of Prayer beads? This Mala beads for prayer is a sacred tool to be used for deep meditation / prayer in consciousness or counting prayer sessions.

Published · 3,036 views

My conscious life is poetry in motion. The negative actions of my life are the product of desires in mind. Cruelty actions sow evil thoughts in mind, the goodness of actions sow thoughts cool in mind. Consciously do sow in the mind. Physical life is increasing with the impulsive action: the happiness in life depend thoughts in mind when listening to action:

Published · 1,882 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

Nature of individual selfishness can not be satisfied by accepting his request, but by understanding it. If you are timid and too dependent on alcohol or other addictions, become free of it by the understanding of individual selfishness and reprogram your brain. This will help you become more confident to eliminate fears and phobias, play better golf, to speed recovery of separation and learn to manage stress, etc. You want more quiet, more success in spiritual growth and fast recovery of the separation?

Published · 1,564 views · Rated 3.5/5 from 2 votes

What is it that we run from? What is it that takes up almost all of our waking moments? It must be very important, otherwise we wouldn't devote an entire lifetime trying to escape it. The interesting, and at the same time depressing, thing is that all the running in the world won't distance ourselves from this incorrigible anomaly that permeates our lives like water seeps into a sponge.

Published · 2,813 views · Rated 3/5 from 2 votes

How to define science and spirituality? Many people carry misleading perceptions of science and spirituality. Parameters of science and spirituality are different. Science and spirituality are not opposed to each other, but support each other. Einstein concluded that science can understand the secret strategy of relation of time and elements, but spirituality is required to understand the secret strategy of the evil spirit

Published · 2,179 views

Dateline May 21, 2010. Scientists Create First 'Synthetic' Cells - Researchers Imbue Cell With Engineered DNA.rn - by MICHAEL SMITH MedPage Today Staff Writer. "In a development that seems likely to stir a firestorm of controversy, researchers said Thursday that they have used genes made in the lab to create a synthetic species of bacteria. . . . The new species, Venter said, started with researchers digitizing the genetic code for the new species on computers, then assembling the nucleotides using "four bottles of chemicals" into sections of DNA.

Published · 2,211 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

Have you ever thought about ete ity? That‘s longer than a month, a lot longer. If an angel flew up to the top of a solid granite mountain once every hundred years and softly brushed a silk veil across it’s top, the number of years required to wear that mountain down to the ground would be a drop in the bucket compared to ete ity.

Published · 1,794 views

To clear the mind of past programming requires practice. It can't be done by wishing it to happen. The fastest and most trusted way is meditation, and the type of meditation that gets results quickly and surely is breath meditation. As one concentrates on his or her breath for some time, the mind becomes calm and absorbs into the breath. While concentration is like hitting the outside of the breath, absorption is like becoming one with the breath. Absorption is entering, what is called in Buddhism, the Bhavanga, or pure, unrestricted mind.

Published · 2,021 views

You seekers of spiritual power through meditation keep changing schools and books and barely reach the spiritual experiences of meditation and spiritual development. Here are some spiritual thoughts to give support for growth in their thoughts. Many people come to share with me who have lost a lot of money, time and life in school to seeking spiritual power and books read and books for meditation, spiritual power, but reaches no experience. Now he feels this is a fraud and nothing more. This applies to applicants for moderate spiritual power through thought practice.

Published · 784 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

Spiritual Fasting accelerates the growth of spiritual thoughts on the Lord to faith, Allah, the unity of God. It is used by all the great believers of the faith - Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. However spiritual program of fasting, food and a recipe for spiritual fasting, days and hours of fasting is different, so are their spiritual needs and objective thoughts. But the spiritual fasting is different from fasting for health. The program of spiritual fasting is different from fasting to lose weight. Underweight and overweight people respect the same rules on spiritual fasting regime.

Published · 1,659 views

Spiritual growth takes us away from the physical world of thought and things. Spiritual growth leads to internal autonomy beyond this physical life and connects to the conscience and the Lord, the unity of God.r

Published · 1,202 views

What is spiritual growth? What are the techniques for spiritual growth? What are the paths of spiritual growth? As many people are so understanding about it. Most of them are empty on spiritual growth. Others call their perception of the spiritual growth of the experience of spiritual growth. Inner Self of all is full of spirituality. Spiritual growth is not something to be taken outside. It is already there.

Published · 1,164 views

The acquisition of the famous saying spiritual needs of others in your memory, without the understanding and experience of the spirituality of it in your life is mere perception. How do you use the word famous spiritual is more important than the memory and continue to include in your discussions?

Published · 1,915 views

Some believe that spiritual is to belong to the church ecclesiastical: lords spiritual and temporal. Others believe that spiritual is on, or consisting of spirit or spiritualist, supe atural or spiritual. So is the spiritual seat of moral or religious nature. Spiritual is that relating to sacred things or matters; religious devotion sacred. Spiritual is that is on the mind or intellect. While we refer spiritual as more spiritual, most spiritual, less spiritual or least spiritual, it means the soul having no body, form, or substance. The scope of spiritual and spiritual growth is very wide.

Published · 1,223 views

An onion is peculiar in that it has many layers. It also causes you to cry when you peel off the layers. So we could say that the state of the onion is complex, as well as tearful! Our country is kind of like an onion. Fifty states all wrapped around a flag that gets more tattered every day. There are those that say we should live by state's rights and forget about the federal government. That sounds okay, but then all the liberals would move away from Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, and into Massachusetts, Oregon, and Vermont!

Published · 1,221 views

Waves of thought in the mind of man has the secret of the human mind is clever - the understanding of the mind is the key to unlocking personal potential. It is interesting to explore the vast capabilities and wonderful spirit based on yoga. It is interesting to understand what happens in our minds when we learn about the metaphysics of the human spirit and how to make the most of it.

Published · 1,286 views

Although the usual suspects of stress may be our jobs, financial difficulties, illness, political and religious arguments, family, personal problems, etc., if you look into each one of these in depth, you will find within them all a common thread. If only we could identify that common thread, then stress relief would be immensely simplified. So let's take a look at the mechanism of our stress in general. Let's say, for example, we are arguing with someone about politics which has gone past the point of civil discussion and now has reached levels of personal attacks.

Published · 1,578 views · Rated 4/5 from 1 votes

Some people say that buying a house had become best investment you can do over the last 5 years or more and is considered the best investment you can make. .What is the best investment you can make? Some say prudent investments in the share market is the best investment you can do.

Published · 1,986 views

I tried prayer to God for the faith of many, no result - meaning that I lost time on the wrong direction of prayer. Looking effective way to pray? Is there an organization to provide simple advice on the best way of prayer. This is the right place. Here are some simple steps to help you take advantage of the tremendous benefits of prayer to the God. The prayer by any means of faith surely gives relaxation in mind. .

Published · 2,248 views · Rated 4/5 from 1 votes

Maybe it has already happened to you. It doesn't happen to everyone. But those lives to which it happens are drastically changed. Changed for the better. When this happens, all the things that make life such a burden are magically lifted from one's shoulders resulting in a sudden, unexpected freedom that appears to come out of nowhere. This is not an intellectual thing, which is something to be studied and applied to one‘s life. It's not in the self-help books or uttered by life coaches. This is an experience, sometimes called a spiritual experience.

Published · 1,599 views

"All is impermanent." What a depressing thought, but only to an untrained, worldly mind. Impermanence is never lost, just a flow of change; a flow of change that is an ultimate truth and therefore an ultimate security. What is it that we instead depend upon for our security? When I was a young man I depended upon my strong body and mind to excel in sports, earn an athletic scholarship, attend college, and then go on to establish a career and raise a family. The family is now grown, middle aged themselves, and the body is becoming creaky. The mind is not as sharp as it once was.

Published · 1,737 views · Rated 4/5 from 2 votes

If we at least had enough to live on and make expenses, that would be enough. And enough to pay off the house, which isn't worth much anymore. Oh, and maybe provide for our healthcare, which is going to get very expensive in the very near future, and we better pay it or they will take our house! Oh, and enough in the bank for emergencies, home repairs, vehicle replacements; and maybe some investments to stave off inflation, and maybe enough to help out our kids, and help our grandchildren with college, and an occasional holiday or vacation.

Published · 1,592 views · Rated 3.3/5 from 6 votes

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change, courage to change the things I can, and light of spiritual wisdom to make a difference. In the light of spiritual wisdom is not an object or a thing that must be taken from anyone. It is already in you to your conscience pure latent. The light of spiritual wisdom is not subject to common sense and communication. If someone can do for you is to guide you to invoke the light of spiritual wisdom of consciousness.

Published · 1,243 views

Let's imagine for a moment that a cure for cancer was discovered. It wasn't just a cure for certain types of cancers but a cure for all types of cancers. And it didn't require radiation, chemotherapy, or surgery (burn, poison and cut). All you would have to do is take a pill, and immediately all tumors and symptoms would end. Just like that. The only problem is that this particular pill contains an ingredient that is very rare, so rare in fact that each pill would cost one million dollars to produce.

Published · 1,502 views

Who has time to count calories? Or shop for exotic, low calorie, super foods, (acai berries?) or sign up for all the latest fad diets? I certainly know that I don't. I remember times in my life when dieting was not a problem. Playing football and burning up three or four thousand calories a day made weight control easy. As a matter of fact, I had to conscientiously try to gain weight! (Tons of Big Macs and milkshakes). As a Buddhist monk in Thailand, my food intake consisted of one meal a day at 9:00 am all mixed together in one bowl. I got down to my optimum weight in no time.

Published · 7,709 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

We look in the mirror and notice a new wrinkle. Oh my God! I'm getting old! But I'm only forty-four! Let's see, Americans live to an average age of seventy seven. That gives me thirty-four more years! Wait a minute, Japanese live to be eighty one! I do eat a lot of fish. Maybe I have thirty seven years left. Wait another minute - I quit smoking! That has to add a few. Of course mom and dad died in their fifties (probably because of me), hmm, but I guess that doesn't help my longevity too much. Of course, I've always been lucky.

Published · 1,813 views · Rated 5/5 from 2 votes

Why does human life exist? Where to find the answer at the end of human life? No human being can rightly answer it. But right answer can be lived by reach to inner self by any technique of faith or meditation. .

Published · 1,903 views

Humanity has always looked to the transcendent, a human trait pursued in many ways. And who can really say which way is right or wrong regarding an inherent desire to transcend this earthly life when our time is up. The religious insist that they are right, and spiritual seekers say likewise. So in order to solve this spiritual conundrum, I came up with thirty distinguishing features (and counting) of both groups, so that you may make a judgment. Please do not infer that these features are all right or all wrong, they are only different ways to approach a most interesting subject.

Published · 1,335 views · Rated 5/5 from 2 votes

There are many problems in life, kind of like endless itches and glitches that need scratched and resolved. If we're poor, we have to struggle to support ourselves because there is . . . never enough money. If we're rich, then we have the typical problems of rich people - trying not only to tenaciously hold onto our wealth, but increase it as much as possible because there is . . . never enough money. If we are married, we have married people's problems - control and disagreements. If we are single, we have single people's problems - loneliness and insecurity.

Published · 1,128 views · Rated 3/5 from 3 votes

Our sense, knowledge of thought and language are able to understand things. We understand the names and symbols of God, Allah, Ram, supe atural being, etc., according to our faith. Our spirit is beyond the echo from the center of life and is not an object. Pure God is beyond our mind. To understand the true philosophy of God, we must go beyond the senses, thoughts and knowledge of the language by any other means of faith with meditation on his name or symbol.

Published · 1,292 views

What do you understand in the heart -- "Today is the first day of the rest of your life?" Is if your lifestyle of sensual enjoyment or spirituality. Freedom of thought is your conscience, your real life and the power of the mind and always refreshing. When you live with thoughts that today is the first day of the rest of your life, you're free of many thoughts of past and future.

Published · 7,997 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

At the heart of life is an absolute true self within the meaning of thought fails to develop properly. A genuine internal autonomy can not be celebrated with wisdom of thought. Wisdom of thought is based on what we see with our eyes, hear with their ears, the taste of the tongue, the smell in the nose or touch your skin. My feeling is understanding and experience of everyone in the world of substance and form. My senses do not understand and the experience of everyone in the world of subtle formless and beyond within the IT, which is the home of your true inner self.

Published · 1,512 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

All in heaven, the House of God is immeasurable, indescribable and immeasurable. The name and symbol of the faith of God are different in immeasurable and invaluable Wisdom of thought. Dealing with the pure calm of God is precious and priceless. To listen to the real name of faith is immeasurable in thought. It reached the mental faculties that can not be expressed in words. The lords, gods and prophets are the dealers of the oneness of God and immeasurable are a peaceful thought on them.

Published · 1,685 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

As the physical body is washed with water, Washed mind is through meditation.. Urinated as the child's clothing is purified by applying soapy water, impurities in the mind are eliminated by the application of meditation in the mind.Physical body is an extension of the subtle mind, which is consciousness and reflection. The physical body is merely acting on the orders of consciousness as fate or the idea of knowledge through thought process of mind. Consciousness acts in the spirit with the ete al spiritual inner knowledge that are unrelated to any form and language spoken in the world.

Published · 1,413 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

One of the most powerful weapons in the world is compassion. The least powerful is control. The two are surely at odds with each other, and it certainly seems that power and control would trump wimpy compassion any old day. But in actuality, compassion, a weapon of least distraction, is not only one of the most powerful, but the weapon of lasting peace. And this is the secret of its power. When we strive to control things, we set ourselves up for some angst. Do we not?

Published · 1,676 views

Many people are happy with the performance of rites and perception on the name and symbol beloved of God, believing that the love of God through a variety of faith. Blessed are those who are saturated with much genuine love for God, which is one for all and continue to sing the spiritual consciousness in it. To have a passionate desire, longing, and feelings of all that is useful, care or are objects of pleasure is called love. But this is not true love. It is conditional love. This love continues to change with the change of state.

Published · 1,005 views

Self-hypnosis is the act or state of being hypnotized. It is very useful, convenient and safe because you keep control of yourself and continue to make suggestions for you. Self-hypnosis can be a useful tool to support your spiritual growth. Methods for hypnosis in your state can also be used to reduce feelings of anxiety and promote feelings of confidence, self-efficacy and self-control. Self-hypnosis is an induced state of concentration in which deeper parts of the mind become more accessible.

Published · 624 views

At this age, many intellectuals falsely claim to be experts in spiritual knowledge. Some believe that knowledge of scientific thought from religious texts to guide the religion or the scriptures as spiritual knowledge. Others continue to discuss with his knowledge of the experience or scientific knowledge of religious texts taught in some universities.

Published · 1,148 views

The pilgrimage is a spiritual journey to a sacred place or shrine. Any movement or sense of morality is exalted pilgrimage. All followers of world religions such as Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism believe in pilgrimage.

Published · 1,540 views

Spiritual enlightenment is the knowledge that comes naturally himself, while the growth of religious art, and the growth of human sciences must be learned by others, civilization or university. Spiritual Enlightenment refers to the self-realization within the self by the spiritual growth. Spiritual growth is achieved by repeated practice of concentration on his thoughts of the faith of the Lord.

Published · 1,656 views · Rated 3.7/5 from 3 votes

The human mind does not want to experience God, but to catch it by becoming a specialist in religion and spirituality. All believers of religion and spirituality are because God is one. However, the perception of God's name, logo and technology differ according to the religion of faith and understanding of God.

Published · 1,665 views

The spiritual awareness unfolds selfishness in the mind control state. Few are people who live with pure consciousness, rest simply proceed with its collection. The spiritual awareness in me is always seeing the internal controls. When the spiritual consciousness is identified with selfishness, it becomes the power of selfishness in me to see and understand the meaning of the world and carry his memory in the form of thoughts in mind. Power of spiritual awareness in me, is the knowledge of internal controls and now works in the subtle world wide.

Published · 1,171 views

The spiritual reality is the wisdom of consciousness that is beyond our wisdom of thought. Beyond the Cosmos, the spiritual reality is what we know as God. The spiritual reality is that God is the creator of all in the physical world. Spiritual reality of God is timeless, motionless, endless, unlimited and complete.

Published · 1,406 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

Real source of truth cannot be one for all. It continues to change in a person with the development of thought and the awakening of consciousness. Real source of truth is influenced by faith and the depth of his practice and his dedication to his faith followed. The real source of truth lies in our inner self-consciousness which is ete al. Consciousness is dormant in the current state of selfishness and the degree of selfishness varies in individual persons.

Published · 1,509 views

God has all the true character that is beyond the perception of anyone. True nature of God that we perceive is a belief. He has all the character that can not be anything or be anyone who may be. He has all the character that can not be confined to space, time or name. God has all the characters that can not be limited to any language of any living being or a supe atural being. True God can not be defined as individual perception. What is seen is the belief on the name of God or technique to achieve the true character of God. Somehow, there is no God.

Published · 1,331 views

Would you invest your money in the pursuit of buy happiness? You do not have money to buy happiness? Looking for Happiness Guru? You're in the right place to get free advice? But you have to practice advice seriously. Just read the item can not buy happiness.

Published · 2,409 views

Truth is not what we believe truth to be. Whatever we see, whatever we hear, whatever we think, whatever we believe is not truth. Truth manifests beyond that. We might say that our religion is truth, but our religions are no more than a set of beliefs, and beliefs can never be truth, only conventional wisdom based on something that we read or heard, or our own past experience. Belief can never be truth, just as reading about something and repeating it can never capture the experience, and even religious experiences always seems to follow our heritage and culture; our conditioning.

Published · 2,698 views · Rated 5/5 from 2 votes

There comes a time in most people’s lives when they look back. Perhaps after the kids are gone, or when their faculties are almost gone! Or when they are more inclined to surrender rather than put up the good fight anymore. We all have to surrender, eventually. We might long for a sense of freedom from it all after we have courageously fought our battles. Battles that we cannot even remember but seemed so significant and meaningful at the time. And we fought so bravely, against tyranny, oppression, enslavement.

Published · 1,686 views

Take a look at your life and see if it's not true that the pursuit of pleasure and happiness involves just about everything you do. From watching TV or playing on the internet, to working at a career in order to make money - so that you can spend it and be happy with the resulting pleasure or save it and be happy with the resulting pleasure of security. To pursuing sensual sights, wonderful smells, sensual sensations, great food, great sex, warm family interactions, self expression . . .

Published · 1,800 views · Rated 3/5 from 3 votes

There are hundreds and thousands of worlds in the natural world indoors. There are hundreds and thousands in the natural world from the outside world of infinite inner world. Many people tried to understand the inside and outside the natural world of infinite inner world several times in many period and become fatigued before concluding anything. It is a statement widely spoken by the classical literature dealing with the fundamental principle of karma in Hinduism.

Published · 1,207 views

What is spiritual awakening? Invoking the spiritual wisdom of the inner soul is spiritual enlightenment. Many spiritualists learned that even religious fundamentalists say they can provide or contribute to spiritual development. If you feel something deep and profound wisdom and true to your inner wisdom beyond thought, and he is impulsive in your heart and becomes a guide for you, there is a certain degree of spiritual awakening. Many petitioners are the sole collector of spiritual development and have not tasted the truth.

Published · 959 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

Human nature is looking for happiness in different things and focuses on people liked and things, and become the enemy of the people and things have not helped. This impurity causes in mind. To clean the impurities in mind that it has caused, the man has used various types of meditation techniques of yoga for centuries.

Published · 1,370 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

Patanjali Yoga Sutra is a terse statement of a truth in Sanskrit literature. It consists of 195 basic guidelines for spiritual enlightenment. It is still valid for three thousand years.It is a philosophy not a religion. Yoga accepts all religions and believers without tilt. This yoga explains how the collective consciousness is achieved through self-realization of internal autonomy.

Published · 1,834 views

There are two faces of religion; that which we profess, and that which we project. Our professed religion follows our scriptures and our beliefs and are what we declare to be our truths, our ideals. It's the talk we talk. Our projection of our religion is how we act, what we say, how we say it, and what and how we think. It's the walk we walk. For example, we might profess love, but project (openly or surreptitiously) hatefulness if someone disagrees with our religion.

Published · 1,201 views · Rated 3.6/5 from 5 votes

People who are truly spiritual tend toward quietness. Not too many saints and prophets of old were the life of the party with a lampshade on their inebriated heads! You might instead find them out in nature somewhere, on a mountain trail, at the ocean, or in a forest, quietly reflecting on the deeper meanings of life. Or unselfishly caring for sick kids in India. They sacrifice everything they are or could be for that loftiest of goals - direct communication and merging with the absolute.

Published · 1,802 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

The way that we have been living is called the way of least resistance. This way involves emotionally and logically going after what we believe will make us happy. For the vast majority of us, this usually includes a career, a partner, then a house, cars, furniture, kids, college tuition, grandkids - you get the picture. These become our goals and triumphs in life. After living for 78.6 years, we then pass away and all the kids and grandchildren remember how kind and generous we were. End of story. And most people are satisfied with this and really don't expect much more.

Published · 1,008 views · Rated 3/5 from 2 votes

A True Story of Lust and Seduction - with a Twist! Twenty-six hundred years ago, Subbha the Buddhist nun was walking through a mango grove when a lustful young man blocked her path. Subbha the Nun: “What wrong have I done you that you stand in my way? It’s not proper my friend that a man should touch a woman gone forth (Buddhist nun who has dedicated her life to finding enlightenment). I respect the (Buddha’s) message, the training pointed out by the one well gone, I am pure, without blemish; why do you stand in my way?

Published · 5,496 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

A good friend of mind recently commented that his own kids and their friends are a lot less materialistic than our generations were, and that numerous surveys show that Millennials don't want their jobs to interfere with their family or social life. He went on to say that, "Some say this is laziness, I tend to believe that Millennials have their priorities a little better aligned than their parents and grandparents." These kids, I believe, are smart, and cognizant of their challenge in America.

Published · 1,534 views · Rated 5/5 from 2 votes

These are three of the most common underhanded tactics used in debates.They come into play as an attempted deflection from the main argument that your opponent is usually losing and can no longer argue intelligently. If you watch out for them and keep bringing your opponent back to the original premise of the debate, your opponent will have no choice but to discuss the actual facts of the argument instead of trying to wiggle out of them. 1. Red Herring (Changing the subject) Example: "I should not be prosecuted for stealing songs off the internet.

Published · 21,052 views · Rated 3.4/5 from 5 votes

Saints have fourteen unforgettable characteristics that distinguish them, and when even just one of these traits are observed in someone, that observation prompts us to exclaim, "He/She is a saint!" As we read about these fourteen traits, we might think that we can become saintly too by simply practicing what saints do, however, it never quite works out that way. Mimicking secondhand or academic information never leads to an authentic shift in our basic behavior.

Published · 2,049 views · Rated 3.7/5 from 3 votes

Do you feel at times that you are just going through the motions, living life unconsciously? Did you know that this feeling is actually close to spirituality, more so than being entirely and endlessly enthralled with life? Now, there is a difference between living life unconsciously and loving life. Living life unconsciously can be a result of just boredom, or dumbing out from a lack of creativity and energy, where actually loving life can be a result of some good karma that won't quit!

Published · 2,696 views · Rated 2.8/5 from 4 votes

A machine does what it is programmed to do until it eventually breaks down. Until then, it repeats its limited, repetitive actions endlessly. As human beings we are programmed as well, by our culture, our traditions, our education, but most importantly by our minds. There is usually very little that is unique about any of us. Some of us raise families, some live alone. Some will kill, others will heal.

Published · 2,469 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

Hello, God? Are you there? HellOOoo. Are you listening? I know; you have a gazillion other things to do and billions of people to keep happy just here on earth, let alone all the people on all the planets around all the billions of stars in just our small galaxy. And then how about the billions of galaxies, all with their billions of suns and billions of planets full of people? Whew. But you are a miracle worker so I guess you can handle it all. All I want is a Blackberry for Christmas. Is that okay? That's not asking for much, is it?

Published · 1,743 views · Rated 1/5 from 1 votes

On my way up the mountain carrying some roofing materials I stopped to catch my breath, and as I unconsciously gazed at a scrub cedar tree that I had trimmed a month before to make the trail, an insight popped up. They happen at random like this, and seldom have anything to do with the thinking mind, they just come from another place. If I happened to die at the foot of this tree, the 70 % water that this body consists of and the remaining ash that's left over would quickly sink into the soil at the base of this tree and disappear.

Published · 1,704 views · Rated 1.5/5 from 2 votes

Sitting quietly, doing nothing, what a waste of valuable time, right? You could be on the computer or cell phone talking with friends, or doing something really productive or fun. Why sit quietly? In life, two things separate successful people from ordinary people: creativity and energy. People with no college degrees or credentials whatsoever have made it to the highest ranks of corporate America, and if you look carefully at their attributes, you will find energy and creativity standing out head and shoulders above anything that they have learned in the past.

Published · 1,630 views · Rated 2/5 from 2 votes

Have you ever watched TO CATCH A PREDATOR, the Dateline-NBC show with Chris Hansen. The show that breaks for commercial with the guy lying face down on the ground and a policeman’s knee in his back. These men, the ones busted on Dateline-NBC, don’t seem able to control themselves. And that’s the real story. That after being on the air for months, with all the attendant publicity and buzz around the program, men still show up to meet the 13-year old girl. They are willing to risk everything. Like moths to a flame, they can’t help themselves. They’re addicted.

Published · 2,980 views · Rated 2/5 from 4 votes

In order to get good "court sense," a beginning racquetball player must put up with the difficulties of learning how the ball bounces; only then will they understand the ball's nature and become relaxed and proficient. The player must face the problems through practice, however.

Published · 1,581 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

The first questio I’m always asked when I tell people I do Hypnotherapy is, “Does it really work?” My reply is always the same, “If you want it to”. Hypnosis is very effective if you are ready and willing for change. It can’t make you do something you don’t want to do. People forced to quit smoking don’t really want to quit, they are just doing it for someone else and really they want to smoke. Hypnosis will not help this person as they won’t allow the suggestion to work.

Published · 2,194 views · Rated 4.4/5 from 5 votes

When we think about prayer, what comes to mind is some kind of request or solicitation of God . Maybe we are ill and ask to get better, or ask forgiveness, or maybe a little help with the lottery. These are the kinds of prayers that we mostly engage in. We might also repeat a mantra, for example, the "Our Father," or Hail Mary" as an act of devotion or contrition. Then there are the holy thoughts about God, heaven, the saints and Jesus as we sit quietly. Or, we might thank God for something good that has happened to us and ask for protection from the bad.

Published · 2,987 views · Rated 3/5 from 2 votes

While we are praying silently, we are going to let go of all the baggage we carry on our shoulders regarding the past and future.

Published · 1,763 views · Rated 1.8/5 from 4 votes

Have you noticed, as you get older, that the months have turned into weeks, and the years into months? Time passes relentlessly, and as we look back on all the things that we have done, where is the significance? I was watching the white tailed deer that frequent our meditation center here in Texas, the bucks, does and fawns come and eat the corn that we put out for them during the dry spells in the heat of summer when there is no grass to eat.

Published · 1,614 views · Rated 2/5 from 1 votes

We know when it's not working; it's like a slap in the face. We thought that it was working but then something happens to remind us that nothing has fundamentally changed at all, and we find ourselves back at square one after all these years. We were smug for awhile, even bragging to friends about what we found and how wonderful it was, but now we see that it was only an act and we were actually better off before we became so smug and self assured.

Published · 1,541 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

There's gotta be a millions of articles about relationships. Books, too. If you are thinking about writing a book, put "relationship" in the title and you will have agents beating down your door!

Published · 1,599 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

Let's say that one person loves the president, Bush or Obama, and another hates him. Then, anything that one would write positively about the president would be hated and disbelieved by the other, regardless of whether it was true or not.

Published · 5,469 views · Rated 4/5 from 3 votes

Well. Why doesn't he, or she? I guess that's the first problem, one of gender. The Bible is gender blind, I mea Adam has all of his ribs but somehow his wife was created out of one of them instead of out of the earth from which Adam was created. And another question, If Adam and Eve had three sons (no daughters), hmmm, who had sex with whom to keep things going, so to speak? But that doesn't mean that God might be female, or male, or Gay. Yikes! A gay God! That would be interesting.

Published · 1,609 views · Rated 1/5 from 1 votes

We are a democratic people who believe in democracy, which means equality, due process, freedom, privacy, consent and dissent, toleration, and the common good. We believe in it so adamantly that we advocate it for the world. This is because in the past, democracy has worked well for our country. But within the last decade, problems have arisen that threaten our democracy's very existence. One of the main tenants of a democracy is bringing people of common thought and goals together. It requires a country with like-minded people and defined borders, both of which have deteriorated.

Published · 873 views

4. Thinking that life is a cake walk. This has the potential to be one of the bigger mistakes because it means that we are blind to the realities around us, and usually insensitive to others. When we have blinders on, we tend to create a personal little world that is in fact very fragile, difficult to maintain, and quite fictional. Life actually involves all kinds of uncertainties. There are personal risks, such as health, wealth and happiness, and many family and societal risks which can affect our lives as well.

Published · 1,616 views

It seems to me that too many people are taking a big cut out of the health care pie for themselves. Instead of a middleman, we have numerous middlemen that come between the sick person and his or her care. And it has gotten too top heavy, way out of control. The medical schools reap huge profits from their business, and it is a business. The doctors run up huge loans to go to medical school, and then self-justifiably become specialists (because that's where the money is), and charge huge amounts for their services, because their services are a business.

Published · 1,748 views

A direct experience of spiritual insight will change your life, a fact which is irrefutable and well documented.

Published · 1,663 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

Want to know the most effective self improvement advice that lies at the heart of all success? Here it is, and it's the biggie. I'm going to give you the real secret to personal growth right up front. No mumbo jumbo, no products to buy, just the facts ma'am. Focus on what you want. Keep your mind off what you don't want. Sounds simple. That's because it is simple.

Published · 1,054 views · Rated 2.7/5 from 3 votes

These six major steps weave in and around each other, and there are many others, all revealing a transition between materiality consciousness and heightened consciousness, or between an outward emphasis (thinking, remembering, body and mind), and an inward emphasis (the replacing of thought and memory by a spiritual fullness devoid of body and mind). Therefore, the materially minded, dependent upon thinking and memory, and believing strongly in body and mind, will not be able to relate, from an experiential standpoint, to the heightened mind.

Published · 1,657 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

Scientists say that everything began in the emptiness of space when a pea-sized piece of intensely dense matter and energy exploded into what has become our universe. In the Zen Buddhist religion, it is said, "Form is emptiness, emptiness is form. Emptiness is no other than form, form is no ...

Published · 778 views

As long as there is hope, there will be despair. As long as there is experience, there will be death. Yet fervently we seek both. nnn Human beings are strange creatures. What creatures of earth aren't? For one thing, we eat each other. The child Buddha saw this one day at a ploughing festival in ...

Published · 653 views

When we strive to be free, when we try to release ourselves from the burdens that we have laid upon ourselves, we miss the point: we are already free. We simply forget that we are free. We forget by becoming bogged down in our difficulties, by pitting ourselves against others, and fighting for ...

Published · 967 views

Okay, don't get a grip if you don't want to! You can wait until your life partner leaves you, your career goes down in flames, or your health goes south. But then it might be too late to get a grip; and you might end up going completely bonkers! Things untoward happen to everyone, ...

Published · 904 views

If we don't like our job, our house, or if we are generally unhappy about our position in life, we naturally try to change our circumstances. When we are uncomfortable with any situation, we instinctively attempt to escape from it. We might feel angry inside, or frustrated thinking that ...

Published · 933 views

Images. . . . What are images? None of our religions asks us to look into images, which would be a shift of consciousness. Instead, our religions reinforce our images. So, what are images, and why do we create them? More importantly, why do we then use images to direct our lives, instead of ...

Published · 812 views · Rated 2/5 from 1 votes

Do you love and hate? If you do, then you are very normal. If you just hated, or only loved, there would be consistency, but when you do both, the mind finds itself in conflict all the time, and this produces stress. So if you want to find the underlying cause of your stress, look no further ...

Published · 927 views

Are you feeling stressed-out? Do you feel like something is missing but you don’t know what? Do you have trouble concentrating? Then perhaps it is time for you to consider an ancient practice with modern scientific proof of results: MEDITATION Is meditation for me? To evaluate whether you ...

Published · 1,494 views

The mind is a curious thing. Oddly enough, it seeks security in such silly concepts as the past. But what if the mind learned not to do that? What if the mind trained itself not to seek security in the past and only focused on what was happening in the present? What would happen then? That, ...

Published · 722 views

I began as a normal type article, pretty laid back and entertaining, but then, suddenly. I found myself in hell! Well, I can tell you, hell is no place for a nice article like me, and I certainly did nothing to deserve it (hmm). At any rate, there I was, in the middle of Hades, and it was a . . ...

Published · 826 views

"Trying to change this ‘I thought' requires trying to change something very ingrained," cautioned Weepasa. "It involves the destruction of ‘ourselves' because this ‘I', this ‘Me' is mixed up with our every thought and emotion. We can never put aside this ‘I' thought ...

Published · 917 views

"What now, my ‘king,'" he greeted me sarcastically, his face expressing his obvious exasperation. "I have been experiencing unusual wisdom, and wondered what I should do?" "The wisdom you have experienced and are now telling me about is dead and gone. Do you see that? The truth can only ...

Published · 898 views

I resignedly went back to my training, somewhat relieved, but in my heart, I knew this whole episode with Weepasa was simply my mind trying to squirm out of the inevitable – the constant mindfulness he insisted would be required. In time, I was able to see that these questions were not ...

Published · 907 views

Suddenly, I found myself in a mist, and through the mist, I dimly made out what appeared to be a cave. As I moved closer, my perfected insight revealed exactly what it was – the den of the Great Dragon of Atta. Three of the dragon's guards lie dead and decomposing at the entrance, obviously ...

Published · 1,003 views

One evening on the outskirts of the Kingdom of Ayatana, an old man in rags with one eye, leading a lame white horse, came upon an old beggar who lay dying by the side of the road. The old man gently sat the beggar up, and holding him up in his arms, gave him some water. But the beggar could not ...

Published · 881 views

"What is troubling my great king now," Weepasa inquired with a disinterested look on his face, as he carefully peeled a mango. "There are many things I have learned throughout my travels, but some of my questions have never been answered," I complained, "and they are now a constant burden." ...

Published · 994 views

"There is only one way that my training can be taken to heart," Weepasa warned, "and that is if mindfulness is uninterrupted each wakeful moment of each day. Do you understand what I have just said? Each wakeful moment of the day! Initially you will feel lost and confused because when your mind ...

Published · 923 views

Counting as fast as you can, at ten counts per second, for twenty-four hours a day and for twelve months, would only get you to less than one third of a billion. A billion is a big number. The universe is estimated to be about 16 billion years old. Carbon dating pegs the earth at about 4.5 ...

Published · 1,083 views

As with all advice, always check with your health care practitioner before embarking on any regimen, especially one that you haven’t tried before. Everybody’s body is different. Having said that, I would like to introduce you to the secrets I discovered about sleep while living as Buddhist monk ...

Published · 854 views

Q. Does God exist? A. If there is a god, he, she, or it, or neither he, she, nor it, would not exist. A god could never be caught within the fabric of existence as we are. A god is Reality, unborn, uncreated, undying, and therefore could not exist, and therefore since we exist, we cannot be ...

Published · 1,940 views

I was talking to some friends the other day who just returned to Florida. They have a home down here as well as one in Philadelphia, and when I asked why they came back so early, they said that they just had to get away from their relatives! They went on to tell me about their daughters tragic ...

Published · 885 views

You know the routine; picking out that special card with just the right verses, and then that special gift - an upscale box of candy, some flowers, maybe a nice ring, a new car, or some tickets for a cruise. According to Wikipedia, The historical background of Valentine's day seems to go back ...

Published · 1,370 views

It's four p.m. I have been napping and doing walking meditation since the morning meal. My hut is deep in the forest, situated on the upper end of a massive, flat rock, with large, flat rocks on both sides and deep ravines separating them (havens for cobras). Surrounding everything is dense ...

Published · 1,379 views · Rated 2/5 from 1 votes

Evenings are a blessed relief in Thailand; warm, but without the smothering heat of the day that gratefully surrenders to the night’s relative coolness. If I wasn’t in my solitary hut meditating in the evenings, I would be in the main hall at dusk chanting along with the other monks, or maybe ...

Published · 1,503 views · Rated 2/5 from 1 votes

It's two-thirty a.m. I light a small candle, hang up my mosquito net, and put on my robes. The forest is quiet now in this backwater rural area of northeast Thailand. I have been meditating since 10:00 p.m. in my tiny hut. The narrow, half-mile trail through the forest is about 930 steps, ...

Published · 2,948 views · Rated 2.5/5 from 2 votes

Have you ever considered the flower? It doesn’t live long, but while it does, it displays itself so beautifully. It doesn’t conce itself with tomorrow, or yesterday; only this one precious moment is important as it unfolds its petals. It positions itself so that it doesn’t crowd the other ...

Published · 841 views

Sometimes we can catch a fleeting glimpse of ete ity in a wood, where the pungent odor of wet pine and a timeless stillness calms our troubled minds, for just a while. Or in a wondrous sunset, where we lose the burden of ourselves, for a precious moment. Or when something happens so suddenly ...

Published · 1,230 views

Performing any deed, good or bad, has repercussions. A bad deed obviously sets us up for a load of bad karma and bad luck. But how could a good deed, that sets us up for good karma, punish us? The punishment comes from the illusion that someone performed the deed. When we perform a deed from a ...

Published · 1,188 views

When we hit our mid-forties, our bodies stop fooling around and become serious about disintegrating! It can seem at times as if we age 20 years in the span of one or two years, which can be quite a shock if we have been so caught up with life that we haven't noticed the subtle, almost invisible ...

Published · 2,099 views

One good way to find God is to lose yourself! Which is easier said than done, because in order to lose yourself, you must first discover what your "self" is! Once that discovery is made, then you can decide which is more important; yourself... or God? Assuming that you decide God is far more ...

Published · 783 views

One good way to find God is to lose yourself! Which is easier said than done, because in order to lose yourself, you must first discover what your "self" is! Once that discovery is made, then you can decide which is more important; yourself... or God? Assuming that you decide God is far more ...

Published · 797 views

One good way to find God is to lose yourself! Which is easier said than done, because in order to lose yourself, you must first discover what your "self" is! Once that discovery is made, then you can decide which is more important; yourself... or God? Assuming that you decide God is far more ...

Published · 812 views

Values could be defined as beliefs in which we have an emotional investment. If we study the values of rural areas throughout the world, we see that a pastoral, agricultural life naturally propagates ethics and ideals that create harmony between people, such as thrift, honesty, quietness, ...

Published · 1,179 views

A positive attitude is a great benefit. With a positive outlook, we can psychologically reap the advantages of happiness without relying on necessarily positive results. Even if things fall apart, our positive outlook regarding how good things will be in the future keeps us satisfied. For ...

Published · 950 views

She finds herself at a McDonald's late one night, sipping black coffee from a plastic cup. The place is empty, except for a small night crew, half asleep. She finishes her coffee and looks around, and realizes that no longer is there anywhere to go. She waves to a worker cleaning the floor, ...

Published · 1,010 views

When we think of heart, we think of our emotions. In the context of this article, however, heart means the summation of all that we are; our emotions, our thoughts, our bodies, and our minds – and the affairs of life that we all share. Affairs of the heart always begin with a solitary ...

Published · 734 views

"I am the greatest!" If we repeat this affirmation to ourselves enough times, we will begin to believe it. Then we will begin to act out "Being the greatest," and soon, in our mind, we will be. It doesn't matter what we repeat, it's the repeating that counts, sort of an internal brainwashing. ...

Published · 799 views

This article is about nothing. Therefore, after you read it, you won't know anything more than you did before reading it; it will be a total waste of your time because I have nothing to say. I mean, what can be said about mountains so high that the snow never leaves their peaks, and as we gaze ...

Published · 758 views

We will never succeed at changing ourselves by trying to change ourselves directly. We must do it indirectly. By indirectly means merely watching our anger instead of trying to rid ourselves of it, because attempts to aggressively change ourselves into something we wish ourselves to be results ...

Published · 1,182 views

The Catholic Church is losing folks. A recent survey reveals that 6 out of 10 Catholics feel that they are out of touch with Catholic views. Much of this might result from the pedophile cases and views on contraception and illegal immigration, but I have a hunch that this is merely the course of ...

Published · 4,471 views

How can you tell if you are on the right path? There are telltale signs, but before they can be acknowledged, a determination must be made regarding your purpose for treading a path in the first place. Most people don't tread a path through the woods. Instead, they prefer to wander about at ...

Published · 775 views

The way we live is key to describing what we are, which can be quite different from our lofty ideals of what we are. And if we consider what we should be, what the loftiest ideal for a human being would be, perhaps what Thomas Kelly suggests (as off the wall as it appears) is the answer: "The ...

Published · 636 views

Research has revealed that the part of our brain that is stimulated when we are in love is not the emotional centers as once thought, but the part of the brain that controls physical lust. In other words, being in love has everything to do with sex and little to do with love. Emotionally, after ...

Published · 654 views

Being born again is a great start, but if you are finally ready to complete this "work in progress," here are seven areas to monitor: nn · Is there any lingering ill-will toward others that may not agree with you?nn· Are you self-righteous? (I'm right; you're wrong!)nn· ...

Published · 920 views

We are coming to the end of an era. Beginning 35,000 years ago when we were savages, we have evolved because of numerous shifts in consciousness to where we are now. This present level of consciousness is characterized by a disregard of our planet, a disdain of other's problems, an unhealthy ...

Published · 884 views · Rated 2/5 from 1 votes

Interest in Buddhism usually begins with either the philosophy or psychology of Buddhism. Or maybe the esoteric nature of Buddhism, Buddhist meditation, or Buddhist wisdom. But the morality aspects of Buddhism are typically overlooked and frankly considered dull and boring. Keep in mind, ...

Published · 1,097 views · Rated 2/5 from 1 votes

Growing up in the Catholic tradition, I believe that I can understand some of the feelings that Christians, Muslims, and Jews might have about people who don't believe in a creator God! And Buddhists are guilty! I wouldn't be surprised if they think that Buddhists have a one-way ticket to hell ...

Published · 1,195 views

Day One: The best-built egos are ones that are well designed, so the first step is to acquire a great set of plans. These are available at any convenient party in the neighborhood. Just mingle around and you will see all kinds of egos being built right there before your eyes, and all you will ...

Published · 1,844 views

This is fun! Just score each issue, add up your score, and see who's your man . . . or woman! It is important, really important I feel, to not only do our civic duty and responsibly research who matches up to our particular preferences, but to make sure and vote. As Thomas Jefferson once said, ...

Published · 709 views

Walk into any busy Zen center and you will more than likely find Christians practicing meditation. Many famous Christians, including Thomas Merton; Trappist monk, poet, writer and social activist, recommended meditation as a means of directly communicating with God. Whatever we can do to calm ...

Published · 1,092 views

Contemporary Christians are discovering the deeper aspects of meditation. Previously, many Christians who have experimented with meditation misunderstood the real benefits of meditation by mistakenly believing that meditation is simply a relaxation technique, or a way to think about and worship ...

Published · 868 views

We create mountains for ourselves to climb. We trust that over the next peak will be our final salvation, our complete happiness, that for which we have been searching. But as we climb our mountains of mist, we find only more mountains, more mist. Our mountains are made of mist because we ...

Published · 773 views

We compromise every day. With every moment, with every thought. Should I do this or that? Should I go here or there? If we didn't compromise, we would not consider choices, and if we didn't consider choices, then we would be less than animals, and we wouldn't survive. Making compromises reflects ...

Published · 1,032 views

Politics, defined as "social relations involving authority or power," dominate a religious organization when the religion is no longer relevant; the operational words being "social," and power." When a religion becomes more of a social event instead of living up to the original tenets of ...

Published · 667 views

Janet and I decided play a little tennis recently to get a cardio workout. The last time we played was almost 30 years ago when we first met, so we knew the fundamentals but were, to say the least, a bit rusty! At 56 and 66 respectively, Janet and I aren't exactly Serena Williams and Roger ...

Published · 1,448 views

If we are accustomed to eating out three times a week, and for financial reasons can only eat out twice, we feel deprived. Additionally, if we only eat at exclusive restaurants (wouldn’t be caught dead in a chain!), then we will feel disadvantaged if we have to eat at an Olive Garden, or, dare I ...

Published · 673 views

Endless enticements overwhelm us. They make their way into to every nook and cranny of our lives - but their allure is waning. No matter how good it gets; it's only so much, and only now are we beginning to wake up to what St. John of the Cross knew; that true happiness can only be found within, ...

Published · 903 views

Approximately 100 million people die every year.That's a lot of people. Death is a common occurrence, but we hide from death's reality in many ways. In third world countries, there is no funeral director that takes care of everything and neatly makes up the body as if it is asleep. In third ...

Published · 1,364 views

2. Living consciously. (From a talk by Ajahn Jagaro, the abbot of Wat Pah Nanachat when Janet and I trained in Thailand as a Buddhist monk and nun in 1981) "Now this (contemplating death) really does free us up, enabling us to live our lives more fully. The contemplation of death, rather than ...

Published · 977 views

3. Dying peacefully nn(From a talk by Ajahn Jagaro, the abbot of Wat Pah Nanachat when Janet and I trained in Thailand as a Buddhist monk and nun in 1981) "Having considered all of this, if dying becomes no longer a contemplation but an actual experience, we can face it without fear. Not only ...

Published · 1,083 views

There are good people everywhere, but how do we define good? Pope Sixtus IV loved Tomas de Torquemada (arguably the most evil man that has ever lived)! Good and evil seem entwined with society’s expectations. Behavior can be considered good by some, bad by others, and volumes are written on this ...

Published · 1,123 views

When I was living as a Buddhist monk in the backwater jungles of Thailand, I learned many important lessons that have made my life much easier. One of them was how to handle food. The rules of a Theravada monk include eating only once a day, and that is in the morning. Typically, we would walk ...

Published · 5,350 views · Rated 4/5 from 1 votes

Creativity and vision are what distinguish the exceptionally successful person from the ordinary person. Once creativity and vision are established, energy, passion, and leadership follow. To acquire these is surprisingly easy because we are all naturally creative and visionary. Some of us, ...

Published · 680 views

Our personalities, it could be said, fall into six categories: Faithful, greedy, hateful, deluded, speculative and intelligent, and if we tend toward the speculative and intelligent, it’s a good bet that our spiritual life will progress in fits and starts because we outsmart ourselves. The ...

Published · 1,610 views

They knew how to chord a guitar, how to live together, how to relax, and how to live on a shoestring (and off Mom and Dad mostly!) And they didn't know about money or power – that would have been way too square! Hippies were a brief respite on this road of life, one of those strange eras that ...

Published · 847 views

Eons ago when we lived in caves, we would get hungry, and when we got hungry, we would become very unhappy and mad as hell, and we would go out and kill something to eat! Today, if we become unhappy with our situation, whatever it may be, we get mad as hell and change it! So unhappiness has its ...

Published · 706 views

This old Zen saying describes the way in which a trainee practices Zen; no striving, no ambition (to become enlightened), no goals . . . only sitting quietly. As a matter of fact, Zen considers goal making a disease of the mind! Quite a contrast from modern life where without goals we would be ...

Published · 1,232 views

We have seen evidence that EFT works at a verifiable level in the field of EEG brain wave measurements. We were pleased to monitor brain waves while Gary Craig and some of the EFT Masters worked with groups of people, who volunteered to be part of a project, that could make the benefits of EFT more visible.

Published · 2,952 views

St. John of the Cross claimed that all the pleasures of the world are as crumbs from the table of God. Hmm, saints must be experiencing something pretty outstanding! Actually, meeting God, face-to-face in this very lifetime, no differently than the prophets of old did, is not only possible but ...

Published · 953 views

To give you a tiny sampling, a flavor of what Theravada Buddhist monks chant every morning, following are a few stanzas of the Buddha's exact teachings in his native Pali language (with translations), which have been precisely kept intact by his order of monks for over 2500 years, or since three ...

Published · 856 views

Suddenly, I found myself in a mist, and through the mist I dimly made out what appeared to be a cave. As I moved closer, my perfected insight revealed exactly what it was – the den of the Great Dragon of Self. Three of the dragon’s guards lie dead and decomposing at the entrance, obviously ...

Published · 1,204 views

The most tenacious fighter wins. This is true in war, politics, religion, and all aspects of human relationship. The times when we don't have to fight, the times when we can live without fighting, we call peace. However, there are those who say that peace is not sustainable because peace creates ...

Published · 819 views

The first steps are not ones we typically think of; therefore, they can only be understood from a perspective of the deepest understanding of human nature. Having nothing to do with being nice, being compassionate, doing good works or feeding the poor, they involve something more subtle; which ...

Published · 783 views

The first hindrance to meditation is desire for sense stimulation. This can range from obsessive sexual lust, to compulsive socializing, to addictive intellectual pursuits. In the West, we tend toward the addictive intellectual pursuits because we have usually disciplined ourselves regarding ...

Published · 1,718 views

Other than outright bad luck and unforeseen circumstances, whenever we fail to reach our goals, it's a good bet that one of these five culprits had a hand in it - 1. Taking our eye off the ball: The easiest way to get sidetracked from our goals is to become distracted by a good time. A "good ...

Published · 965 views

About a dozen or so baby alligators showed up at a pond that Janet and I visit occasionally. Mama alligator kept watch nearby because the pond is also home to some otters, and otters love little alligators! But she allowed her 8 inch long offspring some freedom to enjoy the fall day. When we ...

Published · 785 views

The subjects of this article are cherished goals. What could be more rewarding than a life fulfilled, or expressing ones deepest felt emotions and thoughts? The problem is; one person's fulfillment might be another's tragedy. Take for example the dream of home ownership. A young woman, ...

Published · 677 views

If our spirit has not lived before, from whence did it originate? Where did it come from? If we didn't have the momentum of either a collective or individual spiritual past life to propel us into this one, are we therefore only accidents of nature; random romantic moments between eggs and a ...

Published · 805 views

Have you noticed the interest being generated in the ranks of our young people by the political races? It reminds me of the sixties when young people took a hard turn left. Many of the kids raised after this, however, took a decidedly turn right, ala Reaganites. It seem that these shifts occur ...

Published · 894 views

We all seek power. We try to push ourselves up and in the process, many times attempt to push others down. It might begin with a feeling that we have been wronged, which means that our ego has been hurt, and in order to right things we might begin a verbal confrontation with the offending party. ...

Published · 1,657 views

I have a strange feeling that many times our religions produce the opposite effects than what we assume they should. For example, Buddhism stresses three things; discipline, compassion, and wisdom; and Christian communities stress renunciation of violence, forgiveness, and unconditional love. ...

Published · 798 views

Global swarming is a phenomenon far more impending than greenhouse gasses; global swarming involves the very fabric of our lives. Therefore, how we handle global swarming will determine the quality of our future here on earth. In the past, we have ignored global swarming as if it doesn't exist, ...

Published · 1,022 views

A good friend of mine, a Methodist, asked his minister if people who didn't believe in Jesus were destined for hell. The minister thought for a moment, and then said, "God is love." This reply is a sign of the shifting landscape of spirituality. The original tenets of religion, that God, or ...

Published · 790 views

Janet and I were taking our three-mile walk around the neighborhood this morning when we met another couple walking in the opposite direction. The woman smiled and said in passing, "Ever feel that youre going around in circles?" I looked back over my shoulder and quipped, "That's life!" Then I ...

Published · 916 views

An old man with shaking hands counts out some crumpled bills to a receptionist in a doctor's office. The sign above the cashier's window says: "If you are a Medicare customer you will be required to pay your $135 deductable before service is rendered." But the old man only comes up with ...

Published · 1,024 views

How can anyone guarantee happiness? Well, they can't. But we can. We can guarantee our own happiness. In order to do that, however, we must first eliminate those things that make us unhappy. So let's get started. First, think about what makes you unhappy. Take a few moments to think about that. ...

Published · 2,731 views

Florida has been hit hard by the housing downturn. At the peak of the housing frenzy, people from all over the world, legal and illegal, flooded into Florida, fueling the burgeoning job market. Banks doled out cash like drunken sailors to housing contractors and mortgage companies, and ...

Published · 901 views

Good friends of mine, Catholic friends, recently confessed to me. They said that although they occasionally attend their Catholic church, they have found a community church that makes them feel better. They find themselves happy when they leave, unlike their Catholic experience where they feel ...

Published · 1,232 views

We meet someone, we like them, want to see them again, and soon we are forming a deep relationship. This seems like a very natural, innocuous, and innocent thing to do, and we do it every day. What we seldom realize, however, is that we are also forming a psychological attachment. After we meet ...

Published · 611 views

Some people get a glimpse of where they are headed just before they die. My sister-in-law did. Terminal with lung cancer, we thought that she had passed away early one morning when she abruptly stopped breathing, but after a few minutes, she woke up! She told us that she had just been in a ...

Published · 784 views

I know; it's your day off, so you drag yourself out of bed and throw on the same clothes you wore yesterday. What the heck, you'll be working around the house all day anyway, why even take a shower, you can take a shower and change clothes later. You grab some coffee, stumble into the media ...

Published · 905 views

Hold her tight, tonight. Let her dream of what her life will be, her fairytales of love and happiness. Hold her tight, tonight. Hold her tight tonight, so that monster truth can’t steal her dreams, not this night. This night, let truth not meet time, not yet . . . please not yet. Hold her ...

Published · 1,212 views

"You learn that if you sit down in the woods and wait, something happens."nn- Henry David Thoreau. Deepening what you know about your spirituality, and deepening your spirituality per se, are two different things. Deepening what you know about spirituality is relatively easy; just read ...

Published · 878 views

Enlightenment can take a long time, perhaps as long as it takes to wear a granite mountain down to the ground by a fine veil brushing its top once every hundred years, or perhaps as long as a lifetime, or a year, or perhaps in only a week, as the Buddha proclaims, if you can maintain perfect ...

Published · 1,375 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

When we talk, or when we write articles, the number of times that we use the word "I" can indicate the level of confusion we might have in our minds about ourselves. This wouldn't ordinarily be a problem if we are not attached to ourselves emotionally, and only use the term conventionally; ...

Published · 1,122 views

I am not trained in psychology, nor do I completely understand psychological terms. I am strictly speaking in a nonprofessional manner using nonprofessional terms about psychology, and about how I believe psychotherapy fails to address the primary problem regarding the mind. The primary ...

Published · 873 views

Business ethics are quickly becoming meaningless. As a matter of fact, ethics can actually become roadblocks to maintaining the almighty bottom line. We have seen this lately in the mortgage markets where dishonest loans lined pockets on Wall Street while ruining many common people's lives. ...

Published · 1,013 views

What are those unique qualities we call bravery; those almost subconscious qualities that we can't readily put our fingers on whenever we see a hero in action but somehow recognize every time someone does something out of the ordinary? It's almost as if what they do is superhuman, yet their ...

Published · 871 views

You know the feeling; a forlo ness, a crushing despondency filled with despair and hopelessness; a desperate reaching out for anyone who might hear your apprehensive, silent cries of anguish. You will do most anything to relieve the terrible feelings of dejection, and begin looking for someone ...

Published · 1,919 views

We are the world. You and I. How we treat each other; with respect or hatred, how we work things out together and compromise, this will determine the future of humankind. Can you see this? We are the world. Humankind so far hasn't been doing too well. *"huge numbers of Eastern Orthodox ...

Published · 823 views

Understanding oneself, one's drives, one's emotions, the way in which one's mind works, is the minimum requirement for successful relationships. Without this understanding of oneself, without taking the time to learn about oneself, relationships can be merely a tug of war between two independent ...

Published · 760 views

Everyone wants happiness. Happiness is the driving force behind almost all of our actions, and even when we are unhappy, we are involved with somehow changing that unhappiness into happiness for ourselves. When we are confronted with someone or something, we either have a compulsion to pull ...

Published · 1,114 views

1 st Minute: Define exactly what it is that is worrying you. Write it down. Worry is simmering fear. In the old days, we would just run like hell when we were scared, but nowadays, we bubble away in our little pots of worry. So, the first thing to do is face what it is that worries us, and ...

Published · 785 views

The last time I looked, personal transformation was not on America’s top ten list of achievements. Success, family, happiness, friends, wealth, respect, health, religious beliefs or spirituality, satisfying work — these took priority. Our spiritual institutions follow suit with the most ...

Published · 1,127 views

"Thou shalt not bear false witness" - the Ninth Commandment that is probably more abused than any other! Lying is one of the Buddhist precepts as well, the fourth to be exact. The problem with Buddhism, however, is that lying is not simply a matter of making an untrue statement, lying goes much ...

Published · 688 views

When I was just a little tyke, way before spin-cast type fishing reels, we had to put up with basket type reels. Instead of the line freely flowing from the end of the spining reel as it does now, it would unwind mechanically, a very inefficient method for bait casting though still used for ...

Published · 3,607 views

No, this is not an article about dissolving a third marriage! This is about untying the knots that we make in our minds. Whenever we tie ourselves to someone or something, we make a knot. Over time, these knots accumulate, and our minds become nothing but large balls of tangled twine. A mind ...

Published · 1,447 views

A Thai farmer is in a ditch planting rice in the searing, Southeast Asian heat. He is old, uneducated, ill, toothless, and his body is small and frail, weathered from years of hard labor. Is this old, useless farmer less than you? You, who are educated, beautiful, healthy, relatively young, ...

Published · 1,194 views

How many times have you lied in order to ward off loneliness? We can lie by pretending to really care for someone when all we want is a little company, i.e.; "I love you." And when we find someone more interesting, we lie again to end the old relationship, i.e.; "I just want to be friends now, ...

Published · 807 views

I am a meditator. When I am meditating, I feel no fear, no ambition, no cowardice. I read no books, I have no opinions. I am peaceful. I am a meditator. When I am meditating, I have no questions, no answers, no problems. I feel no anxiety. I am a meditator. When I am meditating, I feel no ...

Published · 793 views

CAUTION: This article and the information it contains is not for Christians who simply believe and look forward to enjoying a peaceful Easter, which is such a beautiful, spiritual holiday. If this is you, please stop reading now. If you are still here, this article is for Christians and ...

Published · 1,765 views

We have all foolhardily said, at one time or another, that if we only had so and so, we would be happy forever. I remember saying it when I was a little tyke and wanted a two-wheeler, and later when I was a young man and wanted a house, three kids, and two cars! I think we set ourselves up when ...

Published · 694 views

We have all foolhardily said, at one time or another, that if we only had so and so, we would be happy forever. I remember saying it when I was a little tyke and wanted a two-wheeler, and later when I was a young man and wanted a house, three kids, and two cars! I think we set ourselves up when ...

Published · 3,660 views

Contemplative prayer, the deepest roots of the Christian faith, has remained hidden and secret in the hands of the contemplative saints these many years, and one may wonder why contemplative monks and nuns have practiced these mystical prayers in obscurity. Why do they close themselves off from ...

Published · 809 views

The Buddha introduced a number of things that are unique to all religions and spirituality. Two of these are The Four Noble Truths and Interdependent Origination. The Buddha claimed that one could not attain enlightenment without understanding both of these intuitively, or with the heart, and ...

Published · 1,004 views

These seven areas are not necessarily the ones we think of or connect to when discussing the spiritual life. They are not only unusual, but authentic measuring sticks if we truly want to determine what progress we have made. Some of the terms may be unfamiliar, but their strangeness doesn't mean ...

Published · 992 views

Being judgmental is being angry. Fear, the basis of anger, is always connected with the past or future. If you can look deeply within and find what it is that you fear, whether it is God, living up to some kind of ideal, fearing ideas different from yours, or people that are different from you, ...

Published · 1,094 views

Ask anyone that's enjoying good luck and engaged in a full, rewarding life how they are doing, and they will more than likely reply that they are having a ball! Their glass is not only half-full, it is overflowing! Then, when I clumsily come along and say that the Buddha proclaimed that we must ...

Published · 777 views

In a bubbling stream, And a lonely wind, That whispers Through an endless night.nn************************* In the crying of a baby, And its anxious mother, That whispers 'Till it's light.nn************************* At the end of a rainbow, And the start of the journey. And the end of ...

Published · 965 views

When a Buddhist monk or nun ordains, they give away everything. They give away their relationships, their families, their business career or job, house, car, clothes – everything. They trade it all for three simple robes and a begging bowl, and perhaps a chance to see the "Dhamma" -- a catalyst ...

Published · 690 views

Just about everything we actively do is on the conscious level. While this is happening on the surface, our body and all its organs are subconsciously being given instructions and messages so that they can function. Not only the body, but the mind is working subconsciously as well, as it filters ...

Published · 852 views · Rated 2/5 from 1 votes

Love. Stay! Do you understand? I want you. Stay! Are you my love? Will you make me happy? Please make me happy. Be my love. Stay! Will you always love me? Love me forever? Please love me forever. Be my love. Stay! Are you my love? Will you change? Please don’t change. Be my love, ...

Published · 740 views

IMPORTANT: Always check with your medical and mental health care professional before beginning any new regimen. 1. EXERCISE: Brisk walking: Three to five miles a day. Neck roll: Twice a day. (Do this exercise slowly and carefully until your neck and spine become loosened up). Touch your left ...

Published · 1,044 views

Here is a recipe for disaster: China and other Asian countries, being pressured at home by rising inflation, is forced to raise prices on all those goodies we buy at Wal-Mart, but not high enough to encourage us to compete again. This would be a formula for runaway inflation along with job ...

Published · 1,206 views

To make sure that your future beyond this world is going to be the best it can be, make each day a little more meaningful than the last. That's it! Make each day just a little better, just an infinitesimal amount better than the last. "Better" doesn't mean what you do, but what you notice. ...

Published · 859 views

A very special kind of training is critical in martial arts because martial arts is about life and death. In one split second, your life will be either spared or taken, and that outcome depends entirely upon your preparation. The adversary you face will be stronger, faster, better trained, ...

Published · 5,356 views

One of the first things a new Buddhist monk is told by older, more experienced monks is to stop "measuring." No matter how much the new monk thinks that he knows, it will not help him now. It will only prove a hindrance to his meditation and spiritual development. The new monk can either accept ...

Published · 784 views

Meditating in 1997 Thailand Janet and I couldn’t stay at Bhavana as a married couple, so a kind nun at the Bhavana Society referred Janet to a friend of hers; a Buddhist nun living in Thailand, thinking that Janet might be interested in going back to Southeast Asia. When Janet got in touch ...

Published · 826 views

When we begin meditation, we might begin with a mantra, or a word, or perhaps concentration on the breath. We do this to replace the never ending cycle of thoughts and emotions that circle round us day and night. We replace our everyday thoughts with one new thought so that we can break this ...

Published · 778 views

What can we expect to gain from meditation? Nothing, in the beginning, except for a somewhat annoying practice that always seems to get in the way of our doing something more important! If we are half-way serious about our practice, however, we will persevere, and eventually get to a point where ...

Published · 662 views

Men and women, seeking spiritual answers they can't seem to find in Western culture or traditional religious pathways, are trying meditation. A large (and growing) number of people are taking up the practice, including open-minded Christians and undocumented millions of seekers who are ...

Published · 692 views

WASHINGTON (AP) People who tend to the elderly, change diapers, and serve up food and drinks have the highest rates of depression among U.S. workers. Overall, 7 percent of full-time workers battled depression in the past year, according to a government report . . . When we work with old people, ...

Published · 749 views

A common mistake made by new and intermediate meditators is the frittering away of the insights and energy that result naturally from meditation practice. Unless a meditator knows how to manage this energy and insight, he or she will fall into the trap of a premature re-embracing of the world. ...

Published · 700 views

"Becoming" is a word used to describe, among other things, striving to attain states of transcendence in meditation practice. We intellectually figure out a goal, and then imagine that we have somehow attained that goal. This is the trick of a clever ego; a chameleon in the ways in which it can ...

Published · 889 views

If you have ever tried to walk with only one leg, you have discovered, for yourself, the importance of two legs. Likewise, when we meditate, two aspects of meditation are necessary if our practice is to be balanced. Samadhi (concentration) and Vipassana (mindfulness) are the two aspects that ...

Published · 1,393 views

Access Samadhi is a stage of meditation where interesting things can happen. It is the active gateway to fixed Samadhi. The danger with access Samadhi is that a meditator can become so engrossed with the unusual aspects of access Samadhi that they lose interest in going further. The ...

Published · 922 views

Metaphysical arguments go nowhere, no different from political or religious ones! What does make a difference, however, is how we treat each other. I may be a Buddhist and you may be a Christian, yet if we both treat each other with respect, how crazy can that be? When a monk asked the Buddha ...

Published · 1,616 views

When we hit middle age or thereabouts, it's not unusual to begin asking questions such as, "Is this it?" Before that, we are busy with kids, careers, and all the things that, as we become older, begin slipping through our fingers like water - without our even realizing it at times. Whatever we ...

Published · 780 views

According to Patricia Cohen of the New York times, A new five-year analysis of the nation's death rates recently released by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the suicide rate among 45-to-54-year-olds increased nearly 20 percent from 1999 to 2004, the latest year ...

Published · 772 views

1. Christian: Orison (Introversion) – Christian meditation and prayer. Conversion: Here a practitioner converts from an exte al to an internal emphasis, as the search for Truth, or God begins. Practitioner has good intentions, and prays or meditates occasionally. Eastern: Practitioner begins ...

Published · 1,017 views

It was 1981 and my wife and I were living at a monastery in the remote jungles of Northeast Thailand practicing as a Buddhist monk and nun . . . and Janet was having problems stomaching the coarse food. With only one meal in the morning and no further food permitted the rest of the day, she ...

Published · 705 views

"I need you," is not something we hear too often these days. When we do hear it, however, it touches a very deep chord in the depths of our being. To be needed, to be necessary and important means so much, because as human beings, we will always need each other. When we are not needed, when ...

Published · 642 views

People of all religions and spiritual persuasions are attempting to get at the root of their faiths. They are doing this by deepening their awareness and examining religious beliefs instead of just reading more books. They are searching for real answers this time to their deepest questions - ...

Published · 672 views

This sounds like a Yogi Berra truism, but the fact is; nothing really matters at all. Everything we do, our dreams, our aspirations - they all mean absolutely nothing. The expanse of the universe, the inconceivable endlessness of ete ity, the indifference of a myriad of generations to come, all ...

Published · 2,093 views

You've been with her for many years. You have shared the ups and downs, the tragedies and the triumphs. You became used to each other and shared your dreams, the dreams you both had, with bright eyes and wondrous anticipation when you were young. . . . And then one day, she was gone. Just that ...

Published · 859 views

For seven years, congress has done relatively little regarding the very serious problems we face, such as a failing economy for the middle class, a war that we are bogged down in and where we are at the mercy of powerless Iraqi government that sides with Iran, a looming social security crisis, ...

Published · 772 views

Counting calories, ordering special diet meals, measuring out portions - these are indications that we remain mesmerized and captivated by food - food has taken over our entire lives with no escape; food is an addiction no different from heroin, and maybe more dangerous because we think that ...

Published · 645 views

First of all, the stock market would drop like a rock. Lots of money is being made off the military industrial complex. Also, where would our soldiers work? Walmart? This peace thing would not be good for our country. Our country is built on money, thrives on money, and if you don't have any, ...

Published · 612 views

This is an article about the root problem that forms the basis of our many problems, from the shooter who randomly kills on campus, to the worry that plagues us daily; to the restlessness we feel when we are bored. This problem is seldom explained adequately. Tragedies are usually explained by ...

Published · 960 views

Everything built up will fall, and all that falls will rise again - this could be called the cycle of existence. When things are about to fall in this cycle, there are premonitions that wash through our hearts, and the premonitions have definite signs: We lose our Generosity: We become ...

Published · 1,322 views

Just as a fire is built by lighting small twigs so that they can in turn ignite the larger branches, we make the world a better place by changing ourselves first. This change, this transformation, must be mental, because all things begin with the mind, and mind is none other than our thoughts ...

Published · 1,066 views · Rated 2/5 from 1 votes

It is important that we remain true to our own ambitions, whatever they happen to be. If they are harmful or helpful to others, or ourselves, we will find out soon enough through the reflection of our associations. Learning to play our instrument flawlessly is very important. We should be aware ...

Published · 720 views

A political evolution is stirring. People are beginning to break free. But in order to understand this progression, we must look at what we were just yesterday, before we decided to think for ourselves. We must look at it because no matter what we do or what we think, the evolution is taking ...

Published · 1,087 views

Dear God, Can you hear me? If you’re busy, I understand, But I just have a little time now. So I was hopin’ you could maybe hear me today. Just a couple loose ends to tidy up, If you can help. I done a few bad things, Won’t have time to make them right now, So I thought maybe you could ...

Published · 894 views

What is truth? We are told what we should believe by advertisers depicting beautiful bodies, and we are told to believe it is truth. We are told what truth is by our modern Gods, and we believe it, and repeat it like parrots. But is this truth? Are our bodies beautiful? Or should we look more ...

Published · 584 views

An excerpt from Wikipedia.org (Religious Left): “The Christian Left holds that social justice, renunciation of power, humility, forgiveness, and private observation of prayer (as opposed to publicly mandated prayer) are clearly mandated by the Gospel text . . . Bible scholars observe that early ...

Published · 718 views

Have you noticed that more and more people are going through red lights in their rush to compete in this frantic world, and that no cops are there to stop them. We have only a token representation of police to give the impression that we are being protected. It’s an illusion. Many cheat on ...

Published · 778 views

A recent report from the prestigious Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life comes down to this - Christians are getting restless. The report, other than indicating the consumerish attitude of modern religion shoppers, may indicate a deeper trend; it could mean that religion, as a mystery, as an ...

Published · 739 views

What we extend outward toward others, we internalize. Whether the emotions we extend are negative, such as hatred, animosity, and anger; or positive, such as love, forgiveness, and peace, these feelings seep inside of us and affect us deeply. You can feel the physical difference between, on one ...

Published · 1,081 views

Have you ever wondered what makes a saint, a saint? We have heard expressions such as, "He has the patience of a saint," but what other qualities do saints have that sets them apart from us normal people, and how have they attained these qualities? Were they just blessed by God because God liked ...

Published · 884 views

Meetings of yesterday - seeds of tomorrow’s partings Planted as hope - the sadness I know, Growing straight and strong for so long, And now fallen down in an ocean of tears. Had I but known of the heartaches ahead, And if I did, what matter? What escape from this velvet noose, This ...

Published · 750 views

What exactly are we supposed to do? We hear about change all the time, but instead of motivating us to do something, our politicians only know how to complain - with few real solutions. I'm afraid that it is up to us to make the moves, not our politicians. But make what moves? This is where we ...

Published · 951 views

Although meditation is thousands of years old, it is relatively new in the west. Here in America, new ideas seem to introduce themselves at three levels. First, a new idea is viewed as threatening and it is feared. Later, it is made fun of, ridiculed and laughed at. And finally, it is accepted ...

Published · 734 views

Your pla C has replaced your pla B. It's just not working out the way you had planned. Even when it does work out the way you plan, it still doesn't work out . . . somehow. Asking yourself, "Is this all there is?" This is a definite, clear signal that you've tried about everything that ...

Published · 917 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

Lack of adequate guidance Lack of resolve or faith Lack of confidence Lack of courage DistractionsnLaziness Anger Lack of adequate guidance: According to the Buddha, who is arguably the quintessential expert on enlightenment, in order to become enlightened we must understand how to ...

Published · 768 views

Sex … Money … Power … Fame … Good Looks … Ambition … Successnn If any of these Seven become tangled up in the Seven Deadly Sins (Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride), look out! Otherwise, they are simply to be enjoyed, but not to bet the farm on - it's only when we begin to ...

Published · 1,017 views

We all remember the Jim Jones tragedy, which resulted from a deadly combination - a charismatic leader who knew how to influence and control people, and weak willed followers who couldn't discriminate between fact and fiction. In the cramped confines of a cult, rationality goes out the ...

Published · 1,474 views

Feel-good spiritual paths espousing light and love and the prospect of some kind of an enlightenment with little or no effort are plentiful, but have they really changed you? A trend is developing toward a serious approach to spirituality involving personal, in-depth, permanent changes in ...

Published · 685 views

What are our authorities? The Church, our government, law enforcement . . . our boss? And why should we question them? Better to leave well enough alone and just follow along - much safer. Plus, there is a certain amount of security in just following along, and it’s easier than questioning; ...

Published · 2,267 views

Although you may never know it, people you look up to, love, and respect could easily be sociopaths. They give themselves away by exhibiting strange combinations of controlling behaviors, such as being charismatic, calculating, extremely confident, while warmly embracing those who fall under ...

Published · 1,553 views

Working at a third world job and trying to survive in the wealthiest economy in the world just isn't working out. A friend of mine works part-time in a book store, spending the rest of her time living with and helping ill parents who are barely making ends meet because of all the confusion and ...

Published · 997 views

It's not easy to find something to believe in these days. There is so much information on the internet that whatever we believe in can be very effectively debunked in a heartbeat, leaving us with doubts at best, and at worst; total disbelief. But we can't seem to function as human beings ...

Published · 857 views

Spirituality is an innate quality we all have in various degrees. For that spiritual quality to move from an innate to an active mode, however, depends upon three things. If any of the three are missing, spiritual tendencies could be smothered by our instinctive reactions of greed, hatred, and ...

Published · 718 views

Concentration calms the mind, but concentration alone will not grant the freedom we are looking for. Concentration is crucial in establishing the next step, however. Something needs to stir up the calm mind that we have developed similar to stirring up mud on the bottom of a pond so that we ...

Published · 968 views

Walking meditation can be done in many ways and for many purposes, but I have found this technique to be outstanding in relieving stress. It's easy to do, and you should feel a distinct benefit from the first fifteen minutes of trying it.n n This technique is particularly effective for those who ...

Published · 892 views

· Reducing stressnn· Feeling better mentally and physicallynn· Eliminating fear and uncertainty from our livesnn· Changing aspects of our lives we do not likenn· Deepening and improving our relationships with othersnn· Becoming more ...

Published · 752 views

Score your answers as follows: Strongly agree -- 1 Agree -- 2 Disagree -- 3 Strongly disagree -- 4 At the end of the quiz, add up your score and check the results. Good luck! 1. My God is the only true God. 2. I would defend my religion to the death. 3. Only my faith insures salvation; ...

Published · 3,769 views · Rated 2/5 from 1 votes

Life on this planet is but a few moments long, considering the endless eons this earth has twirled around its sun. Long after life has found this planet too unfriendly, and after all of our accomplishments are burned up in that incredible supe ova that our sun will evolve into just before it ...

Published · 1,441 views

Self: Your consciousness of your own identity. Esteem: The condition of being honored. Self-esteem: Honoring oneself. As we can see, self-esteem is a rather “self” ish condition that we necessarily feel obligated to create artificially when we are insecure. The fact that we must go out of our ...

Published · 1,209 views

Once upon a time, in a magical land far across the sea, there lived together a donkey and an elephant. This was very difficult, because they both had such different ways. The elephant loved to trample trees and make a lot of noise, while the donkey nibbled on lowly grasses and said almost ...

Published · 1,018 views

Years ago, I thought of manufacturing and selling edible Bibles. The book would be condensed, including only the most frequently quoted scriptures with pages made of a thin, wafer material similar to Catholic Holy Communion hosts. The idea was to cut out your favorite scripture and then eat it, ...

Published · 880 views

The Buddha would have made a great CEO. He was all bottom line, and the bottom line was freedom, or enlightenment. If something didn't contribute to this directly, then he didn't teach it. One day he was in a forest with his monks, and he said to them, "Which is more, monks, the few leaves ...

Published · 2,045 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

Life can be a beautiful thing, but if we don’t understand life, we might end up fighting it. More often than not, it’s you and I against the world. Making a living, holding on to our relationships, to our wealth, our political and spiritual beliefs, these can become monumental struggles. Worry ...

Published · 1,043 views

If a star is originally only gasses that are compressed into a burning sun, then someday that star will become only gas again. If the universe was at one time pure energy, then all the stars and planets will become pure energy again; dust to dust so to speak. And this constant change, I ...

Published · 714 views

If you had a computer, but no internet connection, you would be limited to only what is stored on your hard drive. You could access your documents and compose some stuff, but if you wanted to reach out and touch the world, that couldn’t happen. In the same way, we can describe the part of our ...

Published · 1,639 views

The next morning I discovered a dull ax behind the cottage that I sharpened to a razor's edge. I thought that cutting a few days' supply of firewood and stacking it neatly along the fence to repay the maiden for her thoughtfulness would be a good idea. I must admit; I was quite taken with the ...

Published · 936 views

When the hunter spit in my face, I felt the familiar rush that always preceded my deadly encounters. But this time, for Maradin's sake, I maintained my composure. "Wait a minute my friend," I said, as I put my hand up in a gesture of amity, "you have it all wrong. I only stopped by to help her ...

Published · 827 views

For five long years, I did fine by myself in the forest, but when I came upo Maradin and her cottage, everything came apart. It was my first real challenge and I wasn't up to it; I could still be easily duped and victimized by the grand illusions of the world. I was so disheartened that I sat ...

Published · 822 views

Just then a villager walked out from behind a tree with the long, heavy blade of a razor sharp coconut cutter loosely hanging in his hand. One of the soldiers laughed and drew his sword. Behind him, two other villagers, a boy and a woman, emerged with their blades, and the other warrior drew ...

Published · 798 views

I found the dog lying almost dead near the path. A crossbow arrow, a type not used by the villagers, had silenced him. Somebody was after me, and apparently wanted the bounty all for himself. My instincts told me to slowly back away and move toward the denser part of the forest, but just as I ...

Published · 840 views

I thought you were going to the community," a John said, his eyebrows Raised. "Yes, yes, I am on my way," Moosawa stammered, looking surprised. "But isn't it in the other direction," a John inquired." "Of course, I should have known that," said Moosawa. A John tried to ease the key ...

Published · 763 views

The auspicious night finally arrived, accompanied by a brilliant moon playing in a deep, black sky that was busily spewing out its myriad diamonds. A silvery-white glow suffused the entire forest as we made our way to the meadow under this immense canopy of stars, and only the bubbling of a ...

Published · 816 views

We made our way through a peaceful countryside where we were always given the utmost courtesy and respect from the villagers. There were many days; however, when we didn't run across any villages and were forced to fast (a John was very strict about not picking and eating fruits and coconuts, or ...

Published · 817 views

My breathing became labored, and as the poison worked its way into my heart, I wished that I had begun my quest when I was much younger, before the wars. I also wished I had paid more attention to the robed man who warned me to sweep the path! When key seekers speak, it is never for ...

Published · 811 views

"In the moments before death," a John began, "your whole life will flash before you and you will be able to see each separate moment simultaneously, noticing where you did well and where there is room for improvement. The reason that this only takes a fraction of a moment, which is a complete ...

Published · 1,012 views

This I didn't want to hear. But knowing that it was best to follow a John's advice, I made my way to the cliff and carefully peered over the edge staying as far back as I could. There, one hundred feet below were teeth-like jagged rocks that would impale anyone unfortunate enough to fall from ...

Published · 837 views

The sound of pacing reverberated throughout the high spire, echoing along the halls of the upper chambers. I stopped pacing long enough to gaze longingly at the valley below, slowly, from one end to the other, this precious kingdom that would be mine someday. Everyone looked small and ...

Published · 743 views

My father timidly put his hand on my shoulder. "I am sorry that I have not been able to make you happy, Son. I have tried. Lord I have tried." He looked into my eyes searching for some kind of recognition, but I gave him none. "It's just that since your mother died," he continued, "I have been ...

Published · 900 views

My first stop was the coliseum where the king's army was training. These were hardened, career soldiers, all experienced in killing and tough as nails. I dismounted and walked deliberately up to the commander of all the forces. He was the strongest and most feared, and he was sharp as well, and ...

Published · 774 views

My campaign rained death and destruction upon the realm for fourteen long years. I was a young man when I first led my troops into battle, but now I was a seasoned warrior, feared throughout the land, and although the war had cost me an eye, and countless friends including my general, victory ...

Published · 779 views

He guided me down the narrow, winding stairs into the bowels of the abysmal cave s where rats ran freely and the stone floors were awash with slime. Coughing and moaning oozed from hidden chambers as we made our way through this hell that could only be described as the most horrendous nightmare ...

Published · 823 views

No friendly moon was there to light this unfamiliar path; only a pitch-black night, so dark and foreboding that I could not see my hand in front of my face. Even Conqueror's sharp eyes soon lost the trail, forcing me to dismount and wrestle through heavy, wet vines, and walk on tangled roots and ...

Published · 1,261 views

A tremendous exhilaration began rising inside of me, as I watched Ariya disappear into the treetops. All of my unanswered questions now faded into the background. The appearance of this mystical being, whatever she was, liberated me to the point that I was ready to forge ahead with reckless ...

Published · 1,142 views

My admiration for Ariya was growing; this diminutive being that took me under her wing. And as I listened to her strange voice that appeared in my mind, her words became even stranger. She said that some believe that when life ends, there is nothing, just an unconscious, ete al sleep. Others ...

Published · 1,181 views

A few weeks passed by with no further sign of Ariya, as I continued this strange quest for a mystical key. I didn't know where I was going, or perhaps I did. At any rate, one morning while I was wading through a flooded area after a heavy thunderstorm, I found myself sinking. The more I ...

Published · 904 views

Weeks drifted by with no sign of Ariya, or anybody else for that matter, but the silence was eerie, compelling me to look over my shoulder more often now. I was back where my enemies might find me, and my life was definitely in grave danger. They knew that I was still alive. n One morning just ...

Published · 876 views

Several weeks after the meeting with Ariya, we were making our way across a meadow when we unexpectedly ran across the most charming yellow cottage one could imagine. Nestled in the wood line behind a gorgeous flower garden with carefully tended vegetable patches on both sides, the cottage ...

Published · 865 views

Conqueror was lying motionless next to the black horse. I saw immediatelty that their injuries would eventually prove fatal, but only after many long days of agony . . . and I could never let that happen. I retrieved the fiance's knife, as the black horse continued to struggle trying to get up ...

Published · 851 views

"What do you mean, ‘mistaken identity?' Was Maradin lying about who she was?" "In an indirect way, yes, she was lying without knowing it. You see; it was not Maradin that you were in love with; the real object of your affection was something deep inside of her cleverly disguised as Maradin. ...

Published · 819 views

"Now King, I'll ease your curiosity a bit. Listen closely. The Great Weapons you will master through this inner work are three: A concentrated mind, an investigative mind, and an insightful mind. Concentration is your sword. Investigation is the skill of wielding the sword. Insight is the ...

Published · 808 views

. . . And so began a ten-year friendship with this little man and his constant grin, as we wandered the forest together in search of the elusive key. "I know where to find plants and insects to eat," I said, trying to be helpful. A John shook his head in disagreement, "Those who are ...

Published · 775 views

"So, you are ready to renounce everything," a John said. Then he smiled and added, "Words are spoken with ease, my good friend, compared to the actual experience of this discipline, although there are some key seekers who live in the forest quite comfortably. Some live without irritation; not ...

Published · 1,220 views

The forest was deliciously cool now, waiting silently, reverently for the day ahead, while lively birds and animals greeted the new morning with their familiar cries. The trail was a lush, fragrant tunnel of large ferns, bamboo groves, and tropical flowers surrounded by endless trees, foliage, ...

Published · 740 views

A John replied, "Your selfless service in helping others during the end times of your sphere has rewarded you with an opportunity to exist without the burden of a body, but still able to enjoy the senses of sight, hearing and thinking. Without deeper understanding however, your return to a ...

Published · 793 views

"To curb both of your curiosities," he said, "I will briefly mention the roadblocks, but they will be difficult for you to grasp at this stage of your development. At any rate, there are ten roadblocks that prevent you from your key. By overcoming the first three, you will establish Stream ...

Published · 891 views

A John began by instructing me to sit cross-legged on the ground, while he stuffed some straw just under the tip of my tailbone, but not too much - he cautioned that too much straw would surely cause my legs to fall sleep. Then he tucked my left heel between my legs and placed my right foot on ...

Published · 797 views

I walked back to where a John was waiting and told him about the skeleton. He said he was well aware of the tragic situation and then told me the rest of the story. "Soon after the woman died, her body was placed in a sealed box and stored beneath one of the huts to cure, for it would take ...

Published · 849 views

A John was tireless, and continued with his story, "These forest dwellers made another tremendous breakthrough. They discovered ‘kamma,' the part of us that continues after death. What continues after death is rather complicated so I will go slowly. Whenever you act, this act is remembered by ...

Published · 820 views

The swelling was getting worse. I said to a John as he dressed my wound, "I would like to understand kamma more completely, just in case I don't make it." "Your mind will never comprehend kamma fully, for it is very complicated - its tentacles reach in all directions. Only your heart can ...

Published · 811 views

I couldn't make out what it was at first, but then to my horror I discovered what was now curled in my robes; a large cobra! This was no imaginary ghost; this was real. I could hardly breathe. I immediately launched into the inner work to keep my body still, but it was impossible to concentrate ...

Published · 803 views

This group of men had become my family, and leaving them was difficult. I went through the motions of following the schedule for the next few days, but halfheartedly, faced with the reality of striking out on my own again with Conqueror, my solitary companion, and once more following a restless ...

Published · 841 views

"Surface happiness comes and goes," A John continued, "no different than breathing in and breathing out. We cannot breathe in always, we must eventually breathe out. The deeper happiness, however, is constant. If we are continuously lost in the surface happiness, and the temporary pleasure it ...

Published · 834 views

I threw myself into my practice of investigation, and did exactly as Weeja instructed, alte ating between the Calms and Investigation for the next two months, but I was having problems. I investigated my body and mind tirelessly by observing the various contacts with my senses, then I watched ...

Published · 909 views

We walked across great plains and countless farm fields framed against pristine days of clear morning skies, yellow-white days and nights filled with endless stars. Eventually the plains gave way to forests, and as we continued our trek, we soon could see the tangled jungle ahead. Before long, ...

Published · 858 views

The routine in the community was delightful, and I immediately felt comfortable with these men and their shaved heads. Conqueror roamed freely among the key seekers who took an immediate liking to the crippled, old horse, spoiling him with rice and honey cakes they saved from their meals, which ...

Published · 920 views

Weeja apparently felt that he was making a crucial point as he repeated it to make certain we understood: " Contact is that instant when a sound touches my ear or a sight touches my eye. This contact lasts but an instant because right after the moment of contact, a feeling arises; desire, ...

Published · 912 views

"Everybody knows that you are here," he said, putting up a good front. "Killing me will do you no good." Expressing no emotion, I calmly asked, "Why would I want to kill you?" "You know why. You are a threat to the king and I know that you are here," he haughtily replied. "But I am the ...

Published · 964 views

Finally, I knew that I couldn't jump and reluctantly made my way back to the old man's room and stood there in front of everybody, pathetically defeated. Weepasa laughed heartily, "Well, you actually do have some wisdom to go along with your tiny bit of compassion. Good! You cannot train with ...

Published · 944 views

Conqueror, my mystical horse, was not getting any younger. He had lived well beyond a normal lifespan and I wondered how many trips he could still make. Was that old, robed man, who brought an enchanted colt to the Kingdom of Ayatana those many years ago, the sorcerer? Of course, he was, and he ...

Published · 910 views

When I entered Weepasa's room the next morning, he asked me to sit down and immediately began talking about insight, "Insight results from a concentrated mind that is aware of everything it comes in contact with, but it clings to nothing. Insight is not a focused concentration centered the ...

Published · 962 views

Conqueror limped stiffly but was always eager to begin a new journey, loving the spontaneity of adventure as much as I did. Occasional wafts of warm air greeted us as we made our way down the mountain persuading me to take off my fur wrap and tie it to the horse. I wasn't sure where we were ...

Published · 894 views

We walked from village to village for two years, and eventually reached a thriving village at the foot of a high, snow-capped mountain. According to my water-stained map, this village was only a few kilometers from the mysterious cave. I located the village elder and told him of my intentions ...

Published · 864 views

Conqueror and I remained at our vantage point in the foothills until the weather exhausted itself. With the floods beginning to melt into the countryside, and with no signs of my enemies from the north, our journey to the far country and the cave resumed as we headed for lower ground. Each ...

Published · 763 views

Miraculously, I was still alive when I woke up, having slept well. I lit my lamp to see what the monster was up to, and could see the beast slowly licking some tiger bones. It was carefully watching me out of the corner of its eye, and it was perplexed. Last night brought up things that were ...

Published · 855 views

At that exact moment, a young couple from the village was coincidently walking down the path with some food they had prepared for me. When they saw me emerge from the cave with this creature from hell, they were understandably horrified and dove into the bushes, as they had never seen such a ...

Published · 903 views

I turned around and walked slowly to the stables. Conqueror knew that it was time to once again leave. We just began walking down the mountain when a soldier appeared without warning and raised his crossbow. The great horse saw him before I did and began running as I swung on to Conqueror's ...

Published · 791 views

Sahmad began the secret instructions, "Close your eye and pay close attention so that you can precisely remember these directions. They are complicated but essential, and any deviation could prove disastrous. And remeber; opening the centers should be done every time you begin your inner work. ...

Published · 859 views

Sahmad dispatched one of his attendants to summon a physician, while another stayed behind as an interpreter. Sahmad then instructed me to lie down, and he lit two large cones of incense, carefully placing them on my bare chest. He told me to concentrate on the pain that would soon come, as the ...

Published · 831 views

I was quiet for a moment so that the man, so self-assured and strong willed and not accustomed to acknowledging the need for help, could reflect on his admissions. I then said, "There are some who must move on, and others who are afraid to move, as our attempted escapes enslave us either way. ...

Published · 791 views

As the man slowly walked away, I faced my own future as well, and I entered the subdued and inviting cave; I had a lot of work to do. I was already adept at the Four Material Calms of - applied and sustained concentration, rapture, equanimity and bliss, and equanimity and mindfulness – but I ...

Published · 784 views

Of all the things in the world that we can think of, kindness is the one that cuts through all barriers. Since Barack Obama has been running for office, people of color have begun feeling good about themselves, and white people have begun feeling good about people of color. Maybe soon, people of ...

Published · 1,007 views

The first five steps of sainthood spelled out in my previous two articles on the subject are not too difficult to understand. These last five, however, can be challenging, especially to common, non-saintly folks like us who might not have personal, deep discussions with God to fall back on! ...

Published · 835 views

There once was a man who thought that he knew. He thought that he knew about life and the afterlife. One day, he was asked how he knew, and he replied that the knowledge was given to him. Who gave it, he was asked, and he said that it was given through his holy book, and that he was certain that ...

Published · 1,001 views

When we fall in love, we are blinded from these three signs. This is Mother Nature's way of making sure that babies happen! After about two years, however, we regain our perspective, and these three signs begin to show up. If you are very aware, you can notice them almost immediately even ...

Published · 872 views

A glass half-empty is discouraging, but not as discouraging as how misled people can be when a glass half-full is perceived as brimming over the top. War is discouraging, too, especially wars that seem to go on forever. It's as if the countries involved grow to believe that everything is ...

Published · 2,315 views

Some say that moms are the most important people in the world, after all; where would we be without moms? And dads too. We wouldn’t be at all!! Sisters and brothers can be very important in our lives, and in many ways create the foundations of what we are by testing us throughout our life’s ...

Published · 1,154 views

Good looking, intelligent, personable, self-assured, these are important, but if the most important thing is missing, the relationship could be doomed. Usually we are attracted by physical attributes, the most obvious being gender, but build, height, hair color – all of these count too. Then we ...

Published · 1,972 views

Capitalism is an economic system based on private ownership of capital. Our rewards are in direct proportion to our efforts - no free lunch here. If you are energetic and intelligent, connected and educated, you should do fine. If not, you could easily end up living on the streets. This system ...

Published · 876 views · Rated 2/5 from 1 votes

Something quite dramatic is happening in the political arena - a new vision nothing like the old politics of greed, hatred, and spin. Accustomed as we are to division, bickering, and animosity, this will take some getting used to - and may not happen in this cycle – but it is coming. Voicing ...

Published · 1,012 views

Have you ever tried to change yourself? Tough, huh? But sometimes we have no choice. Once in a while, during a lifetime, we get a good look at what we are, and when we see what we are, we become so disturbed that a change can't be avoided. It's actually the seeing that creates the change. It's ...

Published · 1,848 views · Rated 2/5 from 1 votes

When we cannot just "be," then we have to be "something," and when we have to be something, we have to set goals. When we set goals, however, we are never satisfied until the goal is reached, and therefore, it is only when there are no goals that we can just "be." Just being has its ...

Published · 641 views

The important thing is to never lose a religious argument, and this article will tell you exactly how to do that - beginning with the first rule: Don't make the usual mistakes! The usual mistakes include circling arguments. You will be challenged on circling arguments every time because they are ...

Published · 836 views

They say the Bible has seven levels. If the level at which one understands the bible determines one's status in the next world, or heaven, one's understanding is very important. So, at what level do you understand the Bible? This understanding would manifest as the first idea that comes to mind ...

Published · 6,164 views

The farmer found the mare lying on her side near the edge of the pasture. She was lying peacefully, almost as if sleeping; only occasionally raising her head to look back at where her first-bo was soon to meet this wondrous world. It was as if she had done this many times, and perhaps she had, ...

Published · 978 views

Once there was a little tree. It had a special place all to itself in a beautiful forest, and with the warm winds and gentle rains, the seedling began to grow. Soon, a few small leaves appeared, and the little tree spent the long summer days opening itself to the sun. For some reason, however, ...

Published · 9,520 views

Ask any educator today about the purpose of teaching, and they will more than likely say that it is to bestow knowledge, not much different from programming a computer. But is that the true purpose of teaching, or is that only an obsession with past, dead information? Another educator might say ...

Published · 699 views

It's never easy when what we have been accustomed to is pulled out from under us. We see the warning signs, perhaps for a long time, but we just don't pay attention to them. Then, one day, when everything suddenly changes, we feel blindsided. We feel abused, hurt and rejected in some way because ...

Published · 779 views

No, it's not to make babies! Although making babies is a very important consideration regarding the propagation of our species, especially in Europe and the United States where the birth rate is plummeting, it's not the prime purpose. And it's not to keep you company. Or make you financially or ...

Published · 719 views

It can really get heavy at times. I was recently corresponding with a good friend of mine who mentioned that he didn’t think that he was capable of developing a calm mind in such a chaotic world, which might be a common problem for a lot of us. With stress levels at an all time high, a ...

Published · 851 views

I made my way back toward the monastery and noticed a middle-aged man waiting near the entrance; he had his hands clasped, indicating that he would like to speak with me. When I walked over to where he was waiting, he said, “Thank you for a moment of your time. I must make a difficult decision ...

Published · 703 views

These very special gateways are usually spu ed by just about everybody. When the gateways conspicuously pop up in our lives, as they regularly do, we do back-flips to avoid them. They are distasteful, in some ways frightening, and make us feel absolutely miserable. So why bother discussing them ...

Published · 581 views

When you do good, you get good in return; when you do bad, bad things happen to you. Doing good expands and loosens the heart; doing bad restricts and tightens the heart until the heart shrivels and dies. Then there is just a shell left, full of hatred and fear. Discipline is the first step in ...

Published · 550 views

A mounting problem exists both in our schools and in our culture. Teens gone wild, reckless spending and irresponsibility by adults, it's all coming to fruition in an economy and culture teetering on the edge of a serious downturn. Gas prices are skyrocketing, as everyone waits, idling, in ...

Published · 551 views

Last week in meditation group we discussed just how easy it is to gradually let your meditation or yoga practice slip away, untilnone day there is nothing left! It could be that you stop practicing at your scheduled time. Demands of the holidays start taking over. Or maybe you are just plain ...

Published · 1,675 views · Rated 2/5 from 1 votes

1. Misunderstanding what a relationship is all about. A relationship is an opportunity to give, rather than take. If one or both partners have plastered on their forehead, "What's in this for me," things will get dicey. The key to a successful relationship is always uncompromising trust, and ...

Published · 747 views

1. Confusing the real purpose of a relationship. Relationship is a mirror in which you can see yourself in reflection. You may think that you are a certain way, but relationship will reveal the true you every time. Therefore, the real purpose of relationship is to understand yourself. Once you ...

Published · 623 views

1. Relying on your feelings rather than your intuition. Feelings regarding a new relationship will almost always involve powerful lust. This is natural. When an interest grows sexually, it grows as quickly and as surely as a child. Each interaction doubles the desire until the need to be ...

Published · 682 views

To most of us, God is an abstract thing, so isn't it curious that we fight over our differences conce ing God? Maybe this is because few actually devote their lives to piercing the abstract and coming face-to-face with God. The reason, perhaps, that few search for God is because when they do, ...

Published · 851 views

I am Buddhist, and while practicing meditation, I detected thoughts blossoming, one after the other, in a corner of my mind. Each one initially appeared as a single frame but quickly developed into a storyline, a dramatic movie. It might begin with a picture of myself sitting cross-legged and ...

Published · 924 views

When we cry for a loved one that has died, either we cry for ourselves or we cry for humanity, never for our loved one. Many will not agree with this, but it is true. The tears are more often than not an expression of our own fear of not having our loved one with us any longer to keep us ...

Published · 791 views

How do we go about understanding ourselves? This is a very important question because if we don't understand ourselves, how are we going to change? Do we wait for divine intervention to create our pure hearts, or do we do something proactive? If we are not sure, then why not try both ways and ...

Published · 884 views

The Buddha was called the great physician. In his quintessential teaching: The Four Noble Truths, he took us under his wing, as a good doctor should, to care for his favorite patients. In his First Truth, he diagnosed us as being very ill. In his second, he explained exactly what was making ...

Published · 1,045 views

War is the opposite of peace. When we say that we wage war in order to secure the peace, this is delusion, this is being ignorant of the truth of the moment, which is war, and replacing it with an ideal for the future, which is peace. It is a shell game. If we believe and confuse ourselves with ...

Published · 1,146 views

It can sneak up on you like a thief in night; change that is. One day, you are content and happy with your life, and the next, it's as if you find yourself living on mars. Everything around you has somehow changed, and you haven't, or maybe you have changed and everything else has remained ...

Published · 754 views

When we say that we are a Christian, or Buddhist, Jew, Muslim, or Hindu, what does that mean? When I was a faith-based Christian, it meant that I believed. I believed in God, Jesus, the Church, and I believed in Catholicism. I was proud of being a Catholic. It didn't matter whether my beliefs ...

Published · 1,069 views

This is a very important question; what interests you most, because your answer to this question determines your destiny. So before you answer, look carefully at all the options and decide which is truly the one thing that interests you more than any other. n The obvious ones - relationship, ...

Published · 1,283 views

Ask anyone about the soul and more often than not, you will get a blank stare, or the soul might be explained as a spirit, a part of God, our basic being, or our true essence. But there has never been a good, logical explanation. So here goes! Although according to Buddhism the soul does not ...

Published · 1,108 views

Below our conscious mind is a stream of subconscious, emotional activity. Buddhists call this stream the Life Continuum Consciousness, or the Bhavanga. Sometimes we call it just karma. It is what remains with us from lifetime to lifetime and impels us to do what we do, whether they are good ...

Published · 671 views

Let's say that a caveperson makes some baskets. Other cavepeople like the baskets, and trade some fruits and berries for a basket. This is legitimate. But let's say that an enterprising caveperson prints some money, and uses that to pay for a basket. Then, the basket maker only holds a piece of ...

Published · 679 views

This is a profound question, "What should we be?" Should we be aggressive and ambitious, or compassionate and passive? Should we be a little of both? Or maybe something completely different from aggression, ambition, compassion, and passivity? Can we ever be what we should be, even if that ...

Published · 524 views

From the Bible, we learn all kinds of things about God. What we don’t know about God, however, are things like; what does He do on Sunday afte oons? Since we are created in His likeness, He must like the same things we do. Doesn’t that make sense? So, He must like football games! Go Packers!nn ...

Published · 699 views

It was 1980. Janet and I were hiding out (from my creditors) at Shasta Abbey, a monastery in northern Califo ia, where we had ordained as Zen postulants. Suddenly, out of the blue, I became very ill, and when the illness worsened, I handled it as I had handled everything in the past — I ...

Published · 1,889 views

I was lying on the floor of my little hut in Thailand suffering from one of the many tropical fevers to which I seemed to succumb, and I saw, for the first time in my life, that nothing truly mattered. I found myself directly in the moment. Given the fact that as a Buddhist forest monk I was not ...

Published · 831 views · Rated 2/5 from 1 votes

The new Christianity will include unselfish prayer, followed by not worrying whether or not the prayers will be answered. And God will be described as providing our building blocks, but it is up to us after that. And Christians will begin facing and accepting their destiny, and then taking ...

Published · 1,011 views

No one wants to be a coward, so if we know what it takes to be a coward, perhaps we can avoid becoming one! When we read books or articles on how we can improve, or self-help books that tell us how we can help ourselves, we are in a twilight zone of assumptions and speculation. To get real, ...

Published · 955 views

If you are a normal person, you will serve your family and your country by trying to do what's right. This necessarily involves ambition and goals while you try to solve your problems in life. As you settle into your career, whatever it turns out to be, your government in turn tries to equalize ...

Published · 813 views · Rated 2/5 from 1 votes

Thomas Merton, famous Catholic monk belonging to the cloistered Trappist tradition (Order of Cistercians of the strict observance), once said that he wanted, "to become as good a Buddhist as I can." Before he converted to Catholicism at age twenty-three, he read about Christian mysticism. He ...

Published · 874 views

This is the indicatio I got while watching one of the financial cable channels recently. “Do you have enough money for retirement?” “Are you using your money to its best advantage?” “Don’t be left behind while others are becoming wealthy!” I am certainly not ready for retirement, and what ...

Published · 873 views

Lying is a kind of "get out of jail free" card. We can do bad things, lie about them, and we're off the hook. Or it seems that we are. But really, we're just setting the hook deeper as we begin to believe that we can get away with almost anything, and our conduct becomes increasingly ...

Published · 2,727 views

Christ and the Buddha were wise men; they never talked about politics. They didn't talk about politics because political opinions and campaigns are but afterthoughts in humankind's evolutionary process. Politics, war, power, and ambition have never moved humankind to a fundamentally better ...

Published · 1,115 views

We go to war to defend our religion. It has happened throughout history and is happening now. Once we label ourselves as a Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, Hindu or Jew, we feel that this label must be defended. This is a separation, where those who don't believe as we believe become the enemy, and ...

Published · 773 views

We worry a lot, and the things we worry about are unlimited. For example, the current hot issues - the war, the economy, immigration, global warming, health care - and the list goes on. If these weren't enough, how about our personal problems, our jobs, our relationships, our families, our ...

Published · 703 views

Meditation mobile applications More and more people are turning to their mobile devices for meditation tracks, tips & techniques. The great news is that there is already an array of great apps available & more being added every day. I will show you 5 free meditation mobile applications for Android but know there are many more. And even in this small group of meditation mobile apps, you will notice that there is a great variety of choice and intended usage. Something for everyone:)

Published · 2,573 views

Life is in constant flux: people and jobs come and go, we learn new things while forgetting the old, and different events take place. Our lives and views change. A seventeen-year-old boy might believe popularity is of crucial importance, whereas a sixty-seven-year-old man might believe that having a connection with God is what matters most. Nothing stays the same. The only thing we know for sure is that we are, right now. It’s All A Dream

Published · 1,284 views · Rated 5/5 from 2 votes

Driving provides fertile ground for observing habituated responses. Whether it is driving the same route to work each day on autopilot - not really knowing how you got where you were going, or sending the fire finger to the driver who cut you off unexpectedly - many of us can say we have been ...

Published · 1,254 views

Who we are is very simple. We are the Supreme Reality. Everything comes from that and is a reflection of that. We are really like the sun and our lives that we’re experiencing right now are like the dewdrops that are reflecting the sun. Another way to look at it is to see life as a dream. We are dreaming this life. We are the dreamer of our lives. Our lives are being dreamed. Life is really just an extended dream and we are the dreamer, which is the supreme reality.

Published · 1,987 views

When we wake up to who we are, something happens. We stop identifying with our egoic selves because we realize they are impermanent and only that which is permanent can be who we are. We aren’t our bodies, we aren’t our memories, we aren’t our thoughts, we aren’t our feelings… We aren’t any of these things, so we stop identifying with them. What happens is that detachment develops. An aloofness or distancing from everything that occurs. We wake up to the fact that life is an extended dream and a relaxation is able to set in. It’s a sense of calm or a feeling that ‘all is well.’

Published · 1,569 views

There are three important steps which are crucial aspects in moving in the direction of living an enlightened, awakened life. Any one of us can take these steps.

Published · 1,263 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

There is a movie starring A old Schwarzenegger called Total Recall. A large part of the movie revolves around A old’s character discovering who he really is. We all want to know who we really are. Unless we settle into thinking, “Well, this is my life and I’m not going to think about it,” we keep searching until we find the answers. Who Are We Really?

Published · 1,255 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

Who are we before anything else ever was? When we take away everything impermanent, who are we at our core? Although God may be the ultimate, our concepts of God are not. Though religion plays a beautiful role in this conceptual world of ours, it prevents us from God because it labels God. For instance, religion says, “God is good,” “God is benevolent,” etc. Labels cannot describe God or the ultimate. The ultimate is that which is before anything and everything else, including our concepts of God. In fact, God or the ultimate precedes any label or description. Throw Out the Conceptsr

Published · 1,974 views · Rated 4.5/5 from 2 votes

When it comes to living in the moment and being more enlightened, you might have some questions that you’d like answered. For instance, you might be saying, “Dr. Puff, how do I reach that point? Is there anything I can do to speed up the process of waking up and of having a life filled with the present?”

Published · 1,341 views

When I was an undergraduate at university many years ago, my deep enjoyment and love for the works of William Shakespeare blossomed. I had the privilege of taking a Shakespearean class and then during one summer in my undergraduate years, I was able to travel through Europe inexpensively on a bike and a Europass to see the great sites. A memory I remember most is going to Stratford-upon-Avon and watching a William Shakespeare play. I don’t know where my passion and love for his plays comes from but it has been a deep part of my life. His writings have also taught me many things.

Published · 3,063 views

Published · 1,581 views · Rated 5/5 from 2 votes

In this life, the most permanent thing we experience is witnessing awareness. It begins when we are born and it goes away when we die. But beyond this witnessing, beyond the most permanent thing that is part of our life, is that which truly is. That which we ultimately are cannot be described, yet it is a foundation of everything that is, will be or has ever been. What we experience is witnessing, but the knower and the known arise out of our ultimate true self. It’s similar to when we are asleep. We may not be aware of it, but after we wake up we are aware that we were asleep.

Published · 1,285 views · Rated 5/5 from 2 votes

What causes things to be the universe, us, everything that is? Time and space play a huge role in causation. Physics, Einstein and scientists around the world have concluded that we live in a space-time continuum.

Published · 1,131 views · Rated 5/5 from 2 votes

© Jacob Newell (Gu Shen Yu Daoshi)

Published · 2,279 views

In life we experience two main emotions: one is pleasure, the other is pain. They come and they go; they are a normal part of the human experience. But what happens is that our minds try to maintain the good and push away the bad. It’s a kind of tug-of-war where we say “I want this” and “I don’t want that.” This has the result of causing struggles in our lives.

Published · 2,090 views · Rated 5/5 from 2 votes

Knowledge is one of the things that prevent us from awakening. Why? We think we know many things and knowing these things keeps us from being awake. To gain awareness we need to unlea what we know, or think we know. We need to let go of every piece of knowledge and just be. In the East they call it the way ‘neti neti’ which means ‘not this, not that.’ In the West we refer to it as ‘via negativa’ which means a way of nothingness.

Published · 1,475 views · Rated 5/5 from 2 votes

Ironically, one of the main things that keeps us from awakening to our true nature is knowledge. We think we know things, and knowing these things keeps us from being awake. Our belief that we have true knowledge keeps us caught up in our perceptions, labels, and opinions, making them appear as realities rather than the biased points of view they actually are. If truth is a matter of perspective, can we call it truth? If situations change depending on how we look at them and on who is doing the looking, can we really trust our judgments to be true knowledge?

Published · 1,208 views · Rated 5/5 from 2 votes

Before anything can be known, before anything can come into existence, there must be someone who is the background to all that exists. When we wake up in the morning, everything blooms in our awareness. But would it all be there if we weren’t around? Can there be anything without us first being aware of it? The “I am” is present before anything else exists. Thus, you are before everything else can be.

Published · 1,024 views · Rated 5/5 from 3 votes

As we go through life, sometimes we have beautiful experiences. They are so wonderful that we are filled with a desire to hold onto them for as long as possible. But why we can’t hang onto them and why they go away is because we can only remember them in the mind. The mind itself is not stable; it isn’t consistent. We can’t hold onto those experiences because the mind often changes. The question to ask ourselves is: “What is consistent? What is stable?” We have to go beyond the mind to find that which is stable and always is. But, how is it possible to move beyond the mind?

Published · 1,180 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

When we desire something, we first have to work for it. Often we find ourselves spending a large amount of mental energy thinking about it, wishing for it and wanting it to happen. But after working for it, we should let go and just be.

Published · 1,145 views · Rated 5/5 from 2 votes

Life is a dance between two intense emotions: fear and desire. We go back and forth between these two throughout our lives. But what we’re exploring here is what precedes and pervades life before desire and fear.

Published · 2,043 views · Rated 5/5 from 2 votes

When we think about our lives, the people in our lives, the work we go to, the city we live in, the galaxy we’re a part of and the whole universe, we think of it as so real, tangible, ever present and everlasting. But because we perceive it in our minds and we can only perceive that which our minds can grasp, it’s actually a very small universe. It is also transitory – it doesn’t last. It only lasts and exists when we think about it. If we see it as a dream then we can locate truth.

Published · 1,297 views · Rated 5/5 from 2 votes

You Have 1440 Minutes Every Day – Take Ten for Yourself Every day someone tells me how great they feel when they practice yoga. They feel whole and complete and relaxed and alert – all at the same time. Yet no sooner than they leave the yoga studio, does the old stress and worry start to seep back into their life. So quickly at times, that it makes them wonder just how long the healthy benefits of a great yoga workout stay with them.

Published · 1,508 views

Mindful Meditation in Relationships Relationships aren’t destroyed by cataclysmic arguments. They are eroded by the little things that happen over time. We’re all excited when a relationship starts. We watch what we do. We edit our actions and mind our words. We gloss over the details because we love the dream of what could be. We sacrifice the now for what we want in the future.

Published · 1,010 views

If you were to ask me, “What is the key, essential component of happiness?” or, “What is a fundamental element of happiness? my answer would be simultaneously simple , yet very complicated. Here, I’d like to explore the fundamental element of happiness. When we “get it,” when we understand it, when we live by it, we will be happy. What is it? What is the fundamental key to happiness? Though it may seem very easy, finding the key to happiness can be one of life’s most difficult and elusive tasks; yet it is possible. It is absolutely possible.

Published · 1,408 views · Rated 3.1/5 from 7 votes

I began meditating in my late teens after I was exposed to the research of Herbert Benson, who wrote the book The Relaxation Response. It was a wonderful study into how people meditate and the benefits of meditation. It was basic but very helpful. It got me interested in both practicing and studying meditation.

Published · 1,231 views · Rated 4.8/5 from 4 votes

“Growing Old is Not for Sissies!” I remember this great bumper sticker making the rounds a few years ago. Unless life ends tragically, suddenly, we will all experience old age and the result of old age, which is death. If we live long enough, on the way to death via old age, we begin losing things. Perhaps our mobility, our health, our energy, our memory, our parents, our friends and spouses, our brothers and sisters, and maybe even some of our children who die before we do.

Published · 1,615 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

The infinite reality of now is what life is really all about. In many ways, we have created a prison around ourselves. The walls are all those limiting ideas of who we are, who others are, and what life is. Practice neti neti: not this, not that. Let go of all the false identifications you have for yourself and everyone around you who limits both you and everyone in your life. We create a prison not only for ourselves but for everyone else, through our limiting attitudes and thoughts. Let’s allow the walls that encase our minds to crumble. It’s time to let the prison doors swing open.

Published · 1,239 views · Rated 5/5 from 2 votes

When looking at causation, we need to ask: What causes things? What is the ultimate cause of everything? By taking a look at the universe we can see that everything is interlinked at such a level that we can’t help but wonder if anything really can happen. We need to understand that it’s up to the universe to make things happen. The entire universe needs to conspire to cause them to happen.

Published · 1,103 views · Rated 5/5 from 2 votes

I began meditating almost thirty years ago. I think at first I began just out of curiosity. I had been studying meditation in my academic training and learned how science has shown that meditation is very beneficial to us. When I started meditating I found it to be a very relaxing, peaceful experience. Over time as I grew and discovered that meditation is really helpful for our spiritual growth, I really dived into it. I now consistently meditate every day, usually once in the morning for about an hour and then in the evening for about half an hour.

Published · 1,140 views · Rated 5/5 from 3 votes