punsavana: (Sanskrit) "Male rite; bringing forth a male." Traditional sacrament performed during early pregnancy in prayer of a son.

See: samskaras of birth.

(See also: Punsavana, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Rituals in Buddhism: Buddhist Funeral Rites

Theravadins Buddhist follow the Indian custom of burning the body at death. The BuddhaÕs body was cremated and this set the example for many Buddhists, even in the West. When someone is dying in a Burmese home, monks come to comfort them. They chant verses to them, such as:

Read more here: » Rituals in Buddhism: Buddhist Funeral Rites

Bonsano (Bonsanista Healing Method; Bonsano (Perfect Wholth); Perfect Wholth (Bonsano) Integrative Shamanic Healing; Perfect Wholth-Integrative Shamanic Transpersonal Healing): synthesis of Western Mystical Traditions and shamanism originated by Jim Hopkins. It includes creative visualization, crystal work (see crystal healing), meditation, prayer, sanmano (hands-off healing), and shamanic journeying (see soul part integration).

(See also: Bonsano, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

A physician with a magic touch—that, in essence, defines Dr P.G. Kurup. But, unlike other doctors, the word 'magic' has more than a symbolic meaning in his case. For Dr Kurup has actually healed impossible cases through aura diagnosis and surgery, baffling the medical community. A distinguished allopath who opted for alternative healing systems, Dr Kurup discusses his unique method of aura healing and his own spiritual growth in an exclusive interview with Indian yoga exponent T.K.V. Desikachar.

Read more here: » The Aura: Aura diagnosis and aura surgery

 Serenity is the quality of being calm and even-tempered; composed. Serenity denotes the state of people who are calm and not easily agitated emotionally. They experience mental balance and even temperament. Composure is calmness that suggests the exercise of self-control. Tranquil composure suggests imperviousness to agitation or turmoil.

Read more here: » Serenity: The Serenity Prayer

The power of everyday prayer is boundless: It is a documented fact that community prayer services have worked miracles, especially in healing the sick.

In today's rushed world, not many people find the time to pray. Even those who do pray are in a terrible hurry. Naturally then, the heart and mind are often disconnected from the words of prayer which are uttered as a matter of routine. Instead of having a heart-to-heart talk with God, we end up merely reciting. So prayer tends to become a superficial and mechanical task that's not particularly pleasing. Unsurprisingly, one often prays grudgingly.

Read more here: » Power of Prayer: Healing Power of Daily Prayer

The Purpose of Buddhist Prayer

Buddhist prayer is a practice to awaken our inherent inner capacities of strength, compassion and wisdom rather than to petition external forces based on fear, idolizing, and worldly and/or heavenly gain. Buddhist prayer is a form of meditation; it is a practice of inner reconditioning. Buddhist prayer replaces the negative with the virtuous and points us to the blessings of Life.

Read more here: » Prayers in Buddhism: The Purpose of Buddhist Prayer

It is commonly believed that Buddhism involves long hours of meditation and is devoid of elaborative pujas (prayers) and ceremonies associated with prayer-offerings. People also think that Gautam Buddha was against an organised religion and propounded Buddhism minus the offerings and ceremonies to undermine the priestly class who exploited the common masses with religious superstitions. But the fact is Buddhism has elaborate ceremonial prayer offerings, especially its Mahayana and Vajrayana forms.

Read more here: » Buddhism: Prayers In Buddhism

Praying in Buddhism: Examples of Buddhist Prayers

Including:

Universal Love Aspiration

Daily Affirmation Prayer

Golden Chain Prayer

Prayer for Light

Refuge Prayer

Metta Karuna Prayer

Buddhist Mealtime Prayer

Read more here: » Praying in Buddhism: Examples of Buddhist Prayers

The prayers, good thoughts or good wishes and Kirtan become helpful to the departed souls. They can be of invaluable assistance to the dead. Prayers for the dead form an integral part of most of the religions. The Catholic Church conducts prayers for the dead.
Prayer acts on the principle of a radio station and broadcasts the waves of good thoughts just as the radio station broadcasts waves of sound.
Prayer or Kirtan is a mighty force which helps the departed souls in their progress towards heaven and their quiet passage through the intermediate state.

This is an excerpt from the book What Becomes Of The Soul After Death by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Read more here: » Sraaddha: Prayer For The Dead - Prayer And Kirtan For The Dead

Hinduism and prayers: Hindu prayers

In the spiritual realm a prayer has a greater significance. Continuous recitation of gods name (nam japam) would lead to purification of the mind and inner transformation. It is the best way to develop communion with God and realize the inner self. Following are some of the basic concepts about prayers in Hinduism.

Read more here: » Hinduism and prayers: Hindu prayers

Buddhist Rituals: Traditional Chinese Funeral Arrangements

On the passing away of the father, the eldest son becomes the head of the family. f the eldest son passes away, his second brother does not assume leadership of the family. Leadership passes to the eldest son of the eldest son or the grandson of the father. He must assume the responsibilities and duties to the ancestors on behalf of the family

Read more here: » Buddhist Rituals: Traditional Chinese Funeral Arrangements

The Lord’s Prayer ("Our Father Who Art in Heaven...") is the best known and most popular prayer of Christians. Jesus taught his disciples this prayer when they asked him how to pray.

Analysing The Lord’s Prayer, Gerhard Ebeling says that " Abba father", the words Jesus used to call on God, signify "My father" or "our father", which is an invocation we can use when all words fail, when we become speechless. We can approach God in the familiar confident way a child approaches a loving parent.

(See also: Lord’s Prayer, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Lord’s Prayer: Lord’s Prayer: Common Prayer For Uncommon Wisdom  

This article have much info about the upcomning Venus Transit and it also includes actual prayers you can use at the Venus Transit.

Read more here: » Venus Transit: Opening the doorway to the Heart of Venus

A death poem from Isavasya Upanisha.

The death and dying and the life after death has always fascinated man. This is an excerpt from the book What Becomes Of The Soul After Death by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Read more here: » Death Poem: Prayer of a dying man

In India, the day begins with worship. People pray, bow and meditate. Members of the Jain community all over India bathe, put on new clothes and walk barefoot to their local temple. They embark on their daily pilgrimage with no possessions and with high aspirations. Some of them carry a cloth mask which they wear when inside the temple. From the moment they walk into the temple, all worldly concerns are set aside to facilitate meditation. Their focus is on the Tirthankaras , the teachers who conquered their own vices to teach the world about compassion and salvation through example. The recitation of the Namokar Mahamantra encourages them to salute the achievements of all divine souls who attained salvation.

(See also: Jainism Worship, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Jainism Worship: Sincere Prayer for Peace and Harmony  

Meditation lights up your heart, and liberates you from all desire for evil. In meditation you may discuss your tribulations with God; you may excuse yourself for your misdeeds and implore the Lord to grant you your desire to approach nearer to God. Devote some time each day to commune with the Lord in solitude; converse with Him. If you cannot concentrate, continue to express your thoughts in words. Words are like water which fall upon a rock until it breaks; words will break through your flinty heart. Words are the shell, meditation the kernel. Words are the body of prayer; meditation, its spirit.

Read more here: » Power of Prayer: Prayer Lifts The Spirit

One of the first goals in Huna practice is becoming the kind of person whose prayers are answered. In the process of Huna prayer, you carefully form the thought forms you want to manifest. After you have a clear picture in your mind of what you want, you build up a surcharge of mana, do the Ha Ritual and send the seeds (thought forms) along your aka cords to the lower self. The lower self carries these on the aka cords to the high self and Aumakua.

Read more here: » Huna: Clearing the Path for prayers

Man takes birth in this world with a definite purpose. It is not for mere sensual enjoyment that man is born in this world. The goal of life is Self-realisation or God-consciousness. The various activities of life should ultimately lead to that ideal or goal; or else the life is wasted. There is no difference between the life of a beast and that of a man if he does not attempt to attain the goal of life.
In the Gita you will find: “Whosoever leaving the body goes forth remembering Me alone, at the time of death, he attains My being; there is no doubt about this.”

The death and dying and the life after death has always fascinated man. This is an excerpt from the book What Becomes Of The Soul After Death by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Read more here: » Sraaddha: Prayer For The Dead - Why Scriptures Are Read To A Dying Man?

It is so easy to commune with God. That's because God is closer to us than the air we breathe.

But we tie ourselves in knots while praying because we are unable to free ourselves from our own 'sophistication'.

H A Williams, an Anglican pastor, discovered he had to 'earn' his passage by turning the short and easy path to God into an obstacle race, a puzzle, devising schemes whereby he could make the grade spiritually, when in fact there is no grade.

(See also: Power of Prayer, Faith and Belief, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Power of Prayer: Universal Reach of Heartfelt Prayer  

A beautiful assembly of poems and prayers on the theme of LOVE and TRANSCENDENCE.

“We will read them during the transit tomorrow on the most sacred places on the Isle of Wight.
We invite you to pray for World peace and love during the Transit of Venus at 11am GMT on 8th June 2004 for fifteen minutes. This will be the biggest global mass prayer meeting in the history of the World. You will find some multifaith prayers and poems, and a list of goddess names for your use on this page. Or make up your own prayer in accordance with your own faith or lack thereof. Or, do what thou wilt.”

Read more here: » Venus Transit: Multifaith prayers and poems, and a list of goddess names

Kabbala: Mystical Dimension Of Jewish Thought

The word Kabbala originally meant Ôreception' and related to the oral Jewish tradition handed down by Rabbis from generation to generation. The mainspring of the Kabbala is a deep rooted belief in a perpetual inter-relationship between God as the infinite power and man in the physical world as we know it.

Man can get close to God by subduing his own negative inclinations and bring about spiritual regeneration of mankind, through prayers, meditation and interpretation of the divine mysteries hidden in the Torah. Kabbalists emphasise the importance of mystical formulas in the recitation of prayers.

Read more here: » Kabbala: Mystical Dimension Of Jewish Thought