We face many challenges on the path to liberation. We also have an ego to deal with. I am often asked: "Are these challengers different for men and for women? Or is the path fundamentally the same for both sexes? Shouldn't there be different paths?"

Assuming that the goal is enlightenment, there is only one path. Of course, there are fundamental differences between men and women and, if we want to be free, these traits need to be acknowledged and deeply understood.

(See also: Spiritual Growth , 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: » Spiritual Growth: Total Liberation - No Place for Gender  

Sundarkand forms part of Ramcharitmanas of Goswami Tulsidas which is commonly known as Tulsi Ramayana. It is the essence of the Ramcharitmanas, and is awarded as much importance as the Bhagavad Gita in the Mahabharata.

Like the Gita, the Sundarkand can be read independently. It has a powerful theme: When you are on a good mission, God gives you strength to overcome all obstacles. Sundarkand commences with Hanuman’s departure for Lanka in search of Sita and ends with Rama and his army’s preparation to reach Lanka across the sea. This entire episode is called sundar or beautiful because every act described in it is auspicious, elevating the human mind and promoting right human values.

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

Read more here: » Sundarkand: All’s Well That Ends Well - Sundarkand  

The Emerald Tablet is an ancient artifact that reveals a profound spiritual technology, which has survived to this day despite centuries of effort to suppress it. Encoded within the tablet's mysterious wording is a powerful formula that works in very specific and comprehensible steps on all levels of reality at once -- the physical, the mental, and the spiritual -- and shows us how to achieve personal transformation and even accelerate the evolution of our species. The seven-stepped Emerald Formula is the basis of all the transformations in the Great Work.

Read more here: » Alchemy: The Emerald Tablet and The Emerald Formula

At the start of 1945 the Eastern Front had been relatively stable since August 1944 in the aftermath of Operation Bagration. Romania and Bulgaria had been forced to surrender and declare war on Germany. The Germans had lost Budapest and most of the rest of Hungary. The Polish plain was open to the Soviet Red Army. The Soviet commanders, after their inaction during the Warsaw Uprising, took Warsaw in January 1945. Over three days, on a broad front incorporating four army Fronts, the Red Army began an offensive across the Narew River an ...

See also:

Battle of Berlin, Battle of Berlin - Background, Battle of Berlin - The East German offensive, Battle of Berlin - Preparations, Battle of Berlin - The battle of the Oder-Neisse, Battle of Berlin - The encirclement of Berlin, Battle of Berlin - The Battle of Berlin, Battle of Berlin - The Battle of Halbe, Battle of Berlin - Conclusion, Battle of Berlin - Note

Read more here: » Battle of Berlin: Encyclopedia II - Battle of Berlin - Background

"May all beings be happy" is a beautiful blessing that SN Goenka, a great teacher of the Buddhist Vipassana meditation, expresses throughout his teachings. This prayer was originally sung by the ancient spiritual masters of India and is still sung around the world even today.

In the moments of singing or saying these words in a spiritual context, they seem so full of meaning for us, and our hearts truly wish for happiness for all beings. But then, as we engage in the everyday world of work, it's not so easy to maintain the spirit of this blessing for all people. It's all too easy to become agitated and impatient, and to have negative rather than positive thoughts towards others.

See also: Spirituality At Work, Work As A Spiritual Practice, Spiritual Based Leadership

Read more here: » Work As A Spiritual Practice: Bless Outside For Happiness Inside  

The Battle of Fort Sumter (April 12–13, 1861), a relatively minor military engagement at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, began the American Civil War. Battle of Fort Sumter - Prelude. The election of Abraham Lincoln (and other reasons described in the article Causes of the American Civil War) caused seven Southern states, led by South Carolina, to secede and form the Confederate States of America early in 1861. Confederate forces seized control of Federal forts and customs houses ...

Including:

• Battle of Fort Sumter - Prelude
• Battle of Fort Sumter - Action
• Battle of Fort Sumter - Aftermath

Read more here: » Battle of Fort Sumter: Encyclopedia - Battle of Fort Sumter

Negotiations were carried out between Saladin and Balian, through the mediation of the Yusuf Batit, one of the Eastern Orthodox clergy, who had been largely suppressed under Latin Christian rule and knew that they would have more freedoms if the city were returned to the Muslims. Saladin preferred to take the city without bloodshed, but those inside refused to leave their holy city, vowing to destroy it in a fight to the death rather than ...

See also:

Siege of Jerusalem 1187, Siege of Jerusalem 1187 - Background, Siege of Jerusalem 1187 - Situation in Jerusalem, Siege of Jerusalem 1187 - The siege, Siege of Jerusalem 1187 - Negotiations between Balian and Saladin, Siege of Jerusalem 1187 - Surrender of the city, Siege of Jerusalem 1187 - Aftermath, Siege of Jerusalem 1187 - In fiction, Siege of Jerusalem 1187 - Sources

Read more here: » Siege of Jerusalem 1187: Encyclopedia II - Siege of Jerusalem 1187 - The siege

Special Planetary Mantras, Name and Shakti Mantras

The following are the name (nama) mantras for the planets as preceded by their Shakti or power mantras. These can be used to connect with the planetary deities and to energize all the higher powers of the planets.

Read more here: » Planetary Shakti Mantras: Special Planetary Mantras, Name and Shakti Mantras

All are terribly afraid of death. No one wants to die. Even intellectual persons who have grasped the idea that the Soul is Immortal and is distinct from the body are also awfully afraid of death. Yoga is actually a way of conquering Death!

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: » Conquest Of Death: How Yoga is a way of conquering Death

Harmonic Concordance: An overview and perspective on the Harmonic Concordance.

Read more here: » Harmonic Concordance: A bird's eye view

Basaveswara was a 12th century spiritual master in Karnataka. Popularly known as Basavanna, he propagated moral, ethical and spiritual values for a peaceful and purposeful life.

Disillusioned by an indifferent and disparate society, Basavanna formed a new spiritual institution, Anubhava Mantapa . It was based on democratic principles to spread universal love and brotherhood. Anyone, irrespective of caste, could become a member of this institution as long as they were pious and of good character.

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

Read more here: » Basavanna: Basavanna Tried to Democratise Faith  

What would you say if I told you that you single-handedly have the power to end poverty on this planet? Well... you do. One commonly known axiom of love says, "It is in giving that we receive." Many have come to understand this universal truth through the Law of Karma: "As you sow, so shall you reap tenfold."
What is not known is that, because humanity lives in a consciousness of separation, most universal truths have been both taught and understood either as half-truths or as distorted truths. As applied here, what has for so long been understood as the primary Law of Creation: As you sow, so do you reap tenfold is actually only half of the Law of Creation.
The second half of the Law of Creation states: "As you reap, so do you return to Source one-tenth." This part is called the Law of Tithing, a law that few understand and even fewer practice in the manner which God ordained.

Read more here: » Law of Tithing: The power of giving and the Law of Creation

Yours faithfully - A letter ends there. However, faith is the beginning of the human quest for self-discovery and the Absolute. Faith can be neither forced nor taught; it is an experience that transcends trust, reason, belief and ideology.

Belief in religious scripture confines the mind; the trust we repose in an individual, too, is a limiting factor. The intellect can only too often weave a cobweb of theories, and reason can cause mistrust, taking us away from discovering the great scope and depth of an infinite power that's faith, that can otherwise serve as an effective spiritual guide.

(See also: Faith and Belief , 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: » Faith and Belief: Faith: Staircase to God  

Texas seceded from the union on 1 February 1861, and on 14 February, McCulloch received a colonel's commission from Jefferson Davis, with the comment that "to Texans, a moment's notice is sufficient when their State demands their service." He was authorized to demand the surrender of all federal military posts in the state, and on the morning of 16 February, Gen. Twiggs, finding that more than 1,000 Texas troops had surrounded his government installations in an orderly manner during the night, turned over to McCulloch all federal property in ...

See also:

Benjamin McCulloch, Benjamin McCulloch - Early life, Benjamin McCulloch - Texas career, Benjamin McCulloch - War with Mexico, Benjamin McCulloch - Civil War, Benjamin McCulloch - Sources & additional reading

Read more here: » Benjamin McCulloch: Encyclopedia II - Benjamin McCulloch - Civil War

This meditation is a unique combination of breathing, looking, letting go and witnessing. Looking at the light with soft gaze is so relaxing, your fragmented energies are integrated.

This technique, for the night time, consists of four stages of fifteen minutes each. The first two stages are a preparation for the spontaneous Latihan (Latihan is a name of eastern meditation which means moving the body effortlessly in a "let go " state) of the third stage.

If the breathing is done correctly in the first stage, the carbon dioxide formed in the bloodstream will make you feel as high as the Himalayan peak, Gourishankar.

(See also: Meditation Techniques , Meditation, Meditation for Beginners, Meditation Techniques)

Read more here: » Meditation Techniques: Osho Gourishankar Meditation

Pockets of rebel resistance remained in Wexford with the last rebel group under James Corocoran, veterans of the battle of New Ross, not being defeated until February 1804. Wicklow experienced a form of fugitive warfare in the years after 1798 but the failure of Robert Emmet's rebellion in 1803 finally convinced the last organised rebel forces under Michael Dwyer to a negotiated surrender a few months later. The 1798 rebellion was probably the most concentrated outbreak of violence in Irish history and resulted in the deaths of c. 30, ...

See also:

Irish Rebellion of 1798, Irish Rebellion of 1798 - Background, Irish Rebellion of 1798 - Society of United Irishmen, Irish Rebellion of 1798 - Government Crackdown and Counter Revolution, Irish Rebellion of 1798 - Plan, Irish Rebellion of 1798 - Outbreak of the Rebellion, Irish Rebellion of 1798 - The Rebellion Spreads, Irish Rebellion of 1798 - Atrocities, Irish Rebellion of 1798 - French Landing, Irish Rebellion of 1798 - Aftermath, Irish Rebellion of 1798 - Legacy of 1798, Irish Rebellion of 1798 - Sources

Read more here: » Irish Rebellion of 1798: Encyclopedia II - Irish Rebellion of 1798 - Aftermath

Destiny and the dynamics of living often remove us from the place we belong to, from what we refer to as our hometown. Living away, we tend to get "hometown-sick".

We split ourselves, and suffer a 'body here, mind there' syndrome. Interestingly, this can happen not just to an individual or a family, but even collectively to a whole people.

(See also: Life and Death, Life and Beyond, Death and Dying, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Life and Death: Freedom From Exile  

When scouts initially informed Xerxes of the size of the Greek force, and of the Spartans who were performing preparations which included naked calisthenics and combing their hair, Xerxes found the reports laughable. Not understanding the ritual significance of the Spartan preparations as the actions of men with the resolution to fight to the end, he expected the force to disband at any moment and waited four days for the Greek force to retreat. When they did not, he became increasingly frustrated by what he perceived as foolish impudence on the part of the small Greek force, and on the fi ...

See also:

Battle of Thermopylae, Battle of Thermopylae - Background, Battle of Thermopylae - Battle, Battle of Thermopylae - Aftermath, Battle of Thermopylae - Inspiration, Battle of Thermopylae - Bibliography, Battle of Thermopylae - Notes

Read more here: » Battle of Thermopylae: Encyclopedia II - Battle of Thermopylae - Battle

In 1944, General Jorge Ubico's dictatorship was overthrown by the "October Revolutionaries", a group of dissident military officers, students, and liberal professionals who were empowered by the wave of revolutions that swept up old, unpopular dictatorships in Venezuela, Cuba, and El Salvador around the same time. The social unrest preceding the coup culminated in the killing of a schoolteacher by an Army soldier, which sparked a broad general strike that paralyzed the country and forced Ubico to surrender power to his generals. Further unrest prompted two young officers at the time, Jacobo Arbenz and Francisco ...

See also:

History of Guatemala, History of Guatemala - Pre-Columbian Guatemala, History of Guatemala - The Era of Spanish Rule, History of Guatemala - The 19th Century, History of Guatemala - The Early 20th Century, History of Guatemala - The Ten Years of Spring, History of Guatemala - Operation PBSUCCESS, History of Guatemala - Civil war, History of Guatemala - 1986 to 2000, History of Guatemala - The 21st Century, History of Guatemala - Resources, History of Guatemala - External links, History of Guatemala - Notes, History of Guatemala - Further reading

Read more here: » History of Guatemala: Encyclopedia II - History of Guatemala - The Ten Years of Spring

Father: Samuel Beňovský, from the noble Beňovský family. At the time of Móric's birth, he was an Austrian colonel. Mother: Rozália Beňovský (original name: Révaiová), her father was the Bishop of Spiš, this was her second marriage. Wife: Zuzana Beňovská (original name: Hönschová) (1750-1815), daughter of a butcher. She stayed in Baltimore in 1784 and after Móric's death she and her daughters departed America in 1786 and returned to Beňovský's castle in the Slovak town of Beckovská Vieska, where Countess Beňovská died in 1825 (They definitively did ...

See also:

Móric Beňovský, Móric Beňovský - Variations on his name, Móric Beňovský - Biography, Móric Beňovský - Legacy, Móric Beňovský - Benyowsky's nationality, Móric Beňovský - Benyowsky's family, Móric Beňovský - Bibliography

Read more here: » Móric Beňovský: Encyclopedia II - Móric Beňovský - Benyowsky's family

Little is known about McCarty's early childhood but he was probably born in New York City. His parents were almost certainly of Irish descent, but their exact names, and thus McCarty's own surname, are not known for certain. Variations for his parents' names include: Catherine McCarty or Katherine McCarty Bonney for his mother and William Bonney or Patrick Henry McCarty for his father (who probably died around the end of the American Civil War). In 1873 his mother married William Antrim and the family moved to Silver City, New Mexico. His stepfather was a bartender and carpenter but soon became more interested in prospecting ...

See also:

Billy the Kid, Billy the Kid - Biography, Billy the Kid - Lincoln County War, Billy the Kid - Pat Garrett, Billy the Kid - Lincoln Escape, Billy the Kid - Death, Billy the Kid - Left-handed or right-handed?, Billy the Kid - Brushy Bill, Billy the Kid - In film literature and music

Read more here: » Billy the Kid: Encyclopedia II - Billy the Kid - Biography

Action is imperative for success and progress because otherwise, inactivity takes over and leads to devolution. Activity, however, can generate a lot of stress in the individual.

Progress, therefore, is risky. When progress is gained at the expense of peace of mind, it comes to lose its significance, because it does not translate into giving happiness. And to achieve happiness is the goal of all activity. So thereÕs a dilemma: How does one be dynamic and still achieve peace of mind?

Read more here: » Peace of mind: Stress-free Action Brings Peace and Joy