The arsonists of Godhra and the marauders elsewhere, both, had fallen prey only to the forces of - as mysticism terms it - the lower Nature, the nescience.

While they must have felt that they were the performers, the forces of darkness must be indulging in a sinister laughter. These forces are entities in their own right. There is no such thing as a Hindu hatred or a Muslim hatred. Such destructive passions lurk behind human ignorance and their pressure makes their prey hit upon a cause.

(See also: Anger management , 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: » Anger management: Surrender Your Anger To The Divine  

Ancient Indian sages have said that human beings are composed of both matter and spirit. Our physical body, mind and intellect are the matter components while our soul is the spirit - the real Self - that radiates and drives the matter components.

We have been blessed with the capacity to discriminate. We are equipped to take decisions using our intellect and by applying acquired wisdom. We have vast potential, but because of our ignorance of Self, these potentials remain largely untapped. That is why all wise men have exhorted us to try and attain Supreme Knowledge of the Self.

(See also: Body Mind and Spirit , 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: » Body Mind and Spirit: Body, Mind, Spirit - Strike A Balance  

Sufis tend to remain hidden in a mysterious world, revealing themselves only to chosen seekers of truth - who are receptive and devoted. This has been their way for thousands of years. They pray to God in the middle of night, in its deep silence when the world sleeps, as they don't want to make an exhibition of their prayer.

Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita: "The meditator meditates alone in the deep night when everybody in the world is sleeping". And Sufis do the same.

(See also: Osho , 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: » Osho: Sufi Path of Love - Fragrant and Fresh  

We are bewildered by the complexity of life today. Confounded by the overwhelming multiplicity of choice, we feel weighed down. Whether it be selecting and pursuing a career or choosing a course of study; deciding upon that holiday destination or even the way you want to spend an evening, the plethora of options that stares you in the face is staggering and immense.

(See also: Knowledge , 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: » Knowledge: Empty Yourself Of All Knowledge  

In my travels to different countries, it is always the children, filled with energy and hope, who leave me with the most lasting impression. When I gaze into their deep, clear eyes, I find myself profoundly encouraged. For in the deepest reaches of children's eyes shines the light of purpose, a natural sense of responsibility for the future of our planet.

(See also: Parenting , 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: » Parenting: Paint Your Child's World With Cheer  

Two images of Mary have dominated the Christian consciousness through the years. One is that of the Madonna, whom artists depict as holding a naked newborn, offering the world life.

The second popular image of Mary is that of the Pieta - the mother of the suffering servant, the sorrowful mother. Artists never tire of painting Mary standing in solitude at the foot of the cross, the woman whose heart was pierced with a sword.Theologian Richard Rohr writing on Mary says that we are mothered into life and mothered out of life.

(See also: Mary mother of Jesus, , 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: » Mary mother of Jesus,: Madonna - A Life Of Supplication  

We have gotten into the habit of blaming all our ills on the times in which we live. We often exclaim: "This is Kaliyuga, so what else do you expect?" Kaliyuga has come to personify all that is bad and undesirable. We feel accursed and we envy the blessed ones who were born in the Sat, Treta or Dwapar yugas . We attribute our misfortune to karma and resign ourselves to our fate. This attitude leads to low self-esteem which in turn can do enormous damage

(See also: Kaliyuga , 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: » Kaliyuga: The Redeeming Aspect Of Kaliyuga  

Indian philosophy and modern science share common features, at the level of parallels, isomorphic themes and problems. First, the search for unity resonates with the holy grail of the theory of everything in theoretical physics, which began with Albert Einstein. The search for a fundamental theory, Steven Weinberg says, lifts human life above the level of farce and gives it some of the grace of tragedy.

(See also: Indian philosophy , 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: » Indian philosophy: The Mind-Matter Divide  

Children are very creative. However when faced with failure, they might become dispirited. Good parenting can enable children to accept facts of life and persuade them to proceed proactively in a creative mode.

The challenge of life is in accepting the fact that 'life is not fair'. Once you accept this fact, a certain understanding is generated. This will enable you to accept whatever life gives you.

(See also: Spiritual Parenting , 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 Parenting: The Fine Art Of Wise Parenting  

All the pleasure and pain we experience from worldly matters disturb us. We become restless. To really enjoy life, we must learn to control the mind. Dhyana or meditation has been described by our shastras as the ideal way to exercise mind control. When we sit in absolute silence and are free from thought, we will feel enormous energy swell within us.

Dhyana is: Doing nothing. Nothing is done in this technique; even all thoughts are kept aside. We can feel the internal energy, and we become internally strong. The state of dhyana is the meeting point of the internal and external world. The ancient trikal sandhya is the basic background of dhyana.

(See also: Dhyana , 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: » Dhyana: Draw on the Energy That's Inside You  

The mysteries of the universe fascinate every human being. As we observe its manifold phenomena, we marvel at how this entire process of creation came about and wonder if we can ever fully understand what it is all about. We see the innumerable stars in the night sky, and we want to discover those distant worlds. When we see a bird flying in the sky so effortlessly, we too want to soar high.

(See also: Inner self , 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: » Inner self: Building Bridges To Inner Country  

If you are a corporate leader and you would like to include spirituality in your organisation's culture, you are not alone.

Business leaders we've met, and management students sometimes ask us if it's really possible to make spirituality an overt and explicit part of an organisational culture - without causing religious conflicts or being inappropriate to an otherwise secular way of operating.

(See also: Corporate Spirituality , 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: » Corporate Spirituality: Corporate Spirituality Encourages Inclusion  

Newton wasn't the only person in the world on whose head an apple fell. Yet, it was Newton who immediately grasped the meaning of gravity after this experience. When Einstein heard that a painter had fallen from the roof, he asked the painter how he felt while falling down. The painter's reply that he felt weightless propelled Einstein into formulating his General Theory of Relativity.

Both Newton and Einstein and countless other discoverers of truth produced great ideas from every day observations because their minds were in a state of preparedness.

(See also: Creativity , 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: » Creativity: Creative Mystery of A Prepared Mind  

Results of recent studies published in the British Journal of Psychiatry pronounce that diet has a direct bearing on the behaviour of juvenile delinquents. Certain types of food brought about - though very gradually - distinct changes in the behavioural pattern of the delinquents.

Foods affect animal behaviour as well. For instance, a dog fed on raw meat for any length of time turns out to be more ferocious than a similar breed fed on vegetarian foods. Sastras explain that mind is also matter, albeit subtle, and, like the body, is nourished by food. The Chandogya Upanishad says: "Mind consists of food, prana (life force) of water and speech of fire."

(See also: Body mind and soul , 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: » Body mind and soul: Mind is Matter - Nurture It  

Hinduism is a faith - a way to understand the truth. Other faiths like Islam and Christianity also enable seekers to get closer to the truth. There need be no contradiction, for nobody has monopoly over truth. I am a Hindu. My truth should co-exist with other truths.

Faith now is being used as an identity by certain sections. Some Hindus proclaim their identity by espousing the cause of Hindutva. This is a self-defeating exercise that will help neither Hinduism nor the country.

(See also: Hinduism and Islam , 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: » Hinduism and Islam: Identity Crisis - Faith vs Truth  

Thich Nhat Hanh taught the power of mindfulness and the importance of being present and fully engaged in each moment and in each act. He told a friend that there are two ways to wash the dishes: The first is to wash the dishes in order to have clean dishes and the second is to wash the dishes in order to wash the dishes.

(See also: Mindfulness , 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: » Mindfulness: Two Ways To Wash Your Dirty Linen  

People become enlightened in three main ways: through suffering, outcome and purpose. Sudama's life is an example of enlightenment through suffering.

He was reluctant to go to Dwarka as he thought he might be misunderstood as wanting something in life. He believed that man gets what he deserves, not what he desires.

Living in poverty, he could enjoy bliss remembering the Lord. When he returned from Dwarka, seeing the prosperity showered on him, he lamented: "Oh Lord! You think that you can imprison me with this material prosperity, but you forget that you are imprisoned in my heart till eternity".

(See also: Miracles , 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: » Miracles: Creating Miracles In Everyday Life  

"All that belongs to the realm of senses, including thought, constitutes This. What is beyond the reach of our senses and mind is That," said the Guru .

The young, no-nonsense pupil shook his head, unwilling to accept an abstract point. "But, Sir," he queried, "Why should we at all confuse our minds with what is not real?" The Guru smiled. "Can you show me here something that you consider real?" he asked the pupil. "Of course!" replied the pupil and, pointing to a bell that was dangling from the ceiling, said: "This bell, for instance. I say this is real. But if you want me to believe in a second bell which is not here, well, I find it hard to take that."

(See also: Perception , 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: » Perception: Sense Perception, This and That  

None of us can live truly human lives without serious commitments. Yet, we find some commitments burdensome and alienating no matter how light they may be, and others freeing and liberating no matter how difficult they may become. Indeed, some commitments make us more human, and others, less so.

How does one make out the difference? A genuine human commitment has three characteristics, and all three are essential and integral to any human being. And if one or the other is lacking, the whole character of the commitment is compromised.

(See also: Commitment , 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: » Commitment: Ideals of Freedom, Fidelity and Love  

Our existence can be broadly divided into three categories - thinking, feeling and being conscious. The common link between all three is our attention. When we respond to something, physical or mental, consciously or unconsciously, we take our attention to the related part of the body. When we think, our attention is in the brain and when we carry out habitual activities, it is probably in the spinal cord.

(See also: Sudarshan Kriya , 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: » Sudarshan Kriya: Balance Body & Mind With Sudarshan Kriya Yoga  

When the saint-poet Kabir said " Dhai akshar prem ka padhe jo pandit hoye " - "One who knows how to love is the only wise one among all educated", he was referring to the love for God.

Mortal love being inconsistent and transient, it is shortlived. However, love for the Divine can be everlasting for God alone accepts us unconditionally, with all our weaknesses and sins. We call this love bhakti.

(See also: Bhakti Yoga , 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: » Bhakti Yoga: Seekers' Ultimate Union Of Love