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  

I am a Hindu because I was born in a Hindu home. The Hindu way of life appeals to me because it gives me freedom to think and act. It does not bind me to rigid codes or to some particular book, but only requires that I try to follow the first two parts of the eight-fold ashtanga yoga, namely, yama or abstentions and niyama or observances, expecting me to do nothing more than being a good member of society. Practice of the next six parts is optional.

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

Read more here: » Hinduism: Why I'm A Hindu, And Other Thoughts  

Now more than ever, we require those qualities that Mahatma Gandhi so remarkably embodied - qualities which are crystallised in the philosophy of ahimsa or non-violence that he bequeathed to us: Optimism, activism, love for people, and a holistic, embracing vision.

"I remain an optimist," he said, "not because I give evidence that right is going to prosper, but because of my unflinching faith that right must prosper in the end."

For Gandhi, at the deepest level of the human spirit, non-violence is never defeated. Violence, in contrast, inevitably ends in defeat.

(See also: Peace on Earth, Peace in Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Ahimsa: Rooting for Ahimsa In Troubled Times

We are what we think. But we are also far more than what we think consciously. We are the myriad conflicting patterns of feeling, habit, and reaction that we have built up over a lifetime - indeed, over lifetimes - in our subconscious minds.

To heal ourselves, we must also set those inner conflicts in order.

(See also: Practising Affirmations , Affirmations, Practising Affirmations, Life Transforming Affirmations, Essence of Affirmations, Faith and Belief, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Practising Affirmations: An Affirmation for Love

The Lalitasahasranama enumerates the one thousand names of Devi as Lalita-parameshwari . When Manmata , the god of love, was reduced to ashes by Shiva’s opening his third eye, the ashes were collected by Chitrakarman, one of Shiva’s attendants, who used it for drawing the figure of a man.

When Shiva glanced at the figure, it leaped into life at once. The artist advised the person so created to pray to Shiva, by reciting the Sata-Rudriya. Pleased at his devotion, Shiva blessed him with the overlordship of the world for 60,000 years. On hearing this, Brahma cried in dismay, '' Bhand, Bhand ’’ and so the person came to have the name Bhanda.

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

Read more here: » Devi Lalita: One Thousand Names Of Devi Lalita  

Swami Rama Tirtha rekindled the poetic vision of the Upanishads. His exposition of Vedanta through lectures and talks imparted a transcendental perspective to the ancient texts. He advocated greater brotherhood and bonding through a realisation of the true meaning of the spiritual law.

The essence of this is captured in a beautiful composition called The Faith: "What care I for caste or creed? / It is the deed; it is the deed/ what for class or clan? / It is the man, it is the man /...What for crown or crest? / It is the heart within the breast".

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

Read more here: » Swami Rama Tirtha: Swami Rama Tirtha's View of Vedanta  

Lent, the season of fasting, penance and prayer begins today, on Ash Wednesday. The Lenten theme has often been negatively interpreted as a time for self-flagellation rather than empowerment.

However, signing the heads of Christians with ashes on this day is viewed today as a positive symbol: Repent and believe in the Gospel or the Good News, often preferred to the old formula, "Dust thou art and into dust thou shall return". The good news with which the Gospel empowers us is that we are all sons and daughters of God, the King, and so should view ourselves with the empowering eyes of our divine inheritance.

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

Read more here: » Ash Wednesday: The Passion of Christ And Ash Wednesday  

Do not think your mind is in control of you. YOU are in control of your mind! YOU use your mind. YOU can stop thinking those old thoughts!

The only thing you have any control on is your CURRENT Thought! The Universe is a vast reservoir of energy! You can get anything you want provided you 'know' and 'use' the right techniques.

To help you in your mission, here is a special compilation of very practical and powerful affirmations you can use in your everyday situations on a daily basis!

(See also: Life Transforming Affirmations , Affirmations, Practising Affirmations, Life Transforming Affirmations, Essence of Affirmations, Faith and Belief, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Life Transforming Affirmations: Practical and powerful affirmations

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

Read more here: » Spiritual Music: Palliative Effects Of Good Music  

The Vedas contain revelations of the eternal Truth. The culture of a community or a nation is derived from the values that people live and uphold in their lives. The word Veda is derived from the Sanskrit vid , to know.

They contain knowledge in every field of worldly science , under the following broad headings - the sadangas or six limbs: Siksa or phonetics, kalpa or the code of rituals, vyakarana or grammar, nirukta or etymology, chandas or literature, and jyotish or astronomy. Along with these, four upvedas o r subvedas consist of the four sciences: Ayurveda or medicine, dhanurveda or new archery, gandharvaveda or music and sthapatyaveda or architecture

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

Read more here: » Vedas: Vedas As A Guide To Good Living  

Meditation is a good stress-reliever. It calms the senses, making the mind inactive and the body, passive. Meditation usually involves concentrating on an object - a flower, a burning candle, a circle, a sound or word, or even one’s own rhythm of breath. Over time, random thoughts peter off. Meditation could also be objectless - just sitting, doing nothing.

Most forms of meditation involve turning your attention inward, away from your usual preoccupations and activities. In the process, you make a simple but significant shift from thinking and doing, to just being. With repeated practice the mind begins to settle down and your breathing slows, and you get into a relaxed, peaceful, harmonious state.

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

Read more here: » Meditation: Do-it-Yourself Tips For Meditation  

We live in tumultuous times. Our miseries seem never-ending. Calamities, both natural and human-made, visit us with uncanny regularity. Faced with these misfortunes, some of us feel betrayed by God. Does He not see the pain we are going through? Why does He allow so much evil to flourish on this Earth? Many people turn to the scriptures for answers.

The Zoroastrian religion has a positive and proactive outlook towards human suffering. One of the foremost exponents of Zoroastrian philosophy was the sage Dastur Adurbad Mahrespand. He was the prime minister and pontiff in the court of the Sassanian King Shahpur II, who reigned in Persia during the fourth century AD.

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

Read more here: » Zoroastrianism: The Zoroastrian Way Of Seeking Solace  

.Prayer can perform miracle. There is no better meditation technique than sincere prayer.

"We may love God as a parent, as our child, as our beloved or even our friend". Says Amma, "Contemplate Him as your creator, protector and the final abode to where you will return. Open your heart and pray to Him. He cannot sit silent and unmoved when somebody calls Him like that...Without love for God, no amount of meditation will bear fruit.

Rowing a boat against the current is difficult but if there is a sail, it becomes easy. Love for God is like a sail that helps the boat move forward".

(See also: Praying with emotions , 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: » Praying with emotions: Surrender to God With True Prayer  

Our love and concern for animals emerge out of two basic postulates of Indian philosophy. One, that like us, every plant and living being is the ansha or part of the one Param Brahma, the Omnipotent One, and two, that born of the one earth mother all of them have equal right on all resources. So they are like our own siblings. All life forms have a symbiotic relationship - we are all linked together and our actions are bound to have an effect on our environment and other living beings.

(See also: Sacred Nature , 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: » Sacred Nature: Back to Basics: Nature Talk  

Sri Sathya Sai Baba is among those realised souls whose wisdom cuts across all barriers of race and religion, aimed only at restoring dharma and establishing the unity of faiths and peoples under the common banner of universal love and brotherhood.

However, to widen spirituality's reach beyond retreats and rosaries, it has to be made to touch all of life and divinise every activity. For this, the quest for atma vidya or self-knowledge is essential in a human being, for it awakens him to his inherent divinity and also promotes reverence and respect for all creation.

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

Read more here: » Atma Vidya: Touch Base with God Through Atma Vidya  

Nothing worthwhile in life is sudden. As a poet said, we wait for birth. We wait for love. We wait for life to reveal its meaning to us year after year, experience by experience.

Waiting is the law of life and the measure of love . 'Waiting' is a common Biblical theme. Simeon, who was waiting for Israel to be saved, and the prophet Anna, both find a lifetime of waiting for the Messiah worthwhile when Jesus is presented to them in the Temple.

(See also: Waiting , 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: » Waiting: Waiting For Life To Reveal Itself  

Women are the power and very foundation of our existence in the world. When women lose touch with their real selves, there is disharmony. So, it is crucial for women everywhere to make the effort to rediscover their fundamental nature.

The infinite potential inherent in men and women is the same. If women really want to, they can somehow acquire the strength to break free of the 'rules' and conditioning that society has imposed on them. The greatest strength of women lies in their innate motherhood, in their creative, life-giving power. And this power can help women to bring about far more significant changes in society than men could ever hope to accomplish.

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

Read more here: » Womens Spirituality: Seeking Life-Giving Shakti  

The word ' Yog ’ is derived from the verb yuj which means to yoke, to join, to connect. The end of life is to yoke oneself to the holy spirit i.e., the Paramchaitanya. Hindu scriptures enlighten us on the various ways or margas of doing so. The union with the holy spirit is possible through Gyan Yog, Karma Yog, Bhakti Marg, Mantra Yog, Raj Yog, Sanyas Marg or Hath Yog.

The rishi-munis have particularly adopted the Gyan Yog which is possible only through Dhyan . For the householder, Karma Yog and Bhakti Marg are the most practical ways of attaining moksha. Ascetics have developed the knowledge of mantra-tantra . Hath Yogis have evolved various Aasanas, postures and occult practices for awakening the Kundalini. Shri Aadishakti Shri Mataji Nirmaladevi has advocated the Sahaj Yog for householders to attain the Parmachaitanya through the raising of the Kundalini.

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

Read more here: » Sahaj Yog: Raising Kundalini With Sahaj Yog  

The magical, almost other-worldly streets of Florence are lined with shops selling puppets. Pinocchio is everyone's favourite. Wide-eyed and long-nosed, his fixed bemused smile suggests he is not too sure of his much publicised desire to become a 'real boy' - he seems to beg you to take him with you. And many do.

Over a hundred years after he was 'created', Pinocchio 's dream of being wanted, of belonging, comes true - again and again. What is it about this simple story that has caught our fancy?

(See also: Pinocchio , 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: » Pinocchio: Heartwarming Tale Of A Puppet's Search  

According to the Hindu view of creation, it was sound and not light that appeared first. In Vedic parlance it is called Nada Brahma or the Sound Celestial. Vedic rishis believed that the evolution of the Brahmand or universe was caused as a result of Bindu Visphot or an atomic explosion, that produced infinite waves of sound, which represent cosmicascent and expansion.

The sound was a monosyllable: Om . Since Om is related to the beginning of the universe, Hindus consider it the most sacred syllable with which Vedic mantras commence.

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

Read more here: » Sangeet Marga: Sangeet Marga - Path To Moksha  

Since the beginning, human beings have sought answers to spiritual questions, motivated by a basic urge to understand the meaning of life. Our search for answers has led us to believe in a divine being.

This belief in divine power dominated world thought until about 500 years ago when scientific discoveries and innovations began to shake our faith in God. But science also proved to be a false god, leaving many in despair,

(See also: Science and Religion , 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: » Science and Religion: Finding Answers In The Mystic's Lab  

Pranayama or breath control signifies stretching, extending and regulating our breathing process. Pranayama can be used as a preparation for meditation wherein it cleanses the body and the mind. It also helps to maximise the benefits of the practice of yogasanas and also focusing the mind.

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

Read more here: » Pranayama: Breathe Some Life Into Your Soul - Pranayama