Mantra Yoga Reveals A New Universe

Mantras help draw energy from both external and internal universes. The nature of our thoughts is largely compulsive. We are conscious beings but we live like machines. Our likes and dislikes are programmed. Addictive thoughts take away from the soul of the individual as a conscious being. By chanting mantras with understanding, compulsive thoughts are transformed. The mind becomes calm and our perception will be wise with respect to both the external and internal universes.

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Drop All Conclusions About God Almighty

It takes enormous courage for a person to look beyond the conditioning of his belief systems and admit that he knows nothing about even the most basic aspects of his life.

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The Story of Zamzam

The holy water known as ZamZam, brought from Makkah (Mecca) by Hajjis returning home, is believed to have healing powers.

In a parched desert where there wasn't a trace of water, Allah showered his blessings on Ibrahim's family, by commanding Angel Jibreel to dig the earth with his heel (or his wing), and water started flowing in the desert to quench the thirst of Ibrahim's wife Hajar and her son Ismael.

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Mantra that Helps Conquer Death

For the living, death is certain and for the dead, birth is certain. Since death is definite for all embodied beings, the Bhagavad Gita enjoins the seeker to aspire for that state of attainment, after which there is no return or rebirth.

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Relevance of Buddhism In the New Century

In the 20th century great changes took place as a result of experiments and developments in a broad range of human activities, in economics, politics, and science. The past hundred years' experiences have made us appreciate the importance of freedom, and the significant contributions of individual and private enterprise in improving the economy. We also began to recognise the importance of putting a stop to the production and proliferation of weapons of tremendous destructive power.

By The Dalai Lama

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Science and Spirituality: Symbiosis Between Science & Spirit

Some years ago, I called upon the great scientist Prof S Chandrasekhar in Chicago and asked him how seers of the Vedas and Upanishads had two astounding insights that have emerged in modern science only recently.

The first is the concept of anantakoti brahmanda , endless universes. The second is the concept of vast aeons of time through which creation passes, much like the ancient belief that a single day of Brahma is 4.32 million human years long, so that his one year corresponds roughly to the age of planet earth. When I suggested that perhaps this knowledge came to seers in enhanced states of consciousness, Prof Chandrasekhar seemed to agree.

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Islam and Hinduism: The Thousand Names of Vishnu and Allah

Allah is Al-Ahad or The One and Vishnu is called Eka, The One. It's curious but there are striking similarities between the many names of Vishnu and those of Allah.

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Krishna and Kaliya: Good fights Evil - Krishna and Kaliya

It is a universal law: If we have ego, we will suffer. If we are arrogant, again, we will suffer till we are forced to surrender. The subduing of Kaliya the serpent by Krishna illustrates this.

The tenth canto of the Srimad Bhagvatam recounts the Kaliya daman lila performed by Krishna. Kaliya was a venomous serpent that lived in the Yamuna river. One summer Krishna's cowherd friends fainted and died when they drank water from the Yamuna. Kaliya had contaminated the river so much that vapour from the river was lethal enough to kill birds flying across.

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Prosperity Consciousness: Bridges or Walls - You Choose

Life continually brings to us more gifts than we can accept and acknowledge, more than we can treasure with thankful hearts. As we pursue the lonely journey through our own life experience, we carry with us the potential to reach heights of excellence. It is our vision of life that matters. We can either paralyse ourselves or set ourselves free. We can choose to open doors to a new life or we can choose to close them forever. We can either build walls or bridges in our life. The choice is ours.

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Enchanting Abode of The Double Devta

Having been born into a secular Hindu family which venerates a Sufi saint, I have always thought I had a special advantage over my friends whose faith in their respective religions would perhaps be more limiting than mine. So, while we commemorate the Urs of our Pir, we also celebrate Diwali and New Year at his shrine. Are we Muslim, Hindu, Sufi or Christian?

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Compassion: Cultivating Positive Emotions

All major traditions in the world agree that negative emotions cause both physical and mental suffering. To be happy and free of suffering we need to cultivate positive attributes like compassion, generosity and loving-kindness. Buddhism acknowledges that outer circumstances are often beyond our control.

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Shinto: The Way of Kami in Japanese Thought

Japanese culture has been influenced by two spiritual traditions, Shinto or Shintoism and Buddhism. Shinto is Japan's ancient indigenous religion which evolved over hundreds of years.

When Buddhism took roots in the sixth century Shinto existed more as a way of life, realised by the people in their natural surroundings, rather than as an organised religion. Shinto shaped both the spiritual as well as material aspects of Japanese lifestyle. Japanese culture, psyche and ethos are so closely intertwined with Shinto that it can be called the national religion.

Read more here: » Shinto: The Way of Kami in Japanese Thought - Shintoism

Motor Your Mind Towards Godhead

Compare your wealth to the automobile that you drive everyday. When you are at the wheel, you have two options: You can either drive without direction or, you can drive steadily to the temple and derive long-lasting happiness. The decision is yours. So are the effects. You are the master of your destiny. You may choose to amass wealth and use it for inferior means of consumption or decide to use your resources to serve humanity and therefore, Lord Krishna.

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Spiritual Fasting: Fasting is Food for the Soul

The followers of the Baha'i faith are on a 19-day fast from March 2 to March 20. In this context, it would be instructive to look at the significance of fasting in all faiths. Fasting may assume different forms across different belief systems but is an integral feature of humanity's common spiritual heritage.

We must ask ourselves why God wants us to abstain from food and drink. Obviously, as the all-loving creator, He would derive no pleasure from the mere act of making his creatures endure hunger and thirst for a specified period. We may as well go a little further and ask ourselves why we have spiritual laws at all.

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An Introduction to Yoga

Yoga can be defined as a complete science of life. It was originated in India many thousands of years ago. It is the most diversified spiritual practice in the world and crosses over many cultures including Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. Yoga also extends over multiple languages such as Hindi, Tibetan, Sanskrit and many more.

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 Often when we suffer from a physical condition either minor or severe, it is a link in a chain of sequences that began centuries ago. Some illnesses and afflictions are Karmic. Knowing the cosmic relevance if it is karmic can lead to an understanding of the disease or illness on various levels. To consciously know this alone can have a transforming effect upon our lives today. Just understanding our situation can enable us to come to terms with it, which in turn can enable us to achieve vital equilibrium at higher levels of being and integration as well.

Read more here: » Karma: Karma in the Flesh

The Cosmic Force And Shiv-Shakti

Before creation took place there was nothing but a pervading consciousness that had no name. Creation was the result of manifestation of this pervading consciousness.

The first form in which the consciousness manifested was Adi Shakti, Gayatri or power. From her emerged everything else. Once the universe was created there was a need for super forces or energies to look after the governance of the world. To perform this role Adi Shakti manifested herself into the trinity: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.

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Baha'i Perspective On Gender Divide

Nearly 121 million children around the world receive little or no schooling, and the majority of these children are girls. Why is the gender divide so deep? What is holding us back from pursuing a policy of enlightened self-interest?

The Baha'i international community has long recognised the importance of educating girls because as future mothers, they would be better equipped to encourage Generation X - of either gender - to go to school. Nearly 90 years ago, Abdu'l-Baha said: "The education of women is of greater importance than the education of men, for they are the mothers of the race, and mothers play an important role in rearing children. So, they must be capably trained in order to educate both sons and daughters".

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 There's a myriad of psychic gifts and terms to describe those gifts and psychic powers. We have compiled a short list here to help you understand the different types and levels of psychics.

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There is only one way in which we can be given information about what it is like in the Spirit world. That information has to come first hand from someone who is there. There are two ways in which someone can go to the Spirit world: either temporarily, through some type of out of body experience or expansion of consciousness; or permanently through death.

Read more here: » Spirit World: Life in the Spirit World - Part One

Concept Of Freedom Down The Ages

The 20th century has been one of the most memorable periods in history. Imperialism, colonialism and feudalism folded up and monarchy died a natural death, showing that however powerful a tradition may be, it becomes redundant once its role in social evolution is over. The driving force and the foremost objective of that process is greater freedom for mankind.

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Devotion: Rama Nama Brings Lasting Benefits

Devotion for the Lord can be likened to the monsoon season. New crops burst forth during the monsoons. So too, in the showers of divine love for the Lord, devotees are born.

The two main rainy seasons, sravana and bhadrapada (around July and August respectively) are good for crops. These two months are compared to the Rama Nama , since chanting verses in His praise inspires deep devotion in our hearts.

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