“Daisyworld and the Gaia Hypothesis are controversial because they touch on the definition of what constitutes life. If we think that life is about the selfish gene, competition, and survival of the fittest, then it is hard to see where the Earth fits in. However, it isn't necessary to think that the Earth is alive in order to appreciate that it is a highly complex system. And, if we say it is alive, why is that so threatening? No one doubts that plants are alive, but they don't do anything nearly as complicated as the Earth does.”

A brief introduction to the intriguing Gaia theory, as developed by James Lovelock, Lynn Margulis and others.

Read more here: » Gaia Theory: Gaia Theory - Science of the Living Earth

Our scientific understanding has undermined many conventional approaches to spirituality at the very time we most need to strengthen these capacities. The source of the difficulty may hold the key to the solution. Science is widely accepted because it works. It looks at the world as it is searching for the simplest possible description. Discovery of simple descriptive laws has led to enormous power to control the phenomena the laws describe feeding our technical prowess. It was only possible to do this by divorcing science from feeling and values so one could see what is and not what one wants to see.

Read more here: » Spirituality and Science: The keys to integrating spirituality and science

Music comes closest to meditation. Music is a way towards meditation and the most beautiful way. Meditation is the art of hearing the soundless sound, the art of hearing the music of silence - what the Zen people call the sound of one hand clapping. When you are utterly silent, not a single thought passes your mind, there is not even a ripple of any feeling in your heart. Then you start, for the first time, hearing silence.

(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  : Trimurti of Maths, Music, Meditation  

Nowadays, my mailbag produces an ever increasing number of dreams which, when analysed, are spiritual or contain elements of spirituality - but why, and do these same dreams provide clues? Much can be learned from dreams, and I believe that they are screaming out at us some answers to these questions. Interestingly, this increase coincides with the general trend pervading modern society of the population apparently splitting into categories, which are becoming ever more entrenched in their own respective beliefs.Perhaps the interactive virtual reality programmes of this life have begun to run their course. Could it be that the increasing numbers of these dreams are just the early signs which do precede a new dawning of an age of spiritual awareness?

Read more here: » Spiritual dreams: Spiritual dreams - The sign of a new dawning?

KARMA and REINCARNATION

The twin beliefs of karma and reincarnation are among Hinduism's many jewels of knowledge. Others include dharma or our pattern of religious conduct, worshipful communion with God and Gods, the necessary guidance of the Sat Guru, and finally enlightenment through personal realization of our identity in and with God. So the strong-shouldered and keen-minded rishis knew and stated in the Vedas.

Read more here: » Hinduism: KARMA and REINCARNATION

Buddhist Meditation: Meditation in Buddhism

Meditation is something that plays a part in virtually all religions, although some of them don't use the word meditation. And meditation is something that can be done with no religious element at all. Meditation involves both the body and the mind. For Buddhists this is particularly important as they want to avoid what they call "duality", and so their way of meditating must involve the body and the mind as a single entity.

Read more here: » Buddhist Meditation: Meditation in Buddhism

About four out of ten reported psychic experiences involve some seeming awareness of the future. The term premonition is in general use, and the more clinical word precognition, ('before knowing'), tends to be used by parapsychologists. In descending order of frequency, premonitions come in the form of dreams, waking thoughts, waking imagery and sleep-onset, (hypnagogic), imagery.

Read more here: » Meaning of dreams: Precognitive dreams and premonitions

Sometimes it is the simplest things that deliver happiness. Making a list of anything is to manifest it to be. It is like setting a goal down on paper in front of you, so it's not just in your head. By doing this, you are actively searching for what you want. It might be a job, a home or a new mate. When you make a list of your desires, think of all the aspects of what you want to manifest and ask for what you want or BETTER x 10!

Read more here: » Manifesting a Relationship: A Relationship List Or Better Times Ten!

Time Cycles and cosmic calendars from different cultures lika the maya, aztek, hopis and veda, predicting a planetary ascension, are brought together and analyzed by Kiara Windrider.

Read more here: » Spiritual Awakening: Spirals of Time

The research and study of the Sacred Geometry and Space of Sacred Sites have been the focus of Martin Gray for more than 20 years. Martin Gray is an anthropologist and photographer specializing in the study of Sacred Power Places. During a twenty-year period he has journeyed to more than 1,000 holy places in 80 countries. This introductionary article will give you an introduction to the Power of Sacred Sites and the Sacred Space they provide for Spiritual Awakening.

Read more here: » Sacred Sites: Places of Peace and Power

Gayatri Japa Day:

The Gayatri Japa Day is one such very holy and glorious day intended to remind all of the greatest and most glorious of all Mantras, the sacred Gayatri Mantra.

From Hindu Fasts & Festivals by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Read more here: » Gayatri Japa Day: Hindu Rituals - Gayatri Japa Day

AROMATHERAPY: uses essential oils from flowers, trees, roots, herbs, berries and fruits, to treat emotional disorders such as stress and anxiety as well as a wide range of other ailments and to promote physical, mental and emotional wellness. Oils are either massaged into the skin in diluted form, inhaled, placed in baths, or applied on and around the body.

Aromatherapy is often used in conjunction with massage therapy, acupuncture, reflexology, herbology, chiropractic and other wholistic healing.

What is aromatherapy?

It is the controlled use of natural essential oils in the process of physical and emotional healing. You may have discovered that in some ways, you've been experiencing aromatherapy most of your life without even knowing it.

We have all experienced memory recall triggered by a particular scent; perhaps the scent of a favorite flower, or the perfume your grandmother used to wear, or an aunt's linen closet. The event can produce positive or negative memories. Certain scents may trigger negative thoughts of a person or place in your past. Whatever the case, the importance of scent in our lives is quite profound and in some ways, unique to each of us. Aromatherapy is a way to enjoy a controlled use of natural oils to enrich and benefit your life.

What are essential oils?

Whole, pure essential oils come from nature; they are the "essence" of plants. They are droplets of water-like fluid contained in the leaves, stems, bark, flowers, roots and/or fruits of different plants, and give the plant its unique scent. Essential oils are volatile, whereas they easily transfer from a liquid to a gaseous state at room temperature or higher. The amount of essential oil found in most plants is 1 to 2%, but can contain amounts from 0.01 to 10%. They can change in composition and location with a particular plant. For example, orange trees produce neroli oil in their blossoms, orange oil in their citrus, and petitgrain oil in their leaves. Essential oils are also very concentrated and extremely potent, and sometimes 75 to 100 times more concentrated than say, the herb it is present in. This is all the more reason to use these oils with thorough knowledge of their potency.

How are essential oils extracted?

There are two common procedures for extracting true essential oils:

1. Steam distillation
2. Expression

 The process of steam distillation has 5 steps:

1. Steam plant material
2. Collect steam carrying aromatic molecules
3. Cool in cold-water bath
4. Produce floral water and essential oil
5. Separate essential oil, then bottle

This process is also the most popular for obtaining the essential oils from plants. The steam is forced into a vat containing the plant material, which ruptures the oil glands and releases the oil. The volatile oils are cooled, separated from the water content, and bottled. It may take hundreds or thousands of pounds of plant material to distill a single pound of the essential oil. Bulgarian Rose oil requires about 4,000 pounds of hand-picked flower petals to make 1 pound of oil, obviously making this one expensive oil!

The second method, extraction, has 4 major steps:

1. Have citrus peels
2. Machine press
3. Obtain essential oils and fruit waxes
4. Separate oils, then bottle

This method is primarily used in the perfume and food industries, and does not produce a 100% pure essential oil. Solvents are used in the process to pull out the soluable molecules; therefore making them incomplete oils. Resins, concretes, absolutes, and pomades result from this method.

How are essential oils taken in?

Essential oils are absorbed into the body two ways; through the skin and through nasal inhalation. Our sense of smell, controlled by the olfactory system, is some 10,000 times greater than any other sense. The olfactory system is directly linked to the limbic system, which is responsible for our emotional state, memory, and certain regulatory function.

Essential oils also penetrate the skin, or the integumentary system. Because essential oils have a low molecular weight and are organic in nature, they are absorbed through the pores and hair follicles of the skin, and unlike synthetic chemicals, they do not accumulate in the body. Absorption can take place anywhere from 15 minutes to 12 hours, and take from 3 to 6 hours to be metabolized in a healthy body. Excessive fat or toughened skin may slow down the rate of absorption; whereas heat, water, exercise, or broken skin may speed it up.

How are essential oils used?

Aromatherapy is used to self-heal and soothe common, everyday health challenges. It is by no means a replacement for the opinion of a licensed physician, and should always be used with respect.

As with all things derived from nature, some essential oils are considered hazardous, and under certain circumstances, should be avoided. Some are phototoxic, neurotoxic, or carcinogenic, and safety precautions should always be considered when working with and administering any essential oil.

Here are common-sense safety points to note:

1. Avoid essential oils deemed as hazardous
2. Keep all essential oils out of the reach of children.
3. Remember essentail oils are very potent.
4. Do not take orally.
5. Follow dilution guidelines carefully. Never use an oil without first diluting.
6. Use 1% or less dilution during pregnancy.
7. Be aware of others with sensitivities or allergies.
8. Do not use on or near the eyes.
9. Do a skin patch test if prone to sensitivities.
10. Use extra care on broken or damaged skin.
11. Avoid phototoxic essential oils if history of skin cancer.
12. Keep them away from light and heat sources.
13. Use only therapeutic genuine and authentic essential oils.

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

For more dictionary entries, see » Single Dictionary

Dreams Interpretation including the meaning of dreams about: Ditch, Dividend, Diving, Divining Rods, Divorce, Docks, Doctor, Dogs, Dolphin, Dome, Dominoes, Donkey, Doomsday, Door, Door Bell, Doves, Dowry, Dragon, Drama, Dram-drinking, Draw-knife, Dressing, Drinking, Driving, Dromedary.

Dream Dictionary Index including links to 10.000 dream interpretations: Dream Dictionary Index

For more dream interpretation, see: Meaning of Dreams or Dream Dictionary

For articles about dreams, see: Dreams

Read more here: » Dreams Interpretation: Dreams Interpretation from; Diving to Drinking

A dictionary Of Commonly Used Sanskrit terms. From Dadhicha to Kutichaka.

Please note that all words in grey, like "yoga", "enlightenment" or "kundalini" are hyperlinked to archives further explaining the term. At the corresponding archive you will also find articles related to the term.

For more dictionary entries, see » Single Dictionary

Attainment of Buddhahood

(Jpn.: jobutsu)

To become a Buddha. Several principles concerning the attainment of Buddhahood or enlightenment have been expounded on the basis of the sutras:

(1) Attaining Buddhahood in one's present form.

This means to attain Buddha-hood just as one is, without discarding the body of a common mortal. Also referred to as attaining Buddhahood as a common mortal, this principle was formulated by the T'ien-t'ai school on the basis of the Lotus Sutra. According to many of the teachings other than the Lotus Sutra, one can attain Buddhahood only after having discarded the body of a common mortal that gives rise to earthly desires and illusions.

In contrast, the Lotus Sutra teaches that one can attain Buddhahood in one's present form, or as an ordinary person. This principle is often illustrated by the example of the dragon king's daughter who, according to the "Devadatta" (twelfth) chapter, attained Buddhahood in a single moment without changing her dragon form. The concept of attaining Buddhahood in one's present form contrasts with that of attaining Buddhahood through transformation of sex and character. The latter means, for example, that a woman must be reborn as a man in order to attain enlightenment.

(2) Attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime or in a single lifetime.

This concept contradicts the idea that one must practice over a period of many kalpas in order to attain Buddhahood. This concept is essentially the same as attaining Buddhahood in one's present form.

Other principles concern the attainment of Buddhahood by certain categories of people and derive from the Lotus Sutra per se:

(1) Attainment of Buddhahood by persons of the two vehicles.

In the first half of the Lotus Sutra, persons of the two vehicles-voice-hearers and cause-awakened ones-receive a prophecy from Shakyamuni Buddha that they will attain Buddhahood in future ages. This prophecy refutes the view of the provisional Mahayana teachings, which deny persons of the two vehicles the attainment of Buddhahood, for they seek only personal salvation and do not strive to save others. The Lotus Sutra says that they will practice the bodhisattva way and attain Buddhahood.

(2) Attainment of Buddhahood by women.

In the first half of the sutra, the dragon king's daughter attains Buddhahood, and Yashodhara, Mahaprajapati, and other women receive Shakyamuni's prophecy of their future enlightenment. Almost all sutras deny women the capacity for attaining Buddhahood and insist that they must be reborn as men in order to attain enlightenment. The Lotus Sutra, however, teaches that both women and men are equally endowed with the potential for Buddhahood, based on the teaching of the true aspect of all phenomena.

(3) Attainment of Buddhahood by evil persons.

Even those who oppose and slander the correct teaching of Buddhism, such as icchantikas, or persons of incorrigible disbelief, can attain Buddhahood through a reverse relationship. That is, because they establish a connection with the correct teaching by opposing it, though they receive the negative effect, eventually they profess faith in it and attain Buddhahood. In the Lotus Sutra, this idea is illustrated by the examples of Devadatta and those who ridiculed and attacked Bodhisattva Never Disparaging.

See also: enlightenment

(See also: Attainment of Buddhahood , Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

For more dictionary entries, see » Single Dictionary

In the perspective of Baha'u'llah's teachings, the greatest danger of both the moral crisis and the inequities associated with globalisation is an entrenched philosophical attitude that seeks to justify its failures.

Philosophically and politically, the concept of western civilisation presents itself as a kind of liberal relativism, economically and socially, as capitalism - two value systems that have now so adjusted to each other and become so mutually reinforcing as to constitute virtually a single, comprehensive worldview.

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

Read more here: » Peace on Earth: Let Us All Unite For World Peace

What is the brain’s unique role in connecting a human being to what many call God? New scientific information about the human heart identifies it as the very first connection point between the physical body and its Creator source. Amazing recent evidence indicates that the heart begins to beat in the unborn fetus even before the brain is formed so it appears that the heart truly holds primary status as the initiator of human life.

Read more here: » Science and Spirituality: How are your Heart and Brain connected to God?

Bentonite Clay and its spiritual properties: Intestinal cleanse of the colon is strongly recommended by Kalki and The Golden Age Foundation in order to be fully receptive for pranic energy. It is so vital that it should be the mandatory preparation before all deeper spiritual processes and as a continous maintenance of the body as an antenna of cosmic energies. Bentonite (also available at many pharmacies under alternative substance names to bentonite: bentonitum, montmorillonite) is believed to have exceptionally properties. This article from www.alternativemedicine.com desribes the genereal properties and use of bentonite.

Read more here: » Bentonite Clay Properties - Intestinal cleanse helping spiritual awakening

The mind creates the dream-world out of the experience and Samskaras of the waking consciousness.

Dream is a reproduction of the experiences of the physical consciousness with some modifications. The mind weaves out the dream creatures out of the material supplied from waking consciousness. In dream the subject and object are one. The perceiver and the perceived are one in this state. The Abhimani of Svapna Avastha is Taijasa. Taijasa is a Vyasthi Abhimani. The Samasthi Abhimani is Hiranyagarbha, the first-born.

A spiritual view on dreams and the meaning of dreams by Sri Swami Sivananda, an authority in the vedic sciences and traditions.

Read more here: » Philosophy of Dreams XII: Why Jagrat is a Dream?

Mahavira, a great prophet and teacher, systematised the Jain doctrines and embodied them in a comprehensive constitution of the faith. He built the edifice of Jainism by renovation, modification and extension. Most of all, he infused new life and vitality into Arhata tradition.

In his own time, he was referred to in Buddhist literature as "Niggantha Naatputte "and his teachings were described as "Nirgrantha Dharma ", a way of life that found its truth in the universe and not in a single scripture.

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

Read more here: » Mahavira: Non-Violent Search For Supreme Truth

Bhakti Yoga: Four Ways of Showing Devotion to God

The Bhagavad Gita recommends Bhakti Yoga towards attaining moksha . Krishna tells Arjuna that a person who thinks of Him at least at the time of his death is liberated of all his sins. Krishna explains the four types of devotional service rendered to Him: One who thinks of Him at the time of distress is the aartha. One who is worried by the struggle for prosperity, power, self and property is the Artha-arthi .

A third who yearns for the realisation of the atman is the jijnaasu . The fourth is the jnani . He is immersed in the Brahmathathwam and looks for the Lord in all possible places; he yearns for nothing.

Read more here: » Bhakti Yoga: Four Ways of Showing Devotion to God

Antaryamin: Kalki, or Sri Kalki Bhagwan, the founder of Golden Age Foundation, considered to be the Kalki Avatar capable of bringing enlightenment and to introduce the Golden Age. Here he is explaining The Anteryamin.

Read more here: » Kalki Bhagwan about The Antaryamin