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.

Read more here: » Spiritual Fasting: Fasting is Food for the Soul

See also:

A Course In Miracles, A Course In Miracles - Authorship and prepublication editing, A Course In Miracles - Publication, A Course In Miracles - ACIM based publications of note, A Course In Miracles - Decentralized leadership amongst most ACIM students, A Course In Miracles - Contents of ACIM, A Course In Miracles - Main tenets, A Course In Miracles - Introductory paragraph of A Course In Miracles, A Course In Miracles - Definitions of cause and effect in the material world, A Course In Miracles - Cosmology of the separation and the Atonement, A Course In Miracles - Reunifying psychology of forgiveness and the Atonement, A Course In Miracles - Comparisons of ACIM to other spiritual belief systems, A Course In Miracles - Comparison of ACIM to Christianity, A Course In Miracles - Comparison to philosophical idealism responsibility assumption and the New Thought Movement, A Course In Miracles - Similarities between ACIM and other miscellaneous spiritual belief systems, A Course In Miracles - Unique aspects of ACIM's spiritual belief system, A Course In Miracles - Critical reviews, A Course In Miracles - Some negative critical reviews, A Course In Miracles - Some positive critical reviews, A Course In Miracles - Two common critical misunderstandings, A Course In Miracles - Related movements, A Course In Miracles - Some concerns expressed regarding Charles Anderson's study group, A Course In Miracles - ACIM church movement, A Course In Miracles - Other ACIM related movements of note and support organizations, A Course In Miracles - Footnote references

Read more here: » A Course In Miracles: Encyclopedia II - A Course In Miracles - Comparisons of ACIM to other spiritual belief systems

Belief -Systems  - The belief or faith that the patient holds as his innermost cultural, spiritual, and psychological resources for healing. For modern man the healer may be a physician or priest. For American Indians and Mexicans it is the curandero or shaman. For Alaskan Eskimos it is an angakok and so forth. Each concept has its own specific practices that help the person with faith to be healed. The key to faith healing is belief. All healers must understand the patient-belief system in order to achieve success in treating most disorders.

(See also: Belief -Systems, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

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.

Read more here: » Spiritual Fasting: Fasting is Food for the Soul

Meditation is the natural process of withdrawing attention from environmental, physical, and mental processes and consciously directing it inward to a chosen focus of attention. But not many people know how to practice meditation for personal benefit and spiritual growth.

The beneficial side-effects of regular meditation practice include stress reduction, strengthening of the body's immune system, more orderly thinking, improvement in powers of concentration, and a slowing of the biological ageing process. For these reasons, meditation practice is recommended by an increasing number of doctors as a harmless way for patient-clients to be more responsible for their own total well-being.

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

Islam and Hinduism: Symbiotic Mysticism In Devotional Poems

Few have heard of the mystic poems Brahma Prakash or Dasa Avatar by the mediaeval Muslim saint Pir Shams. Both are famous ginans of South Asia's Ismaili community, sometimes also known as Khojas or Aga Khanis in popular parlance.

Ginans are hymn-like poems of spiritual import. They are revered by the faithful in deep veneration as repositories of wisdom and spiritual knowledge, and as transmitting the essential teachings of the Holy Qur'an in the vernacular. Composed in Sindhi, Gujarati, Hindustani and Punjabi among other subcontinental languages, the oldest are ascribed to the pirs or saints who first preached Ismaili Islam in India nearly 1,000 years ago.

Read more here: » Islam and Hinduism: Symbiotic Mysticism In Devotional Poems

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.

Read more here: » Spiritual Growth: Drop All Conclusions About God Almighty

Moral Education - A Bahai Perspective

For teachers, parents and all concerned with public life, moral education is an indispensable part of children's education. The systematic development of a moral education programme must be regarded as central to the building of a progressive society and a sense of true identity among its future citizens.

Read more here: » Bahai: Moral Education - A Bahai Perspective

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.

Read more here: » Freedom: Concept Of Freedom Down The Ages

Infinity: The Infinite Nature Of Our Universe

Infinite translated in Sanskrit is anant which means 'without end'. Mathematically speaking, infinity is an indeterminate quantity and has two values - one positive and the other, negative. In Sanskrit these values are described as anaadi and anant , that is, without beginning and without end. Any discussion on this topic can only reveal human ignorance and so humble and inspire us to becoming better human beings.

Read more here: » Infinity: The Infinite Nature Of Our Universe

Science and Spirituality: See the World in a Grain of Salt

Revelation of this excellence in God's creation has been the constant endeavour of science right from the days of Aristotle, Newton and Einstein to the present day.

Realising God's excellence in nature only brought these scientists closer to God - some of them even expressed a feeling of deep religiosity. Einstein said: "Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind".

Read more here: » Science and Spirituality: See the World in a Grain of Salt

Harbinger of a New World Order - Bab

In Persia, a young merchant, the Bab (literally, the Gate), announced on May 23, 1844, that He was the Bearer of a long-promised Divine Revelation destined to transform the spiritual life of the human race. Now, His advent is viewed as the gateway through which the process of thousands of years of Divine revelation has attained its fruition for refining human nature.

Read more here: » Bab: Harbinger of a New World Order - Bab

Baha'u'llah And the New Faith

Echoing the suffering of all the messengers of God before him and the privations they suffered to fulfil their sacred task, Baha'u'l-lah, the founder of the Baha'i religion, wrote: "We have accepted to be abased, O believers in the Unity of God, that ye may be exalted, and have suffered manifold afflictions, that ye might prosper and flourish".

Born in Persia on November 12, 1817, Baha'u'llah's unusual undertaking at age 27 has gradually brought into its fold several million people from diverse backgrounds. For Baha'u'llah claimed to be the Messenger of God - the Bearer of a Divine Revelation that fulfils the promises made in earlier religions and which will generate the spiritual forces for the unification of the world.

Read more here: » Bahai - Bah‡'’: Baha'u'llah And the New Faith

Break Your Mental Barriers

Most of us find ourselves trapped in our mortal ken because of our ingrained habit of linear and sequential thinking. We find it difficult to break this habit. The habit arises from our innate striving to discern patterns in our sensory perception of reality. Our mind interprets these perceptions by piecing together their constituent elements with other entities in our mental database of past experience. By systematically stringing these patterns together we have created the corpus of human knowledge.

Read more here: » Cosmic Consciousness: Break Your Mental Barriers

Hindu - Zulu Tradition - Many Similarities

There are some striking similarities between the African and Indian cultures.

In both Hindu and Zulu cultures religion and culture have become inseparable. You cannot talk of culture without implying religion; and you can't talk of religion amongst the Zulus and the Hindus without implying culture.

Read more here: » Hinduism vs Zulu: Hindu - Zulu Tradition - Many Similarities

From perfectionism to perfection

Everything had to be perfect.

My perfect life was filled with homemaking, committee work and a never-ending to-do list. Immaculately organized, the home I shared with my husband and kids was lovely-but, as they could tell you, it was impossible to relax in.

All I wanted was to be appreciated. All I accomplished was a hectic lifestyle that no one understood. I cleaned the house every day except weekends, going so far as to pick up lint off the carpet every time I climbed the stairs. Potato chips were counted out equally for each of my children so no one would feel shortchanged. For picnics, paper products had to be color-coded; food had to be 100% nutritional, planned weeks ahead and prepared for days.

Read more here: » Christian Science: From perfectionism to perfection

The walk with God

The steps you take with God render you better able to hear the divine voice and to trust it.

Life often presents hard choices, whether they affect thousands of city residents or are made around the kitchen table. Sometimes things donÕt go as expected. The child who seemed so promising suddenly takes up with a bad crowd. Changes in a cityÕs economy make it hard to keep the household going. A senior parent needs care, but thereÕs nowhere to turn. The car breaks down, and thereÕs no money for repairs.

Read more here: » Christian Science: The walk with God

New YearÕs resolutions - with a spiritual edge

Thought is where positive change begins.

Along with the new year comes a feeling of opportunity and promise. For centuries people have welcomed the new year by identifying elements of their life they want to change, and committing themselves to making those changes. This week, millions of these 2004 New YearÕs resolutions are being tested for the first time.

Read more here: » Christian Science: New YearÕs resolutions - with a spiritual edge

Prayer for children in need

ÒPrayer for children in needÓ tells of Oprah Winfrey's Christmas gift giving to children in Africa, and the author's own life of helping children through foster care and adoption

Wondering how to celebrate the holidays with meaning, Oprah recalled her most remembered Christmas. When she was 12, her family had no money to buy gifts for her and her two younger siblings, so she went to bed thinking there would be no Christmas that year. After she was in bed, she recalled hearing a knock at the door. Some nuns surprised the family with gifts and food.

Read more here: » Christian Science: Prayer for children in need

The peace of Christmas - today and every day

The saving Christ-GodÕs message of peace-is with you right now.

Imagine looking in your e-mail inbox to find this message: ÒPeace is awaiting you at this very moment. A peace that will answer all your needs. A peace thatÕs available to everybody.Ó

Read more here: » Christian Science: The peace of Christmas - today and every day