Spiritual Growth Articles

When we reflect on the time we have in our lifetime and how we utilize it, we find that after we calculate time spent in sleeping, eating, bathing, growth in childhood, earning a living, exercising, we have a very limited amount of what may be called “free time” available to us. In a culture and society that wants to keep us ‘occupied’ at all times, this free time is generally allocated to various forms of recreation or dissipation of our focus and energies. Any moment when we do not have a specific task or activity is considered empty and we deal with the feeling of boredom.

We live in a time of extreme polarization. People and even entire societies are taking fixed stands, and disputing the validity or right of anyone holding different or opposing viewpoints. In the framework of governing a nation, this leads inevitably to either a form of political gridlock if the sides are relatively equally matched, or a form of authoritarianism that attempts to control or stamp out views held by a minority who lack the immediate political power to level the playing field.

We have no difficulty seeing and understanding that an individual can create a legacy in the physical world we inhabit, as we see the evidence everywhere around us in the form of buildings, enterprises, religious movements, mental developments and conceptualization, and artistic creations, not to speak of the children that carry on much of our physical development and in many cases, our enterprises into future generations. These things continue to exist even when the individual who represented the driving force for their creation has left the scene.

When we live on the surface of our being, we are highly reactive and tend to act without reflection, jumping at events or circumstances and responding to the slightest provocations. Even something as frequent as someone driving too slowly or too close triggers anger and in some cases, what is known as ‘road rage’. We have no peace when we live on the surface in our exte al nature. This surface being is under the control of the three gunas, which are constantly in motion. In order to escape this reactive state, it is necessary to find a place where peace reigns in our being.

For the spiritual seeker there are two major transformations ahead of the ultimate supramental transformation. These are the psychic transformation and the spiritual transformation. The one opens up the devotional aspiration and the receptivity of the being. The other shifts the standpoint away from the ego to the universal divine standpoint. Each of these provides leverage to the seeker who is trying to overcome the impulse of anger.

Here is a really tasty meal that’s packed full of great nutrition of swiss chard that will do the body good. This dish is quick and easy to fix and will keep a person going all day long. And this great looking pasta feast requires only 15 to 20 minutes of prep time. Ingredients: 1 - Large Bunch of Organic Red Swiss Chard - Chopped 2 - Large Red Organic Bell Peppers - Chopped 1 - Large Organic Onion - Chopped 10 - Cloves of Organic Garlic - Minced 12 - Oz of Organic Black Olives - Sliced 1- Tablespoon of Organic Olive Oil 2 - Tablespoons of Organic Tomato Paste

We are more than just this flesh and blood body, studies show that our consciousness is powerful and extends well beyond our body. We can heal, we can exchange information, we can change the outcome of events, thus we have consciousness which is powerful and never ending.

“What To Do When You Have Everything and You Feel Empty Inside” A young man contacted me the other day and said, “I have a great wife, a new little girl on the way, and a great job but I feel empty inside”. Here is what I told him. It’s very common for people to feel empty inside in this day and age. The feel they are just going through the motions and nothing matters. There is no spiritual uplifting that makes people feel full, alive, free, and ready to embrace life no matter what happens. What Can You Do?

For Sri Aurobindo, truth of the spirit is to be lived, not attained by abandonment of life in the world. He looks at the evolution of body, life and mind as steps along the evolutionary process, and each one of them represents an important stage in an ongoing development. The action of these instruments is to be uplifted and perfected as new evolutionary powers enter into the world. The developed human being can participate consciously in this process, and thereby aid in bringing forth these new powers and transforming the nature and thereby the life in the world.

Lots of studies show Butterbur works wonders for migraines and allergies without the side-effects of other products. And Butterbur is amazing for asthma, inflammation, pain, it’s a powerful antioxidant, lowers cholesterol, lowers blood pressure, increases sperm count, helps with cardiovascular disease, prevents Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, protect the liver, helps with urinary tract inflammation, helps with preventing excessive clotting, helps with cancer and much more. Many Blessings to Everyone! Dr. Paul Haider - Master Herbalist Watch My Video and Find Out More

A man took his time getting up from the table while his wife was talking. But all the time she was talking he was disconnected from everything she was saying, negating hearing even a single word. And he did not respond to what she was saying nor did he interact with her, other than what he had to do to be polite. Then the wife said: “Why are you disconnected from me, you don’t respond, you don’t hear a word I’m saying… it’s as though you’re not interested.”

Once there was a man who had a dream job, a job that he loved so much that he started getting into his profession when he was in high school. Then in college he took course work in that profession and later he went on to be one of the greats in his profession. But later in life things began to change.

Patanjali’s Raja Yoga outlines a series of steps or stages in the development of that particular path. The first two are Yama and Niyama, which outline certain purification actions to prepare the practitioner for the later activities and experiences in the yogic practice. These two ‘limbs’, together, represent a solidifying of peace, the removal of obstacles that can disturb the mind, the emotions, the nervous sheath and the body.

rnGenerally, our feeling is that spirituality is all about renouncing, isn’t it? rnWe have to abandon our family, leave all our worldly comforts and pleasures, sacrifice tasty food and do fasting, and do hard penance and meditation, to grow on given spiritual path. But what if you are not asked to renounce anything, and yet you can develop spiritually? rnAkram Vignan, the stepless path to Self-Realization, makes this possible, whereby we can realize our real Self (Self-Real

For most people, acute illness is an event of the body, which is subject to attack by various malign types of germs, bacteria and viruses. We tend to envision the body as a battlefield and the attacking germs aggressively target the cells and organs and the body fights back with an immune response. The combination of the effects of the attack and the defense create the symptoms that we associate with a particular illness.

Majority of us cannot recall our past births. Given this fact, it could lead one to think that why at all should one bother for moksha then? And given such a situation, is moksha excessively overrated? rnThe answer is a resounding NO! Moksha means complete and permanent freedom from the cycle of birth and rebirth. Moksha means ultimate liberation! Moksha implies experiencing total and eternal bliss. Where there is moksha, there does not exist an iota of suffering; whereas in

When we reflect on the evolution of consciousness, it becomes obvious to us that nothing can evolve out of Matter that is not already involved in some way. We plant an acorn, and an oak tree grows. Someone unfamiliar with the science would treat this as a magical event. We put one form of matter, the acorn, into another form of matter, the soil, and a living being in the form of a tree results. With our relatively recent understanding of the mechanics of DNA and RNA, etc.

Can human nature be changed? We are exhorted to be kinder, more compassionate, less egoistic, more rational in our relationships with others and our actions in the world. When we try to actually carry out these things, we find that, for the most part, our vital instincts and drives still control our actions, and our mind tends to find excuses for, and support, the fulfillment of these drives. The vital is a powerful part of human nature and does not easily give up its habitual satisfactions.

If we examine the phenomenon of anger closely we see how it suddenly rises up and overpowers even those who are normally quite even-keeled in their day to day lives. By studying mob psychology, where we see a large number of individuals inflamed in a crowd setting and set into motion to wreak havoc and destroy, or express hatred, we see that on their own many of these individuals would never have engaged in such expressions or acts, but when their rage or anger has been whipped up from outside, they can do things that would be otherwise unthinkable.

You say, you want a permanent solution to your depression. This is indeed a very big thing, because generally, one in depression loses interest in everything, even in curing themselves. But you have the will to come out of depression forever. And where there’s a will, there’s a way! So, Nature is bound to show you that way. Come, let’s together today, explore the way to come out of your depression permanently...rnYou ask, ‘why do I feel like the only reasonable soluti

Being respectful is reflected in the courtesy with which we speak, act and treat one another. But the process of being so begins from within... Whenever we meet someone, there are thoughts and feelings exchanged, words spoken and behaviours taking place. Each interaction leaves an impression on our mind of what we felt in their presence. In turn, our words, our behaviour, and the vibrations we send out are based on how we think and feel about them. But when our pride is stron

Right now the human race sees something as important… and others as not important at all. And that attitude has lead us down a path creating climate change, toxins in our water, toxins in our food, and toxins in the atmosphere. What Would Life Be Like? What would life be like if we honored every single blade of grass? What would life be like if we honored every single seed we plant? What would life be like if we honored every single tree on the planet? What would life be like if we honored the natural bacteria in our soils?

For every action there is a reaction, for every movement there is a countering movement, and so there must be a countering force for everything in the Universe. This is the natural law which God, the Universe, and the One and Only has put into place. Nothing is separate from these natural laws… yet most people think that the Creator fulfills every wish and whim, but if we understand this law we can heal everything on this planet.

“Be Like Coffee and Hot Water” If you take cold water and add ground coffee it does not become coffee instantly. But if you take hot water and then add ground coffee and stir it around… it becomes coffee right away. The same goes for spreading your love. Love is all around us… all we have to do is see the good in all things. But even more than that… we have to decide we will be different. And have a great passion to be a guiding light for others. Love is the hot water and our passion is the stirring of the coffee.

The Vedic Rishis sought the Truth, the Right, the Vast. (satyam, rtam, brihat). They understood that the awareness limited to the ego-personality, the individual body-life-mind complex, was incomplete and could not comprehend the truth or meaning of existence. They sought to identify with the larger reality that manifested our existence as part of its own, not simply as separate beings. What many do not recognise is that this is not some concept of pure philosophy, but an actual experience of consciousness.

Health Benefits of Huckleberries a Super Food… Super High in Antioxidants, Good for Heart Disease, Strokes, ORAC Score of 203, Anemia, Powerful Anti-inflammatory, Antibacterial, Antiviral, Great for Pain, Arthritis, Gout, and so much more. More antioxidants than almost all fruits and veggies… Amazing! Dr. Paul Haider – Master Herbalist - Many Blessings to Everyone! I Have the #1 Herbal Channel on YouTube Please Subscribe https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrSQ6OzAenOt-Pj-r0n45Pg See Link to Video https://youtu.be/qoZnLTwaNoU

Food is the basic need in life which gets us going, providing us with all the essential minerals, vital vitamins and sufficient amounts of energy required for our smooth and healthy functioning in daily life. Modern science has been researching a lot into the kinds of foods one should eat and their effects in our body. However, our ancient saints have already provided the most scientific and authentic information regarding the basic foods and food habits that one should culti

While we tend to place a negative connotation on ‘habits’, in fact, habits are an important part of the action of the being, particularly of the physical being. We see times and seasons in Nature that repeat themselves, and we see animal life surviving through patterns and habits that they have developed over time. Human beings have sleep and waking cycles as well as general times for taking food that represent physical habits deeply ingrained in human activity. We can measure changes in the energy cycles and hormone release cycles to identify that these patterns are generally operative.

The traditional paths of yoga have as a defining experience the rising of the energy from the lower chakras to the higher centres. Western psychology proposes that the creative force, that leads to art, as well as intellectual achievement comes through a process that is called ‘sublimation’ of the sexual energy, which corresponds generally to the traditional yogic experience of the energy of the Muladhara, the seat of the sexual energy, rising up through the higher chakras until it eventually reaches the crown of the head.

The inner control of thoughts is a further development once the poise of the witness consciousness has been attained. As the seeker observes the thoughts, he can also determine their effect in the being, and see if they lead to uplifting, widening, and harmonizing results, or whether they shrink the being back down into the ego-consciousness with all of its turmoil, disruptions and limitations. For the yogic practitioner the issue is not one of an artificial exte al moral or ethical code, but rather, the consciousness-impact of the thoughts that are permitted to act within the being.

These Foods Can Prevent and Reverse Cancer 26,000 People Will Die Today from Cancer in the US. Eat These Foods and Invigorate Your Lifestyle and You Can Prevent and Reverse this Disease. Less Than 50% of You are Doing Any of This… Not Good! It’s Time to Get Healthy! Let’s Work With Nature and Feel Great! Watch My Video and Find Out More… Dr. Paul Haider Dr. Paul Haider – Master Herbalist - Many Blessings to Everyone! I Have the #1 Herbal Channel on YouTube Please Subscribe https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrSQ6OzAenOt-Pj-r0n45Pg See Link to Video

Fruit wines are fermented alcoholic beverages made from a variety of base ingredients, they also add additional flavors taken from fruits, flowers, herbs and also made from any plant that can be fermented. Fruit wine is commonly called country wine, this should not be conflated with the term vin de pays, which is grape wine. Fruit wines have been popular with the home liquor store winemakers. Grapes are the most common fruit used raw material for alcoholic fermentation. They

It’s annoying to see people make fun of others, especially when we are one of the victims. And some people go on for hours, making a mockery of innocent beings. So don’t they see how this act of theirs is irritating others? Don’t they realize that it’s so demeaning, it affects one’s mind so badly and it can even ruin someone’s life. So what do people gain by making fun of others, what do they enjoy by making others feel low and let down? rnLet’s understand this

At 4am on the morning of September 12th, 2001, after seeing on TV (the day before) the second plane come around the back of and explode into the World Trade Center building, I created a new piece of art in a 30" by 40" frame. Later on the 12th, I asked permission to remove several photographs and a 20" by 24" piece of writing that were on exhibit in a long hallway leading from the parking lot into the Cape Cod 5 Bank in Orleans, MA and replace them with this 'new' piece of 'w

Right now we have people running around like chickens with its head cut off trying to make money. Yet, there are lots of people who have little money but have lots of time who are very happy and they are debt free. We Need a Minimum Amount of Money Of course, some money is important in order to live. We do need to have food and take care of life’s essentials. Living in Fear of Not Having Enough But at the same time, we see people running so much and they are so full of fear that they might not make that next amount of money… they are full of anxiety and fear.

Even now some parts of the world are having heat waves, and we just don’t feel like eating something hot. But this cool curried cucumber salad will sooth the soul and cool the body. It’s quick and easy and it’s full of protein and has lots of great flavor. Great for lunch and dinner… this salad is packed full of nutrients and will do the body good… and lots of turmeric for healing. Ingredients: 4 - Large organic cucumbers chopped 1 - Large organic bell pepper - red, yellow, or orange in color - chopped 1 - Cup of cooked organic garbanzo beansr

When entering the start of winter, the soils need to be tilled and thus a whole new chapter of the spiritual nature of a garden begins. Every part of a garden has spiritual significance… if we choose to look at it that way. From winter and the time to regain strength, to spring and planting, to fall and the abundance of the harvest, and back to winter, all of it has spiritual significance… let’s take a look at what it all means.

In the opening chapter of The Life Divine, Sri Aurobindo sets forth the proposition that “… all problems of existence are essentially problems of harmony.” We can see the reality of this statement both in the way we respond internally to circumstances, events and our reactions to them, as well as in the way we, collectively, address our common human needs and relate to the environment within which we live.

Inexpensive and Easy to Make Here is a great do it yourself immune system boosting formula that you can make at home. If you’ve had a nagging cold or the flu that won’t go away then make this formula and boost up your immune system and feel good again. Watch My Video to Find Out More… Dr. Paul Haider Dr. Paul Haider – Master Herbalist - Many Blessings to Everyone! I Have the #1 Herbal Channel on YouTube Please Subscribe See Link to Video https://youtu.be/Euz8ULYfk6Q rn#Make_Your_Own_Immune_Boosting_Formularn#Works

Raspberry Seed Oil - Amazing Healing Agent… for Everything. Powerful Antioxidant, Antiviral, Antibacterial, Great for the Skin, Good for the Heart, Relaxing, Helps with Stress, Helps with Sleep, Anti-inflammatory, Use Internally, Use Exte ally, Speeds Up Healing, Helps with Arthritis, Helps with Just About Everything… AMAZING! People Give This Oil 5 Stars. Dr. Paul Haider – Master Herbalist - Many Blessings to Everyone! I Have the #1 Herbal Channel on YouTube Please Subscribe See Link to Video https://youtu.be/uoRg5nrBMlg

When we associate ourselves with our mental identity, we tend to believe that what we ‘think’ is what we ‘are’. However, this leaves open the opportunity for self-deception and ultimate failure to change the nature, as the vital being remains stuck in its old habitual patterns and does not necessarily carry out the idealistic view we hold in our minds. The essential point here is to convert thoughts and words into concrete action and results for the being in its responses and in its relation to the events, people and circumstances in the outer world.

The 808 angel number is a powerful combination of the energies and vibrations of the numbers 8, 0, and 8. When this angel number appears repeatedly in your life, it is a message from the angels and the Universe that they are supporting you in your physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Here is what the 808 angel number means for your health. Physical Health: The number 8 is associated with good health, physical fitness, and strong bodies. The repeated appearance of t

We frequently hear people saying that this world is a world of opposites and one cannot have joy without sorrow, pleasure without pain. This is accepted basically as an axiom for living in the world. And it is true, that for virtually everyone there is a mixture of positive and negative vital experiences, pleasure and pain, and they always seem to contain the seed of the opposite within the depth of one or the other.

Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras describes the practice of samyama which is a power of identification that results from the systematic development of dharana (holding the mind on to some particular object), dhyana (an unbroken flow of knowledge in that object) and samadhi (reflecting on the meaning, not the form of the object). Wherever the power of samyama is directed, upon whichever object or focus, a state of identification with that object takes place and direct knowledge occurs for the practitioner. (n.b. description and meaning courtesy of Swami Vivekananda in his lectures on Raja Yoga).

Ordinarily, when we reflect on addressing impurities in the nature, whether in the mind, the emotions, the vital nature or the physical body, we tend to fixate upon the weakness or limitation we have identified and work to directly control, change or suppress it. This is what may be termed a ‘negative’ approach to purification. A positive approach consists of building up the psychological force of peace which, in and of itself, prevents many of the disruptions that we otherwise would want to change or remove from our nature.

Animals have souls too. Domesticated animals can be highly evolved and very wise, and they reincarnate as we do. Just as we often have strong soul links with people in our lives, such as family members or certain work colleagues, so those pets which join us, sadly, for just a few years may well have been with us before as animal companions in lifetime after lifetime. So, your cat may have been a hunting dog, or a favourite horse of yours, even a parrot. These animals are part

This human life is a turning point. It carries tremendous responsibility and liability. It is only through the human life-form that one is degraded or diverted to other life-forms. From here, Soul encounters four diversions into infernal, animal, human or celestial existence. After acquiring a human form, the Soul can pass through these other life-forms such as those in celestial world, animal world or hell for up to a maximum of eight lives, but then it returns to the human

Spiritual awakening means Awakening of the SoulrnThe “Soul” or the “Aatma” means Self. To awaken the Self, one must first realize ‘who am I’ i.e. attain Self-Realization.However, It is not possible to Realize the Self on our Own. For example, say, we are tied to a wall very tight from top to bottom with a very strong rope. And we can see a pair of scissors, a sharp knife, blade, etc. placed right beside us on the table. But can we manage to get our self free with

Here is a great tasting vegan soup that will satisfy even the hungriest of souls looking for a hot meal that’s full of great nutrition. And with gluten free pasta this soup is very filling— great for those cold winter days. Ingredients: 4 - Medium Organic Eggplant - Chopped 3 - Cups of Organic Sun Dried Tomatoes 1 - Large Organic Yellow Onion - Chopped 7 - Cloves of Organic Garlic - Minced 3 - Cups of Organic Gluten Free Pasta 3 - Cups of Organic Kale - Chopped— Any green will work 1/4 - Cup of Organic Italian Seasoning

As conscious beings we have a choice, and with that choice comes great power which leads to great change. And our consciousness lives inside of us and throughout everything in the Universe. Thus all that we connect to in the Universe has consciousness because we are part of that grand experience… but what is our choice?