Browse Spiritual Growth

nFollowing the Dalai Lama's visit to Boston this weekend, the media's coverage of the event, a two-part lecture held at Gillette Stadium, was largely relegated to posts regarding the above photo , wherein His Holiness donned a New England Patriots hat during the afternoon session. I can't say that I blame them; it was pretty fantastic. The hat, of course, was a gift from Patriots team owner Robert Kraft, who happened to be sitting with his wife Myra, just a few feet away, so

Did you know that there are a lot of Bible verses that are just begging to have motions put to them? Preschoolers are wired to wiggle, so why not give them some simple moves to help them memorize their Bible verses? Psalm 119:28,32 is a perfect example of this. It says: “Strengthen me according to Your Word. I run in the path of your commands for you have set my heart free.” Here are the moves I came up with: Strengthen me (Have children raise up arms like they’re showing their muscles.)

Well… are you? “Ready for what?” you might ask. And that is a good question. In answer I would ask “Are you ready for the next step in your life and your spiritual evolution?”. You might answer “yes”, “almost”, “no”, “spiritual what?!!!”. There’s no right or wrong answer.

What Is Self-Worth?nnSelf-worth has its entire foundation in self-love, which is really how you feel about being an individual spark of the Divine. If you cannot generate a love of your God-self, you’ll never be able to feel worthy, and no amount of blaming past circumstances, people, or policy will fix it. Patching up our psyches -- in the form of liposuction, exercise, blaming our parents or the weather -- is only a way we choose to avoid self-love. Substitutes for self-l

We live in a time of extreme challenge where the entire fate of humanity, and of the planet we live on, is at risk. We have explored in every possible direction and created thereby the ultimate fragmentation, pitting every religion, philosophy and creed against one another in a battle for the hearts and minds of people everywhere. At the same time we have, through modern technology and communication, brought the entire world together and thereby accentuated the clash of ideologies. We find however no solution and no satisfaction in the doctrines of the past.

When we cross the veil of light into heaven, nirvana, and the infinite field there are some very interesting experiences that happen while on the other side of the veil. The process of death I’ve talked about in other articles, but what about all the time we spend on the other side of the veil?

“Truth Has its Own Rewards” Everything in the world is connected to truth, yet many people try to escape the truth. Here are 5 ways we can be truthful with ourselves and others. 1 - Social and Spiritual Imperative to Speak Up. Truth is truth, and many people don’t like the truth. If we see an injustice we have a social and spiritual imperative to speak up and say something and stop what’s going on. Let them be who they are, just say what you need to say… but speaking up takes courage.

Right now more than ever we have lots of people trying to control the media and thus control the populace. Yet this has never worked in the long run in the past and will not work now. We have the power of consciousness which is the connection to that which is impossible to control.

I grew up in a secular Jewish household. My family went to temple twice a year. Day-to-day, there was no talk of the mystery of life. My dad was a pediatrician and my mom was a nurse. They saw life through the lens of observable fact and science. Though I was taken care of beautifully when it came to food, trips to Disney World, and dance classes, spiritually I think I was hungry.nnI once spent a whole day at summer camp with a girl who said she had an invisible friend. I lea

When you look out of your window, what do you see? Do you see the breath of God, of Creation dancing all around you? Can you feel the pulse of love jumping gleefully with joy? When you look in the mirror, can you feel the Divine reflection in it, YOUR Divine reflection? You are an ...

Love is the transcendent reality; everything else is just a state of mind. Creation is an act of love, and that which sustains all of creation is an act of love. We are an act of creation; the Divine presence supports and sustains our existence. It is through an act of love that our heart beats, it is through an act of love that we exist, we are an expression of that love. You find that which causes life within you and you find the source of love itself; you find your Self. n

There are so many parts to the self. Often we have aspects that seem to be direct opposites. The responsible self and the carefree one, the introverted, quiet self and the extroverted, expressive self, the strong and the vulnerable. None of the selves are better or worse than others although we ...

Sometimes sensitivity and emotions reached such peaks that a statue of Dronacharya made of clay could help Eklavya master the art of archery. When Mira called Lord Krishna the latter would dance with her. Gandhari out of respect for her husband had bandaged her eyes with a strip of cloth and thus her eyes amassed so much power that on merely visualizing her son Duryodhan’s body it got converted into 8 types of metals. At that time curses and boons worked like weapon attacks

What you need to understand is that there are no barriers to what is possible. It doesn't matter what it looks like. Everything that you desire is possible. Everything! The force of creation that you possess allows you to create anything you desire even though it doesn't exist as yet. You possess the power and no one can take it away from you. The force of creation is working within you at all times creating your life from your beliefs. Your beliefs affect your attitude, acti

Karma in ordinary parlance relates loosely to the “luck” which one encounters during one’s life. Historically, the word “Karma” is a Hindu term which dates back during the usage of the Sanskrit language and relates to the causes and effects of deeds through your mind, speech and body. rnFar more specifically, current karmas are an echo of your past life while simultaneously your present actions create future karmas for your next life. Common factors which govern the

It occurs to me that many people think life is supposed to be difficult. Everything seems to be a struggle. The glass is always half empty as opposed to half filled. Why do you think people think that life is supposed to be that way?n It has been said that parents teach their children that life is hard. “Nothing worthwhile ever comes easy”. That is what I heard growing up. You are supposed to work hard and struggle and then life will be meaningful and you will be living a

The Big Mind practice has two roots. It has an Asian Buddhist root, mostly Zen, but to some extent Tantric Buddhism, coming through my teacher, Maezumi Roshi, and also through some other great teachers like the 16th Karmapa, Kalu Rinpoche, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, and other great masters that I got to meet along the way, who have guided and assisted me in this path I’ve been on now a little over thirty-seven years. It also has a Western, psychotherapeutic root, coming thro

Gac fruit comes from Asia and it’s a new super food. It’s medium size red melon with spines, and it’s full of healing goodness. And Gac Fruit contains 70 times more lycopene than tomatoes - Wow! And it’s also called “The Fruit from Heaven” because it’s so luscious and sweet. And Gac Fruit contains more healing compounds that all the other superfoods.

"What you are no longer dancing for we stop using for light from above." I woke up with these words in my mind from a dream. Light comes from our higher self, the God part of us. It is transported from our desires and passions and used to light the world. As we dream our dreams and hope to ...

To grow in self-control, in patience, in calmness, is to grow in quiet strength and power; and you can only grow this way by focusing your consciousness upon a principle. Break away from the confines of tradition, conventionality, and the opinions of others, until you succeed in walking the path of your truth. Rely upon your own judgment; be true to your own conscience; follow the Light that is within you. nnYour conscience is at least your own, and to follow it is to be empo

The conflict between the East And The West is coming. What can we do to stop the final bombs from falling? Is the end of times inevitable or can we find a better way?nnn“Stretched across the vast ineptitude of my soul, I see the ever present temptation of resurrection. I can take no more of new beginnings. Can you not see how vague is our horizon? Doesn’t the glare of mankind’s failure wrench you from your thoughts of a better tomorrow? Glorious, my irascibl

Love Yourself and Change the World rnEven though there is a deep knowing inside of me that the world is changing for the better in a big way. I have moments of frustration and despair, when they pass, the next moment I am reminded, sometimes gently sometimes not so gently, I am human and when I embrace my humanness, and accept it, I regain my connection to my inner wisdom. It reminds of the power of gratitude and gratitude brings me to appreciation. This powerful feeling of a

THE SPIRITUAL ART OF THANKSGIVING Beneath the November traditions of family gatherings, bountiful meals and holiday preparations lies the potential for the emergence of a deep and life changing spiritual truth: The Law of Gratitude:n n Everything you are grateful for increases. Everything you are thankful for will amplify. All that you bless will bless you in return..n n Prepare your inner space now with the awareness and practice of your personal thanksgiving and your outer

“Full of Vitamin C, Regulates Blood Sugar, Full of Bioavailable Iron and Copper for Anemia, Helps with Detoxing, Improves Probiotics, Helps Lower Blood Pressure, Great for the Skin, Anti-aging and more” See link to see photo of the fruit - https://paulhaider.wordpress.com/2018/11/13/24-proven-health-benefits-of-delicious-sweetsop-fruit/rnr

"All who are faithful to G-d, follow me!" Rallying cry of the Maccabees as they defied the massive and powerful Greek army.nnThe holiday of Chanukah, celebrated around the world by Jews of every level of observance, is a celebration of miracles. It marks the miraculous victory of a small group of Jewish faithful – the Maccabees - over their powerful Greek oppressors almost 2200 years ago. nnThe Greeks worshipped physical beauty, physical strength and the rational mind. They

Retailers are not always perfect judges of what will sell in any given location or during a particular season. Seeing literal truckloads of new merchandise arrive on a regular basis as a store manager, I caught myself wondering what the buyers were thinking on more than one occasion. The ...

Intelligent Designnn- An Esoteric Perspective -nnDid the universe appear through random events, or is it the product of a vast intelligence? This question has triggered debate among scholars, philosophers and theologians for countless centuries. In contemporary society, science and religion seem to hold these opposite perspectives, and the debate between them rages on. Religion has long viewed the universe as the product of God’s creative work, and therefore is of intel

Have you ever really thought about the actions you make every single day of your life on this planet? It is really quite interesting when one begins to delve into his or her own behavior. Observing human behavior on a regular basis can uncover some rather peculiar findings.nnHuman behavior has been studied and documented for thousands of years. All of this comes from a great desire to know why humans behave as they do. In spite of all the study, people still surprise us. Ther

Right from the time a child is born, his parents start thinking about his education, his career and his future. His mother wants the child to be a doctor but the father wants him to be a pilot. In the tussle between the dreams of both parents, somewhere along the line, the child’s dreams, hopes and most importantly aptitude is forgotten. A fathers unfulfilled dreams are to be fulfilled by the son and so on. Parents practically brainwash their kids to think that he was born

Evil, and freedom of choice, existed before Adam ate from the Tree of Knowledge. But then evil was something external from the person, and the two domains were completely separate. Man's mission in life was to "work and keep the Garden"--to cultivate the good and keep out the bad. By eating from the Tree, man gained intimate knowledge (daat) of evil, ingesting it into himself and--man being a microcosm of creation--into his world. From that point on the two realms were confus

I once read a story about a farmer who sold his farm so that he couldrngo off in search for gold. The farmer searched for many years, butrnhe never found any gold. Meanwhile, the man who bought the farm fromrnthe farmer one day discovered what turned out to be the biggest goldrnmine in the country. We all know the phrase from scripture that states: "Seek and ye shallrnfind." Like the farmer, many of us believe that this means that if wernwant something, we simply seek it out

Like many people today, I have “to do” lists that I often seem to measure by the foot. Sometimes I measure a successful day not by how many tasks I accomplish, or even how good a job I do in completing these tasks. Rather, I measure success by how many inches I knock off the list. I know I’ve gone way off the deep end when I start comparing my “to do” lists with others and feeling smug when mine is longer or more intense. Somehow, I’ve made

There are many souls who are opening now to a deeper level of knowing and perceiving than generally occurs through the physical senses. Sometimes this knowing comes in the form of internal messages of a verbal kind. Sometimes it comes in the form of wordless insights about others, about oneself, about the future, or about any other meta-perception that exceeds ordinary knowledge. These insights are occurring in an accelerated way, now, due to the presence of greater light on

Evodia lepta or the Bee Bee Tree as it’s known in the West is a tree that grows in China and Korea. The bark and fruit of the tree make a great tea for healing many health challenges. Evodia tea soothes away digestion problems, menstrual challenges, and strengthening the nervous system and so much more. Other Names - Evodia is also called Evodiae Fructus, Evodiae, Evodia Fruit, Evodia rutaecarpa, Evodia officinalis, Gosyuyu, San Cha Ku, Wu-Chu-Yu, Wu-Zhu-Yu and other names.

“Also Known as Cang Er Zi in Chinese Medicine” Most everyone sooner or later runs into cockleburs having them caught in their clothing. But most people don’t know Cockleburs have medicinal value for getting rid of phlegm, cold, dampness, arthritis, fevers, eczema, rashes, and much more. Other Names - In Traditional Chinese Medicine cocklebur is called Cang Er Zi, and Xanthium orientale and there are many species of this common weed and herb.

Every year millions of devotees joins together at the temple of Lord Venkateshwara at Tirupati Tirumala to take part in the Annual Brahmotsavam Festivals and also get the blessings of Sri Venkateswara Swami and experience “Vaikuntha Anubhava” or heavenly enjoyment and feeling. This festival is called Navaratiri Brahmotsavam and it is celebrated nine days. In this ceremony the idol of Lord Venkateshwara is taken out for processions on different vehicles on different days.

"Imagine darkness so intense and so complete covering you like a velvet blanket. A blackness that cuts you off from the everyday world, forcing you to draw deep into yourself, a blackness that makes you see with your heart instead of your eyes. You can't see, but your eyes seem open. You are isolated, but you know you are united with all living things. And out of darkness comes the roaring of the drums, the sound of the prayers. And among these sounds your ears catch the voic

The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.n- Lao TzunnAs with everything in life, we learn by taking one step at a time. Baby steps. We fall down, we get back up and take another step. That is the only way to learn and to continue growing on our spiritual journey. What we forget, is that instead of taking it one step at a time, we try to run, and then we normally trip and take a very painful tumble. Take it one step at a time and you will eventually get where

Advertisers’ job is to attract you with all your senses starting with visual. Their job is to make it so attractive that you cannot say no and is it working you asks, you bet, take a look at the economy and see how much people are in debt. Feeling dow You may not realize that you have ...

Devil’s Claw Root or Harpogophytum procumbens and also called Grapple Plant and Wood Spider was first found in Africa and then it was transported to Europe and the US. And now Devil’s Claw is catching on as a very good anti-inflammatory and pain reliever herb without side effects. And devil’s claw has been successfully used all the way back to the 18th century for treating pain.

When fruit hangs from a high limb some throw stones to knock it down. This is the nature of man, we see something beautiful and the way we deal with it can be positive or a challenge. We all see life from a very different perspectives, everyone of us is different. We are born into different families, are raised with different attitudes, and have varied experiences as we grow. And because of that we all see things from a different view point. This also means that our thoughts about anything are different, our actions are different, and our ways of dealing with life are much different.

As you grow in wisdom, you will release, more and more, self-limiting beliefs, which are transient, and become aware of the powerful role you play in bringing change to the whole.nnThrough your meditations knowledge of eternal principles is realized, and the power, which results from meditation, is the ability to rest upon and trust those principles. The end of meditation is, therefore, direct knowledge of Truth, God, and the realization of divine and profound peace.nnAs you

For spiritual and religious aspirants, there has always been a pressure to give up the focus on family life due to the inherent distraction that a family creates for the seeker. Whether the seeker takes vows and enters a monastery or cloister, or leaves family behind to follow a particular spiritual teacher, or reaches a stage in life to enter the forest and take up the life of the spiritual aspirant full-time, the traditions of the world have made it clear that family is at best a distraction, and at worst, a serious bondage that can hinder the spiritual focus.

Everyone loves a secret; that's one of the things that made the book and DVD, "The Secret," so popular. Everyone wants to know the "Secret." People naturally want things to be better; and they want to know how to do that. That's why "How-to," and, "Self-Help" books are so popular. And if there's ...

Most of us have come across people who are amazingly loving and kind… and we always remember their peaceful and loving ways. Here is a process to become like those loving kind people. Train Your Mind Most of us go through our day and have positive and negative thoughts running through our head. That is what the average person is all about. But a truly loving heart only has positive thoughts running through his head. He or she has trained himself to the point to only sees the good. Decide to Make a Change

You’ve probably asked yourself many times what the purpose of life is, but may not have decided on any passable answer. As individuals, the purpose is unique to each of us, but within the bigger picture, it could be that our life purpose is the same. The question then turns into: What is the purpose of human life? Many people would agree that a common purpose among us is the inherent need to realize control over our personal environments and improve them. This is definitely

“Anti-inflammatory, Lowers Cholesterol, Helps with Arthritis, Boosts Up Our Immune System, Promotes the Growth of Probiotic Bacteria, and it’s Sweet and Tasty”

Do you feel you are getting into relationships only to find out after a couple of weeks that he is not the one, he does not act as he says he is, you realize that he is not genuine and that you have made a mistake? Do you feel you have been making lots of mistake in choosing the right man, ...